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Hardscrabble Foundation at a glance

· Private foundation

Hardscrabble 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.

$193k
Granted FY2024still arriving
5
Grants FY2024still arriving
4
States reached
$130k
Largest
01What it fundsRead
02The needRead
03Its granteesRead
04Its fieldRead
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 2024.

Health$1.1MEducation$117kRecreation & Sports$83kHuman Services$50kEnvironment$45kInternational$42kAnimals$25kFood & Nutrition$25kOther$0
02FY2024 · 5 grants

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

By grant size · FY2024

  • Under $10k2 grants · $7k
  • $10k–50k2 grants · $56k
  • $50k–250k1 grant · $130k
$26,250
Median grant
4
States reached
$3.7M
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
ST JUDE CHILDREN'S RESEARCH HOSPITAL$130,000
PREBORN$30,001
THE LEUKEMIA & LYMPHOMA SOCIETY$26,250
CHASKA AREA FISHING WITH FRIENDS$5,000
WESTONKA WALLEYE PROGRAM$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 (FY20–24, $35k) land where the poverty rate runs at 15%, against an area that typically sits at 10%. 86% of those dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Most of its grants land in higher-need ZIPs.

area typical 10%PREBORN: $30k → 16%WARRIOR CANINE CONNECTION: $5k → 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.

Which US states its grants reach

MN
IL
WI
NY
MA
IN
CA
MO
MD
TN
OK
GA
TX
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.

75%of every dollar goes to organizations it has funded before.
$1.1M · 16 repeat orgs$362k to everyone else

16 repeat relationships: 3 still active in FY2024, 13 since wound down; 2 grantees were first funded in FY2024 (too recent to call).

How the two cohorts compare

Re-uppedFunded once

Organizations

16
22

Total granted

$1.1M
$202k

Median revenue growth · since first grant

+20%
+36%

Still filing today

69%
68%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2024, 17% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $160k went to new ones.

50%100%’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24
RenewedFirst-time

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

’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24
HealthEducationHuman ServicesInternationalPhilanthropyEnvironmentOther
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

  • RF
    RIDGEVIEW FOUNDATION
    5× · 2017–2021 · $589k · revenue +10%
  • ML
    MINNESOTA LANDSCAPE ARBORETUM FOUNDATION
    5× · 2017–2021 · $37k · revenue +273%
  • PU
    PRAGER UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION
    2× · 2022–2023 · $36k · revenue +17%

Funded once

  • GC
    GILDA'S CLUB TWIN CITIES INC
    one grant, 2018 · $23k · revenue -23%
  • Mercy Ships Internationalgraduated
    one grant, 2022 · $21k · revenue +87%
  • BF
    BOOKS FOR AFRICA INC
    one grant, 2022 · $21k · revenue -10%
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
University of Minnesota Physicians

University of minnesota physicians serves as the integrated group practice for the university of minnesota medical school full-time faculty to provide the highest quality healthcare to patients and their families.university of minnesota…

Health
2
Children's Health Care

We champion the health needs of children and families. we are committed to improving children's health by providing the highest-quality, family centered care, advanced through research and education.

Health
3
Minnesota Medical Association

To be the leading voice of medicine to make minnesota the healthiest state and the best place to practice.

—
4
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center

Leadership in the prevention, treatment, and cure of cancer through excellence, vision and cost effectiveness in patient care, outreach programs, research, and education.

Health
5
Federation of State Medical Boards of the United States Inc

The fsmb serves as the voice for state medical boards, supporting them through education, assessment, research and advocacy while providing services and initiatives that promote patient safety, quality health care and regulatory best…

Health
6
The Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation Inc

The multiple myeloma research foundation (mmrf) is the largest nonprofit in the world solely focused on accelerating acurefor multiple myeloma patient. we drive the development and delivery of next-generation therapies, leverage data to…

Health
7
The Johns Hopkins Hospital

For more than 125 years, the mission of the johns hopkins hospital has been to lead the world in the diagnosis and treatment of disease and to train tomorrow's great physicians, nurses and scientists. above all, we aim to provide the…

Health
8
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center

Fred hutch cancer center ("fred hutch") unites innovative research and compassionate care to prevent and eliminate cancer and infectious disease. continued on schedule o

Health
9
City of Hope

City of Hope's mission is to make hope a reality for all touched by cancer and diabetes. PLEASE SEE SCHEDULE O FOR A CONTINUATION OF OUR MISSION

Health
10
The Susan G Komen Breast Cancer Fdn Group

Susan g. komen 's mission is to save lives by meeting the most critical needs in our communities & investing in breakthrough research to prevent & cure breast cancer.

—
11
MRIGlobal

To improve the lives of people through innovative scientific and engineering research.

Science & Tech
12
Asco Association

Asco association promotes the common business interests of its members by: (1) advocating for policies that improve the quality of cancer care; (2) maintaining the highest standards of oncology medical care through programs supporting…

Community Improvement
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is Feed My Starving Children Inc; the most unlike its peers is The Annexstad 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.
04the grantee network

30 grantees tracked through their own filings, 2017–2026.

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 2026, not grant rows in a single year, so this will not match the grant count on the cover. 30 of the 41 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)
3
Early backer (in before they grew)
29/30
Grantees still filing
23/30
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

RIDGEVIEW FOUNDATION: $589,000 · PhilanthropyRIDGEVIEW FOUNDATION+1 more: $10,000 · PhilanthropyST JUDE CHILDRENS RESEARCH HOSPITAL: $136,500 · OtherST JUDE CHILDRENS RESEARCH …CHASKA AREA FISHING WITH FRIENDS: $67,500 · OtherCHASKA AREA FISHING WITH FR…SMILE TRAIN INC: $21,000 · OtherSMILE TRAIN INCJUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT: $15,000 · OtherCAN DO CANINES: $15,000 · OtherGOOD SPORTS INC: $15,000 · OtherTHE OPEN CUPBOARD: $15,000 · Other+12 more: $80,000 · Other+12 moreST JUDE CHILDREN'S RESEARCH HOSPITAL INC: $130,000 · HealthST JUDE CHILDREN'S R…BLOOD CANCER UNITED INC: $72,250 · HealthBLOOD CANCER UNITED …GILDA'S CLUB TWIN CITIES INC: $22,500 · HealthGILDA'S CLUB TWIN CI…MAYO CLINIC: $15,000 · HealthMAYO CLINICRonald McDonald House Charities - Upper Midwest: $10,000 · Health+3 more: $16,000 · Health+3 moreFOLDS OF HONOR FOUNDATION MINNESOTA INC: $46,000 · EducationPRAGER UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION: $36,000 · EducationFOLDS OF HONOR FOUNDATION: $25,000 · EducationCOLLEGE POSSIBLE INC: $5,000 · EducationMercy Ships International: $21,000 · InternationalBOOKS FOR AFRICA INC: $21,000 · InternationalFEED MY STARVING CHILDREN INC: $10,000 · InternationalMission Pre-Born Inc: $30,001 · Human ServicesUS INSTITUTE AGAINST HUMAN TRAFFICKING INC: $10,000 · Human ServicesWARRIOR CANINE CONNECTION INC: $5,000 · Human ServicesMINNESOTA LANDSCAPE ARBORETUM FOUNDATION: $36,500 · EnvironmentLake Minnetonka Association: $8,000 · Environment
Philanthropy$599,000Other$365,000Health$265,750Education$112,000International$52,000Human Services$45,001Environment$44,500

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 budgetRIDGEVIEW FOUNDATION: $589,000 over 5y, 4.2% of budgetST JUDE CHILDREN'S RESEARCH HOSPITAL INC: $130,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetBLOOD CANCER UNITED INC: $72,250 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetFOLDS OF HONOR FOUNDATION MINNESOTA INC: $46,000 over 2y, 1.4% of budgetMINNESOTA LANDSCAPE ARBORETUM FOUNDATION: $36,500 over 5y, 0.1% of budgetPRAGER UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION: $36,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetFOLDS OF HONOR FOUNDATION: $25,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetGILDA'S CLUB TWIN CITIES INC: $22,500 over 1y, 1.8% of budgetMercy Ships International: $21,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetBOOKS FOR AFRICA INC: $21,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetSMILE TRAIN INC: $21,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetTHE OPEN CUPBOARD: $15,000 over 2y, 11% of budgetCAN DO CANINES: $15,000 over 2y, 0.2% of budgetMAYO CLINIC: $15,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetGOOD SPORTS INC: $15,000 over 2y, 0.1% of budgetTHE ANNEXSTAD FAMILY FOUNDATION: $10,000 over 1y, 0.4% of budgetHOPE DENTAL CLINIC: $10,000 over 1y, 1.8% of budgetRonald McDonald House Charities - Upper Midwest: $10,000 over 2y, 0.1% of budgetUS INSTITUTE AGAINST HUMAN TRAFFICKING INC: $10,000 over 1y, 6.7% of budgetFEED MY STARVING CHILDREN INC: $10,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetLake Minnetonka Association: $8,000 over 6y, 0.8% of budgetMAKE-A-WISH FOUNDATION OF MINNESOTA: $6,000 over 1y, 0.2% of budgetBIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS OF THE GREATER TWIN CITIES: $5,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetOUR RESCUE: $5,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetCOURAGE KENNY FOUNDATION: $5,000 over 1y, 0.4% of budgetTEAMSMILE INC: $5,000 over 1y, 0.4% of budgetCOLLEGE POSSIBLE INC: $5,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetMinnesota Ovarian Cancer Alliance Inc: $5,000 over 1y, 0.4% of budgetWARRIOR CANINE CONNECTION INC: $5,000 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.

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.

Saint Paul & Minnesot…Ch Robinson Worldwide…Mightycause Charitabl…Bame FoundationXcel Energy FoundationThe Minneapolis Found…Pohlad Family Foundat…United Way WorldwideThe K FoundationMargaret a Cargill Fo…The Ron and Kathy Col…Otto Bremer Trust
Saint Paul & Minnesota FoundationMN23.9× affinity10 shared granteesties to 11 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation · Ch Robinson Worldwide Foundation · Mightycause Charitable Foundation · Bame Foundation · Xcel Energy Foundation · The Minneapolis Foundation · Pohlad Family Foundation · United Way Worldwide · The K Foundation · Margaret a Cargill Foundation · The Ron and Kathy Colby Family Foundation · Otto Bremer Trust

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

2024
’20’21’22’23’24’25
no gov · 30%1%4%8%15%funder's share of their income ↑0%10%20%30%40%share of the org’s income from government →median 5%
  • Warrior Canine Connection Inc: 5% of income from government
no gov moneyreceives it· size = income
3get no government money at all
2report government grants on their 990 we could not trace to a source (not plotted)
0rely on government for over half their income
⤢ axis zoomed · 0–40%
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 41 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 2024, released 2024. Filings run roughly 12 to 24 months behind; figures are dated accordingly.

Source object · view filing

Play a game based on Hardscrabble’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