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Bear Foundation at a glance

· Private foundation

Bear Foundation

Its FY2026 filing reports that it funds preselected organizations and did not take unsolicited requests; check the foundation's own site before ruling it out.

$5k
Granted FY2026still arriving
8
Grants FY2026still arriving
6
States reached
$1k
Largest
01What it fundsRead
02The needRead
03Its granteesRead
04Its fieldRead
01What it funds
01100% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2021 to 2025.

Health$9kFood & Nutrition$6kArts & Culture$5kRecreation & Sports$3kEducation$3kEmployment$2kHuman Services$2kCommunity Improvement$1kOther$0
02FY2026 · 8 grants

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

$500
Median grant
6
States reached
$69k
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
SUMMER SEARCH$1,000
COMMUNITY FOOD BANK$1,000
Individual grant recipient$600
GREATER LAWRENCE FAMILY HEALTH$500
Individual grant recipient$500
SHADES OF PINK FOUNDATION$500
BRIDGEHAMPTON CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL$500
Stony Brook Southampton Hospital$400
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 (FY21–25, $4k) land where the poverty rate runs at 15%, against an area that typically sits at 8%. 100% of those dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Most of its grants land in higher-need ZIPs.

area typical 8%Ciello De Amor: $500 → 15%CIELLO De AMOR: $500 → 15%CIELLO De AMOR: $500 → 15%CIELLO De AMOR: $500 → 15%YOUTH ON THEIR OWN: $1k → 15%Youth On Their Own: $500 → 15%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

MI
NY
MA
OR
PA
CA
CO
VA
AZ
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.

83%of every dollar goes to organizations it has funded before.
$30k · 15 repeat orgs$6k to everyone else

15 repeat relationships: 7 still active in FY2026, 8 since wound down; 1 grantees were first funded in FY2026 (too recent to call).

How the two cohorts compare

Re-uppedFunded once

Organizations

15
10

Total granted

$30k
$6k

Median revenue growth · since first grant

+11%
+13%

Still filing today

53%
40%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2026, 92% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $400 went to new ones.

50%100%’21’22’23’24’25’26
RenewedFirst-time

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

’21’22’23’24’25’26
HealthHuman ServicesArts & CultureEducationFood & NutritionEmploymentOther
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

  • BC
    BRIDGEHAMPTON CHAMBER MUSIC ASSOCIATES INC
    5× · 2021–2026 · $4k · revenue +33%
  • SO
    SHADES OF PINK FOUNDATION
    5× · 2022–2026 · $3k · revenue +44%
  • CD
    CIELO DE AMOR
    4× · 2021–2025 · $2k · revenue +896%

Funded once

  • CF
    COMMUNITY FOOD BANK So AZ
    one grant, 2021 · $2k
  • CF
    CORE FOUNDATION INCgraduated
    one grant, 2022 · $1k · revenue +34%
  • WW
    World Wildlife Fund
    one grant, 2024 · $500
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
Stony Brook Surgical Associates University Faculty Practice Corporation

Provide clinical instruction to and supervision of medical school students, interns and residents and, incident thereto, rendering professional services.

Health
2
Stony Brook Ophthalmology University Faculty Practice Corporation

Provide clinical instruction to and supervision of medical school students, interns and residents and, incident thereto, rendering professional services.

Health
3
Stony Brook Internists University Faculty Practice Corporation

Provide clinical instruction to and supervision of medical school students, interns and residents and, incident thereto, rendering professional services.

Health
4
Stony Brook Orthopedic Associates University Faculty Practice Corporation

Provide clinical instruction to and supervision of medical school students, interns and residents and, incident thereto, rendering professional services.

Health
5
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

The mission of mit is to advance knowledge and educate students in science, technology, and other areas of scholarship that will best serve the nation and the world in the 21st century.

Education
6
Sarnoff Cardiovascular Research Foundation Inc

The sarnoff cardiovascular research foundation is dedicated to cultivating the next generation of physician-leaders in cardiovascular medicine by funding and supporting medical students and physicians engaged in transformative research.

Health
7
Neurology Associates of Stony Brook University Faculty Practice Corp

Provide clinical instruction to and supervision of medical school students, interns and residents and, incident thereto, rendering professional services.

Health
8
Federation of State Medical Boards of the United States Inc

The fsmb serves as the voice for state medical boards, supporting them through education, assessment, research and advocacy while providing services and initiatives that promote patient safety, quality health care and regulatory best…

Health
9
Stony Brook Urology University Faculty Practice Corporation

Provide clinical instruction to and supervision of medical school students, interns and residents and, incident thereto, rendering professional services.

Health
10
Uc Santa Barbara Foundation

The uc santa barbara foundation actively works to further the goals of the university of california, santa barbara. the foundation seeks to maintain and nurture the university's quality and distinction. on behalf of the campus, the…

Education
11
Tmc Health Foundation

The tmc health foundation supports the charitable mission of tucson medical center and is dedicated to improving the health and quality of life in our community.

Health
12
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
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is University of Arizona Foundation; the most unlike its peers is Als Foundation for Life. 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

13 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. 13 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)
1
Early backer (in before they grew)
12/13
Grantees still filing
9/13
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

Individual grant recipient: $2,500 · OtherIndividual grant recipientCOMMUNITY FOOD BANK So AZ: $2,000 · OtherCOMMUNITY FOOD BANK So AZUNIVERSITY OF AZ FOUNDATION: $2,000 · OtherUNIVERSITY OF AZ FOUNDATIONIndividual grant recipient: $1,800 · OtherIndividual grant recipientNATIONAL MS FOUNDATION: $1,750 · OtherNATIONAL MS FOUNDATIONGreater Lawrence Family Health: $1,500 · OtherGreater Lawrence Family HealthALS FOUNDATION FOR LIFE: $1,000 · OtherALS FOUNDATION FOR LIFEPlanned Parenthood: $550 · Other+6 more: $2,000 · Other+6 moreBRIDGEHAMPTON CHAMBER MUSIC ASSOCIATES INC: $3,500 · Arts & CultureBRIDGEHAMPTON CH…TUCSON MUSEUM OF ART AND HISTORIC BLOCK INC: $1,700 · Arts & CultureTUCSON MUSEUM OF…Community Food Bank Inc: $5,000 · Food & NutritionCommunity Food …CIELO DE AMOR: $2,000 · Human ServicesCIELO DE A…YOUTH ON THEIR OWN: $1,500 · Human ServicesYOUTH ON T…SHADES OF PINK FOUNDATION: $2,500 · HealthSHADES OF…MEMORIAL SLOAN-KETTERING CANCER CENTER: $375 · HealthMEMORIAL …THE SOUTHAMPTON HOSPITAL FOUNDATION INC: $250 · HealthTHE SOUTH…SUMMER SEARCH: $2,500 · EmploymentCORE FOUNDATION INC: $1,000 · PhilanthropyUniversity of Arizona Foundation: $500 · EducationMISERICORDIA UNIVERSITY: $250 · Education
Other$15,100Arts & Culture$5,200Food & Nutrition$5,000Human Services$3,500Health$3,125Employment$2,500Philanthropy$1,000Education$750

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 budgetCommunity Food Bank Inc: $5,000 over 5y, 0.0% of budgetBRIDGEHAMPTON CHAMBER MUSIC ASSOCIATES INC: $3,500 over 5y, 0.1% of budgetSHADES OF PINK FOUNDATION: $2,500 over 5y, 0.1% of budgetSUMMER SEARCH: $2,500 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetCIELO DE AMOR: $2,000 over 4y, 1.2% of budgetTUCSON MUSEUM OF ART AND HISTORIC BLOCK INC: $1,700 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetYOUTH ON THEIR OWN: $1,500 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetALS FOUNDATION FOR LIFE: $1,000 over 2y, 0.1% of budgetCORE FOUNDATION INC: $1,000 over 1y, 0.2% of budgetUniversity of Arizona Foundation: $500 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetMEMORIAL SLOAN-KETTERING CANCER CENTER: $375 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetTHE SOUTHAMPTON HOSPITAL FOUNDATION INC: $250 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetMISERICORDIA UNIVERSITY: $250 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.

  • Who funds Community Food Bank Inc ↗
  • Who funds BRIDGEHAMPTON CHAMBER MUSIC ASSOCIATES INC ↗
  • Who funds SHADES OF PINK FOUNDATION ↗
  • Who funds SUMMER SEARCH ↗
  • Who funds CIELO DE AMOR ↗
  • Who funds TUCSON MUSEUM OF ART AND HISTORIC BLOCK INC ↗
  • Who funds YOUTH ON THEIR OWN ↗
  • Who funds ALS FOUNDATION FOR LIFE ↗
  • Who funds CORE FOUNDATION INC ↗
  • Who funds University of Arizona Foundation ↗
  • Who funds MEMORIAL SLOAN-KETTERING CANCER CENTER ↗
  • Who funds THE SOUTHAMPTON HOSPITAL FOUNDATION INC ↗
  • Who funds MISERICORDIA UNIVERSITY ↗

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.

National Philanthropi…Fidelity Investments …Amazonsmile Foundation
National Philanthropic TrustPA9.2× affinity4 shared granteesties to 2 of 2Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: National Philanthropic Trust · 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 Bear Foundation funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from Bear Foundation. Bigger dots raise more.

2024
’20’21’22’23’24’25
no gov · 10%0%1%3%5%funder's share of their income ↑0%3%5%8%10%share of the org’s income from government →
    no gov moneyreceives it· size = income
    1get 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 · 0–10%
    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.

    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 2026, released 2026. Filings run roughly 12 to 24 months behind; figures are dated accordingly.

    Source object · view filing

    Play a game based on Bear’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