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Carson Foundation at a glance

· Private foundation

Carson 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.

$88k
Granted FY2025still arriving
3
Grants FY2025still arriving
3
States reached
$59k
Largest
01What it fundsRead
02The needRead
03Its granteesRead
04Its fieldRead
05Through PlinthRead
01What it funds
0192% classified

What it funded, over time

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

Religion$582kArts & Culture$28kFood & Nutrition$15kEducation$14kHuman Services$14kHealth$8kInternational$6kHousing & Shelter$5kOther$0
02FY2025 · 3 grants

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

By grant size · FY2025

  • Under $10k1 grant · $5k
  • $10k–50k1 grant · $24k
  • $50k–250k1 grant · $59k
$24,000
Median grant
3
States reached
$1.6M
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
TOTAL LIFE MINISTRIES INC$59,000
Individual grant recipient$24,000
BOSTON AVENUE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH$5,000
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 (FY22–23, $10k) land where the poverty rate runs at 19%, 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%LOVE INC OF GREATER CUSHING: $5k → 19%LOVE INC OF GREATER CUSHING: $5k → 19%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

IL
MA
NJ
CA
UT
CO
NE
VA
AZ
KS
AR
OK
GA
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.

91%of every dollar goes to organizations it has funded before.
$703k · 13 repeat orgs$68k to everyone else

13 repeat relationships: 2 still active in FY2025, 11 since wound down; 1 grantees were first funded in FY2025 (too recent to call).

How the two cohorts compare

Re-uppedFunded once

Organizations

13
22

Total granted

$703k
$63k

Median revenue growth · since first grant

+10%
+12%

Still filing today

31%
36%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2025, 94% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $5k 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
EducationHealthReligionHuman ServicesCivil RightsArts & CultureOther
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

  • NG
    NEW GENERATIONS
    3× · 2022–2024 · $115k · revenue +10%
  • LI
    LOVE INC OF GREATER CUSHING
    2× · 2022–2023 · $10k · revenue +37%
  • NL
    NEW LIVING ISRAEL INC
    2× · 2019–2020 · $7k · revenue +239%

Funded once

  • WO
    World Ocean School Incgraduated
    one grant, 2020 · $10k · revenue +101%
  • TD
    THE DENVER BRASS INC
    one grant, 2019 · $10k · revenue +8%
  • CC
    COOK CHILDREN'S HEALTH FOUNDATION
    one grant, 2023 · $6k
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
Kingdom Living Now Dba Break the Cycle Global

Ministry

Religion
2
Docusen Ministries

Preaching, teaching, writing and traveling ministry for the docusen family to serve christian churches and organizations.

Religion
3
Blessing Ministry to Ukraine Inc

Foreign christian ministry support, primarily in ukraine

Religion
4
Aslan Child Rescue Ministries Inc

Christian Ministry Worldwide

Human Services
5
Christian Ministries Inc

To serve christian ministries and individuals in their pursuit of a christian education.

—
6
His Joy Ministries Hsi Inc

Christian evangelism and growth

Religion
7
Christ to the World Ministries Inc

Proclaim and share the Gospel of Christ in unique ways throughout Asia to reach Christians and non-Christians.

Religion
8
One Plus God Ministries Inc

To connect supporters with missionaries

—
9
Knowing Love Ministries

Teaching the gospel

Religion
10
Children of the World Inc

International adoptions

Human Services
11
China Ministries International Inc

To spread and promote gospel and Christian faith to China

—
12
Ministerios El Jordan

Christian church

Religion
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is Family Shelter of Southern Oklahoma; the most unlike its peers is Swedish Heritage Society of Utah. 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

14 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. 14 of the 36 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.

1
Load-bearing (≥25% of a budget)
3
Early backer (in before they grew)
12/14
Grantees still filing
9/14
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

TOTAL LIFE MINISTERIES INC: $192,057 · OtherTOTAL LIFE MINISTERIES INCCOVENANT CHURCH INTERNATIONAL MINSTRIES INC: $153,000 · OtherCOVENANT CHURCH INTERNATIONAL MINSTRIES INCIndividual grant recipient: $88,660 · OtherIndividual grant recipientLIVING HOPE OUTREACH CTR: $65,000 · OtherLIVING HOPE OUTREACH CTRLIGHT OF TRUTH CHURCH: $29,000 · Other+21 more: $84,737 · Other+21 moreNEW GENERATIONS: $115,468 · ReligionNEW GENERATIONSWorld Ocean School Inc: $10,350 · EducationNEW LIVING ISRAEL INC: $7,000 · EducationCUSHING CHAMBER FOUNDATION FOR PROGRESS INC: $2,500 · EducationLOVE INC OF GREATER CUSHING: $10,000 · Human ServicesTOGETHER MINISTRY INC: $5,000 · InternationalCIMARRON PLAYERS INC DBA CUSHING COMMUNITY THEATRE: $5,000 · Arts & CultureMANAGED ACCESS TO CHILD HEALTH INC D/B/A PARTNERSHIP FOR CHILD HEALTH: $1,612 · HealthSJOGREN'S FOUNDATION INC: $150 · HealthFAMILY SHELTER OF SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA: $1,000 · Civil Rights
Other$612,454Religion$115,468Education$19,850Human Services$10,000International$5,000Arts & Culture$5,000Health$1,762Civil Rights$1,000

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

25%50%75%100%$100k$1.0Mgrantee revenue →↑ funder's share of their budgetTOTAL LIFE MINISTERIES INC: $192,057 over 6y, 9.7% of budgetNEW GENERATIONS: $115,468 over 3y, 0.8% of budgetWorld Ocean School Inc: $10,350 over 1y, 1.1% of budgetLOVE INC OF GREATER CUSHING: $10,000 over 2y, 2.2% of budgetTHE DENVER BRASS INC: $10,000 over 1y, 1.5% of budgetNEW LIVING ISRAEL INC: $7,000 over 2y, 2.0% of budgetTOGETHER MINISTRY INC: $5,000 over 1y, 1.6% of budgetCIMARRON PLAYERS INC DBA CUSHING COMMUNITY THEATRE: $5,000 over 1y, 14% of budgetCUSHING CHAMBER FOUNDATION FOR PROGRESS INC: $2,500 over 1y, 50% of budgetMANAGED ACCESS TO CHILD HEALTH INC D/B/A PARTNERSHIP FOR CHILD HEALTH: $1,612 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetFAMILY SHELTER OF SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA: $1,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetSJOGREN'S FOUNDATION INC: $150 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 TOTAL LIFE MINISTERIES INC ↗
  • Who funds NEW GENERATIONS ↗
  • Who funds World Ocean School Inc ↗
  • Who funds LOVE INC OF GREATER CUSHING ↗
  • Who funds THE DENVER BRASS INC ↗
  • Who funds NEW LIVING ISRAEL INC ↗
  • Who funds TOGETHER MINISTRY INC ↗
  • Who funds CIMARRON PLAYERS INC DBA CUSHING COMMUNITY THEATRE ↗
  • Who funds CUSHING CHAMBER FOUNDATION FOR PROGRESS INC ↗
  • Who funds SWEDISH HERITAGE SOCIETY OF UTAH ↗
  • Who funds MANAGED ACCESS TO CHILD HEALTH INC D/B/A PARTNERSHIP FOR CHILD HEALTH ↗
  • Who funds FAMILY SHELTER OF SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA ↗
  • Who funds Oklahoma WONDERtorium Ltd ↗
  • Who funds SJOGREN'S FOUNDATION INC ↗

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.

Natl Christian Charit…American Online Givin…Donor Advised Charita…Fidelity Investments …Amazonsmile Foundation
Natl Christian Charitable Fdn IncGA5.4× affinity4 shared granteesties to 4 of 4Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: Natl Christian Charitable Fdn Inc · 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 Carson Foundation funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from Carson Foundation. Bigger dots raise more.

2024
’20’21’22’23’24’25
no gov · 30%1%4%8%15%funder's share of their income ↑0%10%20%30%40%share of the org’s income from government →median 13%
  • Managed Access to Child Health Inc D/B/a Partnership for Child Health: 13% of income from government
  • World Ocean School Inc: 4% of income from government
no gov moneyreceives it· size = income
3get no government money at all
2report 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 Carson Foundation?

Find your warmest path to Carson 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 36 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 Carson’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