The Hershey Family Foundation
The organization is a private foundation focused on supporting a variety of charitable causes. Its mission centers on promoting community development, environmental conservation, education, and the arts, as evidenced by its funding to organizations such as the Traverse Symphony Orchestra and various educational institutions. The foundation provides unrestricted grants to nonprofits that serve diverse populations and address critical issues such as food insecurity and environmental protection. While it operates primarily in multiple states, it shows a notable concentration of support for initiatives in Michigan.
Source: Zeffy Agent · Mar 2026
Ideal Applicant
Small to mid-sized nonprofits with established local or regional ties—particularly organizations operating in Michigan (Traverse City area) or those known to foundation decision‑makers—seeking unrestricted operating support or project funding.
Good Fit
- • Visible program presence or partnerships in the Traverse City / northern Michigan region.
- • Track record of stewardship and relationships with local philanthropists or intermediaries.
- • Organizational needs that match unrestricted operating support or community projects.
- • Prior or existing connection to one of the foundation’s repeat grantees or to the named grantors.
Geography
Grants were recorded in four different states over the observed years, but 85% of 2024 dollars were concentrated in Michigan, indicating a multi‑state footprint with a strong single‑state focus.
Recipient Variety
The foundation funded multiple distinct organizations across three years (9 recipients in 2022, 6 in 2023, 5 in 2024) with some repeat grantees, showing a moderate spread rather than a single beneficiary monopoly.
New Applicants
Although new grantees appear in the latest year, the foundation’s filings and application metadata state grants are only to preselected recipients and no public submission route is provided, so unsolicited applicants are unlikely to enter the portfolio without an introduction.
Source: Zeffy Agent · Mar 2026
