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Center for Rural Affairs at a glanceMostly funded, not a grantmaker: see who funds it →

· Public charity

Center for Rural Affairs

To cultivate strong communities rooted in social and economic justice, environmental stewardship, and opportunity for all.

$666k
Granted FY2025still arriving
3
Grants FY2025still arriving
1
States reached
$250k
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, FY2017 to 2025.

Community Improvement$1.0MFood & Nutrition$813kScience & Tech$326kPublic Benefit$250kEnvironment$140kEducation$36kHealth$26kHuman Services$23kOther$0
02FY2025 · 3 grants

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

How this is measured
The 3 grants below total $327,676, the rows itemized in this filing. The $665,826 headline is the total grant expense on the return; the other $338,150 is giving the schedule does not break out (grants under the $5,000 itemization floor, grants to individuals, grants on other schedules). Every figure below describes the itemized rows only.

By grant size · FY2025

  • Under $10k1 grant · $5k
  • $50k–250k1 grant · $72k
  • $250k+1 grant · $250k
$72,291
Median grant
1
States reached
$38M
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
SECOND HOUSE COLLABORATIVE$250,000
UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA$72,291
SARA MAY BRUBACHER STEINBRINK SKY CHIEF SPRINGS LLC$5,385
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 (FY20–20, $1.0M) land where the poverty rate runs at 12%, 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%ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT CENTER: $1.0M → 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
SD
IA
OH
PA
NJ
CA
NE
AR
NC
DC
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.

39%of every dollar goes to organizations it has funded before.
$1.1M · 9 repeat orgs$1.6M to everyone else

Grantees it renews have grown median revenue +364% since the first grant, against +4% for those funded once.

9 repeat relationships: 1 still active in FY2025, 8 since wound down; 2 grantees were first funded in FY2025 (too recent to call).

How the two cohorts compare

Re-uppedFunded once

Organizations

9
27

Total granted

$1.1M
$1.4M

Median revenue growth · since first grant

+364%
+4%

Still filing today

78%
74%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2025, 22% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $255k 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
Food & NutritionEnvironmentEducationInternationalCivil 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

  • PF
    PRACTICAL FARMERS OF IOWA
    6× · 2019–2024 · $479k · revenue +861%
  • CAROLINA FARM STEWARDSHIP ASSOCIATION
    4× · 2018–2021 · $74k · revenue +364%
  • CA
    COMMUNITY ALLIANCE WITH FAMILY FARMERS
    2× · 2019–2020 · $53k · revenue +651%

Funded once

  • EE
    Economic Empowerment Center
    one grant, 2020 · $1.0M · revenue -57%
  • WI
    WINROCK INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENTgraduated
    one grant, 2019 · $32k · revenue +29%
  • MULTIPLIER
    one grant, 2022 · $25k · revenue +17%
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
Organic Farmers Association

The mission of the Organic Farmers Association is to provide a strong and unified national voice for domestic certified organic producers so that organic agriculture will become the basis of a viable United States food and agricultural…

Food & Nutrition
2
Northeast Organic Farming Association of New Hampshire

NOFA-NH actively promotes organic, regenerative, ecologically sound farming, gardening, eating, and land care practices for healthy communities. NOFA-NH helps people build local, just, and sustainable food systems.

Food & Nutrition
3
Sustainable Farming Association of Minnesota

Support the development and enhancement of sustainable farming systems through farmer-to-farmer networking, innovation, demonstration, and education.

Food & Nutrition
4
Us Farmers and Ranchers Alliance

MISSION: bring all of American agriculture together, with farmers and ranchers at the center, to collectively identify and tackle critical, long-term issues. We collaborate, communicate, educate, advocate and utilize science to advance the…

Community Improvement
5
Grassworks Inc

GrassWorks is a grassroots membership organization that provides leadership and education to farmers and consumers for the advancement of managed grass-based agriculture to benefit present and future generations.

—
6
American Farm Bureau Federation

The american farm bureau federation is the voice of agriculture (r). we are farm and ranch families working together to build a sustainable future of safe and abundant food, fiber and renewable fuel for our nation and the world.

—
7
Sustainable Growers
—
8
Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont

The northeast organic farming association of vermont promotes organic practices to build an ecomnomically viable, ecologically sound and socially just vermont agricultural system that benefits all living things.

Arts & Culture
9
Us Farming and Ranching Foundation

MISSION: bring all of American agriculture together, with farmers and ranchers at the center, to collectively identify and tackle critical, long-term issues. We collaborate, communicate, educate, advocate and utilize science to advance the…

Food & Nutrition
10
Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research

Foundation for food and agriculture research connects funders, researchers and farmers through public-private partnerships to support audacious research addressing the biggest food and agriculture challenges.

Food & Nutrition
11
Food Action

Our mission is to educate, organize and advocate for food and farming systems to become economically prosperous, ecologically sound and socially equitable.

—
12
Animal Agriculture Alliance

The animal agriculture alliance is a nonprofit organization that helps bridge the communication gap between farm and fork. we connect food industry stakeholders, engage food chain influencers and promote consumer choice by helping key…

Food & Nutrition
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is Carolina Farm Stewardship Association; the most unlike its peers is Whiteclay Makerspace. 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

29 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. 29 of the 38 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)
13
Early backer (in before they grew)
28/29
Grantees still filing
18/29
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

PRACTICAL FARMERS OF IOWA: $479,204 · OtherPRACTICAL FARMERS OF IOWABOARD OF REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA: $263,451 · OtherBOARD OF REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKACAROLINA FARM STEWARDSHIP ASSOCIATION: $74,192 · OtherCAROLINA FARM STEWARDSHIP ASSOCIATIONREGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA: $55,938 · OtherCOMMUNITY ALLIANCE WITH FAMILY FARMERS: $53,155 · Other+15 more: $206,055 · Other+15 moreEconomic Empowerment Center: $1,000,000 · Human ServicesEconomic Empowerment CenterSECOND HOUSE COLLABORATIVE: $250,000 · Civil RightsSECOND HOU…+1 more: $8,500 · Civil RightsMULTIPLIER: $25,000 · EnvironmentBLACK OAKS CENTER FOR SUSTAINABLE RENEWABLE LIVING: $25,000 · EnvironmentIOWA ENVIRONMENTAL COUNCIL: $22,250 · EnvironmentLAND STEWARDSHIP PROJECT: $17,000 · EnvironmentOccidental Arts and Ecology Center: $13,000 · EnvironmentPENNSYLVANIA ASSOCIATION FOR SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE: $45,500 · Food & NutritionSUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE AND FOOD SYSTEMS FUNDERS: $15,000 · Food & NutritionCONGRESSIONAL HUNGER CENTER INC: $12,000 · Food & NutritionFLORIDA CERTIFIED ORGANIC GROWERS AND CONSUMERS INC: $11,000 · Food & NutritionOhio Ecological Food and Farm Assoc: $8,800 · Food & NutritionBIG MUDDY URBAN FARM INC: $6,686 · Food & NutritionWINROCK INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT: $32,000 · InternationalRURAL ADVANCEMENT FOUNDATION INTERNATION: $25,000 · InternationalGROW NEBRASKA: $37,000 · Arts & CultureWHITECLAY MAKERSPACE: $6,028 · Arts & Culture
Other$1,131,995Human Services$1,000,000Civil Rights$258,500Environment$102,250Food & Nutrition$98,986International$57,000Arts & Culture$43,028

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 budgetEconomic Empowerment Center: $1,000,000 over 1y, 10.0% of budgetPRACTICAL FARMERS OF IOWA: $479,204 over 6y, 2.9% of budgetCAROLINA FARM STEWARDSHIP ASSOCIATION: $74,192 over 4y, 1.4% of budgetCOMMUNITY ALLIANCE WITH FAMILY FARMERS: $53,155 over 2y, 2.2% of budgetPENNSYLVANIA ASSOCIATION FOR SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE: $45,500 over 2y, 0.3% of budgetGROW NEBRASKA: $37,000 over 2y, 0.4% of budgetWINROCK INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT: $32,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetBUFFALO COUNTY COMMUNITY HEALTH PARTNERS INC: $26,344 over 2y, 1.7% of budgetMULTIPLIER: $25,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetBLACK OAKS CENTER FOR SUSTAINABLE RENEWABLE LIVING: $25,000 over 1y, 2.0% of budgetRURAL ADVANCEMENT FOUNDATION INTERNATION: $25,000 over 2y, 1.0% of budgetCATHOLIC CHARITIES OF THE ARCHDIOCESE OF OMAHA INC: $23,100 over 1y, 0.6% of budgetIOWA ENVIRONMENTAL COUNCIL: $22,250 over 1y, 1.2% of budgetDRAKE UNIVERSITY: $20,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetLAND STEWARDSHIP PROJECT: $17,000 over 1y, 0.4% of budgetSUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE AND FOOD SYSTEMS FUNDERS: $15,000 over 1y, 0.7% of budgetNortheast Organic Farming Association of New Jersey Inc: $15,000 over 1y, 1.1% of budgetOccidental Arts and Ecology Center: $13,000 over 1y, 0.4% of budgetCONGRESSIONAL HUNGER CENTER INC: $12,000 over 1y, 0.3% of budgetFLORIDA CERTIFIED ORGANIC GROWERS AND CONSUMERS INC: $11,000 over 1y, 0.3% of budgetDakota Rural Action: $10,000 over 1y, 2.3% of budgetOhio Ecological Food and Farm Assoc: $8,800 over 1y, 1.1% of budgetEMPOWERING FAMILIES of Nebraska Inc: $8,500 over 1y, 3.1% of budgetCALIFORNIA FARMLINK: $8,000 over 1y, 0.4% of budgetBIG MUDDY URBAN FARM INC: $6,686 over 1y, 4.9% of budgetWHITECLAY MAKERSPACE: $6,028 over 1y, 1.1% 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.

Farm Aid IncClif Family FoundationTides FoundationThe Sherwood Foundati…The Schmidt Family Fo…Rsf Social Finance IncUNFI FoundationWK Kellogg FoundationThe McKnight Foundati…PatagoniaorgImpactassetsincEarth Island Institut…
Farm Aid IncMA26.1× affinity10 shared granteesties to 11 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: Farm Aid Inc · Clif Family Foundation · Tides Foundation · The Sherwood Foundation · The Schmidt Family Foundation · Rsf Social Finance Inc · UNFI Foundation · WK Kellogg Foundation · The McKnight Foundation · Patagoniaorg · Impactassetsinc · Earth Island Institute 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 Center for Rural Affairs funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from Center for Rural Affairs. Bigger dots raise more.

2024
’20’21’22’23’24’25
no gov · 00%1%3%6%10%funder's share of their income ↑0%25%50%75%100%share of the org’s income from government →median 6%
  • Northeast Organic Farming Association of New Jersey Inc: 6% of income from government
no gov moneyreceives it· size = income
0get no government money at all
9report 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.

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 38 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 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

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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