Skip to content
Bowana Foundation at a glance

· Private foundation

Bowana Foundation

Its FY2022 filing reports that it funds preselected organizations and did not take unsolicited requests; check the foundation's own site before ruling it out.

$11M
Granted FY2021
5
Grants FY2021
4
States reached
$11M
Largest
01What it fundsRead
02The needRead
03Its granteesRead
04Its fieldRead
01What it funds
0196% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2017 to 2021.

Philanthropy$13MReligion$2.9MEducation$585kArts & Culture$30kHuman Services$27kCommunity Improvement$25kInternational$13kRecreation & Sports$11kOther$0
02FY2021 · 5 grants

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

By grant size · FY2021

  • Under $10k2 grants · $600
  • $10k–50k1 grant · $34k
  • $250k+2 grants · $11M
$34,286
Median grant
4
States reached
$0
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
NATIONAL CHRISTIAN CHARITABLE FOUNDATION$10,755,000
THE SIGNATRY$250,000
UNIVERSITY OF CO FOUNDATION$34,286
Individual grant recipient$500
COMPASSION INTERNATIONAL$100
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 (FY19–20, $19k) land where the poverty rate runs at 10%, against an area that typically sits at 9%. 34% of those dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Its grants skew toward lower-need ZIPs.

area typical 9%HIDEAWAY FOUNDATION: $4k → 20%FAMILY BRIDGES: $8k → 7%FAMILY BRIDGES: $5k → 7%EMERGENCY FAMILY ASSISTANCE ASSOCIATION: $3k → 12%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

MN
IL
WI
PA
CA
CO
AZ
KS
AR
TN
NC
DC
HI
TX
FL
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.
$14M · 15 repeat orgs$2.8M to everyone else

15 repeat relationships: 3 still active in FY2021, 12 since wound down; 2 grantees were first funded in FY2021 (too recent to call).

How the two cohorts compare

Re-uppedFunded once

Organizations

15
28

Total granted

$14M
$2.6M

Median revenue growth · since first grant

+16%
+48%

Still filing today

53%
50%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2021, 98% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $251k went to new ones.

50%100%’17’18’19’20’21
RenewedFirst-time

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

’17’18’19’20’21
EducationReligionHuman ServicesInternationalHealthEnvironmentOther
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

  • UO
    UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO FOUNDATION
    4× · 2017–2021 · $171k · revenue +79%
  • MF
    Marwen Foundation Inc
    2× · 2017–2019 · $30k · revenue +3%
  • CF
    CEO FORUM INC
    2× · 2017–2019 · $25k · revenue +258%

Funded once

  • NC
    NATIONAL CHRISTIAN CHARIRITABLE FOUNDATION
    one grant, 2017 · $2.0M
  • ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION FOR A NEW AMERICAN UNIVERSITYgraduated
    one grant, 2017 · $375k · revenue +196%
  • GT
    GOSPEL TO THE UNREACHED MILLIONS INC
    one grant, 2017 · $50k
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
Christianity Today International

Christianity Today is a global community inspired by evangelical conviction to advance the stories and ideas of the kingdom of God. Our mission is to elevate the storytellers and sages of the global church.

Religion
2
Servant Foundation

The Signatry advances the Christian faith by carrying out its mission, "to inspire and facilitate revolutionary biblical generosity across generations to solve the world's greatest problems," through financial and other support of I.R.C.…

Religion
3
Dallas Seminary Foundation

To support the mission of Dallas Theological Seminary by offering charitable planned giving and other related services to friends of the Seminary.

Education
4
Biglife International Inc

Biglife international inc. empowers believers worldwide to reach and disciple their own people for jesus christ.

Recreation & Sports
5
Mio Frontiers

Church planting among the least evangelized peoples of the world through recruiting, training, sending, and serving field workers.

Religion
6
Youth for Christ International Ministries

As part of the body of Christ, to see that every young person in every people group in every nation has the opportunity to make an informed decision to be a follower of Jesus Christ and become a part of the local church.

Religion
7
Kingdom Advisors Inc

Kingdom advisors is a discipleship ministry serving christian financial professionals. the organization encourages, educates, and empowers christian financial professionals with biblical wisdom to be effective disciples of jesus christ in…

Religion
8
Houston Christian Foundation dba National Christian Foundation Houston

As the Houston affiliate of the National Christian Foundation (NCF), our mission is to serve and encourage givers to grow as faithful stewards who give wisely to further the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

—
9
Biblical Education By Extension Inc

To assist the church, primarily in closed countries, in the establishment of continuing indigenous church-based training centers in which servant leaders are equipped to develop growing and reproducing churches.

Religion
10
Global Media Outreach

Leveraging technology to invite all people to know jesus christ as savior and grow in a personal relationship with him.

Religion
11
Ucsf Foundation Investment Company

The organization provides professional investment management services for endowed gifts and financial assets entrusted to the ucsf foundation.

Education
12
Bibleproject

Bibleproject's mission is to help people experience the bible as a unified story that leads to jesus. this is achieved by creating biblical videos to be regularly released on a newly-created youtube channel. (continued on schedule o.)each…

Religion
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is Young Life; the most unlike its peers is Hillside Hope Thru Hooves. 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

25 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. 25 of the 47 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)
24/25
Grantees still filing
18/25
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

NATIONAL CHRISTIAN CHARITABLE FOUNDATION: $12,941,000 · OtherNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CHARITABLE FOUNDATIONNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CHARIRITABLE FOUNDATION: $2,050,000 · OtherNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CHARIRITABLE FOUNDATION+28 more: $584,139 · OtherARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION FOR A NEW AMERICAN UNIVERSITY: $375,000 · EducationUNIVERSITY OF COLORADO FOUNDATION: $171,430 · EducationCEO FORUM INC: $25,000 · Education+1 more: $1,500 · EducationThe Signatry Corporation Inc: $250,000 · ReligionGOSPEL TO THE UNREACHED MILLIONS INC: $50,000 · Religion+2 more: $3,230 · ReligionSilicon Valley Community Foundation: $40,000 · PhilanthropyCOMMUNITY FOUNDATION BOULDER COUNTY: $40,000 · Philanthropy+1 more: $2,500 · PhilanthropyMarwen Foundation Inc: $30,000 · Arts & CultureFAMILY BRIDGES: $12,500 · Human ServicesHIDEAWAY FOUNDATION: $4,000 · Human ServicesEMERGENCY FAMILY ASSISTANCE ASSOCIATION: $2,500 · Human ServicesCompassion International Incorporated: $9,625 · InternationalPACIFIC DENTAL SERVICES FOUNDATION: $2,400 · International
Other$15,575,139Education$572,930Religion$303,230Philanthropy$82,500Arts & Culture$30,000Human Services$19,000International$12,025

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

25%50%75%100%$100k$1.0M$10M$100Mgrantee revenue →↑ funder's share of their budgetARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION FOR A NEW AMERICAN UNIVERSITY: $375,000 over 1y, 0.3% of budgetUNIVERSITY OF COLORADO FOUNDATION: $171,430 over 4y, 0.0% of budgetLeadership Network: $100,000 over 2y, 3.4% of budgetSilicon Valley Community Foundation: $40,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetCOMMUNITY FOUNDATION BOULDER COUNTY: $40,000 over 2y, 0.2% of budgetMarwen Foundation Inc: $30,000 over 2y, 1.0% of budgetCEO FORUM INC: $25,000 over 2y, 0.8% of budgetFAMILY BRIDGES: $12,500 over 2y, 0.3% of budgetWrestle Like a Girl Inc: $10,000 over 1y, 2.9% of budgetCompassion International Incorporated: $9,625 over 5y, 0.0% of budgetHIDEAWAY FOUNDATION: $4,000 over 1y, 1.3% of budgetFeeding America: $2,500 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetEMERGENCY FAMILY ASSISTANCE ASSOCIATION: $2,500 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetGOLDEN VALLEY BANK COMMUNITY: $2,500 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetPROMISE KEEPERS: $2,130 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetHILLSIDE HOPE THRU HOOVES: $2,000 over 1y, 23% of budgetWE GROW DREAMS INC: $2,000 over 4y, 0.2% of budgetUNIVERSITY OF THE NATIONS KONA INC: $1,500 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetBIBLE STUDY FELLOWSHIP: $1,100 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetYOUNG LIFE: $500 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetBeyond Pesticides: $270 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetTRANSPLANT HOUSE: $105 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetDENVER BOTANIC GARDENS INC: $100 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 ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION FOR A NEW AMERICAN UNIVERSITY ↗
  • Who funds UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO FOUNDATION ↗
  • Who funds Leadership Network ↗
  • Who funds GOSPEL TO THE UNREACHED MILLIONS INC ↗
  • Who funds Silicon Valley Community Foundation ↗
  • Who funds COMMUNITY FOUNDATION BOULDER COUNTY ↗
  • Who funds Marwen Foundation Inc ↗
  • Who funds CEO FORUM INC ↗
  • Who funds FAMILY BRIDGES ↗
  • Who funds Wrestle Like a Girl Inc ↗
  • Who funds Compassion International Incorporated ↗
  • Who funds HIDEAWAY FOUNDATION ↗
  • Who funds Feeding America ↗
  • Who funds EMERGENCY FAMILY ASSISTANCE ASSOCIATION ↗
  • Who funds GOLDEN VALLEY BANK COMMUNITY ↗
  • Who funds PACIFIC DENTAL SERVICES FOUNDATION ↗
  • Who funds PROMISE KEEPERS ↗
  • Who funds HILLSIDE HOPE THRU HOOVES ↗
  • Who funds WE GROW DREAMS INC ↗
  • Who funds UNIVERSITY OF THE NATIONS KONA INC ↗
  • Who funds BIBLE STUDY FELLOWSHIP ↗

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.

Bowanabee FoundationChristian Community F…Natl Christian Charit…The US Charitable Gif…Raymond James Charita…Morgan Stanley Global…National Philanthropi…Vanguard Charitable E…Renaissance Charitabl…The Blackbaud Giving …American Endowment Fo…Donor Advised Charita…
Bowanabee FoundationCO17.9× affinity6 shared granteesties to 11 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: Bowanabee Foundation · Christian Community Foundation Inc · Natl Christian Charitable Fdn Inc · The US Charitable Gift Trust · Raymond James Charitable Endowment Fund · Morgan Stanley Global Impact Funding Trust Inc · National Philanthropic Trust · Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program · Renaissance Charitable Foundation Inc · The Blackbaud Giving Fund · American Endowment Foundation · Donor Advised Charitable Giving Inc

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 Bowana Foundation funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from Bowana 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%23%45%68%90%share of the org’s income from government →
    no gov moneyreceives it· size = income
    0get 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
    ⤢ axis zoomed · 0–90%
    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 47 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 2021, released 2021. Filings run roughly 12 to 24 months behind; figures are dated accordingly.

    Possibly out of date. A more recent filing (FY2022) is on record but names no grant recipient in the published copy, so the figures above are from FY2021, the most recent year this funder’s grantee list reached the public record.

    Source object · view filing

    Play a game based on Bowana’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