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Alabama · Private foundation

Better Place Foundation

Its FY2024 filing reports that it funds preselected organizations and did not take unsolicited requests; check the foundation's own site before ruling it out.

$883k
Granted FY2024(still arriving)
52
Grants FY2024
46
Organizations funded FY2023
39%
First-time grantees FY2023
Read the full brief
Median grant, FY2024
$10,000
Largest grant, FY2024
$70,000
Organizations funded a year
28 to 60
FY2017 to FY2023
States reached, FY2024
16
Total assets, FY2024
$12M
Applications
Preselected organizations only
Per its most recent filing; check its own site

How open it is to new grantees

In FY2023, 39% of the organizations Better Place Foundation funded were first-time grantees, receiving 17% of its grant dollars.

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2023, 83% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $142k went to new ones.

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

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

’18’19’20’21’22’23
Human ServicesHealthPhilanthropyEducationCommunity ImprovementCivil RightsOther
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.
The numbers by year
Fiscal yearOrganizations fundedTo those organizationsFirst-time grantees
FY2024still arriving52$883k33%
FY202346$858k39%
FY202247$752k36%
FY202150$1.0M36%
FY202058$1.1M26%
FY201960$933k60%
FY201833$717k58%
FY201728$507kn/a
100% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2017 to 2024.

Education$1.4MCivil Rights$1.2MHuman Services$793kHealth$537kCommunity Improvement$528kYouth Development$500kEnvironment$390kInternational$375kOther$0

Where its grants go

Grant dollars by states, across the years we hold.

Which US states its grants reach

WA
MN
IL
MI
NY
MA
OR
NV
IN
OH
PA
CT
CA
MO
KY
MD
KS
TN
NC
DC
LA
MS
AL
GA
TX
FL

Top grantees

Largest recipients by total granted, FY2017 to FY2024, and the share of each one’s budget the grants supplied at peak.

Show all 136 grantees
All grantees of Better Place Foundation by total granted
GranteeTotal grantedYearsShare of their budget
Highlander Research & Education Center Inc$369,30083%
Alaquest Collaborative for Education$355,000865%
Spring Valley School Foundation$320,60085%
Higher Purpose Hub$265,10067%
McRae Learning Center Inc$242,50043%
Youth Towers$225,000772%
United Methodist Children's Home$220,00071%
Gideons Army Grassroots Army for Children$211,500514%
Ekvnv Yefolecvlke$200,00062%
Shared Interest Inc$190,00037%
Birmingham Education Foundation$160,00044%
Grassroots International Inc$155,00060%
Move Gulf Coast Community Development Corporation$153,0002n/a
Ecumenical Ministries Inc$145,00072%
Reverse Cycle of Incarceratio$125,0005n/a
Hearts of Wheels$112,500548%
The a Education Partnership$110,00031%
Cahaba River Society Inc$105,00058%
Youthserve Inc$95,000510%
McWane Science Center$81,22550%
Adelante Alabama Worker Center$80,000320%
The Center for Violence Prevention Inc$75,00041%
Indianapolis Monumental Marathon Inc$70,00081%
El Futuro Inc$61,25031%
Greater Birmingham Ministries$55,00031%
Hispanic and Immigrant Center of Alabama$55,00041%
Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice United$55,00036%
Under His Wings Inc$51,00037%
Empower Schools of Alabama$50,00011%
Wiregrass Habitat for Humanity Inc$50,00041%
AIDS Alabama Inc$50,00010%
Building Peace Inc$42,50023%
Durham PROUD Program$40,00028%
Americans for Immigrant Justice Inc F/K/A Fla Immigrant Advocacy Center$35,00020%
United Way of West Central Mississippi Inc$35,00041%
The Sportsmen's Tennis & Enrichment Center Inc$30,00021%
The Center for Executive Leadership Inc$30,00030%
Cornerstone Schools of Alabama Inc$27,50020%
El Pueblo Inc$25,00021%
Showing Up for Racial Justice Education Fund Inc$25,00010%
Metro West Ministries$25,0005n/a
Alabama STEM Education Inc$24,83012%
Tender Foundation Inc$20,50044%
Alabama Oncology Foundation$20,10016%
Martha's Table Inc$20,00030%
Project South Inc$20,00020%
Vicksburg Catholic School$20,0001n/a
African Children's Mission Inc$20,00014%
Federation of Southern Cooperatives$20,00020%
Bessemer Redevelopment Corp$17,50012%
Freshwater Land Trust$17,50031%
Maranathan Family Learning Center & Academy Inc$17,50031%
The Sloss Furnaces Foundation Inc$15,00023%
Magic Moments$15,00031%
St Jude Children's Research Hospital Inc$15,00020%
Tennessee Breast Cancer Coalition$15,00023%
Alabama Arise$15,00011%
First Light Inc$15,00030%
Alabama Justice Initiative$15,00017%
Holcomb Ministries$15,00028%
Mitchell's Place Inc$15,00030%
Red Mountain Theatre Company Inc$15,00020%
Fpc Action Foundation$12,50031%
New York Cares Inc$12,50020%
Hand in Paw Inc$12,50041%
Fractured Atlas Inc$11,00010%
Mississippi Center for Justice$10,00010%
City Lax Inc$10,00021%
The University of Texas Foundation Inc$10,00010%
Arts Business Collaborative$10,00010%
Alabama Childhood Food Solutions Inc$10,00010%
Women's Foundation of Alabama$10,00010%
Haitian Bridge Alliance$10,00010%
Good Shepherd Community Center$10,00021%
Semper Fi & America's Fund$10,00020%
Central Brevard Humane Society Inc$10,00010%
Inquiring Systems Inc$10,00010%
City Parks Foundation Inc$10,00020%
Amanda Pair Foundation$10,00015%
Edge Youth Leadership$10,000111%
Lc and Lillie Cox Haven of Hope$10,00011%
United Saints Recovery Project$10,0002n/a
Berkshire Hills Music Academy Inc$10,00020%
The Foundry Ministries Inc$10,00020%
The Mountain Brook Library Foundation$10,00013%
Refugee & Immigrant Center for Education & Legal Services$7,50020%
Southern Vision Alliance$7,50020%
The Greater Birmingham Humane Society Inc$7,50030%
Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs (See) Inc$7,50010%
Springmont School Inc$7,50020%
Ronald McDonald House Charities of Nashville Tennessee Inc$7,50010%
First Help Inc$7,5001n/a
National Summer Learning Association Inc$7,00020%
Lifeline Animal Project Inc$6,50020%
Cahaba Valley Health Care Inc$5,00011%
Trans United$5,0001n/a
Pilots for Christ Inc$5,00011%
Slingshot Memphis Inc$5,00010%
Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation$5,00010%
New American Pathways Inc$5,00010%
Fugees Family Inc$5,00011%
The Knights & Orchids Society Inc$5,00011%
Friends of Jemison Park$5,00011%
Rural Dog Rescue$5,00012%
Red Mountain Park Foundation$5,00011%
Fund for Southern Communities Inc$5,00010%
Equal Justice Initiative$5,00010%
Buckeye Environmental Network$5,00012%
Marion Medical Mission$5,00020%
Casa Mississippi Inc$5,0001n/a
Sid Strong Foundation$5,0001n/a
Create Birmingham$5,00011%
The Father McKenna Center Inc$5,00010%
Foundation for Louisiana$5,00010%
Birmingham Zoo Inc$5,00010%
Amazon Watch Inc$5,00010%
Atlanta Fulton County Prearrest Diversion Initiative Inc$5,00010%
Covenant House Georgia Inc$4,60030%
Atlanta Children's Shelter Incorporated$3,10010%
Rahab's Sisters$2,50010%
The Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research$2,50010%
Penny Foundation Inc$2,5001n/a
Public Affairs Research Council of Al$2,50010%
Southerners on New Ground Inc$2,50010%
Two by Two Rescue League$2,50010%
Diaper Bank of North Carolina$2,50010%
Alabama Initiative for Independent Journalism Inc$2,50012%
Planned Parenthood Federation of America Inc$2,50010%
Honor the Earth$2,50010%
Nashville Rescue Mission$2,50010%
Vestavia Hills City Schools Foundation$1,10010%
F3 Birmingham Foundation$1,1001n/a
United Way of Central Alabama Inc$1,00010%
Cooperative Downtown Ministries Inc$1,00010%
National Fallen Firefighters Foundation$10010%
Nova Ukraine$10010%

What it could do for these grantees

Plus 32 recipients with no EIN on record ($1.2M), not named here.

Where it is load-bearing

Better Place Foundation supplied at least a quarter of the budget for 3 of its grantees at some point. The chart plots its 125 largest grantees; load-bearing ones sit top left.

25%50%75%100%$100k$1.0M$10M$100Mgrantee revenue →↑ funder's share of their budgetHighlander Research & Education Center Inc: $369,300 over 8y, 3.2% of budgetAlaquest Collaborative for Education: $355,000 over 8y, 65% of budgetSpring Valley School Foundation: $320,600 over 8y, 4.8% of budgetHigher Purpose Hub: $265,100 over 6y, 6.6% of budgetMcRae Learning Center Inc: $242,500 over 4y, 3.0% of budgetYouth Towers: $225,000 over 7y, 72% of budgetUnited Methodist Children's Home: $220,000 over 7y, 0.5% of budgetGideons Army Grassroots Army for Children: $211,500 over 5y, 14% of budgetEkvnv Yefolecvlke: $200,000 over 6y, 1.8% of budgetShared Interest Inc: $190,000 over 3y, 6.9% of budgetBirmingham Education Foundation: $160,000 over 4y, 3.5% of budgetGrassroots International Inc: $155,000 over 6y, 0.4% of budgetEcumenical Ministries Inc: $145,000 over 7y, 1.8% of budgetHearts of Wheels: $112,500 over 5y, 48% of budgetThe a Education Partnership: $110,000 over 3y, 0.6% of budgetCahaba River Society Inc: $105,000 over 5y, 7.6% of budgetYouthserve Inc: $95,000 over 5y, 10% of budgetMcWane Science Center: $81,225 over 5y, 0.4% of budgetAdelante Alabama Worker Center: $80,000 over 3y, 20% of budgetThe Center for Violence Prevention Inc: $75,000 over 4y, 1.4% of budgetIndianapolis Monumental Marathon Inc: $70,000 over 8y, 1.0% of budgetEl Futuro Inc: $61,250 over 3y, 0.6% of budgetGreater Birmingham Ministries: $55,000 over 3y, 1.4% of budgetHispanic and Immigrant Center of Alabama: $55,000 over 4y, 0.9% of budgetAlabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice United: $55,000 over 3y, 5.5% of budgetUnder His Wings Inc: $51,000 over 3y, 6.7% of budgetEmpower Schools of Alabama: $50,000 over 1y, 0.7% of budgetWiregrass Habitat for Humanity Inc: $50,000 over 4y, 1.3% of budgetAIDS Alabama Inc: $50,000 over 1y, 0.4% of budgetBuilding Peace Inc: $42,500 over 2y, 3.1% of budgetDurham PROUD Program: $40,000 over 2y, 8.4% of budgetAmericans for Immigrant Justice Inc F/K/A Fla Immigrant Advocacy Center: $35,000 over 2y, 0.4% of budgetUnited Way of West Central Mississippi Inc: $35,000 over 4y, 1.2% of budgetThe Sportsmen's Tennis & Enrichment Center Inc: $30,000 over 2y, 0.7% of budgetThe Center for Executive Leadership Inc: $30,000 over 3y, 0.3% of budgetCornerstone Schools of Alabama Inc: $27,500 over 2y, 0.4% of budgetEl Pueblo Inc: $25,000 over 2y, 1.0% of budgetShowing Up for Racial Justice Education Fund Inc: $25,000 over 1y, 0.3% of budgetAlabama STEM Education Inc: $24,830 over 1y, 1.9% of budgetTender Foundation Inc: $20,500 over 4y, 4.0% of budgetAlabama Oncology Foundation: $20,100 over 1y, 6.4% of budgetMartha's Table Inc: $20,000 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetProject South Inc: $20,000 over 2y, 0.3% of budgetAfrican Children's Mission Inc: $20,000 over 1y, 4.1% of budgetFederation of Southern Cooperatives: $20,000 over 2y, 0.3% of budgetBessemer Redevelopment Corp: $17,500 over 1y, 2.0% of budgetFreshwater Land Trust: $17,500 over 3y, 1.1% of budgetMaranathan Family Learning Center & Academy Inc: $17,500 over 3y, 1.4% of budget

Tap a dot to name the grantee.

How this is measured
Share of budget is the funder’s grant in a year over the grantee’s total revenue that year, at its highest across the years we hold; revenue is from all sources. Only grantees confirmed against their own filings, whose grants do not exceed their revenue, are plotted: the largest 125.

Nonprofits that may fit its grantmaking

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 Community Foundation of Greater BirminghamAL69.3× affinity37 shared granteesties to 11 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: The Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham · The Daniel Foundation of Alabama · Protective Life Foundation · Mike and Gillian Goodrich Foundation · The Joseph S Bruno Charitable Foundation · Hill Crest Foundation Inc · Alabama Power Foundation Inc · Susan Mott Webb Charitable Trust · The Hugh Kaul Foundation · Robert R Meyer Foundation · Altecstyslinger Foundation · Dunn-French 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.

Compare Better Place Foundation with peer funders

Warm introductions · Powered by PlinthPlus

How do I get to Better Place Foundation?

Find your warmest path to Better Place 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.

About Better Place Foundation

How much does Better Place Foundation give?
Better Place Foundation reported 52 grants totaling $883,300 in its FY2024 IRS filing. It funded between 28 and 60 organizations a year over FY2017 to FY2023.
What does Better Place Foundation fund?
By grant dollars over FY2017 to FY2024, its largest causes are Education (21%), Civil Rights (17%), Human Services (12%).
Who are Better Place Foundation's largest grantees?
By total granted over FY2017 to FY2024: Highlander Research & Education Center Inc ($369k), Alaquest Collaborative for Education ($355k), Spring Valley School Foundation ($321k).
Does Better Place Foundation fund new organizations?
In FY2023, 39% of the organizations it funded were first-time grantees.
Does Better Place Foundation accept unsolicited applications?
Its most recent filing reports that it funds preselected organizations and does not take unsolicited requests. Check the foundation's own site before ruling it out.
Which funders back the same organizations as Better Place Foundation?
Its strongest co-funders, measured against what their size predicts, include The Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham, The Daniel Foundation of Alabama, Protective Life Foundation.
Where is Better Place Foundation based?
Better Place Foundation is based in AL.

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 169 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 2024, released 2024. Filings run roughly 12 to 24 months behind; figures are dated accordingly.

Source object · view filing

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