Skip to content
Backstop Foundation at a glance

· Private foundation

Backstop Foundation

Its FY2025 filing reports that it accepted unsolicited grant applications.

$12k
Granted FY2025still arriving
1
Grants FY2025still arriving
1
States reached
$12k
Largest
01What it fundsRead
02The needRead
03Its granteesRead
04Its fieldRead
05Through PlinthRead
01What it funds
0198% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2017 to 2025.

Youth Development$103kHuman Services$90kArts & Culture$8kAnimals$6kEducation$5kEnvironment$5kFood & Nutrition$2kInternational$2kOther$0
02FY2025 · 1 grant

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

$11,963
Median grant
1
States reached
$0
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
BERNIE'S BOOK BANK$11,963
02The need
03

Does the money reach high-need areas?

Each grant placed by the hardship in its grantee’s ZIP, against the area’s typical level.

show:

Its human-services grants (FY17–20, $45k) land where the poverty rate runs at 14%, against an area that typically sits at 12%. 100% of those dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Most of its grants land in higher-need ZIPs.

area typical 12%YWCA METROPOLITAN CHICAGO: $3k → 14%INVEST FOR KIDS: $10k → 14%INVEST FOR KIDS: $10k → 14%INVEST FOR KIDS: $10k → 14%INVEST FOR KIDS: $10k → 14%CENTER ON HALSTED: $1k → 14%100 WOMEN IN FINANCE FOUNDATION: $500 → 17%100 WOMEN IN FINANCE FOUNDATION: $500 → 17%0%20%40%50%more need →
grant to an above-average-need area below average· circle size = grant amount
How this is measured
Matched: human-services grants are those whose grantee’s IRS cause code is Human Services. Placed by people below the poverty line in the grantee’s ZIP, averaged from the tracts in that ZIP.
How this is measured
US grants placed by each grantee’s ZIP, which can differ from where services are delivered. Need from public data (U.S. Census/ACS, CDC PLACES, Eviction Lab, USDA), shown as context about the area, never attributed to the funder’s giving.
03Its grantees
repeat funding

Who it funds again

Organizations funded in more than one year, against those funded once.

87%of every dollar goes to organizations it has funded before.
$195k · 5 repeat orgs$30k to everyone else

Grantees it renews have grown median revenue +50% since the first grant, against +50% for those funded once.

5 repeat relationships: 1 still active in FY2025, 4 since wound down.

How the two cohorts compare

Re-uppedFunded once

Organizations

5
21

Total granted

$195k
$30k

Median revenue growth · since first grant

+50%
+50%

Still filing today

80%
76%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2025, 100% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $0 went to new ones.

50%100%’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
RenewedFirst-time

Where new relationships form · theme of each grantee’s first grant

’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Human ServicesEducationArts & CultureEnvironmentAnimalsYouth DevelopmentOther
How this is measured
First-time means a grantee’s first year in the filing window; renewed means funded in an earlier year too. The renewed share climbs naturally as a portfolio matures, so the signal is a year that bucks it (a wave of new grantees). The earliest year is left-censored: relationships that predate the data read as new. Theme is the grantee’s IRS cause.

Backed again, and grew

  • BB
    BERNIE'S BOOK BANK
    9× · 2017–2025 · $102k · revenue +88%
  • IF
    Invest for Kids Inc
    4× · 2017–2020 · $40k · revenue +39%
  • RAVINIA FESTIVAL ASSOCIATION
    2× · 2018–2019 · $8k · revenue +50%

Funded once

  • PC
    PAWS CHICAGOgraduated
    one grant, 2021 · $5k · revenue +84%
  • IG
    Individual grant recipient
    one grant, 2017 · $3k
  • MN
    METROSQUASH NFP
    one grant, 2017 · $3k · revenue -30%
How this is measured

Repeat means funded in two or more distinct years. Growth and survival are read from each grantee’s own subsequent IRS filings.

04Its field

Closest unfunded matches

The nonprofits that most resemble its grantees but are not funded by it, scored along the direction from the rest of the field toward the portfolio. A resemblance in what they say they do, not a recommendation.

1
Greater Chicago Food Depository

The greater chicago food depository is the nonprofit food bank serving cook county. our mission - is to end hunger. we believe food is a basic human right. to achieve our mission, we work in partnership with a network of community-based…

Food & Nutrition
2
Alternatives Inc

Alternatives, inc.'s mission is to facilitate personal development,strengthen family relationships and enhance the community's well being. serving over 3,000 youth and families annually, the organization offers a range of counseling and…

Health
3
Food Bank for New York City

Food bank for nyc has been the city's major hunger-relief organization driven by our mission to empower every new yorker to achieve food security for good. we harness the collective power of our network of food providers, partners, and…

Community Improvement
4
The Global FoodBanking Network

To nourish the world's hungry through uniting and advancing food banks.

International
5
Nourishing Hope

Nourishing hope provides food, mental health support, and social services to help all our neighbors thrive.

—
6
Loyola University of Chicago

We are chicago's jesuit, catholic university - a diverse community seeking god in all things and working to expand knowledge in the service of humanity through learning, justice, and faith.

Education
7
Chicago Children's Advocacy Center

The chicago children's advocacy center unites public, private, and community partners to ensure the safety, health, and well-being of abused children.

Crime & Legal
8
University of Chicago

The mission of the university of chicago has been to sustain at the highest level of excellence, the communication of knowledge, the creation of knowledge and the fostering of a dynamic community of scholars and students.

Education
9
Chicago's Green City Market Program

Green city market is securing the future of food by deepening support for sustainable farmers, educating our community, and expanding access to locally-grown food.

Food & Nutrition
10
Northern Illinois Food Bank

With the support of our community, we provide over 90 million meals annually through our network of over 900 member food pantries and programs across thirteen counties, currently reaching over a half million individuals each month with…

Food & Nutrition
11
Lincoln Park Zoological Society

Lincoln park zoo is dedicated to connecting people with nature by providing a free, family-oriented wildlife experience in the heart of chicago and by advancing the highest quality of animal care, horticulture, education, science and…

Animals
12
Chicago Horticultural Society

We cultivate the power of plants to sustain and enrich life

Environment
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is Harlem Grown Inc; the most unlike its peers is Invest for Kids Inc. Resemblance is measured on each organization’s own IRS 990 mission text; it reflects how work is described, not its quality or impact.
04the grantee network

20 grantees tracked through their own filings, 2017–2026.

Each grant beside the grantee’s revenue from every source, year by year.

How this is measured

Counted here: distinct organizations funded across 2017 to 2026, not grant rows in a single year, so this will not match the grant count on the cover. 20 of the 26 grantees resolved in that span have returns of their own we could reconcile.

Each grantee is resolved to its own IRS returns. Association, dated; never a causal claim.

0
Load-bearing (≥25% of a budget)
4
Early backer (in before they grew)
20/20
Grantees still filing
13/20
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

BERNIE'S BOOK BANK: $101,963 · Youth DevelopmentBERNIE'S BOOK BANKHELP FOR CHILDREN: $45,000 · OtherHELP FOR CHILDRENIndividual grant recipient: $2,500 · Other+9 more: $6,300 · Other+9 moreInvest for Kids Inc: $40,000 · Human ServicesInvest for Kids IncYWCA METROPOLITAN CHICAGO: $2,500 · Human ServicesUnited Help Ukraine Inc: $2,000 · Human ServicesTHE LUNCHBOX FUND: $2,000 · Human Services+2 more: $2,000 · Human ServicesRAVINIA FESTIVAL ASSOCIATION: $7,500 · Arts & CultureHUDSON HIGHLANDS NATURE CENTER: $2,500 · Arts & CulturePAWS CHICAGO: $5,000 · AnimalsNORTH VALLEY ANIMAL DISASTER GROUP: $1,000 · AnimalsGIRLS 4 SCIENCE: $1,910 · EducationNEWROOT LEARNING INSTITUTE F/K/A UMOJA STUDENT DEVELOPMENT CORP: $600 · EducationTHE ADMINISTRATORS OF THE TULANE EDUCATIONAL FUND: $500 · EducationMETROSQUASH NFP: $2,500 · Recreation & Sports
Youth Development$101,963Other$53,800Human Services$48,500Arts & Culture$10,000Animals$6,000Education$3,010Recreation & Sports$2,500

Each grantee by its size and the funder’s share of it; top left is load-bearing

25%50%75%100%$1.0M$10M$100Mgrantee revenue →↑ funder's share of their budgetBERNIE'S BOOK BANK: $101,963 over 9y, 0.3% of budgetInvest for Kids Inc: $40,000 over 4y, 0.6% of budgetRAVINIA FESTIVAL ASSOCIATION: $7,500 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetPAWS CHICAGO: $5,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetHUDSON HIGHLANDS NATURE CENTER: $2,500 over 1y, 0.3% of budgetYWCA METROPOLITAN CHICAGO: $2,500 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetUnited Help Ukraine Inc: $2,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetTHE LUNCHBOX FUND: $2,000 over 1y, 0.2% of budgetGIRLS 4 SCIENCE: $1,910 over 1y, 0.6% of budget100 WOMEN IN FINANCE FOUNDATION: $1,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetCenter on Halsted: $1,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetNORTH VALLEY ANIMAL DISASTER GROUP: $1,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetSARAH'S CIRCLE: $1,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetTHE ADMINISTRATORS OF THE TULANE EDUCATIONAL FUND: $500 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetCENTER FOR NEIGHBORHOOD TECHNOLOGY: $450 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetL'ARCHE CHICAGO INC: $400 over 1y, 0.0% of budget
Grantee by grantee: a decade per organization, before and after funding

A decade per grantee: revenue shaded, grants as bars, all rows on one timeline.

Co-funders

Grantmakers whose grantees overlap with this funder’s far more than size alone predicts. Closer means stronger alignment; arcs show where they also fund each other. Here they form a tightly interlocked group: most of these funders back each other's grantees too.

The Chicago Community…John D and Catherine …Polk Bros Foundation …Jpmorgan Chase Founda…Gs Donor Advised Phil…The Blackbaud Giving …National Philanthropi…The Bank of America C…Vanguard Charitable E…American Online Givin…Donor Advised Charita…Fidelity Investments …
The Chicago Community TrustIL15.4× affinity6 shared granteesties to 11 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: The Chicago Community Trust · John D and Catherine T Macarthur Foundation · Polk Bros Foundation Inc · Jpmorgan Chase Foundation · Gs Donor Advised Philanthropy Fund for Wealth Management Inc · The Blackbaud Giving Fund · National Philanthropic Trust · The Bank of America Charitable Foundation Inc · Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program · American Online Giving Foundation Inc · Donor Advised Charitable Giving Inc · Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund

How this is measured
Affinity is a Gamma-Poisson posterior co-funding rate, re-centered on the typical rate, so thin evidence shrinks toward no signal. Overlap is association, not proof of shared intent.

How much its grantees rely on government

Each dot is one organization Backstop Foundation funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from Backstop Foundation. Bigger dots raise more.

2024
’20’21’22’23’24’25
no gov · 00%0%1%3%5%funder's share of their income ↑0%10%20%30%40%share of the org’s income from government →
    no gov moneyreceives it· size = income
    0get no government money at all
    6report government grants on their 990 we could not trace to a source (not plotted)
    0rely on government for over half their income
    ⤢ axis zoomed · 0–40%
    typical government reliance, FY20–25
    How this is measured
    Government income is each org’s traced federal awards (USASpending grants and contracts) plus state payments (open checkbooks) as a share of its total revenue (IRS Form 990); the self-reported government-grant line (990 line 1e) is carried for cross-check: a grantee that reports government grants we could not trace to a source is left off the chart rather than shown as receiving none. An association, not a claim that a grant caused the public funding. Coverage is precision-first, a floor rather than a census; state records exist for 9 states, so a grantee outside them shows no state figure (dimmed) rather than a false zero. Federal award amounts are obligations, which can span years, so a single-year share is indicative. 990 filings lag 12 to 24 months.
    05Through Plinth

    Warm introductions · Powered by PlinthPlus

    How do I get to Backstop Foundation?

    Find your warmest path to Backstop Foundation through trustees and officers whose names appear on both boards. Search for your organization and Plinth traces the shortest route it can evidence.

    Each link is a name appearing on two organizations’ public IRS 990 filings, matched on that name and, where the filings support it, on location. A same-state match has geographic support, which is a second matching feature rather than confirmation that the two are one person; a cross-state one is the likeliest to be two people who share a name. Every hop shows its tier, low-confidence and distant paths are held back rather than guessed, and it is worth confirming the person before you use the introduction.

    On method. Every financial figure here is read from IRS e-file XML, the funder’s own 990/990-PF, and from the multi-year returns of the 26 grantees we resolved, each linked to its source. Grantee outcomes are each organization’s own program-service reporting (Form 990, Part III), read as association with funding, never as caused by it. Low-confidence name matches are suppressed rather than guessed. How we build these →

    How this is measured
    Each figure carries one of six labels. Filed is what the funder reported on its return. Official is another government record about an organization, such as a federal award or a charity register, joined by name where no shared identifier exists. Resolved is an identity we worked out where the filing named a recipient without an EIN, kept only above a measured confidence threshold. Computed is arithmetic over those, like themes, portfolio clusters and co-funder strength. Context is a statistic about a place rather than about an organization, which is what the need overlay is: it describes the area a grantee’s address sits in, not where its work lands. Inferred is drawn by a model from text, like the partnerships read out of public news and organization websites. Each is labeled where it appears.

    Generated from the IRS Form 990-PF e-file return for fiscal year 2025, released 2025. Filings run roughly 12 to 24 months behind; figures are dated accordingly.

    Source object · view filing

    Play a game based on Backstop’s filings →

    More from the funding graph

    The unnamed billions
    grants reported with no recipient in the public record
    The regranting layer
    51% of grant dollars land in the regranting layer
    The DAF merry-go-round
    $9.7B circulates between donor-advised funds
    The endowment market
    who holds foundation money, and what just moved
    The camps
    funders cluster by geography, not ideology
    By state
    where grant money is based, and what stays home