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Helicopters for Heroes at a glanceAlso receives grants: funding profile →

· Private foundation

Helicopters for Heroes

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.

$134k
Granted FY2023
3
Grants FY2023
3
States reached
$55k
Largest
01What it fundsRead
02The needRead
03Its fieldRead
04Through PlinthRead
01What it funds
01100% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2018 to 2023.

Human Services$291kEducation$83kAnimals$80kHealth$55kHousing & Shelter$55kPublic Safety & Disaster$52kEmployment$24kCrime & Legal$6kOther$0
02FY2023 · 3 grants

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

By grant size · FY2023

  • $10k–50k1 grant · $24k
  • $50k–250k2 grants · $110k
$55,000
Median grant
3
States reached
$542k
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
BEST DEFENSE FOUNDATION$55,000
RESCUE 22 FOUNDATION$55,000
THE PURPLE HEART PROJECT$24,000
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 (FY21–21, $53k) land where the poverty rate runs at 11%, against an area that typically sits at 9%. 100% of those dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Most of its grants land in higher-need ZIPs.

area typical 9%FREEDOM MOBILITY FOUNDATION: $250 → 11%ALL SECURE FOUNDATION: $53k → 11%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

WA
IL
MA
NJ
CA
MO
KY
VA
TN
NC
OK
TX
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 18% of Helicopters for Heroes’s grant dollars are earmarked for a different county than the recipient’s own address. By recipient address, 40% of the giving stays in TX; by stated purpose, 49%.

Helicopters for Heroeslessmore 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 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
Homes for Heroes Foundation
Housing & Shelter
2
Hope4vets
Housing & Shelter
3
Peaceful Warrior Foundation

The peaceful warrior foundation is a non-profit organization with the aim of connecting our nation's warriors with the support and care they need.at peaceful warrior we strive to help our active-duty operators & veterans be at their very…

Human Services
4
Warfighter Outfitters

Warfighter Outfitters believe in the healing power of the outdoors. Since 2014, we have provided free fishing, hunting, and engagement trips to disabled veterans. On the water or in the woods, these veteran-only trips help service men and…

—
5
No Fallen Heroes Foundation Inc

Provide awareness of and support for mental health issues faced by combat veterans

Public Benefit
6
Warfighter Scuba

To provide scuba instruction for veterans with ptsd. the weightlessness of scuba provides a peaceful respite from the pressures and trauma of military service. scuba for amputees provides a freedom of movement not experienced for years…

Public Benefit
7
Team Viac

WORKING TO HELP REDUCE VETERAN SUICIDE We are currently serving 55 local veterans and a growiing number from the country.

Public Benefit
8
A Bridge Between Us

Bridging the gap between military and civilian life through outdoor adventures.

Public Benefit
9
3-8 Oif & Oef Veterans Foundation
—
10
For Veterans Sake Foundation

For veteran's sake foundation is here to provide an alternative solution to dealing with pts (post traumatic stress). we use a combination of a (non-therapeutic) neuro-traumatic resourcing, service dogs and consulting. working with the…

Health
11
Vietnam Helicopters
Arts & Culture
12
Soldiers of America
Human Services
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is Homes for Our Troops Inc; the most unlike its peers is All Secure Foundation Inc. 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

11 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. 11 of the 25 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)
11/11
Grantees still filing
9/11
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

US VETS HOUSTON TEXAS: $55,000 · OtherUS VETS HOUSTON TEXASBEST DEFENSE FOUNDATION: $55,000 · OtherBEST DEFENSE FOUNDATIONIndividual grant recipient: $50,000 · OtherIndividual grant recipientSONS OF THE FLAG: $50,000 · OtherSONS OF THE FLAGTASK FORCE DAGGER: $30,000 · OtherTASK FORCE DAGGERFOLDS OF HONOR NORTH TEXAS: $30,000 · OtherFOLDS OF HONOR NORTH TEXASHONOR COURAGE AND COMMITMENT: $25,000 · OtherHONOR COURAGE AND COMMITMENTTEXAS HUNTERS FOR HEROES DFW CHAPTE: $25,000 · OtherTEXAS HUNTERS FOR HEROES DFW CHAPTEPURPLE HEART PROJECT: $24,000 · OtherPURPLE HEART PROJECT+9 more: $33,922 · Other+9 moreHOMES FOR OUR TROOPS INC: $55,000 · Housing & ShelterHOMES FOR…RESCUE 22 FOUNDATION INC: $55,000 · AnimalsRESCUE 22…ALL SECURE FOUNDATION INC: $52,500 · Human ServicesALL SECUR…+1 more: $250 · Human ServicesChildren of Fallen Patriots Foundation: $52,500 · EducationChildren …AMERICAN VALOR FOUNDATION: $30,000 · Health22KILL: $25,000 · Philanthropy
Other$377,922Housing & Shelter$55,000Animals$55,000Human Services$52,750Education$52,500Health$30,000Philanthropy$25,000

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

25%50%75%100%$1.0M$10Mgrantee revenue →↑ funder's share of their budgetHOMES FOR OUR TROOPS INC: $55,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetRESCUE 22 FOUNDATION INC: $55,000 over 1y, 9.7% of budgetChildren of Fallen Patriots Foundation: $52,500 over 1y, 0.5% of budgetALL SECURE FOUNDATION INC: $52,500 over 1y, 9.2% of budgetAMERICAN VALOR FOUNDATION: $30,000 over 1y, 7.9% of budget22KILL: $25,000 over 1y, 1.5% of budgetPURPLE HEART PROJECT: $24,000 over 1y, 8.6% of budgetSoldier's Wish: $7,500 over 1y, 2.4% of budgetSPECIAL OPS XCURSIONS: $5,000 over 1y, 2.0% of budgetVETERAN GOLFERS ASSOCIATION: $500 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetFREEDOM MOBILITY FOUNDATION: $250 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 HOMES FOR OUR TROOPS INC ↗
  • Who funds RESCUE 22 FOUNDATION INC ↗
  • Who funds Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation ↗
  • Who funds ALL SECURE FOUNDATION INC ↗
  • Who funds AMERICAN VALOR FOUNDATION ↗
  • Who funds 22KILL ↗
  • Who funds PURPLE HEART PROJECT ↗
  • Who funds Soldier's Wish ↗
  • Who funds SPECIAL OPS XCURSIONS ↗
  • Who funds VETERAN GOLFERS ASSOCIATION ↗
  • Who funds FREEDOM MOBILITY FOUNDATION ↗

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.

American Online Givin…Paypal Charitable Giv…Network for GoodFidelity Investments …Donor Advised Charita…Amazonsmile Foundation
American Online Giving Foundation IncDE8.5× affinity7 shared granteesties to 5 of 5Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: American Online Giving Foundation Inc · Paypal Charitable Giving Fund · Network for Good · Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund · Donor Advised Charitable Giving Inc · Amazonsmile 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 Helicopters for Heroes funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from Helicopters for Heroes. Bigger dots raise more.

2024
’20’21’22’23’24’25
no gov · 30%1%3%6%10%funder's share of their income ↑0%1%3%4%5%share of the org’s income from government →
    no gov moneyreceives it· size = income
    3get no government money at all
    1report government grants on their 990 we could not trace to a source (not plotted)
    0rely on government for over half their income
    ⤢ axis zoomed · 0–5%
    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.
    04Through Plinth

    Warm introductions · Powered by PlinthPlus

    How do I get to Helicopters for Heroes?

    Find your warmest path to Helicopters for Heroes 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 25 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.

    Possibly out of date. A more recent filing (FY2024) is on record and reports no grant expense, so the figures above are from FY2023, the most recent year this funder made grants.

    Source object · view filing

    Play a game based on Helicopters for Heroes’ 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