Wolohan Family Foundation

The Wolohan Family Foundation operates as a classic invitation-only family philanthropy with nearly four decades of continuous giving since its 1987 founding in Saginaw, Michigan. With $46 million in assets and approximately $2 million in annual grants, this is a substantial but deliberately private grantmaker — and its policy is unambiguous: the foundation does not accept or respond to unsolicited proposals or grant requests.

The governing board is composed entirely of Wolohan family members: Michael J. Wolohan (President), James L. Wolohan (VP/Treasurer), Christine M. Wolohan (Secretary), Therese Wolohan (Vice President), and Christopher R. Wolohan (Board Member), alongside two outside directors, Sharon Marie McGrann and Teri Hull. Every officer serves without compensation. This structure confirms that giving is personal, relationship-driven, and rooted in shared family values — not managed through a professional program staff with open review cycles.

The foundation's giving clusters around three core areas: Catholic and Christian religious organizations (Catholic Relief Services is a confirmed grantee), education with particular emphasis on Michigan higher education (including Saginaw Valley State University), and human services encompassing family support and child welfare. Geographic concentration is heaviest in Saginaw and Michigan broadly, though documented giving extends into Illinois, Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Minnesota — suggesting the family's relationships span regional Catholic and educational networks.

For organizations seeking funding, the only viable path is through earned, organic relationships with people in the Wolohan network. This means cultivating presence in Saginaw's Catholic diocesan circles, engaging with SVSU alumni and leadership, and connecting through Saginaw civic institutions where family members hold board positions or are actively involved. Organizations that already have a meaningful footprint in Saginaw — through programming, leadership, or community partnerships — are categorically better positioned than those seeking geographic alignment opportunistically.

The timeline from first meaningful contact to a potential grant award should be measured in years, not months. The foundation's 37-year operating history and all-volunteer family governance suggest a preference for deep, sustained relationships with trusted institutions over transactional grantmaking. First-time applicants who receive an invitation should treat the initial meeting as a listening session — not a funding pitch — and demonstrate a track record of community impact, financial stability, and mission alignment with faith, education, and service.

The Wolohan Family Foundation's grants paid have grown at a compound annual rate of approximately 5.7% from $967,750 in fiscal year 2012 to an estimated $1,964,608 in FY2024 — a 103% nominal increase over 12 years. This steady trajectory reflects disciplined endowment management and a deliberate approach to scaling philanthropic output in proportion to asset growth.

Year-by-year grants paid: FY2024 ~$1.96M (est. 44 individual grants, avg. ~$43,750 per grant); FY2023 $2.00M; FY2022 $1.93M; FY2021 $1.76M; FY2020 $1.75M; FY2019 $1.64M; FY2015 $1.24M; FY2014 $1.25M; FY2013 $1.03M; FY2012 $967,750.

The reported "total giving" figures — which include administrative overhead — consistently exceed grants paid: for example, $3.09M total giving versus $2.0M grants paid in FY2023, and $3.25M total giving versus $1.93M grants paid in FY2022. The gap reflects investment management fees, legal/accounting, and other operating costs, though all officers serve without personal compensation. The effective payout on grant disbursements alone is approximately 4.3–4.5% of assets, consistent with the 5% minimum distribution requirement for private foundations.

IRS 990-PF filings list grantees under "See Attachment F" and "See Attachment G" rather than disclosing individual recipient names in the public return body. This means that while aggregate financial data is available, the complete grantee roster is not publicly accessible. From available database records, Catholic Relief Services and Saginaw Valley State University's scholarship program are among confirmed recipients. Third-party databases indicate approximately 44 grants were made in FY2024, which at ~$1.96M total implies a median and average grant in the $40,000–$50,000 range — though the actual distribution likely includes a small number of larger anchor grants to institutional partners (potentially $100,000–$500,000 range) alongside many smaller community awards in the $10,000–$25,000 range.

Geographically, all five grantee records available from public filings are coded to Michigan. However, Instrumentl and Candid databases note documented multi-state giving covering Illinois, Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, suggesting the foundation follows the Wolohan family's relationship network beyond state lines. Revenue in FY2024 reached $5.85M — its highest in the dataset — driven by $3.94M in asset sales and $1.33M in dividends, positioning the foundation for continued stable or modestly increasing grantmaking through 2025–2026.

The Wolohan Family Foundation occupies a mid-tier position among Michigan's family foundation landscape, with $46M in assets and ~$2M in annual giving placing it well above smaller community trusts but far below Michigan's major institutional funders. Its defining characteristic is an explicit invitation-only posture that sets it apart from most comparably sized peers.

Among Michigan family foundations, the Wolohan Foundation is notably distinctive in three respects: its explicit Saginaw geographic anchor, its Catholic institutional emphasis, and its complete closure to unsolicited inquiries. Comparable foundations such as the Ruth Mott Foundation (Flint) and the McGregor Fund (Detroit) maintain open letter-of-inquiry processes, making them more accessible entry points for nonprofits building a Michigan family foundation portfolio. For organizations whose mission does not include a deep Saginaw community tie or Catholic/faith-based alignment, pursuing the Wolohan Foundation before establishing relationships with more accessible Michigan peers is unlikely to be a productive use of development resources.

No press releases, media coverage, or public announcements were identified for the Wolohan Family Foundation in 2025 or 2026. The foundation maintains an exceptionally low public profile entirely consistent with its invitation-only philosophy — its website (wolohan.org) functions as a login portal with no public-facing content about programs, grantees, or strategy.

The most recent publicly available activity signal is the Form 990-PF for FY2024, filed approximately November 2025 with the IRS, reporting $45,994,577 in total assets and approximately $1.96M in charitable disbursements. This marks a slight decrease from the $2.0M grants paid in FY2023 but remains within the foundation's historical range.

The scholarship program at Saginaw Valley State University (SVSU) in University Center, Michigan, represents one of the few publicly documented, named giving relationships and appears to be an ongoing long-term institutional commitment. Catholic Relief Services has been identified in database records as a grantee, reflecting the foundation's documented Catholic institutional ties.

Asset growth from $38.6M (2019) to $46.0M (2024) — a 19% increase over five years despite annual distributions averaging ~$1.8M — reflects strong investment performance. The leadership team has remained stable throughout this period, with the Wolohan family maintaining full board control. No leadership transitions, new program announcements, or strategic pivots have been publicly documented. Small ongoing contributions received — $64,000 in FY2023, $58,500 in FY2022, $51,250 in FY2021 — suggest continued modest family contributions to the endowment alongside investment returns.

Given the explicit invitation-only policy, the conventional grant application strategy does not apply to the Wolohan Family Foundation. No RFP, online portal, submission form, or application deadline exists. The path to a grant requires a fundamentally different approach: relationship development measured in years, not grant cycles.

Build the Wolohan network map first. Michael J. Wolohan (President) and James L. Wolohan (VP/Treasurer) are the primary decision-makers. Research their board affiliations, business activities, and civic memberships in Saginaw. Non-family directors Sharon Marie McGrann and Teri Hull may be more accessible initial relationship contacts — identify their organizational affiliations and find natural intersections with your mission.

Lead with Catholic institutional connections. The foundation's confirmed giving to Catholic Relief Services and its deep Saginaw roots strongly suggest alignment with the Catholic Diocese of Saginaw-affiliated organizations. If your organization has relationships with Catholic Charities of Saginaw, local parishes, or diocesan initiatives, use those networks to seek a warm introduction. Framing your work within Catholic social teaching — subsidiarity, solidarity, preferential option for the poor — will resonate more than secular impact language.

Anchor your narrative in Saginaw. Despite multi-state giving patterns, Saginaw is the foundation's home. Organizations physically located in Saginaw or with demonstrably deep programmatic roots there will resonate far more strongly than statewide or national organizations seeking geographic alignment opportunistically. Specificity about Saginaw neighborhoods, schools, parishes, and community institutions signals authentic connection.

Higher education partnerships are a documented priority. The SVSU scholarship relationship demonstrates sustained commitment to higher education access. Organizations serving first-generation college students, providing scholarships, or partnering with Michigan universities — particularly SVSU, Northwood University, or Delta College (all Saginaw-area) — should frame programs in that context.

Pursue a conversation, never a cold proposal. If you secure a warm introduction to any board member, the goal of the first meeting is to share your mission, demonstrate community credibility, and listen. Do not arrive with a budget narrative or case statement. Family foundations at this level discover organizations rather than evaluate proposals.

Demonstrate institutional permanence. With an endowment built over nearly four decades by an all-volunteer family board, the Wolohans value organizational stability. Present a 20-plus-year track record, audited financials showing balanced budgets, diversified funding, and strong community reputation as prerequisites for any productive relationship.