The Political function of Philanthropy: DeVos Family Foundations – Dick and Betsy DeVos Foundation

 “In any case, the hidden hand of of foundations can control the course of social change and deflect anger to targets other than elite power.” 

 – Joan Roelofs, Foundations and Public Policy

For the past 10 years, GRIID has been monitoring foundations in West Michigan, particularly the large family foundations that those who are part of the Grand Rapids Power Structure have created. Our monitoring of local foundations has been part of our larger critique of the Non-Profit Industrial complex in Grand Rapids.

Over the next several weeks, GRIID will provide some information and analysis of the most recent 990 documents that foundations are legally required to submit. These 990 documents must be submitted within a three-year period, which is why the 990s that we will be examining are from 2020, since most foundations prefer to submit their 990 documents at the last minute, thus minimizing possible scrutiny.

Dick and Betsy DeVos Foundation

GRIID has always begun our Foundation Watch work by looking at the foundations associated with the most powerful family in West Michigan, the DeVos family. The Dick and Betsy DeVos Foundation has been one of the largest in West Michigan, which was founded in 1989, the same time that Dick DeVos was the CEO of Amway. According to GuideStar, in 2020, the Dick and Betsy DeVos Foundation contributed $12,994,900, leaving them with $50,056,750 of funds left in their foundation. To see the 990 document for 2020 from the Dick and Betsy DeVos Foundation, go here.

The Dick and Betsy DeVos Foundation made contributions to dozens of entities in 2020, but there are some clear categories of groups they contributed to, such as the Religious Right, Think Tanks, Education-centered groups, and social service entities, to name a few. Below is a listing of each from these categories, with a dollar amount and a brief analysis. 

We also include groups that are DeVos owned or created, along with liberal non-profits. With the liberal non-profits, we believe that funding from foundations like the DeVos family foundations is a form of hush money. When we say hush money, we mean that these entities will not publicly challenge the system of Capitalism, the wealth gap, structural racism and other systems of oppression, which the DeVos family benefits from and perpetuates through their own political funding.

Religious Right

• Family Legacy Missions International – $10,000
• Haggai Institute International – $10,000
• Museum of the Bible Inc. – $50,000
• Partners Worldwide – $25,000
• Right to Life of Michigan – $25,000
• School of Missionary Aviation Technology – $120,000
• Teachers Who Pray Inc – $100,000
• Willow Creek Association – $860,000

These religious groups practice varying degrees of conservative politics, which fit into the ideological framework that the DeVos family is committed to. For instance, Right to Life Michigan spent $9,343,500 to defeat Prop 3, which allows people to legally chose to have an abortion.

Far Right Think Tanks

• Acton Institute – $70,000
• American Enterprise Institute – $350,000
• Claremont Institute for the Study of Statesmanship and Political Philosophy – $640,000
• Mackinac Center for Public Policy – $50,000
• National Review Institute – $150,000
• Prager University Foundation – $70,000

These Think Tanks influence public policy in individual states, like the Acton Institute and the Mackinac Center for Public Policy does in Michigan. The American Enterprise Institute does the same think at the federal level, which is why they are based in DC.

Education-centered groups

• Alliance for School Choice – $1,000,000
• Ferris State University – $10,000
• Foundation for Excellence in Education – $10,000
• Grand Rapids Community College Foundation – $150,000
• Grand Rapids Student Advancement Foundation – $25,000
• Grand Valley State University – $150,000
• Holland Christian Education Society – $100,000
• Michigan State University – $212,500
• Northwood University – $253,000
• Potter’s House – $400,000
• University of Maryland Park College Foundation – $750,000

Some of these education centers are local, where the DeVos family has spent decades cultivating relationships and influencing campus policies. Then there are groups like Alliance for School Choice, which promotes education privatization, an organization that has worked closely with Dick and Betsy DeVos for several decades.

DeVos-owned, created or connected groups

• ArtPrize Grand Rapids – $250,000
• Grand Action Foundation 2.0 – $100,000
• Grand Rapids Initiative for Leaders – $10,000
• Orlando Magic Youth Foundation – $90,000
• Start Garden Foundation – $200,000
• West Michigan Aviation Academy – $390,000

Of course all these entities that were created by DeVos family members, also promote their ideological religious and capitalist values. On top of that, it also means that DeVos family members are funding their own entities and using their foundation to fund their own pet projects, like Start Garden – which promotes entrepreneurial capitalism – or the West Michigan Aviation Academy – because it promotes the privatization of education.

Groups receiving Hush $ 

• Dégagé Ministries – $105,000
• Dwelling Place of Grand Rapids – $200,000
• Family Promise of Grand Rapids – $100,000
• Inner City Christian Federation – $25,000
• Kids Food Basket – $5000
• Mel Trotter Ministries – $5000
• Wedgewood Christian Services – $255,000

These groups all provide some sort of social service – people fleeing domestic violence, those who are housing insecure, people with disabilities, adoption and immigration. There are root causes to all of these issues, but these groups are not likely to address root causes and larger systems of oppression. When the DeVos family foundations make contributions, this will increase the likelihood that systems of oppression will not be addressed by these groups. 

Foundations rarely make contributions without strings attached. The Dick and Betsy DeVos has a long history of funding far right and religious right groups, which GRIID documented 10 years ago when we started this project. Lastly, it is worth noting that the Dick and Betsy DeVos Foundation, like all of the DeVos family foundations, compliments the campaign contributions they make to further impact public policy and promote their religious and capitalist ideologies.