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Barnes Family Foundation at a glance

· Private foundation

Barnes Family Foundation

Its FY2025 filing reports that it funds preselected organizations and did not take unsolicited requests; check the foundation's own site before ruling it out.

$155k
Granted FY2025still arriving
3
Grants FY2025still arriving
3
States reached
$100k
Largest
01What it fundsRead
02The needRead
03Its granteesRead
04Its fieldRead
05Through PlinthRead
01What it funds
01100% classified

What it funded, over time

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

Education$461kEnvironment$310kHealth$201kPublic Safety & Disaster$60kArts & Culture$45kCrime & Legal$30kYouth Development$25kAnimals$25kOther$0
02FY2025 · 3 grants

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

By grant size · FY2025

  • $10k–50k2 grants · $55k
  • $50k–250k1 grant · $100k
$30,000
Median grant
3
States reached
$1.3M
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
ARIZONA LAND AND WATER TRUST INC$100,000
AOPA FOUNDATION$30,000
AL OTRO LADO$25,000
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 (FY25–25, $25k) land where the poverty rate runs at 11%, against an area that typically sits at 10%. 100% of those dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Most of its grants land in higher-need ZIPs.

area typical 10%AL OTRO LADO: $25k → 11%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.

Which US states its grants reach

NY
MA
WY
CA
UT
MD
AZ
NM
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.

71%of every dollar goes to organizations it has funded before.
$841k · 5 repeat orgs$336k to everyone else

5 repeat relationships: 2 still active in FY2025, 3 since wound down; 1 grantees were first funded in FY2025 (too recent to call).

How the two cohorts compare

Re-uppedFunded once

Organizations

5
12

Total granted

$841k
$311k

Median revenue growth · since first grant

0%
+55%

Still filing today

100%
83%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2025, 84% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $25k went to new ones.

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

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

’17’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
HealthEducationEnvironmentArts & CulturePublic Safety & DisasterYouth 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

  • Rochester Institute of Technology
    4× · 2021–2024 · $441k · revenue +29%
  • ARIZONA LAND AND WATER TRUST INC
    2× · 2021–2025 · $300k · revenue -81%
  • TA
    THE AOPA FOUNDATION INC
    2× · 2024–2025 · $60k · revenue 0%

Funded once

  • WF
    WATERMARK FOR KIDS INCgraduated
    one grant, 2021 · $171k · revenue +55%
  • TP
    TURQUOISE PAW RESCUE
    one grant, 2022 · $25k
  • SJ
    SOCIAL JUSTICE SEWING ACADEMY
    one grant, 2020 · $25k · revenue -75%
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
Aclu Foundation of Arizona

The mission of the aclu foundation of arizona is to defend and preserve, through litigation and public education, individual rights and freedoms guaranteed to all by the constitution and the laws of the united states and arizona.

Civil Rights
2
Arizona Community Foundation

To lead, serve and collaborate to mobilize enduring philanthropy for a better arizona.

Philanthropy
3
Arizona Theatre Company

ATC's mission is to create world-class theatre about what it means to be alive today - inspiring curiosity and creativity, sparking empathy and joy - bringing all Arizonans together.

Arts & Culture
4
Augustana College

Rooted in the liberal arts & sciences & lutheran expression of the christian faith, & is committed to offering a challenging education that develops qualities of mind, spirit, & body necessary for a rewarding life of leadership & service…

Education
5
Tucson Audubon Society

Inspire people to enjoy and protect birds through recreation, education, conservation, and restoration of the environment, upon which we all depend.

Animals
6
American Association for the Advancement of Science

Advance science, engineering, and innovation throughout the world for the benefit of all. the world's largest multidisciplinary scientific society and a leading publisher of cutting-edge research through its science family of journals,…

Science & Tech
7
Arizona Family Health Partnership

To make sexual and reproductive healthcare accessible to everyone

—
8
University of Arizona Foundation

The university of arizona foundation is committed to supporting and enhancing the vision, mission and values of the university of arizona through the development and management of private support.

Education
9
The Water Research Foundation

The purpose of the water research foundation (wrf) is a definitive research organization to advance the science of all things water to better meet the evolving needs of its subscribers and the water sector. to engage exclusively in…

Environment
10
Arc of Arizona Inc

Advocates for the rights and participation of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. together with our network of members and affiliated chapters, we improve systems of support, connect families, inspire communication,…

—
11
Opera Southwest

Professional production of opera for the public, and education about opera and the performing arts for audiences of all ages.

Arts & Culture
12
Association of Legal Administrators

Ala is the catalyst for growth by providing: diverse educational experiences, engaged peer communities, strategic solutions, dynamic resources, and trusted networks.

—
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is First Place Az; the most unlike its peers is Reveille Gay Mens Chorus. 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

16 grantees tracked through their own filings, 2017–2025.

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 2025, not grant rows in a single year, so this will not match the grant count on the cover. 16 of the 18 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)
6
Early backer (in before they grew)
16/16
Grantees still filing
9/16
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

Rochester Institute of Technology: $440,922 · EducationRochester Institute of Technology+1 more: $10,000 · EducationARIZONA LAND AND WATER TRUST INC: $300,000 · EnvironmentARIZONA LAND AND WATER TRUST …+1 more: $10,000 · EnvironmentWATERMARK FOR KIDS INC: $170,522 · HealthWATERMARK FOR KIDS…Star Valley Medical Center Charitable Foundation: $10,000 · HealthSOUTHWEST AUTISM RESEARCH AND RESOURCE CENTER: $10,000 · HealthTHE AOPA FOUNDATION INC: $60,000 · Public Safety & DisasterTURQUOISE PAW RESCUE: $25,000 · OtherTURQUOISE P…SOUTHWEST AUTISM RESEARCH & RESOURCE: $10,000 · OtherSOUTHWEST A…University High School Parents Association: $10,000 · OtherUniversity …CAHOON MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART INC: $15,000 · OtherCAHOON MUSE…MODERN QUILT GUILD INC: $10,000 · OtherMODERN QUIL…REVEILLE GAY MENS CHORUS: $20,000 · OtherREVEILLE GA…FIRST PLACE AZ: $20,000 · OtherFIRST PLACE…FLORENCE IMMIGRANT & REFUGEE RIGHTS PROJECT INC: $5,000 · OtherSOCIAL JUSTICE SEWING ACADEMY: $25,000 · Youth DevelopmentAL OTRO LADO: $25,000 · Human Services
Education$450,922Environment$310,000Health$190,522Public Safety & Disaster$60,000Other$115,000Youth Development$25,000Human Services$25,000

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 budgetRochester Institute of Technology: $440,922 over 4y, 0.0% of budgetARIZONA LAND AND WATER TRUST INC: $300,000 over 2y, 7.6% of budgetTHE AOPA FOUNDATION INC: $60,000 over 2y, 0.2% of budgetSOCIAL JUSTICE SEWING ACADEMY: $25,000 over 1y, 12% of budgetFIRST PLACE AZ: $20,000 over 2y, 0.3% of budgetCAHOON MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART INC: $15,000 over 1y, 0.9% of budgetMake Way For Books: $10,000 over 1y, 0.6% of budgetStar Valley Medical Center Charitable Foundation: $10,000 over 1y, 1.7% of budgetMODERN QUILT GUILD INC: $10,000 over 1y, 0.8% of budgetHonnold Foundation: $10,000 over 1y, 0.7% of budgetSOUTHWEST AUTISM RESEARCH AND RESOURCE CENTER: $10,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetFLORENCE IMMIGRANT & REFUGEE RIGHTS PROJECT INC: $5,000 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.

Arizona Community Fou…Texas Instruments Fou…Network for GoodAmerican Online Givin…Donor Advised Charita…Fidelity Investments …Amazonsmile Foundation
Arizona Community FoundationAZ12.7× affinity4 shared granteesties to 6 of 6Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: Arizona Community Foundation · Texas Instruments Foundation · Network for Good · American Online Giving Foundation Inc · Donor Advised Charitable Giving Inc · Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund · Amazonsmile Foundation

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 Barnes Family Foundation funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from Barnes Family Foundation. Bigger dots raise more.

2024
’20’21’22’23’24’25
no gov · 10%6%25%56%100%funder's share of their income ↑0%25%50%75%100%share of the org’s income from government →median 0%
  • Cahoon Museum of American Art Inc: 0% of income from government
no gov moneyreceives it· size = income
1get no government money at all
3report government grants on their 990 we could not trace to a source (not plotted)
0rely on government for over half their income
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 Barnes Family Foundation?

Find your warmest path to Barnes Family 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 18 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 Barnes Family’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