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Dandelion Foundation at a glance

· Private foundation

Dandelion Foundation

Its FY2020 filing reports that it funds preselected organizations and did not take unsolicited requests; check the foundation's own site before ruling it out.

$226k
Granted FY2018
24
Grants FY2018
5
States reached
$15k
Largest
01What it fundsRead
02The needRead
03Its granteesRead
04Its fieldRead

Read this first · the figures below need context

98% of Dandelion Foundation’s FY2020 grant dollars went to Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund, not to grantees.

Its money now reaches organizations through that sponsor, which does not report who recommended each grant. FY2020 names 5 organizations directly, so a portfolio cannot be read from it. Everything below is therefore FY2018, the last year Dandelion Foundation named its own grantees at scale: 19 organizations, $226k. It is dated, not current.

Organizations named directly on the return

15
’17
19
’18
11
’19
5
’20

Amber years are those where most dollars went to a sponsor.

01What it funds
0198% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2017 to 2020.

Philanthropy$5.7MHuman Services$183kFood & Nutrition$100kHealth$41kReligion$40kAnimals$33kEducation$23kArts & Culture$18kOther$0
02FY2018 · 24 grants

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

By grant size · FY2018

  • Under $10k9 grants · $46k
  • $10k–50k15 grants · $180k
$10,000
Median grant
5
States reached
$0
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
SAN FRANCISCO FOOD BANK$15,000
NORTH VALLEY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION$15,000
ART CENTER COLLEGE OF DESIGN$15,000
WOMEN'S DAYTIME DROP-IN CENTER$15,000
ST VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY$15,000
CENTER FOR DOMESTIC PEACE$15,000
SAVE THE REDWOODS LEAGUE$10,000
NORTH VALLEY COMMUNITY ANIMAL DISASTER GROUP$10,000
DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS$10,000
GLIDE MEMORIAL FOUNDATION$10,000
CERES COMMUNITY PROJECT$10,000
THE PATHWAY HOME$10,000
THE HEADSTRONG PROJECT$10,000
ACLU FOUNDATION OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA$10,000
SCHURIG CENTER$10,000
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 (FY17–20, $95k) land where the poverty rate runs at 8%, against an area that typically sits at 11%. 0% of those dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Its grants skew toward lower-need ZIPs.

area typical 11%Ceres Community Project: $30k → 9%CERES COMMUNITY PROJECT: $10k → 9%Ceres Community Project: $10k → 9%CERES COMMUNITY PROJECT: $10k → 9%CENTER FOR DOMESTIC PEACE: $15k → 8%CENTER FOR DOMESTIC PEACE: $10k → 8%Center for Domestic Peace: $10k → 8%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.
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.

81%of every dollar goes to organizations it has funded before.
$431k · 18 repeat orgs$98k to everyone else

18 repeat relationships: 18 still active in FY2018, 0 since wound down; 7 grantees were first funded in FY2018 (too recent to call). Read against FY2018, the last year this funder named its own grantees directly; its giving has since run through a sponsor, which reports no donor behind each grant.

How the two cohorts compare

Re-uppedFunded once

Organizations

18
2

Total granted

$431k
$18k

Still filing today

78%
0%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2020, 68% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $30k went to new ones.

50%100%’17’18’19’20
RenewedFirst-time

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

’17’18’19’20
AnimalsHuman ServicesHealthEducationArts & CultureYouth DevelopmentOther
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

  • SF
    SAN FRANCISCO FOOD BANK
    4× · 2017–2020 · $70k · revenue +74%
  • THE CERES COMMUNITY PROJECT
    4× · 2017–2020 · $60k · revenue +392%
  • Center for Domestic Peace
    3× · 2017–2019 · $35k · revenue +79%

Funded once

  • RR
    RCU Redwood Community Fund
    one grant, 2017 · $13k
  • MS
    Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
    one grant, 2017 · $5k
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
The Climate Center

The Climate Center is a climate and energy policy nonprofit working to rapidly reduce climate pollution at scale, starting in California.

Education
2
The Union of Concerned Scientists Inc

The union of concerned scientists puts rigorous, independent science into action, developing solutions and advocating for a healthy, safe, and just future.

International
3
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals for Monterey County

The SPCA Monterey County's Mission is assuring compassionate treatment of all animals through rescue, rehabilitation, protection and education. The SPCA shelters homeless, neglected, and abused pets, including dogs, cats, horses, exotic…

Animals
4
California Forward

Ca fwd drives action to identify solutions that can be taken to scale to meet the challenges the state is facing. the organization is driven by the belief that regional solutions across the state will help ensure economic, environmental,…

Public Benefit
5
California Coastkeeper dba California Coastkeeper Alliance

California Coastkeeper Alliance unites Waterkeeper programs statewide to fight for swimmable, fishable, and drinkable waters for all Californians.

Environment
6
Feeding San Diego

On a mission to connect every person facing hunger with nutritious meals by maximizing food rescue. through direct service and community partnerships, feeding san diego provides more than 26 million meals each year to children, families,…

Food & Nutrition
7
Ucsf Foundation Investment Company

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

Education
8
Marin Open Studios

Marin open studios is a non-profit visual arts organization dedicated to engaging and supporting marin county artists and their audiences through events, programs and services. marin open studios champions a diverse and inclusive community…

Arts & Culture
9
Silicon Valley Community Foundation

Silicon Valley Community Foundation (SVCF) connects people, ideas and resources to ensure equity and opportunity for all.

Philanthropy
10
The San Diego Foundation

The san diego foundation inspires enduring philanthropy and enables community solutions to improve the quality of life in our region.

Philanthropy
11
California Dental Association

The california dental association is committed to the success of our members in service to their patients and the public.

Community Improvement
12
United Animal Nations Dba Redrover

To bring animals out of crisis and strengthen the bond between people and animals through emergency sheltering, disaster relief services, financial assistance and education. redrover accomplishes its mission by engaging volunteers and…

—
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is North Valley Community Foundation; the most unlike its peers is Head Strong Project Inc. 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

21 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. 21 of the 29 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)
7
Early backer (in before they grew)
20/21
Grantees still filing
17/21
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

FIDELITY INVESTMENTS CHARITABLE GIFT FUND: $5,685,847 · Community ImprovementFIDELITY INVESTMENTS CHARITABLE GIFT FUNDSAN FRANCISCO FOOD BANK: $70,000 · OtherST VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY: $40,000 · OtherSHARE OUR STRENGTH: $30,000 · OtherSCHURIG CENTER: $25,000 · OtherAMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION FOUNDATION OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA INC: $15,000 · OtherRCU Redwood Community Fund: $13,000 · OtherGLIDE MEMORIAL FOUNDATION: $10,000 · OtherDrawBridge: $18,000 · OtherNORTH VALLEY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION: $15,000 · OtherMEDECINS SANS FRONTIERES USA INC: $12,500 · OtherSAVE THE REDWOODS LEAGUE: $10,000 · Other+5 more: $31,000 · OtherTHE CERES COMMUNITY PROJECT: $60,000 · Human ServicesCenter for Domestic Peace: $35,000 · Human ServicesWOMENS DAYTIME DROP-IN CENTER: $35,000 · Human ServicesTHE PATHWAY HOME INC: $28,000 · HealthPLANNED PARENTHOOD FEDERATION OF AMERICA INC: $12,500 · HealthHEAD STRONG PROJECT INC: $10,000 · HealthTHE MILO FOUNDATION: $12,000 · AnimalsNORTH VALLEY ANIMAL DISASTER GROUP: $10,000 · AnimalsMARIN HUMANE SOCIETY: $5,500 · AnimalsTHE MARINE MAMMAL CENTER: $5,500 · AnimalsART CENTER COLLEGE OF DESIGN: $23,000 · EducationYouth in Arts: $18,000 · Arts & Culture
Community Improvement$5,685,847Other$289,500Human Services$130,000Health$50,500Animals$33,000Education$23,000Arts & Culture$18,000

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 budgetFIDELITY INVESTMENTS CHARITABLE GIFT FUND: $5,685,847 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetSAN FRANCISCO FOOD BANK: $70,000 over 4y, 0.0% of budgetTHE CERES COMMUNITY PROJECT: $60,000 over 4y, 0.6% of budgetCenter for Domestic Peace: $35,000 over 3y, 0.4% of budgetWOMENS DAYTIME DROP-IN CENTER: $35,000 over 3y, 3.5% of budgetSHARE OUR STRENGTH: $30,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetTHE PATHWAY HOME INC: $28,000 over 3y, 2.8% of budgetART CENTER COLLEGE OF DESIGN: $23,000 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetYouth in Arts: $18,000 over 4y, 1.3% of budgetDrawBridge: $18,000 over 4y, 4.2% of budgetAMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION FOUNDATION OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA INC: $15,000 over 2y, 0.1% of budgetPLANNED PARENTHOOD FEDERATION OF AMERICA INC: $12,500 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetMEDECINS SANS FRONTIERES USA INC: $12,500 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetTHE MILO FOUNDATION: $12,000 over 2y, 0.5% of budgetHEAD STRONG PROJECT INC: $10,000 over 1y, 0.2% of budgetNORTH VALLEY ANIMAL DISASTER GROUP: $10,000 over 1y, 0.3% of budgetSAVE THE REDWOODS LEAGUE: $10,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetOKIZU FOUNDATION: $8,000 over 2y, 0.2% of budgetMARIN HUMANE SOCIETY: $5,500 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetTHE MARINE MAMMAL CENTER: $5,500 over 2y, 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.

Marin Community Found…Sunshine Polka-Dot Fo…Heffernan Group Found…McNabb FoundationSilicon Valley Commun…American Endowment Fo…American Online Givin…Network for GoodVanguard Charitable E…Donor Advised Charita…Fidelity Investments …Amazonsmile Foundation
Marin Community FoundationCA15× affinity5 shared granteesties to 11 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: Marin Community Foundation · Sunshine Polka-Dot Foundation · Heffernan Group Foundation · McNabb Foundation · Silicon Valley Community Foundation · American Endowment Foundation · American Online Giving Foundation Inc · Network for Good · Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program · 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 Dandelion Foundation funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from Dandelion Foundation. Bigger dots raise more.

2024
’20’21’22’23’24’25
no gov · 10%0%1%3%5%funder's share of their income ↑0%13%25%38%50%share of the org’s income from government →
    no gov moneyreceives it· size = income
    1get no government money at all
    7report government grants on their 990 we could not trace to a source (not plotted)
    0rely on government for over half their income
    ⤢ axis zoomed · 0–50%
    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 29 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 2018, released 2018. Filings run roughly 12 to 24 months behind; figures are dated accordingly.

    Source object · view filing

    Play a game based on Dandelion’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