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The Dick and Betsy DeVos Family Foundation
| The Dick and Betsy DeVos Family Foundation | |
 | |
| Basic facts | |
| Location: | Grand Rapids, Mich. |
| Type: | 501(c)(3) private foundation |
| Top official: | Betsy DeVos, President |
| Founder(s): | Dick DeVos and Betsy DeVos |
| Year founded: | 1989 |
| Website: | Official website |
The Dick and Betsy DeVos Family Foundation is a 501(c)(3) private foundation that makes grants to community organizations in Michigan and to other national nonprofit organizations. The foundation is located in Grand Rapids, Mich., and is funded by Richard DeVos Jr.—son of Amway co-founder Richard DeVos Sr.—and his wife Betsy DeVos.[1]
Background
The Dick and Betsy DeVos Family Foundation is a private foundation that makes grants to other organizations. The group is registered as a 501(c)(3) private foundation with the IRS. The foundation was founded in 1989 by Richard DeVos Jr. and his wife Betsy DeVos. Dick DeVos is the son of Richard DeVos Sr., who founded the multilevel marketing company Amway.[2]
As of October 2025, the Foundation's website said, "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."[3] According to a 2006 report from the Detroit Metro Times, the foundation mostly offers funds to "conservative think tanks, activist groups and fundamentalist Christian organizations."[4]
Mission
The website for the Dick and Betsy DeVos Family Foundation lists the following as guiding passion's for the organization's giving:[5]
| “ | Our faith motivates our giving; it is integral to who we are and what we do. Our giving is centered in cultivating leadership, accelerating transformation and leveraging support in five areas: Education: We strive to be a catalyst for positive change by expanding choices and improving access opportunities in education. |
” |
Leadership
The Dick and Betsy DeVos Family Foundation's 2023 tax forms list the following officers:[7]
- Richard DeVos Jr., President/Director
- Betsy DeVos, Director
- Robert Schierbeek, Vice President/COO
- Jeffrey Bowerman, Vice President of Tax
- Susan Valcq, Treasurer/Secretary
- Nicholas Thole, Vice President
- Jason Zylstra, Foundation manager
- Pamela Parriott, Foundation manager
- Richard M. DeVos III, Director
- Elisabeth Lowery, Director
- Andrea Abraham, Director
- Ryan DeVos, Director
Work and activities
The Dick and Betsy DeVos Family Foundation website's says, "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." The Foundation's website describes the following among its goals.[8]
- 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."
The foundation donates to other nonprofit organizations. The following is a list of notable organizations who received grants exceeding $100,000 from the Dick and Betsy DeVos Family Foundation in 2013:[9]
| Dick and Betsy DeVos Family Foundation Grant Activity 2013 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Recipient | Amount granted | |
| The Acton Institute | $250,000 | |
| Alliance for School Choice | $250,000 | |
| ArtPrize Grand Rapids | $506,650 | |
| Cape Eleuthera Foundation, Inc. | $270,000 | |
| Endeavor Global Inc. | $162,500 | |
| Ferris State University | $100,000 | |
| Foundation for Excellence in Education | $100,000 | |
| Grand Rapids Christian School Association | $300,000 | |
| Great Lakes Education Foundation | $200,000 | |
| Helen DeVos Children's Hospital Foundation | $526,000 | |
| John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts | $125,000 | |
| Kids Hope USA | $100,000 | |
| Mars Hill Bible Church | $460,000 | |
| Northwood University | $200,000 | |
| Potter's House | $301,000 | |
| Regional Air Alliance of West Michigan | $200,000 | |
| Van Andel Institute | $135,000 | |
| Wedgwood Christian Services | $250,000 | |
| West Michigan Aviation Academy | $315,000 | |
| Willow Creek Association | $1,000,000 | |
Notable endorsements
This section displays endorsements this organization made in elections within Ballotpedia's coverage scope. Know of one we missed? Click here to let us know.
Finances
The Dick and Betsy DeVos Family Foundation raised $2.5 million in 2023, according to filings with the Internal Revenue Service compiled by ProPublica.[10]
The following is a breakdown of the Dick and Betsy DeVos Family Foundation's revenues from 2020 to 2025, as reported to the IRS and compiled by ProPublica.[10]
| Annual revenues for the Dick and Betsy DeVos Family Foundation, 2019-2023 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Tax Year | Total Revenue | |
| 2023 | $2.5 million[10] | |
| 2022 | $17.0 million[10] | |
| 2021 | $3.5 million[10] | |
| 2020 | $15.2 million[10] | |
| 2019 | $13.7 million[10] | |
The following is a breakdown of the Dick and Betsy DeVos Family Foundation expenses for the 2019-2023 fiscal years, as reported to the IRS and compiled by ProPublica: [10]
| Annual expenses for the Dick and Betsy DeVos Family Foundation, 2019-2023 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Tax Year | Total Expenses | |
| 2023 | $8.0 million[10] | |
| 2022 | $9.2 million[10] | |
| 2021 | $9.3 million[10] | |
| 2020 | $12.9 million[10] | |
| 2019 | $12.2 million[10] | |
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'Dick and Betsy DeVos' Foundation. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
- What is an influencer?
- DeVos Family
- Richard DeVos Jr.
- Betsy DeVos
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ The Dick and Betsy DeVos Family Foundation, "About," accessed November 18, 2015
- ↑ Forbes, "Amway," accessed November 17, 2015
- ↑ The Dick and Betsy DeVos Family Foundation, "Who We Are," accessed October 3, 2025
- ↑ Detroit Metro Times, "You don’t know Dick," October 4, 2006
- ↑ The Dick and Betsy DeVos Family Foundation, "Passions," accessed November 18, 2015
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ ProPublica, "Full text of "Full Filing" for fiscal year ending Dec. 2023," accessed October 3, 2025
- ↑ The Dick and Betsy DeVos Family Foundation, "Who We Are," October 3, 2025
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedThirteen - ↑ 10.00 10.01 10.02 10.03 10.04 10.05 10.06 10.07 10.08 10.09 10.10 10.11 10.12 ProPublica, "Dick And Betsy Devos Family Foundation," October 3, 2025
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