Gilbert Family Foundation

What Gilbert Family Foundation does

Gilbert Family Foundation is a private, family-funded nonprofit foundation established in 2015 by Dan and Jennifer Gilbert following their son Nick's neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) diagnosis. The foundation operates two programmatic pillars: "Curing NF" — funding research into neurofibromatosis through initiatives spanning vision restoration, brain tumor therapeutics, gene therapy, and next-generation preclinical models, supported by open-access research infrastructure including the NF Data Portal and NF Research Tools Central (in partnership with Sage Bionetworks) — and "Building Opportunity" — a Detroit-focused portfolio covering housing stability, economic mobility, public spaces, and arts & culture, conducted largely under a joint 10-year, $500 million commitment with Rocket Community Fund launched in 2021 of which nearly $300 million had been deployed through 2025.

The foundation is recognized as the world's largest private funder of NF research, committing roughly $50 million annually to that mission through partnerships with institutions such as Children's National Hospital, the University of Pittsburgh Eye & Ear Foundation, and a 15-institution vision restoration consortium. On the Detroit side, the foundation's grantmaking reaches residents through a network of 298+ nonprofit and community partners and supports flagship vehicles including the Detroit Tax Relief Fund (~13,000 homeowners, $52M+ in tax debt eliminated), Detroit Home Repair Fund (6,000+ critical repairs), Apple Developer Academy Detroit (1,800+ students trained in partnership with Apple and Michigan State University), Venture 313, Motor City Contractor Fund, Downtown Detroit Markets, and Culture Pass Detroit.

Its business model is philanthropic grantmaking with no revenue-generating products or services; capital is supplied entirely by Dan and Jennifer Gilbert via the Rock Family of Companies ecosystem and deployed through grants, direct program investments, and a small (~20-person) internal team led by Executive Director Laura Grannemann. Its distribution channels are program-specific (housing, economic mobility, NF research grants) rather than commercial, and it does not sell products, license technology, or charge fees to beneficiaries. Forward-looking strategy is anchored by the planned 2027 opening of the Nick Gilbert Neurofibromatosis Research Institute, intended to be the world's first brick-and-mortar research institution dedicated to NF.

Name

Gilbert Family Foundation

Legal name

Gilbert Family Foundation

Website

https://gilbertfamilyfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Gilbert Family Foundation is a private family foundation that funds neurofibromatosis research at ~$50M annually and deploys capital under a $500M/10-year Detroit community commitment alongside Rocket Community Fund. It serves NF patients worldwide and Detroit residents through 298+ nonprofit partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Philanthropic Foundation

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL), Corporate Foundations & CSR Grantmaking (BPAGAKAC)

Keywords

• Philanthropic grantmaking
• NF research funding
• Community development programs
• Housing stability programs
• Economic mobility programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Detroit

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Others, Personnel, Operations

Revenue model

1. Philanthropic Foundation Operations: Gilbert Family Foundation is a private nonprofit foundation funded by founders Dan and Jennifer Gilbert. The foundation receives its capital from Dan Gilbert, Founder and Chairman of Rocket Companies, and deploys funds through grants for NF research and Detroit community development. The foundation does not generate revenue from products or services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Gilbert Family Foundation is a private nonprofit foundation that deploys philanthropic capital through grants and partnerships across two focus areas: accelerating a cure for neurofibromatosis (NF) through four research initiatives (Vision Restoration, Brain Tumor, Gene Therapy, and Next-Generation NF1 Models), and building opportunity for Detroit residents via housing stability, economic mobility, public spaces, and arts & culture programs. The foundation collaborates with 298+ nonprofit and community organizations, deploying approximately $50 million annually toward NF research and hundreds of millions toward Detroit community investments.

Product overview

Gilbert Family Foundation is a philanthropy organization operating two major focus areas: Curing NF (Neurofibromatosis) and Building Opportunity for Detroiters. The Curing NF portfolio includes four research initiatives (Vision Restoration, Brain Tumor, Gene Therapy, and Next-Generation NF1 Models) plus the NF Data Portal and NF Research Tools Central, which collectively form a research pipeline from basic science to clinical applications. The Building Opportunity portfolio comprises housing stability programs (Detroit Tax Relief Fund, Detroit Home Repair Fund, Detroit Housing Network, Detroit Eviction Defense Fund, Make It Home), economic mobility programs (Venture 313, Apple Developer Academy Detroit, Motor City Contractor Fund, Ignite, Detroit Elevate, MI Small Business Helper), and arts & culture/public spaces initiatives (Culture Pass Detroit, Downtown Detroit Markets, Dream Mobile, Seed and Bloom, Small Business Murals). These programs work together as an integrated approach to community development, addressing housing as the foundation for economic opportunity and quality of life.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Vision Restoration Initiative (VRI)

Named customers6 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core, flagship and minor.

• Children's National HospitalmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 October 2025Children's National Hospital received an $8 million, five-year grant from Gilbert Family Foundation to fund NF1 research and clinical trials focused on improving diagnosis and treatment options, including immunotherapy approaches and drug discovery lab models.
• Sage BionetworksmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Five-year partnership to sustain and expand NF Research Tools Central database and NF Data Portal. The platform provides open-access experimental resources including cell lines, animal models, and algorithms to accelerate NF research globally.
• TechTown DetroitcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Venture 313 partner providing grants, hands-on coaching, and tailored resources for early-stage tech entrepreneurs. Serves as primary program administrator for Venture 313 initiative supporting Detroit founders.
• Invest DetroitcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Venture 313 partner that sources high-growth startups ready to scale, providing equity-like investments up to $250,000 with ongoing coaching and programming.
• Detroit Development FundcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Venture 313 partner providing flexible loans and working capital for entrepreneurs who don't fit conventional venture capital mold. Also manages technical assistance and hosts lunch-and-learn events.
• AppleflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Apple partnered with Michigan State University and Gilbert Family Foundation to launch the Apple Developer Academy in Detroit, the only Apple Developer Academy in North America. Apple provides curriculum, devices, and program design while the foundation provides funding support for operations and student access.
• Michigan State UniversityflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021MSU serves as the academic partner for the Apple Developer Academy in Detroit, providing institutional infrastructure and accreditation. The foundation supports the academy's general operations, infrastructure, and staffing.
• Rocket Community FundflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Joint $500 million, 10-year commitment to Detroit neighborhoods launched in 2021. Both foundations collaborate on housing stability, economic mobility, public spaces, and arts & culture investments. Nearly $300 million invested through 2025.
• Children's Tumor FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Gilbert Family Foundation works with the Children's Tumor Foundation in pursuit of finding a cure for NF. The foundation collaborated on the first FDA-approved treatment for inoperable NF tumors and continues joint efforts for patient outcomes.
• BedrockcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDan Gilbert's commercial real estate company that collaborates on Downtown Detroit Markets, provides office space for Apple Developer Academy at 660 Woodward Ave, and partners on public space activations.
• CHN Housing PartnerscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerNonprofit implementing Detroit Home Repair Fund and housing stability programs. Manages home repair delivery and coordinates with contractors for Detroit families.
• Wayne Metro Community Action AlliancecoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCommunity action agency administering Detroit Tax Relief Fund and HOPE program enrollment for income-qualified Detroit homeowners.
• Downtown Detroit PartnershipminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerManages Downtown Detroit Markets and public spaces programming with support from Gilbert Family Foundation and Bedrock.
• Detroit Opera HouseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue for Dance Theatre of Harlem performance and arts programming supported by foundation.
• University of Pittsburgh (Eye & Ear Foundation)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner$2.2 million grant for vision restoration research led by Dr. John Ash and Dr. Silmara de Lima to combat NF1-related blindness, part of 15-institution collaboration.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Ford Foundation: One of the largest U.S. foundations with deep Michigan/Detroit historical roots and current focus on inequality, economic opportunity, and civic engagement. Comparable in scale and overlapping Detroit programmatic priorities, though Ford operates globally and with an institutional endowment rather than single-beneffactor model.
• Chan Zuckerberg Initiative: Large private foundation combining biomedical research funding (including rare disease) with community-level education and equity initiatives, founded by a tech entrepreneur. Comparable dual-mission structure (science + community) and donor-wealth funding model, though at substantially greater scale.
• Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation: The world's largest private foundation, operating at vastly greater scale across global health, education, and poverty. Comparable as a mega-cap philanthropic grantmaker with research and community program portfolios, but serves a far broader geographic and mission scope.
• Open Society Foundations: Large private foundation funding health, education, economic mobility, and civic engagement globally. Comparable as a single-founder philanthropic platform with multi-vertical programs; operates at much larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
• Bloomberg Philanthropies: Major private foundation operating across public health, arts, education, and urban innovation, including significant city-level programs. Comparable as a single-beneffactor, multi-vertical philanthropic platform; substantially larger and more globally distributed.

Emerging players

• Alfred P. Sloan Foundation: Mid-sized foundation funding basic scientific research including specific disease areas and open-science infrastructure. Comparable in its research-grantmaking model and investment in data platforms (e.g., Sloan Digital Sky Survey), though with no direct community-development portfolio.

Direct peers

• Children's Tumor Foundation: The leading NF-specific patient advocacy and research foundation in the U.S., and an explicit GFF partner. Directly comparable in mission focus on NF research and patient outcomes; GFF deploys more capital but CTF has deeper grassroots patient-network reach.
• Kresge Foundation: Detroit-headquartered private foundation with major programs in housing, economic opportunity, arts, and place-based community development in Detroit. Directly comparable as a fellow Detroit-based place-based grantmaker; Kresge operates at larger scale and broader national scope but shares many of the same partner organizations.

Regional players

• Mott Foundation: Michigan-based private foundation historically focused on Flint and statewide community development, education, and poverty. Comparable as a Michigan-rooted place-based grantmaker, though smaller and more geographically concentrated on Flint rather than Detroit.
• Skillman Foundation: Detroit-focused private foundation supporting children, youth, and community development in Detroit. Directly comparable in place-based Detroit strategy and similar program verticals (education, youth), though smaller in assets and more narrowly focused on child outcomes.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/gilbertfamilyfoundation
• Xx.com/gilbertfamilyfd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments6 records

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Frequently asked questions about Gilbert Family Foundation