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Cottonwood Foundation at a glanceAlso receives grants: funding profile →

· Private foundation

Cottonwood 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.

$9k
Granted FY2025still arriving
15
Grants FY2025still arriving
9
States reached
$1k
Largest
01What it fundsRead
02The needRead
03Its granteesRead
04Its fieldRead
05Through PlinthRead
01What it funds
0198% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2019 to 2025.

Animals$30kEnvironment$27kHuman Services$5kCivil Rights$3kEducation$2kCrime & Legal$2kCommunity Improvement$2kFood & Nutrition$500Other$0
02FY2025 · 15 grants

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

$500
Median grant
9
States reached
$19k
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
Southern Plains Land Trust$1,000
Indian Land Tenure Foundation$1,000
Wild Animal Sanctuary$1,000
Rainbow World Fund$500
Red Lake Rosies Rescue$500
Friends of Animals$500
Kerulos Center for Nonviolence$500
Save the Chimps$500
Chicken Run Rescue$500
Friends Boundary Waters Wilderness$500
Land Loss Prevention Project$500
Compassionate Action for Animals$500
Monarch Butterfly Fund$500
The Wildcat Sanctuary$500
The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee$500
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 (FY19–25, $5k) land where the poverty rate runs at 14%, against an area that typically sits at 9%. 100% of those dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Most of its grants land in higher-need ZIPs.

area typical 9%Indian Land Tenure Foundation: $1k → 14%Indian Land Tenure Foundation: $1k → 14%Indian Land Tenure Foundation: $1k → 14%Indian Land Tenure Foundation: $500 → 14%Indian Land Tenure Foundation: $500 → 14%Indian Land Tenure Foundation: $500 → 14%Indian Land Tenure Foundation: $500 → 14%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

WA
MT
MN
WI
NY
OR
SD
PA
CT
CA
CO
NM
TN
NC
HI
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.

87%of every dollar goes to organizations it has funded before.
$60k · 23 repeat orgs$9k to everyone else

23 repeat relationships: 10 still active in FY2025, 13 since wound down; 4 grantees were first funded in FY2025 (too recent to call).

How the two cohorts compare

Re-uppedFunded once

Organizations

23
12

Total granted

$60k
$7k

Median revenue growth · since first grant

+23%
+51%

Still filing today

83%
50%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2025, 75% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $2k went to new ones.

50%100%’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
RenewedFirst-time

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

’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
EnvironmentAnimalsSocial ScienceEducationFood & NutritionPublic Safety & DisasterOther
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

  • TW
    THE WILD ANIMAL SANCTUARY
    7× · 2019–2025 · $7k · revenue +82%
  • SP
    SOUTHERN PLAINS LAND TRUST INC
    7× · 2019–2025 · $7k · revenue +115%
  • MB
    MONARCH BUTTERFLY FUND
    7× · 2019–2025 · $4k · revenue +17%

Funded once

  • IG
    Individual grant recipient
    one grant, 2024 · $1k
  • HI
    HAWAIIAN ISLANDS LAND TRUST
    one grant, 2024 · $1k · revenue 0%
  • TW
    TREES WATER AND PEOPLEgraduated
    one grant, 2019 · $500 · revenue +104%
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
Rainforest Trust

Rainforest trust saves endangered wildlife and protects our planet by creating rainforest reserves through partnerships, community engagement, and donor support.

International
2
World Wildlife Fund Inc

Wwf's mission is to conserve nature and reduce the most pressing threats to the diversity of life on earth. (continued on schedule o)

Environment
3
Wild Landscapes Inc

Wild landscapes, inc. (wli) is dedicated to conserving large and connected landscapes globally significant to wildlife and crucial to local communities. our environmental conservation strategy is to empower communities, conservationists,…

Animals
4
Wild Earth Society Incorporated

Wildlands Network works to reconnect, restore and rewild North America so that life-in all its diversity-can thrive.

Arts & Culture
5
Wilderness Conservation Foundation
Environment
6
Resource Renewal Institute

The resource renewal institute facilitates the creation, development and implementation of practical strategies to solve the entire complex environmental problem by addressing it comprehensively.

Environment
7
Washington Forest Law Center

Dedicated to protecting the world's natural environment on behalf of the public by serving as a public interest law firm. refer to schedule o, part iii, line 4a, for list of litigated cases or advocacy work.

—
8
Cascadia Wildlands

Cascadia wildlands defends and restores cacasia's wild ecosystems in the forests,in the courts, and in the streets. we envision vast old-growth forests, rivers full of wild salmon, wolves howling in the backcountry, a stable climate, and…

Environment
9
Predator Defense

Protecting vital native predators & ending war on wildlife.

Animals
10
Wildlife Alliance Inc

Wildlife alliance is the leader in direct protection of forests and wildlife in tropical asia. our mission is to combat deforestation, biodiversity loss, climate change, and poverty by partnering with local communities and governments.…

Animals
11
African Wildlife Foundation Inc

Awf's mission is to ensure wildlife and wild lands thrive in modern africa. we work to equip african governments, institutions, business, and communities with the tools, insights, and support they need to define, own, and realize a…

Animals
12
Environment Now
—
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is Wildearth Guardians; the most unlike its peers is Chicken Run Rescue. 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 40 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)
11
Early backer (in before they grew)
29/29
Grantees still filing
19/29
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

THE WILD ANIMAL SANCTUARY: $6,777 · AnimalsTHE WILD ANIMAL SANCTUARYSAVE THE CHIMPS INC: $3,500 · AnimalsSAVE THE CHIMPS INCCHICKEN RUN RESCUE: $3,500 · AnimalsCHICKEN RUN RESCUERED LAKE ROSIE'S RESCUE INC: $3,500 · AnimalsRED LAKE ROSIE'S RESCUE INCFRIENDS OF ANIMALS INC: $3,000 · AnimalsFRIENDS OF ANIMALS INCCOMPASSIONATE ACTION FOR ANIMALS: $2,500 · AnimalsCOMPASSIONATE ACTION FOR ANIMALSNonhuman Rights Project Inc: $2,000 · AnimalsNonhuman Rights Project IncHOWLING FOR WOLVES: $2,000 · AnimalsHOWLING FOR WOLVES+2 more: $1,000 · AnimalsSOUTHERN PLAINS LAND TRUST INC: $6,500 · EnvironmentSOUTHERN PLAINS LAND TRUST INCMONARCH BUTTERFLY FUND: $3,500 · EnvironmentMONARCH BUTTERFLY FUNDFRIENDS OF THE BOUNDARY WATERS WILDERNESS: $2,500 · EnvironmentFRIENDS OF THE BOUNDARY WATERS WI…OUR CHILDREN'S TRUST: $2,000 · EnvironmentOUR CHILDREN'S TRUSTTRANSITION US: $2,000 · EnvironmentTRANSITION USBUFFALO FIELD CAMPAIGN INC: $1,500 · EnvironmentBUFFALO FIELD CAMPAIGN INCLOWER PHALEN CREEK PROJECT: $1,000 · EnvironmentHAWAIIAN ISLANDS LAND TRUST: $1,000 · Environment+3 more: $1,500 · Environment+3 moreWILDEARTH GUARDIANS: $3,000 · OtherWILDEARTH GUARDIANSNorth Carolina Association of Black Lawyer Land Loss Prevention Projec: $2,500 · OtherNorth Carolina Associati…Project Coyote: $2,500 · OtherProject CoyoteINTERTRIBAL SINKYONE WILDERNESS COUNCIL: $1,000 · OtherINTERTRIBAL SINKYONE WIL…Coming to the Table: $1,000 · OtherComing to the TableIndividual grant recipient: $1,000 · OtherIndividual grant recipie…Compassionate Action for Animals: $1,000 · OtherCompassionate Action for…Community Environ Legal Def Fund: $1,000 · OtherCommunity Environ Legal …+6 more: $3,000 · Other+6 moreINDIAN LAND TENURE FOUNDATION: $5,000 · Human ServicesEARTH LAW CENTER: $2,000 · Social ScienceINDIGENOUS ENVIRONMENTAL NETWORK: $500 · EducationRainbow World Fund: $500 · Public Safety & DisasterSOUL FIRE FARM INSTITUTE INC: $500 · Food & Nutrition
Animals$27,777Environment$21,500Other$16,000Human Services$5,000Social Science$2,000Education$500Public Safety & Disaster$500Food & Nutrition$500

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

25%50%75%100%$1.0M$10Mgrantee revenue →↑ funder's share of their budgetTHE WILD ANIMAL SANCTUARY: $6,777 over 7y, 0.0% of budgetSOUTHERN PLAINS LAND TRUST INC: $6,500 over 7y, 0.0% of budgetINDIAN LAND TENURE FOUNDATION: $5,000 over 7y, 0.0% of budgetMONARCH BUTTERFLY FUND: $3,500 over 7y, 0.4% of budgetSAVE THE CHIMPS INC: $3,500 over 7y, 0.0% of budgetCHICKEN RUN RESCUE: $3,500 over 7y, 0.3% of budgetRED LAKE ROSIE'S RESCUE INC: $3,500 over 7y, 0.2% of budgetWILDEARTH GUARDIANS: $3,000 over 6y, 0.0% of budgetFRIENDS OF ANIMALS INC: $3,000 over 6y, 0.0% of budgetCOMPASSIONATE ACTION FOR ANIMALS: $2,500 over 5y, 0.3% of budgetFRIENDS OF THE BOUNDARY WATERS WILDERNESS: $2,500 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetNorth Carolina Association of Black Lawyer Land Loss Prevention Projec: $2,500 over 5y, 0.0% of budgetNonhuman Rights Project Inc: $2,000 over 4y, 0.0% of budgetOUR CHILDREN'S TRUST: $2,000 over 4y, 0.0% of budgetHOWLING FOR WOLVES: $2,000 over 4y, 1.6% of budgetTRANSITION US: $2,000 over 4y, 0.4% of budgetEARTH LAW CENTER: $2,000 over 4y, 0.3% of budgetBUFFALO FIELD CAMPAIGN INC: $1,500 over 3y, 0.2% of budgetINTERTRIBAL SINKYONE WILDERNESS COUNCIL: $1,000 over 2y, 0.3% of budgetLOWER PHALEN CREEK PROJECT: $1,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetHAWAIIAN ISLANDS LAND TRUST: $1,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetTREES WATER AND PEOPLE: $500 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetTHE WILDCAT SANCTUARY: $500 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetRURAL RENEWABLE ENERGY ALLIANCE: $500 over 1y, 0.3% of budgetSOUL FIRE FARM INSTITUTE INC: $500 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.

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.

Mightycause Charitabl…PatagoniaorgThe K FoundationThe Jamf Nation Globa…ImpactassetsincSaint Paul & Minnesot…Network for GoodThe Chicago Community…The Pfizer Foundation…Vanguard Charitable E…Morgan Stanley Global…American Endowment Fo…
Mightycause Charitable FoundationFL15.4× affinity7 shared granteesties to 11 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: Mightycause Charitable Foundation · Patagoniaorg · The K Foundation · The Jamf Nation Global Foundation · Impactassetsinc · Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation · Network for Good · The Chicago Community Trust · The Pfizer Foundation Inc · Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program · Morgan Stanley Global Impact Funding Trust Inc · American Endowment 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 Cottonwood Foundation funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from Cottonwood Foundation. Bigger dots raise more.

2024
’20’21’22’23’24’25
no gov · 30%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
    3get 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.
    05Through Plinth

    Warm introductions · Powered by PlinthPlus

    How do I get to Cottonwood Foundation?

    Find your warmest path to Cottonwood 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 40 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 Cottonwood’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