Mojo Foundation

Mojo Foundation is a tightly held McGraw family private foundation based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, operating with zero paid staff and a deeply evangelical Christian giving philosophy. Founded in 1998 and now controlling $46.4 million in assets, the foundation has never published formal grant guidelines, a grants portal, or a publicly accessible application process. This structure is intentional: the McGraw family — President Michael A. McGraw, Vice President/Secretary/Treasurer Michael R. McGraw, and Vice President Joshua D. McGraw — makes all grantmaking decisions through direct relationship rather than open competition.

The giving philosophy prizes long-term partnership over one-time transactions. Of the top 50 tracked grantees, the overwhelming majority have received exactly 5 grants over the tracking period, suggesting a deliberate model of sustained annual support to proven organizations. Olivet Nazarene University Foundation ($4.75M over 5 grants), Grand Rapids International Fellowship ($2.125M over 5 grants), and Mel Trotter Ministries ($310K over 5 grants) exemplify this — each has been funded year after year at consistent or increasing levels.

For first-time applicants, the single documented entry point is a letter addressed directly to Michael A. McGraw at 5940 Tahoe Drive SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546. There are no published deadlines, no standard form, and no online portal. The foundation restricts eligibility to 501(c)(3) organizations only — no grants to individuals.

Organizations most likely to succeed are those operating in West Michigan, delivering faith-integrated services (homeless services, pregnancy support, youth ministry, Christian K-12 or university education), and able to demonstrate evangelical Christian mission alignment. National organizations with a strong Wesleyan-Holiness or broadly evangelical theological identity (e.g., Nazarene, Reformed) appear particularly well-positioned given the heavy weighting toward Olivet Nazarene and Grand Rapids International Fellowship. The Mackinac Center for Public Policy and Right to Life of Michigan — both conservative policy/advocacy organizations — also appear in the grant history, indicating the family's interests extend to faith-informed policy work.

Mojo Foundation's giving has grown dramatically over the past decade: from $267,750 in grants paid in FY2012, to $1.6M in FY2019, to $2.4M in FY2023, to an estimated $3.8M in FY2024. The upward trajectory is consistent and steep, with no years showing a decline below the prior year's level (the apparent FY2022 dip from $2.49M to $2.2M reflects grants paid versus total giving line differences).

Grant size statistics from 990 filings reveal a bimodal distribution. The median grant is $20,000, and the average is approximately $50,776 — but the averages are pulled significantly upward by a handful of anchor commitments. The range spans from $1,000 to $1,000,000, and the top two grantees alone (Olivet Nazarene University Foundation and Grand Rapids International Fellowship) account for approximately $6.875 million — roughly 61% of all tracked giving of $11.2M across 228 grants.

Geographically, Michigan dominates: 171 of 228 grants (75%) went to Michigan-based organizations. The remaining 25% is spread across Colorado (11 grants), Illinois (10), Kansas (10), DC (5), Florida (6), Montana (5), Oregon (5), Arkansas (4), and Tennessee (1) — nearly all to national faith-based organizations with chapter presences across states (e.g., Young Life, International Justice Mission, Campus Crusade for Christ, Focus on the Family).

By sector, an estimated 70-75% of funding supports faith-based human services and evangelical Christian ministry (homeless shelters, pregnancy resource centers, youth ministry, missions). Approximately 20% supports Christian education from K-12 through university level. A smaller share (~5-10%) supports conservative media (WCSG Radio) and policy advocacy (Mackinac Center, Right to Life of Michigan). All grants are designated for general operating support — no project-specific or capital grants appear in the dataset.

The following peers share Mojo Foundation's approximate asset band (~$46M) and NTEE classification (Philanthropy & Grantmaking T90Z). Peer data is drawn from IRS filings and public databases.

Mojo Foundation stands apart from its asset peers in two key ways. First, its giving ratio — distributing roughly 5-8% of assets annually at current levels — is lower than Bullitt Foundation, which distributes approximately 26% of assets per year, but consistent with private family foundations that prioritize long-term capital preservation alongside grantmaking. Second, Mojo's complete absence of an open application process places it firmly in the relationship-grantmaker category, where unsolicited applications rarely succeed. Prospective grantees should treat this foundation as one requiring cultivation over months or years, not a competitive open grant cycle.

No press releases, leadership announcements, or formal program announcements from Mojo Foundation's leadership were found in public sources for 2025-2026. The foundation maintains no active public communications infrastructure — no social media presence, no newsletter, and the domain mojofoundation.org redirects to a wholly unrelated Asheville, NC organization (a post-Hurricane Helene community recovery nonprofit).

The most substantive recent data comes from IRS 990 filings for FY2024 (reported January 2026 via ProPublica), which show total charitable disbursements of $3.8 million across 47 grants — up from $2.7M in FY2023 and $2.5M in FY2022. This represents the foundation's largest single-year distribution on record. Asset growth has also continued, rising from $37.8M (FY2022) to $43.4M (FY2023) to $46.4M (FY2024), supported by an estimated $6.5M in contributions received in FY2024. FY2024 highlight grants include $1.25M to Olivet Nazarene University Foundation, $700,000 to Grand Rapids International Fellowship, and $500,000 to NorthPointe Christian Schools. The McGraw family leadership team — Michael A., Michael R., and Joshua D. McGraw — remains unchanged across all available filings, with all three receiving zero compensation.

Lead with faith integration, not program metrics. Mojo Foundation's entire tracked grantee portfolio is faith-based. Proposals or letters that frame work in terms of evangelical Christian mission, discipleship, transformation, or biblical values will resonate; secular outcome frameworks alone will not. Organizations working at the intersection of faith and human need (homelessness, family crisis, youth development) are best positioned.

Keep the initial letter short and direct. There is no published LOI template. A one-to-two page letter addressed personally to Michael A. McGraw should introduce your organization's faith identity, describe the specific work being done in West Michigan (or nationally if your work has strong evangelical ties), state the requested amount, and invite follow-up. Do not attach lengthy reports on first contact.

Request general operating support. Every tracked grant in the dataset is for general support. Do not propose a project budget or request restricted program funding — ask for unrestricted operating support and let the foundation decide how to categorize it.

Target the $15,000–$75,000 range for first requests. The median grant is $20,000 and first-time grantees are unlikely to enter at the anchor level ($300K+) reserved for long-standing partners. A first ask in the $15,000–$50,000 range is realistic and leaves room to grow the relationship.

Leverage Grand Rapids and West Michigan networks. The McGraw family is embedded in the Grand Rapids evangelical community. A warm introduction through Cornerstone University, Olivet Nazarene alumni, Grand Rapids International Fellowship, or Mel Trotter Ministries board connections may be more effective than a cold letter. Attend events hosted by these anchor grantees.

Plan for a multi-year cultivation timeline. The foundation's pattern of awarding 5 consecutive grants to most recipients suggests it builds before it commits. A first grant is an audition — follow up with brief stewardship reports even without a formal requirement, and re-apply annually.

Do not contact via craig@mojocoworking.com for grant inquiries. That email address in the IRS record appears to belong to a co-working space contact unrelated to formal grantmaking. Use postal mail to the 5940 Tahoe Drive SE address.