About The Gerber Foundation
Our Mission
The mission of The Gerber Foundation, to enhance the quality of life of infants and children, has remained the guiding beacon for Foundation giving throughout its history.
The Gerber Foundation expects its grant dollars to significantly impact issues facing infants and children. Accordingly, for pediatric research grants, we prioritize projects benefiting infants from pre-birth to three years old. For West Michigan grants, priority is given to children aged 0-18. Through our grant-making efforts, we are committed to improving the health and well-being of the youngest members of our society.
Our Values
Organizational values serve as a shared compass, guiding decisions, interactions, and impact. Each value matters individually, but together they create a consistent, interconnected framework that shapes culture, aligns board and staff, and informs every choice—from governance to grantmaking. By living these values, the Gerber Foundation turns principles into action, accountability, and lasting impact.
The Gerber Foundation’s values are:
- Child Well-Being – We place children at the center of all decisions, investing in approaches proven to strengthen child well-being and achieve meaningful, measurable improvements in children’s lives.
- Integrity – We uphold the highest ethical standards, ensuring that decisions and actions are fair, mission-aligned, and free from conflicts of interest or undue influence.
- Evidence-Based Decision Making – We apply rigorous, objective methods to ensure that grantmaking and operational decisions are grounded in reliable evidence. We fund research using sound methodology, credible data, and high-quality scientific standards.
- Fiscal Responsibility – We manage our endowment and resources with prudence, integrity, and a long-term perspective. Our investments and spending support sustainable grantmaking and maximize impact for future generations.
- Transparency – We communicate openly and honestly about decisions and processes. We provide internal and external stakeholders with clear information about how resources are used and ensure that grantmaking, governance, and operations are accessible and understandable, building trust and strengthening accountability.
Primary Focus Areas
Pediatric Research
The primary focus, supported by over 70% of grant-making, is applied research focused on health and nutritional issues affecting infants and children from pre-birth to three years of age. Research projects aimed at finding solutions to common everyday issues and problems regarding health and nutrition are sought. Of particular interest are those offering a substantial promise of meaningful advances in the prevention and treatment of diseases and those with broad applicability to the general population.
West Michigan Grants
West Michigan grants are focused on youth programs supporting the growth and development of children from 0-18 years of age within four counties in West Michigan – Lake, Muskegon, Newaygo, and Oceana. Specific areas of focus within youth programming include early childhood growth and development to assure children are ready for school by age 5; development of parenting skills; STEM education; health and dental care; and several historically supported youth programs such as 4-H, summer camps, and general youth support programs.
Scholarships
History of The Gerber Foundation
Daniel Gerber, Sr
Established in 1952 as the Gerber Baby Foods Fund by Daniel Gerber, Sr. and Gerber Products Company, the Foundation provided $14,700 in support to various organizations during the first year of operation. While the Gerber name may imply a strict interest in infant nutrition, Dan Gerber felt a commitment to a much broader range of activities. In those early years, grants were provided to such organizations as the American Red Cross, Americas Future, 4-H Clubs, Boys and Girls Clubs, the United Negro College Fund, and the National Fire Protection Association, among others. Small grants were also awarded to various community agencies within communities where Gerber Products Company had a presence. Beginning in 1953, scholarships were provided to a wide variety of institutions across the United States as well as to dependents of Gerber Products Company Associates.
Dan Gerber’s interest in agriculture, education, infant care, and youth programs is evident through the long list of donations made in these early years and throughout the Foundation’s history. These interests are still reflected in the Foundation’s grant-making programs today.
The name of the Foundation was changed to The Gerber Companies Foundation in 1985 to more accurately reflect the status of the company with its many subsidiaries. In 1994, The Foundation became a separately endowed, private foundation when Gerber Products Company merged with Sandoz Ltd. In 1997, the name was changed to The Gerber Foundation.
Board of Directors
Fernando Flores-New
President
Houston, TX
William L. Bush, MD
Vice-President
Byron Center, MI
Stan M. VanderRoest
Treasurer
Grandville, MI
Tracy A. Baker
Secretary
Irons, MI
Randall Dyk, MD
Kalamazoo, MI
Michael G. Ebert
Naperville, IL
Leigh Anne Higgins
Grant, MI
Raymond Hutchinson, MD
Chelsea, MI
Randy A. Puff
Fremont, MI
Steven W. Poole
Grand Rapids, MI
Robert Schumacher, MD
Ann Arbor, MI
Amy Sapsford
Melbourne, KY
Wendy Taylor
Grand Rapids, MI
