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Elva Johnston Foundation at a glance

· Private foundation

Elva Johnston 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.

$73k
Granted FY2025still arriving
22
Grants FY2025still arriving
4
States reached
$10k
Largest
01What it fundsRead
02The needRead
03Its granteesRead
04Its fieldRead
05Through PlinthRead
01What it funds
0197% classified

What it funded, over time

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

Education$171kArts & Culture$73kHealth$66kEnvironment$59kFood & Nutrition$33kHuman Services$29kInternational$25kReligion$22kOther$0
02FY2025 · 22 grants

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

By grant size · FY2025

  • Under $10k21 grants · $63k
  • $10k–50k1 grant · $10k
$2,000
Median grant
4
States reached
$823k
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
TRINITY HOPE$10,000
THE STORY CHURCH$7,000
BLOOM AGAIN HOUSTON$6,000
RIVER OAKS GARDEN CLUB$5,000
THE RISE SCHOOL$5,000
SAN ANTONIO AREA FOUNDATION$5,000
LAMAR HIGH SCHOOL PTA$5,000
CHILDRENS HOSPITAL PHILADELPHIA$5,000
Individual grant recipient$3,000
CHILD ADVOCATES$2,500
BOS PLACE$2,000
HOUSTON FOOD BANK$2,000
CANCARE INC$2,000
YELLOWSTONE SCHOOLS$2,000
ST JOSEPH BASILICA$2,000
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 (FY17–22, $8k) land where the poverty rate runs at 16%, against an area that typically sits at 14%. 100% of those dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Most of its grants land in higher-need ZIPs.

area typical 14%L I F E HOUSTON: $1k → 16%L I F E HOUSTON: $1k → 16%L I F E HOUSTON: $1k → 16%HOMEMADE HOPE: $3k → 16%L I F E HOUSTON: $1k → 16%L I F E HOUSTON: $1k → 16%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.

85%of every dollar goes to organizations it has funded before.
$454k · 43 repeat orgs$80k to everyone else

43 repeat relationships: 16 still active in FY2025, 27 since wound down; 6 grantees were first funded in FY2025 (too recent to call).

How the two cohorts compare

Re-uppedFunded once

Organizations

43
16

Total granted

$454k
$51k

Median revenue growth · since first grant

+26%
+68%

Still filing today

53%
19%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2025, 60% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $29k 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
EducationEnvironmentArts & CultureReligionHealthInternationalOther
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

  • TM
    THE MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS HOUSTON
    7× · 2017–2024 · $25k · revenue +96%
  • RO
    River Oaks Garden Club
    7× · 2017–2025 · $23k · revenue +30%
  • CANCARE INC
    9× · 2017–2025 · $23k · revenue +41%

Funded once

  • TE
    TEXAS EXES ALUMNI ASSN
    one grant, 2018 · $5k
  • CH
    CHILDRENS HSP PHILA FNDN
    one grant, 2023 · $5k
  • CH
    CHILDRENS HOSP PHILADELPHIA FNDN
    one grant, 2024 · $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
Trees for Houston

Plant, protect and promote trees all over the greater Houston area.

—
2
Houston Independent School District Foundation

The HISD Foundation is dedicated to mobilizing the local community to support innovative priorities in HISD to improve outcomes for all students in the district. Our mission is to fund projects and programs of merit that fall outside of…

—
3
Houston Museum of Natural Science

The mission of the Houston Museum of Natural Science shall be to preserve and advance the general knowledge of natural science; to enhance in individuals the knowledge of and delight in natural science and related subjects; and to maintain…

Arts & Culture
4
The Greatest School in West Houston

Christian pre-school from age 3-months to school-age, and school from

—
5
Houston Local Information Initiative Inc

The Houston Local Information Initiative, Inc. provides public service journalism that reflects the civic needs of the diverse communities comprising Greater Houston.

Arts & Culture
6
Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Houston Inc

The Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Houston's mission is to inspire and enable all youth, especially those who need us most, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens.

Youth Development
7
Houston Bar Foundation

The Houston Bar Foundation supports programs that help provide legal representation to the indigent, promote community understanding of our legal system, and foster the administration of justice.

Crime & Legal
8
Rebuilding Together Houston

Rebuilding Together Houston is the only organization in Houston and Harris County providing free home repairs to hundreds of families each year. We employ licensed contractors to restore homes to safe, livable conditions, extending each…

Housing & Shelter
9
Made Houston

MADE Houston was formed to create a school community focused on nurturing and developing the unique academic and social needs of students with learning differences and to successfully transition students into mainstream schools.

Education
10
Houston Habitat for Humanity Inc

Seeking to put God's love into action, Houston Habitat for Humanity brings people together to build homes, communities and hope to provide a world where everyone has a decent place to live.

Housing & Shelter
11
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.

—
12
Presbyterian School

Family, School, and Church united in the education and support of each child - this is the founding premise upon which Presbyterian School nurtures and challenges its students. The school provides an educational program of the highest…

Education
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is Texas Children's Hospital; the most unlike its peers is The Museum of Fine Arts Houston. 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

28 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. 28 of the 65 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)
6
Early backer (in before they grew)
28/28
Grantees still filing
19/28
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AUSTIN: $30,000 · OtherUNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AUSTINCOMMUNITIES IN SCHOOLS: $21,500 · OtherCOMMUNITIES IN SCHOOLSTHE RISE SCHOOL: $21,000 · OtherTHE RISE SCHOOLSTORY CHURCH: $21,000 · OtherSTORY CHURCHSt Luke's United Methodist Church: $17,000 · OtherSt Luke's United Methodist ChurchRONALD MCDONALD HOUSE: $13,500 · OtherThe Houston Food Bank: $12,000 · OtherHouston Hospice: $10,500 · OtherCLAYTON DABNEY FOUNDATION: $10,000 · Other+35 more: $142,500 · Other+35 moreBOOKS BETWEEN KIDS INC: $18,500 · EducationBOOKS BETWEEN KI…Lanier Middle School PTO: $14,500 · EducationLanier Middle Sc…YELLOWSTONE ACADEMY INC DBA YELLOWSTONE SCHOOLS: $13,000 · EducationYELLOWSTONE ACAD…TEXAS EDUCATION WORKS: $10,000 · EducationTEXAS EDUCATION …COMMUNITIES IN SCHOOLS OF HOUSTON INC: $7,500 · EducationCOMMUNITIES IN S…LAMAR HIGH SCHOOL PTO: $6,500 · EducationLAMAR HIGH SCHOO…Small Steps Nurturing Center: $5,000 · EducationSmall Steps Nurt…+1 more: $2,000 · EducationHouston Botanic Garden: $30,000 · EnvironmentHouston Botanic…River Oaks Garden Club: $22,500 · EnvironmentRiver Oaks Gard…Urban Harvest Inc: $7,000 · EnvironmentUrban Harvest I…BLOOMAGAIN HOUSTON: $6,000 · EnvironmentBLOOMAGAIN HOUS…Buffalo Bayou Partnership Inc: $6,000 · EnvironmentBuffalo Bayou P…THE MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS HOUSTON: $24,500 · Arts & CultureBo's Place: $10,500 · Arts & CultureCANCARE INC: $22,500 · ReligionPRO-VISION INC: $2,500 · ReligionTRINITY HOPE INC: $10,000 · InternationalHAITI EDUCATION FOUNDATION INC: $4,000 · InternationalRONALD MCDONALD HOUSE CHARITIES GREATER HOUSTON INC: $7,000 · HealthTexas Children's Hospital: $5,000 · Health
Other$299,000Education$77,000Environment$71,500Arts & Culture$35,000Religion$25,000International$14,000Health$12,000

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 budgetHouston Botanic Garden: $30,000 over 5y, 0.1% of budgetTHE MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS HOUSTON: $24,500 over 7y, 0.0% of budgetRiver Oaks Garden Club: $22,500 over 7y, 0.7% of budgetCANCARE INC: $22,500 over 9y, 0.5% of budgetBOOKS BETWEEN KIDS INC: $18,500 over 9y, 0.1% of budgetLanier Middle School PTO: $14,500 over 4y, 2.7% of budgetYELLOWSTONE ACADEMY INC DBA YELLOWSTONE SCHOOLS: $13,000 over 6y, 0.1% of budgetThe Houston Food Bank: $12,000 over 4y, 0.0% of budgetHouston Hospice: $10,500 over 7y, 0.0% of budgetBo's Place: $10,500 over 7y, 0.1% of budgetTRINITY HOPE INC: $10,000 over 1y, 0.2% of budgetCHILD ADVOCATES INC: $7,500 over 2y, 0.1% of budgetCOMMUNITIES IN SCHOOLS OF HOUSTON INC: $7,500 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetUrban Harvest Inc: $7,000 over 7y, 0.1% of budgetRONALD MCDONALD HOUSE CHARITIES GREATER HOUSTON INC: $7,000 over 3y, 0.1% of budgetLAMAR HIGH SCHOOL PTO: $6,500 over 2y, 1.3% of budgetBLOOMAGAIN HOUSTON: $6,000 over 1y, 2.7% of budgetBuffalo Bayou Partnership Inc: $6,000 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetTREES OF HOPE: $6,000 over 4y, 0.4% of budgetSmall Steps Nurturing Center: $5,000 over 2y, 0.1% of budgetLOCAL INFANT FORMULA FOR EMERGENCIES: $5,000 over 5y, 0.3% of budgetTexas Children's Hospital: $5,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetHAITI EDUCATION FOUNDATION INC: $4,000 over 1y, 0.6% of budgetHomemade Hope for Homeless Children: $3,500 over 2y, 2.8% of budgetPRO-VISION INC: $2,500 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetTHE CHILDREN'S FUND INC: $2,000 over 1y, 0.3% of budgetBreakthrough Houston: $2,000 over 2y, 0.1% 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.

  • Who funds Houston Botanic Garden ↗
  • Who funds THE MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS HOUSTON ↗
  • Who funds River Oaks Garden Club ↗
  • Who funds CANCARE INC ↗
  • Who funds BOOKS BETWEEN KIDS INC ↗
  • Who funds Lanier Middle School PTO ↗
  • Who funds YELLOWSTONE ACADEMY INC DBA YELLOWSTONE SCHOOLS ↗
  • Who funds The Houston Food Bank ↗
  • Who funds Houston Hospice ↗
  • Who funds Bo's Place ↗
  • Who funds TRINITY HOPE INC ↗
  • Who funds TEXAS EDUCATION WORKS ↗
  • Who funds CHILD ADVOCATES INC ↗
  • Who funds COMMUNITIES IN SCHOOLS OF HOUSTON INC ↗
  • Who funds Urban Harvest Inc ↗
  • Who funds RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE CHARITIES GREATER HOUSTON INC ↗
  • Who funds LAMAR HIGH SCHOOL PTO ↗
  • Who funds BLOOMAGAIN HOUSTON ↗
  • Who funds Buffalo Bayou Partnership Inc ↗
  • Who funds TREES OF HOPE ↗
  • Who funds Small Steps Nurturing Center ↗
  • Who funds LOCAL INFANT FORMULA FOR EMERGENCIES ↗

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.

Greater Houston Commu…Shell USA Company Fou…Albert & Ethel Herzst…ESB3 FoundationSterling-Turner Found…Vivian L Smith Founda…The Elkins FoundationHarry S & Isabel C Ca…Strake FoundationThe Zions Bancorporat…The Brown Foundation …Centerpoint Energy Fo…
Greater Houston Community FoundationTX26× affinity12 shared granteesties to 11 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: Greater Houston Community Foundation · Shell USA Company Foundation · Albert & Ethel Herzstein Charitable Foundation · ESB3 Foundation · Sterling-Turner Foundation · Vivian L Smith Foundation · The Elkins Foundation · Harry S & Isabel C Cameron Foundation Sentinel Trust Company · Strake Foundation · The Zions Bancorporation Foundation · The Brown Foundation Inc · Centerpoint Energy Foundation 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 Elva Johnston Foundation funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from Elva Johnston 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%19%38%56%75%share of the org’s income from government →
    no gov moneyreceives it· size = income
    0get 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 · 0–75%
    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 Elva Johnston Foundation?

    Find your warmest path to Elva Johnston 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 65 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 Elva Johnston’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