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Forestsong Foundation at a glance

· Private foundation

Forestsong 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.

$226k
Granted FY2023
14
Grants FY2023
2
States reached
$94k
Largest
01What it fundsRead
02The needRead
03Its granteesRead
04Its fieldRead
05Through PlinthRead

Read this first · the figures below need context

95% of Forestsong Foundation’s FY2025 grant dollars went to Donor Advised Charitable Giving Inc, not to grantees.

Its money now reaches organizations through that sponsor, which does not report who recommended each grant. FY2025 names 7 organizations directly, so a portfolio cannot be read from it. Everything below is therefore FY2023, the last year Forestsong Foundation named its own grantees at scale: 8 organizations, $226k. It is dated, not current.

Organizations named directly on the return

4
’17
15
’18
17
’19
9
’20
12
’21
12
’22
8
’23
9
’24
7
’25

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 2025.

Philanthropy$1.6MHealth$248kEducation$166kReligion$106kPublic Safety & Disaster$104kAnimals$55kInternational$49kYouth Development$46kOther$0
02FY2023 · 14 grants

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

By grant size · FY2023

  • Under $10k7 grants · $27k
  • $10k–50k5 grants · $55k
  • $50k–250k2 grants · $144k
$10,000
Median grant
2
States reached
$1.5M
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
Googain Maxreal Foundation$94,000
Santa Clara County Medical Associat$50,000
SVIDEAORG$15,000
UCSF$10,000
Palo Alto Medical Foundation$10,000
Stanford Medicine$10,000
Kidron International Missions Inc$10,000
Milpitas High School$8,208
WHU Alumni Science Foundation$5,000
University of Florida$5,000
Humane Society of Silicon Valley$5,000
Santa Clara County Peace Officers F$2,000
SOAR Foundation$1,500
Wikimedia Foundation$100
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 (FY17–25, $48k) land where the poverty rate runs at 14%, against an area that typically sits at 8%. 98% of those dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Most of its grants land in higher-need ZIPs.

area typical 8%American Red Cross: $16k → 14%American Red Cross: $11k → 14%American Red Cross: $5k → 14%American Red Cross: $5k → 14%American Red Cross: $5k → 14%American Red Cross: $5k → 14%Jewish Silicon Valley: $1k → 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.
04

Where the work is directed

The same grants placed two ways: where each recipient sits, and where its stated purpose sends the money.

About 9% of Forestsong Foundation’s grant dollars are earmarked for a different county than the recipient’s own address. By recipient address, 33% of the giving stays in CA; by stated purpose, 31%.

Forestsong Foundationlessmore of its giving
Placed by recipient address
How this is measured
Recipient view: each grant at its grantee’s ZIP, mapped to a county. Directed view: each grant at the county its stated purpose names, falling back to the recipient’s county when the purpose names no place; US grants only. A county shows only if it carries the top 95% of that view’s dollars. Purposes are read from the funder’s own 990 grant descriptions.
03Its grantees
repeat funding

Who it funds again

Organizations funded in more than one year, against those funded once.

62%of every dollar goes to organizations it has funded before.
$582k · 25 repeat orgs$352k to everyone else

25 repeat relationships: 10 still active in FY2023, 15 since wound down; 13 grantees were first funded in FY2023 (too recent to call). Read against FY2023, 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

25
29

Total granted

$582k
$123k

Median revenue growth · since first grant

+14%
+154%

Still filing today

60%
28%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2025, 97% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $2k 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
EducationPhilanthropyAnimalsHealthCivil 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

  • PO
    PRESIDENT-BOARD OF TRUSTEES SANTA CLARA COLLEGE
    5× · 2017–2021 · $55k · revenue +39%
  • AN
    American National Red Cross & Its Constituent Chapters and Branches
    6× · 2017–2022 · $47k · revenue +46%
  • HS
    HUMANE SOCIETY SILICON VALLEY
    6× · 2018–2023 · $45k · revenue +64%

Funded once

  • ES
    EVERGREEN SCHOOL DISTRICT
    one grant, 2017 · $20k
  • MF
    MAO FAMILY FOUNDATIONgraduated
    one grant, 2022 · $10k · revenue ×36
  • IG
    Individual grant recipient
    one grant, 2017 · $10k
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
San Francisco Family Foundation
—
2
Save Cantonese

Save Cantonese is an international movement that sustains and celebrates Cantonese language and culture. We have three Strategic Aims: a) protect and strengthen educational and research infrastructure for the Cantonese language, b) affirm…

Arts & Culture
3
San Francisco Challenge dba AmericaOne
Recreation & Sports
4
Uc Chinese Alumni Foundation
—
5
San Jose Museum of Art Association

Nurture empathy and connection by engaging communities with socially relevant contemporary art

Arts & Culture
6
The Austin Chen Tsai Foundation
Human Services
7
Sangwan Family Foundation
Philanthropy
8
Sino-American Cancer Foundation
Health
9
Florence Fang Family Foundation
International
10
Taiwanese-American Foundation
—
11
University of California San Francisco Foundation

Organization's mission ====================== the university of california, san francisco(ucsf) is among the world's leading universities dedicated to advancing health worldwide through biomedical research, graduate-level education in the…

Education
12
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

See schedule osfmoma believes the art of our time is vital and shares it with passion and purpose, and that art and the creative process can open minds and help build a better world. for that reason, we assemble unparalleled collections,…

Arts & Culture
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is North Valley Community Foundation; the most unlike its peers is Mao Family Foundation. Resemblance is measured on each organization’s own IRS 990 mission text; it reflects how work is described, not its quality or impact.
05the grantee network

33 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. 33 of the 71 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)
6
Early backer (in before they grew)
32/33
Grantees still filing
19/33
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

DONOR ADVISED CHARITABLE GIVING INC: $1,520,390 · PhilanthropyDONOR ADVISED CHARITABLE GIVING INCGOOGAIN MAXREAL FOUNDATION: $94,000 · PhilanthropyGOOGAIN MAXREAL FOUNDATION+3 more: $15,500 · PhilanthropySVIDEA ORG: $61,000 · OtherSVIDEA ORGAlliance of North American Chinese: $50,000 · OtherAlliance of North America…Santa Clara County Medical Associat: $50,000 · OtherSanta Clara County Medica…UCSF: $45,000 · OtherUCSFCALIFORNIA FIRE FOUNDATION: $45,000 · OtherCALIFORNIA FIRE FOUNDATIO…FREMONT UNION HIGH SCHOOLS FOUNDATION: $30,150 · OtherMilpitas High School: $26,208 · OtherRIVER OF LIFE CHRISTIAN CHURCH: $20,000 · OtherEVERGREEN SCHOOL DISTRICT: $20,000 · OtherKIDRON INTERNATIONAL MISSIONS INC: $30,204 · Other+41 more: $195,093 · Other+41 morePRESIDENT-BOARD OF TRUSTEES SANTA CLARA COLLEGE: $55,300 · EducationTHE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIVERSITY: $45,000 · EducationSTEPHEN SILLER TUNNEL TO TOWERS FOUNDATION: $5,000 · Education+3 more: $2,613 · EducationSUTTER BAY MEDICAL FOUNDATION: $45,000 · HealthFriends of Children with Special Needs: $10,000 · Health+1 more: $200 · HealthAmerican National Red Cross & Its Constituent Chapters and Branches: $47,093 · Human Services+1 more: $1,030 · Human ServicesHUMANE SOCIETY SILICON VALLEY: $45,000 · Animals+2 more: $2,003 · AnimalsCITRUS COUNTY 4-H ASSOCIATION INC: $40,000 · Youth Development
Philanthropy$1,629,890Other$572,655Education$107,913Health$55,200Human Services$48,123Animals$47,003Youth Development$40,000

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

25%50%75%100%$100k$1.0M$10M$100Mgrantee revenue →↑ funder's share of their budgetDONOR ADVISED CHARITABLE GIVING INC: $1,520,390 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetPRESIDENT-BOARD OF TRUSTEES SANTA CLARA COLLEGE: $55,300 over 5y, 0.0% of budgetAmerican National Red Cross & Its Constituent Chapters and Branches: $47,093 over 6y, 0.0% of budgetHUMANE SOCIETY SILICON VALLEY: $45,000 over 6y, 0.1% of budgetTHE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIVERSITY: $45,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetSUTTER BAY MEDICAL FOUNDATION: $45,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetCALIFORNIA FIRE FOUNDATION: $45,000 over 5y, 0.2% of budgetCITRUS COUNTY 4-H ASSOCIATION INC: $40,000 over 7y, 10% of budgetFREMONT UNION HIGH SCHOOLS FOUNDATION: $30,150 over 5y, 1.1% of budgetASIAN AMERICAN FOR BETTER COMMUNITY: $15,000 over 3y, 11% of budgetKind One: $10,000 over 2y, 59% of budgetFriends of Children with Special Needs: $10,000 over 2y, 0.1% of budgetSAN JOSE POLICE OFFICERS' ASSOCIATION: $10,000 over 2y, 0.2% of budgetAMERICAN FRIENDS OF THE OCEAN CLEANUP FOUNDATION: $10,000 over 1y, 0.4% of budgetKQED INC: $5,180 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetSTEPHEN SILLER TUNNEL TO TOWERS FOUNDATION: $5,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetSILVER LINING MISSIONS: $5,000 over 1y, 0.5% of budgetBURNRUNNING INC: $4,500 over 3y, 18% of budgetCOMMUNITY BUILDER TOOLBOX INC: $4,000 over 1y, 1.1% of budgetTHE SOAR FOUNDATION: $1,500 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetASIAN AMERICA FOUNDATION: $1,500 over 1y, 1.8% of budgetJEWISH SILICON VALLEY: $1,030 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetSAN FRANCISCO ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY: $1,003 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetMONTEREY BAY AQUARIUM FOUNDATION: $1,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetWIKIMEDIA FOUNDATION INC: $613 over 6y, 0.0% of budgetTRI-VALLEY KOREAN PARENTS ASSOCIATION: $500 over 1y, 0.7% of budgetOakland Childrens Fairyland Inc: $500 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetDANCERS AGAINST CANCER INC: $200 over 1y, 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 DONOR ADVISED CHARITABLE GIVING INC ↗
  • Who funds GOOGAIN MAXREAL FOUNDATION ↗
  • Who funds PRESIDENT-BOARD OF TRUSTEES SANTA CLARA COLLEGE ↗
  • Who funds American National Red Cross & Its Constituent Chapters and Branches ↗
  • Who funds HUMANE SOCIETY SILICON VALLEY ↗
  • Who funds THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIVERSITY ↗
  • Who funds SUTTER BAY MEDICAL FOUNDATION ↗
  • Who funds CALIFORNIA FIRE FOUNDATION ↗
  • Who funds CITRUS COUNTY 4-H ASSOCIATION INC ↗
  • Who funds KIDRON INTERNATIONAL MISSIONS INC ↗
  • Who funds FREMONT UNION HIGH SCHOOLS FOUNDATION ↗
  • Who funds ASIAN AMERICAN FOR BETTER COMMUNITY ↗
  • Who funds Kind One ↗
  • Who funds Friends of Children with Special Needs ↗
  • Who funds MAO FAMILY FOUNDATION ↗
  • Who funds SAN JOSE POLICE OFFICERS' ASSOCIATION ↗
  • Who funds AMERICAN FRIENDS OF THE OCEAN CLEANUP FOUNDATION ↗
  • Who funds KQED INC ↗
  • Who funds STEPHEN SILLER TUNNEL TO TOWERS FOUNDATION ↗
  • Who funds SILVER LINING MISSIONS ↗

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.

Analog Devices Founda…Bright Funds Foundati…Silicon Valley Commun…The Blackbaud Giving …American Online Givin…Morgan Stanley Global…American Endowment Fo…Vanguard Charitable E…The Bank of America C…National Philanthropi…Donor Advised Charita…Fidelity Investments …
Analog Devices FoundationMA14.1× affinity5 shared granteesties to 11 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: Analog Devices Foundation · Bright Funds Foundation · Silicon Valley Community Foundation · The Blackbaud Giving Fund · American Online Giving Foundation Inc · Morgan Stanley Global Impact Funding Trust Inc · American Endowment Foundation · Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program · The Bank of America Charitable Foundation Inc · National Philanthropic Trust · Donor Advised Charitable Giving Inc · Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund

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 Forestsong Foundation funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from Forestsong Foundation. Bigger dots raise more.

2024
’20’21’22’23’24’25
no gov · 10%4%15%34%60%funder's share of their income ↑0%8%15%22%30%share of the org’s income from government →
    no gov moneyreceives it· size = income
    1get no government money at all
    6report government grants on their 990 we could not trace to a source (not plotted)
    0rely on government for over half their income
    ⤢ axis zoomed · 0–30%
    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 Forestsong Foundation?

    Find your warmest path to Forestsong 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 71 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 2023, released 2023. Filings run roughly 12 to 24 months behind; figures are dated accordingly.

    Source object · view filing

    Play a game based on Forestsong’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