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The Miller Foundation is a private corporation based in BATTLE CREEK, MI. The foundation received its IRS ruling in 1964. The principal officer is Sara Wallace. It holds total assets of $20.8M. Annual income is reported at $5M. The foundation is governed by 8 officers and trustees. Tax records are available from 2015 to 2024. Grantmaking is concentrated in Michigan. According to available records, The Miller Foundation has made 399 grants totaling $3.4M, with a median grant of $1K. Annual giving has decreased from $684K in 2020 to $547K in 2023. Grantmaking activity was highest in 2022 with $1.4M distributed across 164 grants. Individual grants have ranged from N/A to $150K, with an average award of $9K. The foundation has supported 118 unique organizations. Grants have been distributed to organizations in Michigan and Montana. Contributions to this foundation are tax-deductible.
The Miller Foundation is a Battle Creek, Michigan-based private family foundation (EIN 38-6064925) established in the early 1970s by Louise Miller at the urging of her son Robert B. Miller - according to the foundation's own website - with the explicit mission to "help things happen in Battle Creek". It has remained geographically concentrated for more than 50 years, now in its third generation of Miller-family trusteeship and headquartered at 310 Wahwahtaysee Way, Battle Creek, MI. The foundation's published purpose is to support arts, education, and civic programs that enhance quality of life in greater Battle Creek. It welcomes proposals from 501(c)(3) nonprofits serving Battle Creek directly, but does not fund organizations outside that geography. The best-known program is BCreative, which funds classroom field-trip grants for Battle Creek teachers and scholarships for K-12 students to attend creative camps - a sign that the foundation operates an active, open-application pipeline rather than a closed trustee-only model. Over its lifetime the foundation states it has granted more than $35M total and BCreative alone has distributed over $500K and reached 10,000+ students, per its website.
ProPublica 990-PF filings show a mature, steady-state foundation with assets holding around $20-22M across 2019-2023 and annual grant payout in the $500K-$800K range most years, with one large outlier. Grants paid (contributions paid per books): 2023 = $546,820; 2022 = $709,210; 2021 = $787,223; 2020 = $683,726; 2019 = $579,357. The exception was 2015 with $4.13M paid - likely a one-time major initiative or multi-year commitment. End-of-year total assets have hovered near $20-22M since 2015, with fair market value reaching ~$22.4M in 2023. Revenue is mostly investment-driven: the 2023 filing shows $1.18M in net investment income versus $1.3M total revenue, and total functional expenses of $1.17M - meaning roughly half of operating outflows are grants and half are administrative/operating. Officer compensation in 2023 was a modest $41,500, indicating a lean administrative footprint relative to endowment size.
| Foundation | Location | Assets | Annual Grants | Approach |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Miller Foundation | Battle Creek, MI | ~$21M | ~$547K (2023) | Private family, open to Battle Creek 501(c)(3)s |
| W.K. Kellogg Foundation | Battle Creek, MI | ~$8B+ | ~$300M+/yr | National, program-officer led, invitation-heavy |
| Battle Creek Community Foundation | Battle Creek, MI | ~$120M | ~$10M+/yr | Open apps, donor-advised, regional |
| Guido A. & Elizabeth H. Binda Foundation | Battle Creek, MI | ~$15M | ~$500K-$1M | Private family, local focus |
Miller is a peer-sized family foundation alongside Binda within Battle Creek, dwarfed by the Kellogg Foundation (the W.K. Kellogg Foundation is also headquartered in Battle Creek) and by the Battle Creek Community Foundation. Miller's comparative advantage for applicants is accessibility: unlike the Kellogg Foundation's primarily invitation-based grantmaking, Miller publicly accepts unsolicited proposals from Battle Creek 501(c)(3)s.
The most recent 990-PF visible in ProPublica covers tax year 2023, with $546,820 in grants paid on $21.1M in assets. The foundation's website (themillerfoundation.com) is active but the dedicated Grants & Guidelines page returned a 404 in April 2026 testing, suggesting the site may be undergoing navigation changes - applicants should use the homepage "Grants" menu link or contact the foundation directly. The BCreative program remains the foundation's flagship public initiative and is tied to Battle Creek Public Schools classrooms. Trustees include multiple members of the extended Miller family per the foundation's "Board of Trustees" page. No major 2024 or 2025 news releases surfaced in research, consistent with the foundation's quiet, locally-focused posture. Nonprofits should monitor the 2024 Form 990-PF (expected to file in late 2025 or 2026) for updated grantee detail via Part XV of the filing.
1) Confirm your 501(c)(3) status and that your services directly benefit Battle Creek, Michigan - out-of-region applicants will not be considered. 2) Look at the public BCreative grant program first: if you are a Battle Creek K-12 teacher or a creative program serving Battle Creek students, BCreative is the lowest-friction entry point. 3) For general proposals, keep the ask realistic - historical grant sizes cluster in the $5K-$50K range given total annual payout of ~$547K-$787K spread across many grantees. 4) Emphasize concrete, measurable community impact in Battle Creek and tie your ask to the foundation's theme of "helping things happen for the betterment of Battle Creek." 5) Start with a brief letter of inquiry before submitting a full proposal; use the Contact page on themillerfoundation.com to request the current grant-application procedure since the dedicated Grants page URL was returning a 404 as of April 2026. 6) Review board member names on the foundation's Trustees page and identify any mutual connections via Battle Creek civic networks before or during the application.
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Smallest Grant
$100
Median Grant
$1K
Average Grant
$11K
Largest Grant
$150K
Based on 70 grants from the most recent 990-PF filing.
No program descriptions are available for this foundation. Many private foundations report program activities in their annual 990-PF filings — check the Tax Filings section below for the most recent filing.
ProPublica 990-PF filings show a mature, steady-state foundation with assets holding around $20-22M across 2019-2023 and annual grant payout in the $500K-$800K range most years, with one large outlier. Grants paid (contributions paid per books): 2023 = $546,820; 2022 = $709,210; 2021 = $787,223; 2020 = $683,726; 2019 = $579,357. The exception was 2015 with $4.13M paid - likely a one-time major initiative or multi-year commitment. End-of-year total assets have hovered near $20-22M since 2015, wit.
The Miller Foundation has distributed a total of $3.4M across 399 grants. The median grant size is $1K, with an average of $9K. Individual grants have ranged from N/A to $150K.
The Miller Foundation is a Battle Creek, Michigan-based private family foundation (EIN 38-6064925) established in the early 1970s by Louise Miller at the urging of her son Robert B. Miller - according to the foundation's own website - with the explicit mission to "help things happen in Battle Creek". It has remained geographically concentrated for more than 50 years, now in its third generation of Miller-family trusteeship and headquartered at 310 Wahwahtaysee Way, Battle Creek, MI. The foundati.
The Miller Foundation is headquartered in BATTLE CREEK, MI. While based in MI, the foundation distributes grants to organizations across 2 states.
| Name | Title | Compensation | Benefits | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sara Wallace | PRESIDENT & CEO | $165K | $16K | $180K |
| John Gallagher | CHAIRMAN | $15K | $0 | $15K |
| Kate Segal | TRUSTEE | $5K | $0 | $5K |
| Greg Dotson | VICE CHAIRMAN | $5K | $0 | $5K |
| Deborah Dingwall | SECRETARY | $5K | $0 | $5K |
| Ken Tsuchiyama | TRUSTEE | $5K | $0 | $5K |
| Paul Ohm | TRUSTEE | $5K | $0 | $5K |
| Jim Lance | TREASURER | $4K | $0 | $4K |
Total Giving
N/A
Total Assets
$20.8M
Fair Market Value
N/A
Net Worth
$20.6M
Grants Paid
N/A
Contributions
N/A
Net Investment Income
N/A
Distribution Amount
N/A
Total Grants
399
Total Giving
$3.4M
Average Grant
$9K
Median Grant
$1K
Unique Recipients
118
Most Common Grant
$1K
of 2023 grantees were first-time recipients
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big Brothers Big SistersBOARD GRANT | Battle Creek, MI | $20K | 2023 |
| Safe PlaceCEO GRANTS | Battle Creek, MI | $2K | 2023 |
| Legal Services Of South Central MichiganBOARD GRANT | Battle Creek, MI | $70K | 2023 |
| Charitable UnionBOARD GRANT | Battle Creek, MI | $60K | 2023 |
| New Level SportsBOARD GRANT | Battle Creek, MI | $50K | 2023 |
| Nonprofit NetworkNP ORGANIZATION SUPPORT | Jackson, MI | $39K | 2023 |
| Leila Arboretum Society IncBOARD GRANT | Battle Creek, MI | $36K | 2023 |
| Music Center Of Sc MiSTUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS | Battle Creek, MI | $27K | 2023 |
| The Barn Theatre School For Advanced TtBOARD GRANT | Augusta, MI | $25K | 2023 |
| VocesBOARD GRANT | Battle Creek, MI | $25K | 2023 |
| Band CampSTUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS | Battle Creek, MI | $24K | 2023 |
| What A Do TheatreBOARD GRANT | Battle Creek, MI | $20K | 2023 |
| Bronson Health FoundationBOARD GRANT | Kalamazoo, MI | $20K | 2023 |
| Burmese American InitiativeBOARD GRANT | Battle Creek, MI | $15K | 2023 |
| Share CenterBOARD GRANT | Battle Creek, MI | $15K | 2023 |
| Local Initiative Support CorporationBOARD GRANT | Kalamazoo, MI | $10K | 2023 |
| Beadle Lake ElementarySTUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS | Battle Creek, MI | $10K | 2023 |
| Sld ReadBOARD GRANT | Kalamazoo, MI | $8K | 2023 |
| Bc Community FdnBOARD GRANT | Battle Creek, MI | $5K | 2023 |
| Westlake ElementarySTUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS | Battle Creek, MI | $4K | 2023 |
| Blue Lake Fine Arts CampSTUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS | Twin Lake, MI | $3K | 2023 |
| Our World Of ChildrenSTUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS | Battle Creek, MI | $3K | 2023 |
| Minges BrookSTUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS | Battle Creek, MI | $3K | 2023 |
| Family Enrichment CenterBOARD GRANT | Battle Creek, MI | $3K | 2023 |
| SpartanairesSTUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS | Battle Creek, MI | $2K | 2023 |
| Kellogg Community CollegeMATCHING GRANT | Battle Creek, MI | $2K | 2023 |
| Battle Creek Public SchoolsSTUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS | Battle Creek, MI | $2K | 2023 |
| Junior Achievement Of BcMATCHING GRANT | Battle Creek, MI | $2K | 2023 |
| Brass Band Of Battle CreekMATCHING GRANT | Marshall, MI | $1K | 2023 |
| Crescendo Academy Of MusicSTUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS | Kalamazoo, MI | $1K | 2023 |
| CisdSTUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS | Battle Creek, MI | $1K | 2023 |
| Wk Kellogg Biological StationmsuMATCHING GRANT | East Lansing, MI | $1K | 2023 |
| Sexual Assault Svc Of CalhounCEO GRANTS | Battle Creek, MI | $1K | 2023 |
| Family Y CenterCEO GRANTS | Battle Creek, MI | $1K | 2023 |
| Barn Theatre School For Advanced TestingMATCHING GRANT | Augusta, MI | $1K | 2023 |
| Humane Society Of ScmiMATCHING GRANT | Battle Creek, MI | $600 | 2023 |
| Praireview ElementarySTUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS | Battle Creek, MI | $576 | 2023 |
| Substance Abuse CouncilCEO GRANTS | Battle Creek, MI | $500 | 2023 |