William Davidson Foundation
/OVERVIEW: The William Davidson Foundation is a prominent supporter of Jewish causes, both in the United States and Israel. It also funds Jewish educators and businesses, arts and culture, and entrepreneurship in Southeast Michigan.
IP TAKE: This is a transparent funder, but it is not very accessible and does not accept unsolicited requests for funding. The foundation finds most of its grantees through networking and referrals from other grantmakers, so new grantseekers will want to flip through their rolodex to see who might be able to make an introduction. Davidson also conducts “online research” to locate new grantees, so perhaps there is an opportunity there as well. Organizations involved in community development in the Detroit area and Detroit-area Jewish organizations stand a better chance than most here.
PROFILE: Established in 2005, the William Davidson Foundation was created by Chairman of Guardian Industries Corp., William Davidson, who was, according to the foundation’s bio of him, an “indomitable optimist who had ‘winning’ in his DNA.” Davidson was also well-known as the owner of several professional sports teams, including the NBA's Detroit Pistons, the WNBA's Detroit Shock, and the NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning, all three of which won championship titles in 2004. His namesake foundation seeks to advance “the economic, cultural, and civic vitality of Southeast Michigan, the State of Israel, and the Jewish community.” It’s stated focus areas are Southeast Michigan, Jewish Life and Israel.
Grants for Community Development, Work and Opportunity
Davidson’s grantmaking for Southeast Michigan makes grants through two main sub-areas: good jobs and great places. The good jobs program aims to bring growth industry jobs to the Detroit area and train residents to excel in new careers. Meanwhile, great places grants support the renovation and improvement of public “parks, museums, and other cultural and communal institutions” as an investment in the area’s future. Other areas of interest for the foundation’s Southeast Michigan giving include entrepreneurship, education and arts and culture. Past grantees in this space include the Detroit RiverFront, Motown Museum, Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit Symphony Orchestra and DLECTRICITY in Michigan.
Grants for Jewish Causes
Davidson supports Jewish causes through its Jewish Life and Israel grantmaking programs. The Jewish Life program names Detroit’s Jewish community, educational leadership and “cutting edge programs and products” relating to Jewish religious and cultural education across the U.S. as areas of interest. Grantees include the the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan, Aish Hatorah Detroit and the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue in Detroit.
Davids0n’s grantmaking for Israel names security, prosperity and “a vibrant Israel” as its focus areas. The foundation has given to Israel’s Weizmann Institute of Science and the Israel Democracy Institute and Friends of the Israel Defense Forces, among others.
Important Grant Details:
This funder makes about $50 million in grants each year. Grant amounts can reach into the millions; however, the most common grant amount is closer to $5,000. The foundation makes grants nationally, but most domestic grants stay in Southeast Michigan. Its international grantmaking focuses exclusively on Israel.
The William Davidson Foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals or requests for funding. According to its website, it works “to discover new opportunities through active networking, online research, and referrals from grantees or partners in the philanthropic community.”
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