Skip to content
Helen J and Thomas Nelson Urban Sr Charitable Foundation III at a glance

· Private foundation

Helen J and Thomas Nelson Urban Sr Charitable Foundation III

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.

$68k
Granted FY2024still arriving
43
Grants FY2024still arriving
12
States reached
$19k
Largest
01What it fundsRead
02The needRead
03Its granteesRead
04Its fieldRead
01What it funds
0199% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2019 to 2024.

Philanthropy$98kEducation$60kHealth$45kReligion$34kHousing & Shelter$27kAnimals$25kArts & Culture$21kEnvironment$18kOther$0
02FY2024 · 43 grants

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

By grant size · FY2024

  • Under $10k42 grants · $50k
  • $10k–50k1 grant · $19k
$500
Median grant
12
States reached
$712k
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
UNITED WAY$18,743
HOMES OF OAKRDIGE$7,000
DARTMOUTH ALUMNI FUND (PETER REICHARD)$6,000
JEWISH FEDERATION$5,000
WESLEY LIFE FOUNDATION$5,000
TIFERETH ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE$4,098
BLANK PARK ZOO FUNDRAISER$2,500
DES MOINES ART CENTER$2,500
CAPITAL AREA FOOD BANK$2,000
SKIDMORE COLLEGE$2,000
DES MOINES PASTORAL COUNSELING CENTER$1,000
PLANNED PARENTHOOD$1,000
NATIONAL OUTDOOR LEADERSHIP SCHOOL$1,000
SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER$1,000
BARD COLLEGE - BPI PROGRAM$1,000
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 (FY19–24, $7k) land where the poverty rate runs at 11%, against an area that typically sits at 10%. 93% of those dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Most of its grants land in higher-need ZIPs.

area typical 10%MOUNTAIN VALLEY CHILD AND FAMILY SERVICES: $250 → 11%UNIVERSITIES ALLIED FOR ESSENTIAL MEDICINES: $400 → 14%SISTERSONG INC: $300 → 13%GIDEONS PROMISE: $500 → 13%INNOCENCE PROJECT: $500 → 17%EDDIE DAVIS COMMUNITY CENTER: $500 → 5%GIDEONS PROMISE: $500 → 13%DC KINCARE ALLIANCE: $250 → 14%EDDIE DAVIS COMMUNITY CENTER: $500 → 10%URBAN DREAMS: $500 → 10%CHILDREN AND FAMILIES OF IA: $100 → 10%CHILDREN AND FAMILIES OF IA: $100 → 10%CHILDREN AND FAMILIES OF IA: $100 → 10%CHILDREN AND FAMILIES OF IA: $100 → 10%AMERICAN RED CROSS: $100 → 10%AMERICAN RED CROSS: $100 → 10%YOUNG WOMEN'S RESOURCE CENTER: $500 → 10%YOUNG WOMEN'S RESOURCE CENTER: $500 → 10%YOUNG WOMEN'S RESOURCE CENTER: $500 → 10%YOUNG WOMENS RESOURCE CENTER: $500 → 10%YOUNG WOMEN'S RESOURCE CENTER: $500 → 10%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
WA
IL
MI
NY
MA
WY
IA
PA
CT
CA
UT
CO
MO
WV
VA
AZ
NM
SC
DC
HI
MS
AL
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.

84%of every dollar goes to organizations it has funded before.
$333k · 83 repeat orgs$62k to everyone else

83 repeat relationships: 37 still active in FY2024, 46 since wound down; 6 grantees were first funded in FY2024 (too recent to call).

How the two cohorts compare

Re-uppedFunded once

Organizations

83
66

Total granted

$333k
$35k

Median revenue growth · since first grant

+20%
+41%

Still filing today

61%
38%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2024, 61% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $27k went to new ones.

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

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

’19’20’21’22’23’24
Human ServicesEducationArts & CultureEnvironmentHealthCommunity ImprovementOther
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

  • EA
    Edmundson Art Foundation Inc
    6× · 2019–2024 · $12k · revenue +18%
  • GG
    GENEVA GLEN CAMP INC
    2× · 2019–2021 · $10k · revenue +38%
  • MA
    MIND AND SPIRIT COUNSELING CENTER
    6× · 2019–2024 · $10k · revenue +20%

Funded once

  • JH
    JOPPA HOMELESS SHELTER
    one grant, 2023 · $5k
  • CI
    CENTRAL IOWA WATER TRAILS
    one grant, 2020 · $5k
  • FB
    FOOD BANK OF IOWAgraduated
    one grant, 2020 · $4k · revenue +42%
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
Common Good Iowa

Common good iowa engages iowans to create and advocate for research-based public policy that makes life better and more equitable for all who make iowa home.

—
2
American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Iowa

The foundation works to defend and promote the constitution of the united states, focusing especially on the first, fourth, fifth, sixth, eighth, and 14th amendments. the foundation also works to defend and promote the constitution of the…

Civil Rights
3
Central Indiana Corporate Partnership Inc

Central indiana corporate partnership (cicp) is an alliance of indiana's business and research university leaders coming together to foster long-term prosperity for the region. cicp's mission is to transform the economy of indiana in order…

Community Improvement
4
American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa

The union works to advocate and advance a public policy agenda to support and protect the constitution of the united states and the constitution of the state of iowa. it works to maintain throughout the united states the rights of free…

—
5
Midwest Dairy Association

Midwest dairy works with others to give consumers an excellent dairy experience increasing sales, fostering innovation, and inspiring consumer confidence of dairy products and practices.

—
6
Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation

This member-supported organization protects and restores iowa's land, water and wildlife for future generations. priorities include permanent land protection, promotion of improved land management and bringing new conservation…

Environment
7
United Way of East Central Iowa

Unite the caring power of communities to invest in effective solutions to improve people's lives.

Philanthropy
8
Asociacion Interamericana Para La Defensa Del Ambiente

To strenghten people's ability to guarantee their individual and collective right to a healthy environment, via the development, implementation, and effective enforcement of national and international law.

Crime & Legal
9
Iowa Renewable Fuels Association

To promote the common business interests of member companies without profit and without the inuring of income to the benefit of any member company or individual. to present the executive, legislative, judicial and regulatory bodies…

Community Improvement
10
Environmental Investigation Agency

To establish and promote programs to protect the global climate, forests, wildlife and the natural environment, through research, advocacy, and investigation.

International
11
Intertribal Agriculture Council

The intertribal agriculture council was founded in 1987 to pursue and promote the conservation, development and use of our agricultural resources of american indian and alaska native tribes.

—
12
American Flood Coalition Inc

To drive transformational adaptation to protect communities across the country from higher seas, stronger storms, and more frequent flooding.

Environment
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is United Way of Central Iowa; the most unlike its peers is Guardian Scholars 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

82 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. 82 of the 157 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)
19
Early backer (in before they grew)
80/82
Grantees still filing
60/82
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

UNITED WAY OF CENTRAL IOWA: $71,793 · OtherUNITED WAY OF CENTRAL IOWADARTMOUTH ALUMNI FUND (PETER REICHARD): $32,300 · OtherDARTMOUTH ALUMNI FUND (PETER REICHARD)TIFERETH ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE: $22,301 · OtherTIFERETH ISRAEL SYNAGOGUEHOMES OF OAKRDIGE: $19,000 · OtherHOMES OF OAKRDIGEUNITED WAY: $18,743 · OtherUNITED WAYPLANNED PARENTHOOD: $17,000 · Other+112 more: $141,066 · Other+112 moreEdmundson Art Foundation Inc: $11,500 · Arts & CultureIOWA PUBLIC RADIO INC: $2,500 · Arts & CultureDES MOINES SYMPHONY ASSOCIATION: $2,000 · Arts & Culture+3 more: $950 · Arts & CultureSKIDMORE COLLEGE: $4,000 · EducationARCADIA EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION: $3,000 · EducationGEORGETOWN DAY SCHOOL: $2,499 · EducationCHOATE ROSEMARY HALL FOUNDATION INCORPORATED: $2,000 · EducationJEWELS ACADEMY: $1,500 · EducationDRAKE UNIVERSITY: $800 · EducationNATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY: $650 · Education+3 more: $809 · EducationWESLEYLIFE FOUNDATION: $10,000 · PhilanthropyGUARDIAN SCHOLARS FOUNDATION: $1,000 · PhilanthropyMAUI UNITED WAY: $500 · Philanthropy+3 more: $650 · PhilanthropyGENEVA GLEN CAMP INC: $10,000 · Youth DevelopmentPROJECT ANGEL HEART: $7,000 · Community ImprovementDES MOINES PERFORMING ARTS: $2,110 · Community Improvement+2 more: $500 · Community ImprovementYOUNG WOMEN'S RESOURCE CENTER: $2,500 · Human ServicesDC ABORTION FUND: $1,750 · Human ServicesTHE INNOCENCE PROJECT INC: $1,000 · Human ServicesGIDEONS PROMISE INC: $1,000 · Human ServicesEddie Davis Community Center Inc: $1,000 · Human ServicesURBAN DREAMS: $500 · Human ServicesCHILDREN AND FAMILIES OF IOWA: $400 · Human ServicesUNIVERSITIES ALLIED FOR ESSENTIAL MEDICINES NORTH AMERICA CORP: $400 · Human Services+4 more: $1,000 · Human Services
Other$322,203Arts & Culture$16,950Education$15,258Philanthropy$12,150Youth Development$10,000Community Improvement$9,610Human Services$9,550

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 budgetUNITED WAY OF CENTRAL IOWA: $71,793 over 4y, 0.1% of budgetEdmundson Art Foundation Inc: $11,500 over 6y, 0.0% of budgetGENEVA GLEN CAMP INC: $10,000 over 2y, 0.2% of budgetWESLEYLIFE FOUNDATION: $10,000 over 2y, 0.1% of budgetMIND AND SPIRIT COUNSELING CENTER: $10,000 over 6y, 0.1% of budgetPROJECT ANGEL HEART: $7,000 over 4y, 0.0% of budgetSKIDMORE COLLEGE: $4,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetFOOD BANK OF IOWA: $3,500 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetARCADIA EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION: $3,000 over 2y, 0.2% of budgetSOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER INC: $2,658 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetYOUNG WOMEN'S RESOURCE CENTER: $2,500 over 5y, 0.1% of budgetIOWA PUBLIC RADIO INC: $2,500 over 5y, 0.0% of budgetGEORGETOWN DAY SCHOOL: $2,499 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetDES MOINES PERFORMING ARTS: $2,110 over 6y, 0.0% of budgetCHOATE ROSEMARY HALL FOUNDATION INCORPORATED: $2,000 over 4y, 0.0% of budgetDES MOINES SYMPHONY ASSOCIATION: $2,000 over 4y, 0.0% of budgetDogsters Spay and Neuter: $2,000 over 4y, 0.3% of budgetCAPITAL AREA FOOD BANK INC: $2,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetIowa Legal Aid Foundation: $1,750 over 5y, 0.1% of budgetDC ABORTION FUND: $1,750 over 5y, 0.1% of budgetFAMILY PROMISE - GREATER PHOENIX: $1,500 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetNATIONAL OUTDOOR LEADERSHIP SCHOOL: $1,500 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetPLANNED PARENTHOOD ARIZONA INC: $1,500 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetLEGAL AID SOCIETY OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: $1,500 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetJEWELS ACADEMY: $1,500 over 3y, 0.4% of budgetHEALTHY BABIES PROJECT INC: $1,250 over 3y, 0.1% of budgetROCKY MOUNTAIN CONSERVANCY: $1,140 over 6y, 0.0% of budgetUnited States Association for UNHCR: $1,100 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetCOMMON CAUSE EDUCATION FUND: $1,100 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetIOWA ENVIRONMENTAL COUNCIL: $1,000 over 2y, 0.1% of budgetTHE INNOCENCE PROJECT INC: $1,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetGIDEONS PROMISE INC: $1,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetGUARDIAN SCHOLARS FOUNDATION: $1,000 over 2y, 0.5% of budgetVARIETY - THE CHILDREN'S CHARITY OF IOWA: $1,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetHOLLER HEALTH JUSTICE INC: $1,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE: $1,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetAlice Deal Community Association Inc: $1,000 over 2y, 0.2% of budgetCharleston Legal Access: $1,000 over 2y, 0.2% of budgetCONTIGO IMMIGRANT JUSTICE: $1,000 over 2y, 0.1% of budgetEXTENDED HANDS OF HOPE: $1,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetDRAKE UNIVERSITY: $800 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetNATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY: $650 over 5y, 0.0% of budgetANAWIM HOUSING INC: $600 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetROOT CAPITAL INC: $500 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetINTERFAITH ALLIANCE OF IOWA: $500 over 5y, 0.0% of budgetWHITEROCK CONSERVANCY: $500 over 5y, 0.0% of budgetEVERGREEN ANIMAL PROTECTIVE LEAGUE: $500 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetMAUI UNITED WAY: $500 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.

  • Who funds UNITED WAY OF CENTRAL IOWA ↗
  • Who funds Edmundson Art Foundation Inc ↗
  • Who funds GENEVA GLEN CAMP INC ↗
  • Who funds WESLEYLIFE FOUNDATION ↗
  • Who funds MIND AND SPIRIT COUNSELING CENTER ↗
  • Who funds PROJECT ANGEL HEART ↗
  • Who funds SKIDMORE COLLEGE ↗
  • Who funds FOOD BANK OF IOWA ↗
  • Who funds ARCADIA EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION ↗
  • Who funds SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER INC ↗
  • Who funds YOUNG WOMEN'S RESOURCE CENTER ↗
  • Who funds IOWA PUBLIC RADIO INC ↗
  • Who funds GEORGETOWN DAY SCHOOL ↗
  • Who funds DES MOINES PERFORMING ARTS ↗
  • Who funds CHOATE ROSEMARY HALL FOUNDATION INCORPORATED ↗
  • Who funds DES MOINES SYMPHONY ASSOCIATION ↗
  • Who funds Dogsters Spay and Neuter ↗
  • Who funds CAPITAL AREA FOOD BANK INC ↗
  • Who funds Iowa Legal Aid Foundation ↗
  • Who funds DC ABORTION FUND ↗
  • Who funds FAMILY PROMISE - GREATER PHOENIX ↗
  • Who funds NATIONAL OUTDOOR LEADERSHIP SCHOOL ↗

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.

Community Fdn of Grea…Prairie Meadows Race …The West Bancorporati…Bookey Family Foundat…EMC Insurance Foundat…William C Knapp Chari…The Merchants Bonding…Meredith Corporation …Gartner Family Founda…Mary K and Daniel M K…Fred Maytag Family Fo…Kyle J & Sharon Kraus…
Community Fdn of Greater Des Moines F/K/A Greater Des Moines Community FdnIA41.4× affinity22 shared granteesties to 11 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: Community Fdn of Greater Des Moines F/K/A Greater Des Moines Community Fdn · Prairie Meadows Race Track and Casino Inc · The West Bancorporation Foundation Inc · Bookey Family Foundation · EMC Insurance Foundation · William C Knapp Charitable Fdn · The Merchants Bonding Company Foundation · Meredith Corporation Foundation · Gartner Family Foundation % Michael G Gartner · Mary K and Daniel M Kelly Family Foundation C/O Dan Kelly · Fred Maytag Family Foundation · Kyle J & Sharon Krause Family 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 Helen J and Thomas Nelson Urban Sr Charitable Foundation III funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from Helen J and Thomas Nelson Urban Sr Charitable Foundation III. 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%25%50%75%100%share of the org’s income from government →median 9%
  • Root Capital Inc: 9% of income from government
  • Choate Rosemary Hall Foundation Incorporated: 0% of income from government
no gov moneyreceives it· size = income
0get no government money at all
19report government grants on their 990 we could not trace to a source (not plotted)
0rely on government for over half their income
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 157 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 Helen J and Thomas Nelson Urban Sr Charitable Foundation III’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