West Michigan Foundation Watch: The The CDV5 Foundation/Cheri DeVos Foundation

Philanthropy is just reputation laundering for the oligarchy. 

It is that time of the year again, when GRIID posts about the various West Michigan Foundations from families that make up the Grand Rapids Power Structure. I start with the DeVos family, which has 5 different foundations. 

The CDV5 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. Three weeks ago I looked at the Dick and Betsy DeVos Foundation, then two weeks ago I investigated the Doug and Maria DeVos Foundation. Last week it was the Dan and Pamela DeVos Foundation, so today will be the CDV5 Foundation, which is the Cheri DeVos Foundation. Cheri DeVos owns CDV5 Property Management, which does property management for retail, office and residential buildings, like the one I wrote about in 2022.In addition, it is important to point out that the CDV5 Foundation has provided funds to other DeVos family economic assets, specifically Ottawa Avenue Private Capital $212,047.00 and the RDV Corporation $151,581.00. 

According to the most recent 990 document on GuideStar, in 2023, the CDV5 Foundation contributed $3,872,500.00 leaving them with $73,236,396.00 of funds left in their foundation account.

The CDV5 Foundation made contributions to dozens of entities in 2023, 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. 

I 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 ARE a form of hush money. When I say hush money, I 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

• Basecamp Urban Outreach – $20,000
• Keystone Community Church – $100,000
• Partners Worldwide – $30,000
• Young Life-Central Grand Rapids – $25,000

These religious groups practice varying degrees of conservative politics, which fit into the ideological framework that the DeVos family is committed to.

Education-centered groups

• Ada Christian School Society – $250,000
• Grand Rapids Public Schools Foundation – $135,000
• Potter’s House – $75,000
• Rehoboth Christian School Association – $100,000

Most of the education groups that the CDV5 Foundation contribute to are conservative Christian Schools. The Ada Christian School society is where several of the DeVos family members have sent their children. Betsy DeVos has had a special relationship with Potter’s House school, and the Rehoboth Christian School Association is one of those old school missions for Indigenous children. It is important to note that the DeVos family foundations have contributed millions to the Grand Rapids Public Schools Foundation over the last decade or so, with the goal to always influence GRPS practices and policies. 

DeVos-owned, created or connected groups

• Chicago Cubs Charities – $10,000
• Corewell Health Foundation – $25,000
• Downtown Grand Rapids Inc./DBA ArtPrize – $25,000
• Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital – $10,000

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, and arts and culture institutions that cater primarily to members of the Capitalist Class.

Groups receiving Hush $ 

• Baxter Community Center – $30,000
• Bethany Christian Services Inc. – $40,000
• Community Food Clubs – $30,000
• Exalta Health – $50,000
• Home Repair Services of Kent County Inc – 115,000
• Hope Network – $50,000
• Kids Food Basket – $100,000
• Safe Haven Ministries – $50,000
• YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids – $250,000

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 CDV5 Foundation has a long history of funding far right and religious right groups, which GRIID began documenting over a decade ago when I started this project. Lastly, it is worth noting that Cheri DeVos, like all of the DeVos family members, make significant candidate campaign contributions to further impact public policies, policies that often create the need for charity and social services, since those policies create poverty, privatize public services and oppose labor unions or minimum wage increases.