The Ralph C Wilson Jr Foundation
Historical FunderDetroit, Michigan · EIN 45-0921232 · Private foundation · Website
Grants paid (2024)$141.2M
Organizations funded413
Typical grant$100,000
Total assets$896.5M
Half of its grants to organizations were between $10,000 and $275,000.
From the return
How to apply
The foundation filed the following application information (Form 990-PF Part XV, tax year 2024):
| Contact | RALPH WILSON JR FOUNDATION |
|---|---|
| Address | 3101 EAST GRAND BLVD SUITE 200, Detroit MI 48202 |
| Phone | 3138851895 |
| INFO@RCWRF.ORG | |
| Form and materials | SEE WEBSITE WWW.RALPHCWILSONJRFOUNDATION.ORG OR EMAIL INFO@RCWJRF.ORG |
| Deadlines | N/A |
| Restrictions | SEE WEBSITE WWW.RALPHCWILSONJRFOUNDATION.ORG OR EMAIL INFO@RCWJRF.ORG |
Copied as filed. Deadlines on a tax return describe the foundation's usual process; they are not confirmation of a current open cycle.
What it funds
Share of grant lines on the latest return, classified from the purpose each grant states.
Where it gives
49% of grants went outside Michigan.
Grants paid in tax year 2024
| Recipient | Location | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo | Buffalo, NY | City Within a Park Fund | $10,000,000 |
| Southeast Michigan Foundation for Public Spaces | Detroit, MI | Detroit Riverfront Finishline Fund | $7,500,000 |
| Detroit Riverfront Conservancy | Detroit, MI | Construction Support - Ralph Wilson Park | $6,532,800 |
| Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan | Detroit, MI | RCWJRF Inclusive Arts & Culture Initiative | $5,000,000 |
| Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo | Buffalo, NY | RCWJRF Inclusive Arts & Culture Initiative | $5,000,000 |
| Budc | Buffalo, NY | Ralph Wilson Park: Phase 1 GMP Package 2 | $4,000,000 |
| Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo | Buffalo, NY | Support for the Arts and Culture Sector in WNY | $3,750,000 |
| Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan | Detroit, MI | To sustain the Arts and Culture Sector | $3,750,000 |
| Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper Inc | Buffalo, NY | Ralph Wilson Park/ Shoreline Implementation & Capacity | $2,625,000 |
| Budc | Buffalo, NY | Phase 1 Expansion/ Ralph Wilson Park | $2,500,000 |
| The Boston Foundation Inc (dba The Philanthropic Initiative) | Boston, MA | Exhale, The Family Caregiver Initiative- Southeast Michigan Expansion | $2,402,463 |
| Budc | Buffalo, NY | Ralph Wilson Park: Play Garden + Phase 2 GMP Advance | $2,000,000 |
| Invest Detroit Foundation | Detroit, MI | Strategic Neighborhood Fund 3 | $2,000,000 |
| Greater Rochester Chamber Foundation (ROC2025 Fund) | Rochester, NY | Regional Revitalization Partnership's West Main Commercial Corridor Program | $2,000,000 |
| Ralph Wilson Park Conservancy | Buffalo, NY | Ralph Wilson Park Conservancy: Organizational Capacity & Future Sustainability | $2,000,000 |
| PEDALS Michigan | Detroit, MI | PEDALS Michigan Expansion | $1,639,270 |
| TechTown Detroit | Detroit, MI | Co.act Detroit: Accelerating Collaborative Action | $1,589,630 |
| Michigan Trails & Greenways Alliance | Lansing, MI | Ralph Wilson Loop Trail on Belle Isle - Phase 2 | $1,566,000 |
| Budc | Buffalo, NY | Ralph Wilson Park Capacity Grant | $1,260,000 |
| Natural Heritage Trust | Albany, NY | WNY Southern Tier and Artpark State Park Trail Projects | $1,250,000 |
| Macomb Community College Foundation | Warren, MI | D3C3 implementation Phase I | $1,236,000 |
| Oakland Community College | Auburn Hills, MI | D3C3 Implementation Phase I | $1,145,000 |
| Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan | Detroit, MI | Phase Two of Project Play: Southeast Michigan | $1,130,935 |
| Buffalo State College Foundation | Buffalo, NY | Great Lakes Center & Dart Street Study | $1,000,500 |
| Central Terminal Restoration Corp | Buffalo, NY | Central Terminal Restoration: Programming and Capacity | $1,000,000 |
| Budc | Buffalo, NY | Ralph Wilson Park/ Phase 1 Construction Cost Increase | $1,000,000 |
| Economic Development Group DBA the Northland Workforce Training Center | Buffalo, NY | WNY Advanced Manufacturing & Tech Coalition: Clean Tech Training | $1,000,000 |
| Monroe County Community College | Monroe, MI | D3C3 Implementation Phase I | $1,000,000 |
| TechTown Detroit | Detroit, MI | Driving Small Business Growth Via Equitable Economic Development in Detroit | $1,000,000 |
| Launch NY | Buffalo, NY | Ensuring a Mature, Sustainable Venture Development Organization | $1,000,000 |
| Detroit Economic Growth Association | Detroit, MI | City of Detroit - Parks Lighting | $1,000,000 |
| Rochester Area Community Foundation | Rochester, NY | Medina High Wall | $1,000,000 |
| Friends of the Detroit River | Taylor, MI | Downriver linked greenways system improvements | $1,000,000 |
| Detroit Regional Partnership Foundation | Detroit, MI | Detroit Regional Partnership Foundation general operations support. | $1,000,000 |
| Invest Detroit Foundation | Detroit, MI | Advancing Inclusive High-Growth Entrepreneurship | $1,000,000 |
| Friends of the Rouge | Plymouth, MI | Connecting the Rouge: Rouge Gateway Trail Connectors | $1,000,000 |
| Huron Waterloo Pathways Initiative | Chelsea, MI | Iron Belle Trail Expansion in Washtenaw and Wayne Counties | $1,000,000 |
| Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan | Detroit, MI | BGCSM Sports Ecosystem | $1,000,000 |
| Causewave Community Partners | Rochester, NY | NextWave Mission Accelerator | $985,347 |
| Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo | Buffalo, NY | Project Play Western New York | $982,780 |
| Jamestown Community College Foundation | Jamestown, NY | WNY Advanced Manufacturing & Tech Coalition: Advanced Manufacturing Technician Training | $950,000 |
| The Boston Foundation Inc (dba The Philanthropic Initiative) | Boston, MA | WNY Respite Program | $900,000 |
| Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan | Detroit, MI | Programming, Capital, and Capacity Support for Detroit's Regional Parks | $850,000 |
| The Western New York Foundation | Buffalo, NY | iCAP Expansion | $845,175 |
| Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor Commission | Buffalo, NY | Michigan Street AAHC: Capacity & Program Support | $800,000 |
| Fair Food Network | Detroit, MI | Michigan Good Food Fund-Southeast Michigan Regional Food Network | $750,000 |
| Niagara Arts and Cultural Center | Niagara Falls, NY | NACC Theater Renovation | $750,000 |
| Enterprise Community Partners | Detroit, MI | Enterprise Detroit CDO Fund Phase 2 | $750,000 |
| Henry Ford Community College Foundation | Dearborn, MI | D3C3 Implementation Phase I | $750,000 |
| Lawrence Technological University | Southfield, MI | Growing the Accelerator's Capacity to Support Advanced Manufacturing | $750,000 |
| Beverly Gray Business Exchange Center Inc | Buffalo, NY | RRP -- East Buffalo Small Business | $740,000 |
| NY Funders Alliance Initiatives Fund | Syracuse, NY | Western New York Nonprofit Support Group | $737,809 |
| Lakeshore Connections Inc | Buffalo, NY | Help Me Grow | $716,259 |
| Washtenaw Community College | Ann Arbor, MI | D3C3 Implementation Phase I: Advance Ypsi | $700,000 |
| Lakeshore Connections Inc | Buffalo, NY | PEDALS WNY Expansion | $664,845 |
| Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan | Detroit, MI | NEI Inclusive Small Business Support Network 2021 - 2025 | $625,000 |
| NYBDC Local Development Corporation dba Pursuit Community Finance | Albany, NY | WNY Small Business Loan Fund | $625,000 |
| YMCA of Metropolitan Detroit | Detroit, MI | "Y on the Fly" Mobile Equipment Sharing Project | $612,283 |
| Center for Regional Strategies | Buffalo, NY | Greater Niagara Agritourism Scoping Initiative & Property Improvement Program | $600,000 |
| Detroit Regional Chamber Foundation | Detroit, MI | D3C3 Implementation Phase I | $600,000 |
Showing the 60 largest of 413 grants to organizations.
Grants approved for future payment
| Recipient | Location | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broadway Market Management Inc | Buffalo, NY | Broadway Market Management, Inc.: Capacity Building & Market Revitalization | $5,875,000 |
| Pontiac Community Foundation | Pontiac, MI | Downtown Pontiac Clinton River Trail | $4,293,000 |
| NY Funders Alliance Initiatives Fund | Syracuse, NY | Western New York Nonprofit Support Group | $3,324,189 |
| Central Terminal Restoration Corp | Buffalo, NY | Central Terminal Restoration: Programming and Capacity | $3,000,000 |
| Greater Rochester Chamber Foundation (ROC2025 Fund) | Rochester, NY | Regional Revitalization Partnership's West Main Commercial Corridor Program | $3,000,000 |
| Invest Detroit Foundation | Detroit, MI | Strategic Neighborhood Fund 3 | $3,000,000 |
| Center for Regional Strategies | Buffalo, NY | Administrative Support for the RRP's East Side Building Fund | $2,750,000 |
| Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper Inc | Buffalo, NY | Ralph Wilson Park/ Shoreline Implementation & Capacity | $2,725,000 |
| Southeast Michigan Foundation for Public Spaces | Detroit, MI | Detroit Riverfront Finishline Fund | $2,500,000 |
| Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo | Buffalo, NY | Project Play Western New York | $2,017,220 |
| Launch NY | Buffalo, NY | Ensuring a Mature, Sustainable Venture Development Organization | $2,000,000 |
| Budc | Buffalo, NY | Ralph Wilson Park: Play Garden + Phase 2 GMP Advance | $2,000,000 |
| Budc | Buffalo, NY | Ralph Wilson Park: Phase 1 GMP Package 2 | $2,000,000 |
| Budc | Buffalo, NY | Ralph Wilson Park Capacity Grant | $2,000,000 |
| Huron Waterloo Pathways Initiative | Chelsea, MI | Border to Border Trail/ Barton Bandemer Tunnel | $2,000,000 |
| Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor Commission | Buffalo, NY | Michigan Street AAHC: Capacity & Program Support | $1,700,000 |
| The Western New York Foundation | Buffalo, NY | iCAP Expansion | $1,690,350 |
| Chautauqua Region Economic Development Corporation | Jamestown, NY | Chautauqua County Economic Development + Project Leveraging Fund | $1,500,000 |
| Lawrence Technological University | Southfield, MI | Growing the Accelerator's Capacity to Support Advanced Manufacturing | $1,250,000 |
| Community Foundation of St Clair County | Port Huron, MI | Bridge to Bay Corridor - Mission Related Investments | $1,000,000 |
| Niagara Falls Boys & Girls Club | Niagara Falls, NY | Innovate & Inspire: Strengthening Boys & Girls Clubs Across WNY | $1,000,000 |
| NY Funders Alliance Initiatives Fund | Syracuse, NY | Liftoff Western New York | $750,000 |
| Olean Business Development Corp | Olean, NY | Entrepreneurship-Led Economic Development Strategy in Cattaraugus County | $750,000 |
| Lower Town Riverfront Conservancy | Ann Arbor, MI | Broadway Park West | $750,000 |
| Ardent Solutions Inc | Wellsville, NY | Children's Services for Better Health and Well-Being | $691,915 |
| Greater Rochester Chamber Foundation (ROC2025 Fund) | Rochester, NY | ROC2025 Capacity Building | $666,667 |
| Michigan Founders Fund | Ann Arbor, MI | Michigan Founders Fund Expansion & Staffing | $600,000 |
| Endeavor Detroit | Detroit, MI | High-Growth Entrepreneur Search, Selection and Cultivation in SE MI | $500,000 |
| Excell Partners Inc | Rochester, NY | Administrative, Marketing and Research Capacity | $500,000 |
| The Research Foundation for the State University of New York | Buffalo, NY | University at Buffalo Startup Ventures Cultivator Program | $500,000 |
| Economic Development Group DBA Northland Workforce Training Center | Buffalo, NY | WNY Advanced Manufacturing & Tech Coalition: Clean Tech Training | $500,000 |
| RochesterWorks Inc | Rochester, NY | Rochester Downtown Career Center | $500,000 |
| Good Sports | Braintree, MA | Good Sports Equity in Youth Sports Project | $500,000 |
| NextCorps Inc | Rochester, NY | Regional Startup Incubation Capacity Building | $450,000 |
| Atlantic Impact | Detroit, MI | Skilled Trades for Detroit Youth | $450,000 |
| Detroit Employment Solutions Corporation | Detroit, MI | Grow Detroit's Young Talent - Industry-Led Trainings | $450,000 |
| Advancing Macomb Foundation Inc | Mount Clemens, MI | Macomb County Nonprofit Support | $400,000 |
| Michigan Community Resources | Detroit, MI | Continued General Operating Support | $400,000 |
| Young Adults Manufacturing Training Employment Program (YAMTEP) | Rochester, NY | Rochester Advanced Manufacturing Training | $400,000 |
| Leveling the Playing Field Inc | Washington, DC | Leveling the Playing Field- Southeast Michigan | $400,000 |
| Jamestown Community College Foundation | Jamestown, NY | WNY Advanced Manufacturing & Tech Coalition: Advanced Manufacturing Technician Training | $375,000 |
| Neutral Zone | Ann Arbor, MI | Future Corps Expansion | $356,500 |
| Natural Heritage Trust | Albany, NY | WNY Ladders to the Outdoors Program | $336,334 |
| The Aspen Institute Sports & Society Program | Washington, DC | Aspen Institute Project Play | $330,400 |
| Michigan Afterschool Partnership | Lansing, MI | Enhance communications support | $300,000 |
| Neutral Zone | Ann Arbor, MI | Amplifying Youth Voice and Empowerment | $300,000 |
| National Alliance for Caregiving | Washington, DC | Caregiving in the United States Data Project | $300,000 |
| Early Childhood Investment Corporation | Lansing, MI | Operating Support/Aligning with Strategic Partners (3-year request - 2025-2027) | $300,000 |
| Olean Business Development Corp | Olean, NY | OBDC Entrepreneurial Capacity Support | $300,000 |
| Causewave Community Partners | Rochester, NY | Community Capacity Building | $300,000 |
| Data Driven Detroit | Detroit, MI | Continued Regional Data Support for SEMI's Nonprofit Sector | $300,000 |
| Parks & Trails New York | Albany, NY | WNY Trail Towns Seed Grant Program | $268,550 |
| Detroit Lions Foundation | Allen Park, MI | Girls Flag Football League Development | $265,000 |
| Niagara Falls National Heritage Area Inc | Niagara University, NY | NFNHA Operational Support | $250,000 |
| Buffalo Bills Foundation Inc | Orchard Park, NY | WNY Girls Modified Flag Football | $250,000 |
| The Yunion | Detroit, MI | Centering CATTA for Strategic Impact | $245,000 |
| The Champion Project | West Seneca, NY | Volley Power | $225,000 |
| Police Athletic League of Buffalo Inc | Buffalo, NY | Capacity-Building Implementation Support | $220,000 |
| Grantmakers in Aging | White Plains, NY | Building an Aging Philanthropy Movement | $217,518 |
| West Side Rowing Club | Buffalo, NY | Community Outreach Rowing Program | $214,815 |
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants paid | Grant lines |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $141,170,822 | 498 |
| 2023 | $138,135,387 | 600 |
Sources
- IRS Form 990-PF, tax year 2024, filed Nov 17, 2025 - IRS e-file batch, object ID 202503219349108650
- IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search for EIN 45-0921232
- Profile updated Nov 4, 2026
Facts on this page come from the foundation's own IRS Form 990-PF filings as published by the IRS. Grantvello does not know whether a foundation is accepting proposals right now: a past grant is not an open opportunity. Always confirm current guidelines with the funder before applying.