Dresner Foundation

What Dresner Foundation does

The Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation (DBA Dresner Foundation) is a private philanthropic foundation established by the late Joseph and Vera Dresner and formally incorporated around 2014 in Michigan. The foundation's mission is to transform lives through grants in three program areas: Health (anchored by a national Myelodysplastic Syndromes Research Fund with Early Career awards up to $125,000/year and Established Investigator awards up to $250,000/year, plus health access grants for vulnerable populations), Youth and Family (supporting disadvantaged and special needs children through educational, vocational, and food security programming), and Animal Welfare (funding animal care organizations and public education).

The foundation generates no commercial revenue; its inflows derive from endowment returns and charitable contributions. Grants are distributed through a formal LOI-to-invited-proposal process with quarterly board reviews (March, June, September, December), administered via an online grant portal. Geographic scope is dual-track: regional for Youth and Family, Health Access, and Animal Welfare grants (Southeast Michigan, Denver, Aspen-Parachute Corridor) and national for MDS Research Fund applications. The largest single disclosed grant is $5.3 million to Karmanos Cancer Institute establishing the Joseph Dresner Family Clinic for Hematologic Malignancies & Stem Cell Transplantation. Since 2020, the foundation has expanded beyond pure grantmaking, acquiring Southwest Detroit properties and opening the Dresner Community Center — Gilbert Street in March 2025 with Wayne Metro as anchor operator, representing a strategic move into direct community service delivery. Leadership comprises CEO Virginia Romano, Board President Lori Dresner, and Board Chair/CFO Kevin Furlong, supported by a 1–10 person staff and a national MDS Scientific Advisory Board chaired by Maria Figueroa, MD.

Name

Dresner Foundation

Legal name

Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation

Website

https://dresnerfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation is a private philanthropic foundation that funds Myelodysplastic Syndromes research, youth and family services, and animal welfare programs across Southeast Michigan, Colorado, and nationally through its MDS Research Fund.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Philanthropic Foundation

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Research & Science Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAI), Family Offices & Philanthropic Advisors (Grantmaking) (BPAGAKAD), Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)

Keywords

• Philanthropic foundation
• Health research grants
• Youth and family services
• Animal welfare funding
• MDS research funding

Headquarters

HQ city

West Bloomfield

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Philanthropic Grantmaking: The foundation operates as a private philanthropic organization, distributing grants to eligible 501(c)3 organizations in focused program areas including health research, youth and family services, and animal welfare. Revenue is derived from endowment returns and charitable contributions rather than commercial activities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation is a private philanthropic foundation that distributes grants to eligible 501(c)(3) organizations in three program areas: Health (with a specialty national Myelodysplastic Syndromes Research Fund), Youth and Family services, and Animal Welfare. Grant funding is supported by endowment returns and charitable contributions, and the foundation supplements grantmaking with direct community programming through the Dresner Community Center — Gilbert Street in Southwest Detroit.

Product overview

The Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation is a charitable grant-making foundation (not a technology company). It operates as a unified grantmaking organization focused on three program areas: (1) Health Research through the MDS Research Fund supporting Myelodysplastic Syndromes research with Early Career and Established Investigator awards, (2) Youth and Family programs providing grants for educational and life skills development, and (3) Animal Welfare support. The foundation recently expanded into direct community engagement through the Dresner Community Center — Gilbert Street in Southwest Detroit, which provides essential services, youth and adult programming, and collaborative space for nonprofit organizations. Grant applications are managed through an online portal.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MDS Research Fund: A national funding initiative supporting cutting-edge MDS basic science, translational, or clinical research with grants for early career and established investigators

Products and services

• MDS Research Fund A national funding initiative supporting cutting-edge Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS) basic science, translational, and clinical research, providing Early Career Awards (up to $125,000/year for 2 years) and Established Investigator Awards (up to $250,000/year for 2 years) open to 501(c)(3) institutions nationwide including universities, colleges, hospitals, and laboratories.
• Health Research Grants Grants supporting Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS) research, medical research institutions, clinical trials, and programs improving health care access and health outcomes for vulnerable populations across the foundation's focus geographies.
• Youth and Family Programs Grants supporting disadvantaged, underserved, and special needs children with access to programs fostering important life skills, educational and vocational opportunities, and food security, for 501(c)(3) organizations in Southeast Michigan, City and County of Denver, and the Aspen-Parachute Corridor in Colorado.
• Animal Welfare Grants Grants supporting state-of-the-art animal care facilities and services, animal shelter operations, and public education initiatives for animal welfare organizations in the foundation's focus geographies.
• Dresner Community Center — Gilbert Street A community center at 3700 Gilbert Street in Southwest Detroit serving as a vital hub for residents, providing essential services, youth and adult programming, and collaborative space for nonprofit organizations, with Wayne Metropolitan Community Action Agency as the anchor operator.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $1M+ awarded annually for MDS research through dedicated Research Fund
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Wayne Metropolitan Community Action Agency (Wayne Metro)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 4 March 2025Wayne Metro serves as the anchor organization at the Dresner Community Center — Gilbert Street, providing essential services including water assistance, utility assistance, income and property tax assistance, and general resource navigation. The partnership enables the foundation to deliver direct community services through an experienced nonprofit operator.
• Karmanos Cancer InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe foundation's $5.3 million grant established the Joseph Dresner Family Clinic for Hematologic Malignancies & Stem Cell Transplantation. The partnership supports research and patient care for blood-related cancers including multiple myeloma, amyloidosis, leukemia, and lymphoma. The grant funded an endowed chair, scientist recruitment, fellowships, patient registry, tissue bank, and patient assistance fund.
• MDS Research Fund Scientific Advisory BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational scientific advisory board composed of leading MDS researchers from Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cleveland Clinic, Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, and Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Chair: Daniel Starczynowski, PhD. Reviews and recommends MDS research grant applications.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• V Foundation for Cancer Research: National nonprofit funding cancer research through competitive grants selected by a scientific advisory committee—directly comparable to Dresner's MDS Research Fund model of relying on expert reviewers to award research dollars to leading investigators.
• The MDS Foundation: A nonprofit specifically dedicated to MDS education, advocacy, and research support—the closest disease-specific peer and potentially either an overlap in mission or a complementary grantee/ecosystem partner.
• Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation: Disease-specific foundation funding pediatric cancer research via a competitive, peer-reviewed grant process—analogous structure to Dresner's MDS Research Fund, albeit at significantly larger scale.
• PetSmart Charities: The largest funder of animal welfare in the US, supporting shelter operations, veterinary care access, and pet welfare—directly comparable to Dresner's Animal Welfare program area.
• Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan: Regional community foundation covering Dresner's primary service territory (Southeast Michigan), distributing grants across health, youth, education, and arts—mirrors the Foundation's geographic and program-area focus.
• The Carls Foundation: Michigan-based family foundation focused on children, youth, and human services—directly comparable in family-foundation structure, Michigan footprint, and youth/family program emphasis.
• Hudson-Webber Foundation: Detroit-based private foundation supporting the arts, education, and community—closely comparable mission overlap with Dresner's youth/family/arts/community grantmaking in Detroit.

Broad incumbents

• Charles Stewart Mott Foundation: One of the largest US family foundations, headquartered in Flint, Michigan, with similar civil society/community focus in Michigan and national reach—comparable in mission breadth and Michigan roots, though considerably larger.
• The Kresge Foundation: Major Detroit-based private foundation with multi-program grantmaking in health, community development, and human services—directly comparable programmatic focus and Michigan regional base, at much larger scale.

Regional players

• Erb Family Foundation: Michigan family foundation supporting human services, education, environment, and the arts in Southeast Michigan and beyond—comparable in family-foundation governance and regional focus on Detroit.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/dresnerfoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/10680761

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments2 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Dresner Foundation