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Guard Foundation at a glanceAlso receives grants: funding profile →

· Private foundation

Guard Foundation

Its FY2024 filing reports that it funds preselected organizations and did not take unsolicited requests; check the foundation's own site before ruling it out.

$21k
Granted FY2019
4
Grants FY2019
4
States reached
$21k
Largest
01What it fundsRead
02The needRead
03Its granteesRead
04Its fieldRead
05Through PlinthRead
01What it funds
0195% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2017 to 2019.

Philanthropy$102kCommunity Improvement$13kHealth$8kEducation$8kPublic Safety & Disaster$5kArts & Culture$2kYouth Development$2kFood & Nutrition$1kOther$0
02FY2019 · 4 grants

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

By grant size · FY2019

  • Under $10k3 grants · $135
  • $10k–50k1 grant · $21k
$60
Median grant
4
States reached
$0
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
UNITED WAY OF WYOMING VALLEY$20,937
NEW HAMPSHIRE FOOD BANK$60
SUMMIT VOLUNTEER FIRST AID SQUAD$50
PAJAMA PROGRAM$25
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 (FY17–19, $6k) land where the poverty rate runs at 13%, against an area that typically sits at 9%. 78% of those dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Most of its grants land in higher-need ZIPs.

area typical 9%PAJAMA PROGRAM: $25 → 17%NEW HAMPSHIRE FOOD BANK: $550 → 7%NEW HAMPSHIRE CATHOLIC CHARITIES: $150 → 7%NEW HAMPSHIRE FOOD BANK: $470 → 7%NEW HAMPSHIRE CATHOLIC CHARITIES: $100 → 7%AMERICAN RED CROSS: $4k → 14%NEW HAMPSHIRE FOOD BANK: $60 → 7%ST JOSEPHS CENTER: $525 → 13%ST JOSEPHS CENTER: $25 → 13%GREATER WILKES-BARRE ASSOCIATION FOR THE BLIND: $250 → 15%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

NH
NY
MA
PA
NJ
MD
AZ
TN
NC
DC
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.

89%of every dollar goes to organizations it has funded before.
$133k · 29 repeat orgs$16k to everyone else

Grantees it renews have grown median revenue +59% since the first grant, against +37% for those funded once.

29 repeat relationships: 2 still active in FY2019, 27 since wound down; 2 grantees were first funded in FY2019 (too recent to call).

How the two cohorts compare

Re-uppedFunded once

Organizations

29
50

Total granted

$133k
$16k

Median revenue growth · since first grant

+59%
+37%

Still filing today

66%
52%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2019, 100% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $75 went to new ones.

50%100%’17’18’19
RenewedFirst-time

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

’17’18’19
HealthEducationHuman ServicesArts & CulturePublic Safety & DisasterFood & NutritionOther
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

  • UW
    UNITED WAY OF WYOMING VALLEY
    3× · 2017–2019 · $102k · revenue +150%
  • GH
    Greater Hazleton Partners In Education
    2× · 2017–2018 · $4k · revenue +95%
  • T
    TECBRIDGE
    2× · 2017–2018 · $2k · revenue +60%

Funded once

  • AN
    American National Red Cross & Its Constituent Chapters and Branchesgraduated
    one grant, 2017 · $4k · revenue +46%
  • MU
    MISERICORDIA UNIVERSITYgraduated
    one grant, 2017 · $2k · revenue +48%
  • SK
    SLOAN KETTERING CANCER CENTER
    one grant, 2018 · $2k
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
Lehigh Valley Hospital

Our mission is to heal, comfort and care for the people of our community by providing advanced and compassionate health care of superior quality and value, supported by education and research.

Health
2
Thomas Jefferson University

Thomas jefferson university ("tju") is a comprehensive university with preeminence in transdisciplinary, experiential professional education, research and discovery, delivering exceptional value for the 21st century students with…

Education
3
Lehigh Valley Hospital - Pocono

Our mission is who we are and what we do: to provide world class care close to home. our vision is what we aim for to best serve our community: to build a healthier community.

Health
4
Reading Hospital

Website: www.towerhealth.org/locations/reading-hospital the mission of reading hospital is to provide compassionate, accessible, high-quality, cost-effective healthcare to the community; to promote health; to education healthcare…

Health
5
Upmc Group

Healthcare, education, and research

—
6
Holy Redeemer Health System

As a catholic health system, rooted in the tradition of the sisters of the holy redeemer, we care, comfort and heal, following the example of jesus, proclaiming the hope god offers in the midst of human struggle.

Health
7
Upmc Carlisle

Upmc carlisle's mission is to serve the community by providing access to outstanding patient care and to shape tomorrow's health care system through clinical and technological innovation, research and education.

Health
8
Main Line Hospitals Inc

The mission of main line hospitals, inc. is to provide a comprehensive range of safe, high quality health services, complemented by educational and research activities that meet healthcare needs and improve the quality of life in the…

Health
9
Upmc Pinnacle Hospitals

Upmc pinnacle hospitals mission as a charitable organization is dedicatied to maintaining and improving the health and quality of life for all persons of the central pennsylvania area.

Health
10
Highmark Health Group

Working as an integrated system within highmark health, employees at all of ahn's care sites, including hospitals, health + wellness pavilions, primary and specialty care offices and more, are committed to improving health and promoting…

—
11
Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania

The trustees of the university of pennsylvania (the "university") sees itself as having a public service mission. in such regard, the university aims to provide a rich and diverse educational environment for its students; to pioneer…

Education
12
Chambersburg Hospital

The chambersburg hospital is a regional non-profit health care organization committed to the improvement of the health and well-being of the people in southcentral pennsylvania.

Health
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is United Way of Wyoming Valley; the most unlike its peers is Humane World for Animals International. 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

48 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. 48 of the 81 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)
47/48
Grantees still filing
41/48
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

UNITED WAY OF WYOMING VALLEY: $102,080 · PhilanthropyUNITED WAY OF WYOMING VALLEYGREATER WILKES-BARRE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE: $10,000 · OtherGREATER WILKES-BARR…Individual grant recipient: $2,525 · OtherIndividual grant re…SLOAN KETTERING CANCER CENTER: $1,510 · OtherSLOAN KETTERING CAN…AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY: $1,435 · OtherAMERICAN CANCER SOC…OSTERHOUT FREE LIBRARY: $1,000 · OtherSPCA: $950 · OtherIndividual grant recipient: $940 · OtherSAMARITAN'S PURSE: $1,000 · Other+42 more: $6,394 · Other+42 moreGreater Hazleton Partners In Education: $4,000 · EducationMISERICORDIA UNIVERSITY: $2,000 · EducationWILKES UNIVERSITY: $500 · Education+4 more: $350 · EducationAmerican National Red Cross & Its Constituent Chapters and Branches: $3,940 · Human ServicesNew Hampshire Catholic Charities: $1,330 · Human ServicesST JOSEPHS CENTER: $550 · Human ServicesGREATER WILKES BARRE ASSOCIATION FOR THE BLIND D/B/A NORTHEAST SIGHT SERVICES: $250 · Human Services+1 more: $25 · Human ServicesMEMORIAL SLOAN-KETTERING CANCER CENTER: $1,350 · HealthAmerican Heart Association Inc: $800 · HealthST JUDE CHILDREN'S RESEARCH HOSPITAL INC: $775 · HealthHEADSTRONG FOUNDATION: $550 · HealthJEWISH HOME OF EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA ELAN SKILLED NURSING AND REHAB: $500 · HealthPLAINS VOLUNTEER AMBULANCE ASSOC: $200 · Health+8 more: $535 · HealthTECBRIDGE: $2,400 · Science & TechWyoming Historical & Geological Society: $1,500 · Arts & CultureLITTLE THEATRE OF WILKES-BARRE: $275 · Arts & CultureNORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA EDUCATIONAL TELEVISION ASSOCIATION: $120 · Arts & Culture
Philanthropy$102,080Other$25,754Education$6,850Human Services$6,095Health$4,710Science & Tech$2,400Arts & Culture$1,895

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 budgetUNITED WAY OF WYOMING VALLEY: $102,080 over 3y, 0.8% of budgetAmerican National Red Cross & Its Constituent Chapters and Branches: $3,940 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetTECBRIDGE: $2,400 over 2y, 0.5% of budgetMISERICORDIA UNIVERSITY: $2,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetWyoming Historical & Geological Society: $1,500 over 2y, 0.3% of budgetMEMORIAL SLOAN-KETTERING CANCER CENTER: $1,350 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetNew Hampshire Catholic Charities: $1,330 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetOSTERHOUT FREE LIBRARY: $1,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetSAMARITAN'S PURSE: $1,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetAmerican Heart Association Inc: $800 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetST JUDE CHILDREN'S RESEARCH HOSPITAL INC: $775 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetST JOSEPHS CENTER: $550 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetHEADSTRONG FOUNDATION: $550 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetJEWISH HOME OF EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA ELAN SKILLED NURSING AND REHAB: $500 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetWILKES UNIVERSITY: $500 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetLITTLE THEATRE OF WILKES-BARRE: $275 over 1y, 0.3% of budgetGREATER WILKES BARRE ASSOCIATION FOR THE BLIND D/B/A NORTHEAST SIGHT SERVICES: $250 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetPLAINS VOLUNTEER AMBULANCE ASSOC: $200 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetShavertown Volunteer Fire Co: $200 over 2y, 0.1% of budgetPARTNERS FOR WOMEN AND JUSTICE INC: $200 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetBACK MOUNTAIN REGIONAL FIRE AND EMS INC: $200 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetCommunity Food Bank Of New Jersey Inc: $156 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetTRUSTEES OF BOSTON COLLEGE: $150 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetTHE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL OF PHILADELPHIA FOUNDATION: $125 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetNORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA EDUCATIONAL TELEVISION ASSOCIATION: $120 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetBLOOD CANCER UNITED INC: $100 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetCEDAR CREST COLLEGE: $100 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetTHE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL OF PHILADELPHIA: $100 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetALEXS LEMONADE STAND FOUNDATION: $100 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetENDLESS MOUNTAINS NATURE CENTER: $95 over 2y, 0.3% of budgetTHE TUNKHANNOCK COMMUNITY AMBULANCE ASSOCIATION INC: $50 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetGANNON UNIVERSITY: $50 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetWORCESTER COUNTY FOOD BANK INC: $50 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetLEBANON VALLEY COLLEGE: $50 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetPAN-MASSACHUSETTS CHALLENGE INC: $50 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetThe Lands at Hillside Farms: $35 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetCYSTIC FIBROSIS FOUNDATION: $35 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetPLYMOUTH PUBLIC LIBRARY: $25 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetAnimal Welfare Association Inc: $25 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetHumane World for Animals International: $25 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetALZHEIMER'S DISEASE RESEARCH FOUNDATION: $25 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.

The Luzerne FoundationAllone CharitiesSordoni Foundation IncMaslow Family Foundat…Sordoni Family Founda…The Tambur Family Fou…Mericle FoundationThe Blackhorse Founda…Benco Family Foundati…William G McGowan Cha…Verizon FoundationPpl Foundation
The Luzerne FoundationPA21.8× affinity8 shared granteesties to 11 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: The Luzerne Foundation · Allone Charities · Sordoni Foundation Inc · Maslow Family Foundation Inc · Sordoni Family Foundation · The Tambur Family Foundation · Mericle Foundation · The Blackhorse Foundation · Benco Family Foundation Fka Cohen Family Charitable Foundation · William G McGowan Charitable Fund · Verizon Foundation · Ppl 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 Guard Foundation funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from Guard 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 →median 3%
  • Partners for Women and Justice Inc: 26% of income from government
  • Trustees of Boston College: 3% of income from government
  • Worcester County Food Bank Inc: 1% of income from government
  • Pan-Massachusetts Challenge Inc: 0% of income from government
no gov moneyreceives it· size = income
3get no government money at all
12report 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 Guard Foundation?

Find your warmest path to Guard 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 81 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 2019, released 2019. Filings run roughly 12 to 24 months behind; figures are dated accordingly.

Possibly out of date. A more recent filing (FY2024) is on record and reports no grant expense, so the figures above are from FY2019, the most recent year this funder made grants.

Source object · view filing

Play a game based on Guard’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