Following in the footsteps of our parents, we aim to be faithful stewards.
In response to the financial blessing they have received, Dick and Betsy DeVos launched their foundation in 1989 as a vehicle for charitable giving.
Dick DeVos is a business leader, spending his career working in a variety of executive and board positions at Amway, the Orlando Magic, and The Windquest Group, a Michigan-based privately held investment management firm. Dick has also served in a wide range of community roles and initiatives as co-chair of the Grand Action Committee, leading Grand Rapids area downtown revitalization and regional health care improvements, as founder and board president of the West Michigan Aviation Academy, and as founding and now honorary chair of the KGRR Aviation Alliance. In addition to these roles, Dick has served on the Michigan State Board of Education and currently serves on the boards of the American Enterprise Institute and the West Michigan Policy Forum.
Betsy DeVos has devoted more than three decades to expanding educational opportunities for all students, most recently serving as the 11th U.S. Secretary of Education. Previously, she served as chairman of the American Federation for Children. Betsy is also an accomplished business and civic leader. She was chairman of The Windquest Group, the Philanthropy Roundtable, and is the former chair of the Michigan Republican Party. In addition, she invests her time in a wide variety of community organizations and has served on many nonprofit boards.
Betsy and Dick have been married for more than 40 years. They have four children and 13 grandchildren.
Our faith motivates our giving; it is integral to who we are and what we do.
Our giving is centered around organizations and initiatives that support leadership and capacity building, make West Michigan a desirable place to raise a family, and advance education freedom.
Leadership and Capacity Building
No organization or effort can thrive without strong leadership. We aim to equip a new generation of leaders who are well-prepared to drive change and achieve success.
Built for Family
We aim to make West Michigan a desirable place to raise a family. To do so, we support programs, activities, and places for play that strengthen family well-being and improve work-life balance.
Education Freedom
We aim to create conditions and support policies that establish and advance education freedom and life-long learning.
DeVos Place
Our foundation is intentional in its investments.
We focus on the opportunities where our support can accomplish goals that we believe in.
Grant requests should be submitted through our online portal. Prior to submitting an application, please review the foundation’s areas of interest for alignment with your organization’s work. The foundation’s trustees are unlikely to consider new grants to educational initiatives or organizations, or those outside the greater Grand Rapids community unless they have received previous funding from the foundation.
For more information, please review our answers to frequently asked questions.
Requests can be submitted at any time. They are reviewed on a rolling basis, and the process generally takes three or four months from application submission to notification.
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