Besser Museum
ALPENA, MI
$343.6KTax year 2024
Grant purpose
Gallery renovation
Foundation directory
Besser Foundation Grants
Private foundation · EIN 38-6071938 · IRS 990-PF filings through tax year 2025
How to apply
This foundation publishes application instructions on its latest 990-PF and does not report restricting giving to preselected organizations. See more foundations that accept applications.
- Contact
- Gary Dawley
- Phone
- (989) 356-6613
- Deadlines
- Requests must be received by the end of the first month of each calendar quarter to be considered by
- Application materials
- Requests should be in writing and include proof of 501(c)(3) status.
- Restrictions
- Programs and projects related to the welfare of the citizens of alpena area are of primary concern and will receive priority. Unless specifically requested by a trustee, the foundation will not consider grant requests from organizations outside of alpena; nor for endowment funds, to defray meeting or conference expenses, or to pay for travel of individuals or groups. We will not relieve organizations or the public of their responsibilities, nor make grants to individuals for any purpose.
Original filing text
- Contact
- GARY DAWLEY
- Address
- 350 N SECOND AVE 701 ALPENA, MI, 49707
- Phone
- 9893566613
- Deadlines
- REQUESTS MUST BE RECEIVED BY THE END OF THE FIRST MONTH OF EACH CALENDAR QUARTER TO BE CONSIDERED BY
- Application materials
- REQUESTS SHOULD BE IN WRITING AND INCLUDE PROOF OF 501(C)(3) STATUS.
- Restrictions
- PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS RELATED TO THE WELFARE OF THE CITIZENS OF ALPENA AREA ARE OF PRIMARY CONCERN AND WILL RECEIVE PRIORITY. UNLESS SPECIFICALLY REQUESTED BY A TRUSTEE, THE FOUNDATION WILL NOT CONSIDER GRANT REQUESTS FROM ORGANIZATIONS OUTSIDE OF ALPENA; NOR FOR ENDOWMENT FUNDS, TO DEFRAY MEETING OR CONFERENCE EXPENSES, OR TO PAY FOR TRAVEL OF INDIVIDUALS OR GROUPS. WE WILL NOT RELIEVE ORGANIZATIONS OR THE PUBLIC OF THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES, NOR MAKE GRANTS TO INDIVIDUALS FOR ANY PURPOSE.
Reported organization name: BESSER FOUNDATION
Giving by tax year
Year-level totals across every reported grant in this profile — a summary, not a filter. The awards further down are the largest individual grants across all years, not each year's complete list.
| Tax year | Grants paid | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 17 | $768.2K |
| 2024 | 16 | $1.2M |
Where Besser Foundation gives
States of grant recipients reported on the foundation's 990-PF filings, by dollars received.
Michigan$1.9M
Largest reported grants
Historical awards reported to the IRS. These are examples of past giving, not open opportunities.
Besser Museum
ALPENA, MI
$260KTax year 2025
Grant purpose
Operating expenses
Besser Museum
ALPENA, MI
$260KTax year 2024
Grant purpose
Operating expenses
Boys & Girls Club of Alpena
ALPENA, MI
$250KTax year 2024
Grant purpose
Building
Thunder Bay Theatre
ALPENA, MI
$100KTax year 2024
Grant purpose
Capital improvements
Showing 5 of the 25 largest grants (33 reported in all).
See all 33 grants from Besser Foundation: sort and filter by purpose, state and year.
Create free accountAbout this data
Figures are aggregated from Besser Foundation's IRS Form 990-PF electronic filings (2 filings on file, most recent tax year 2025). Totals reflect grants the foundation reported as paid, and can lag the current year because foundations file annually and often on extension. Source: IRS 990-PF filing on ProPublica. Raw e-file archive (ZIP) — a large IRS yearly archive download.
Other foundations giving in Michigan
Free templates for applying to a foundation like this
- Full grant proposal template with an annotated sample
- Letter of intent template and example
- Statement of need template and examples
- Executive summary template and examples
- Grant budget template (XLSX) and budget narrative
- Evaluation plan template and metrics
New to this? Start with how to write a grant proposal, section by section. This profile is built from IRS 990-PF filings — read how the directory was assembled, or see what GrantCue does and what it costs.