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Howard G Buffett Foundation at a glanceAlso receives grants: funding profile →

· Private foundation

Howard G Buffett 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.

$699M
Granted FY2025still arriving
1
Grants FY2025still arriving
1
States reached
$699M
Largest
01What it fundsRead
02The needRead
03Its granteesRead
04Its fieldRead
05Through PlinthRead
01What it funds
0193% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2017 to 2025.

Food & Nutrition$107MInternational$94MHealth$26MPublic Safety & Disaster$23MCivil Rights$20MCrime & Legal$14MEnvironment$5.1MHousing & Shelter$4.2MOther$0
02FY2025 · 1 grant

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

$698,710,460
Median grant
1
States reached
$718M
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
GRANTS$698,710,460
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 (FY17–18, $5.9M) land where the poverty rate runs at 9%, against an area that typically sits at 11%. 2% of those dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Its grants skew toward lower-need ZIPs.

area typical 11%COWPUNCHERS CRISIS FUND: $60k → 16%RWANDA GIRLS INITIATIVE: $5.8M → 9%HEARTLAND WORKERS CENTER: $20k → 12%REAL WISHES FOUNDATION: $1k → 18%SIERRA VISTA SYMPHONY ASSOCIATION: $1k → 18%DOUGLAS RUN-WALK FOR THE CURE: $5k → 18%DOUGLAS RUN-WALK FOR THE CURE: $5k → 18%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
NY
MA
OR
WY
IA
CA
CO
NE
MO
KY
VA
MD
AZ
DC
LA
GA
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.
03Its grantees
repeat funding

Who it funds again

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

93%of every dollar goes to organizations it has funded before.
$2.6B · 33 repeat orgs$188M to everyone else

Grantees it renews have grown median revenue +66% since the first grant, against +38% for those funded once.

33 repeat relationships: 1 still active in FY2025, 32 since wound down.

How the two cohorts compare

Re-uppedFunded once

Organizations

33
94

Total granted

$2.6B
$188M

Median revenue growth · since first grant

+66%
+38%

Still filing today

42%
34%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2025, 100% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $0 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
Crime & LegalHuman ServicesEducationHealthInternationalArts & 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

  • MASS DESIGN GROUP LTD
    2× · 2017–2018 · $22M · revenue +232%
  • IJ
    INTERNATIONAL JUSTICE MISSION
    2× · 2017–2018 · $2.8M · revenue +82%
  • DP
    DECATUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOUNDATION
    2× · 2017–2018 · $1.7M · revenue +16% · 63% of their budget

Funded once

  • NC
    NATURE CONSERVATION TRUST
    one grant, 2018 · $55M
  • IG
    Individual grant recipient
    one grant, 2017 · $38M
  • CH
    Community Health Improvement Center
    one grant, 2018 · $26M · revenue -9%
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
Arizona Wins

Az wins is a coalition of organizations dedicated to achieving public policies that benefit working arizona families and advancing an inclusive, engaged, just and equitable state for all arizonans. in 2024 az wins substantially reduced its…

Civil Rights
2
Arizona Community Foundation

To lead, serve and collaborate to mobilize enduring philanthropy for a better arizona.

Philanthropy
3
Disability Rights Arizona

DRAZ is a non-profit law firm that assists Arizonans with disabilities to promote and protect their legal rights to independence, justice, and equality.

Civil Rights
4
One Arizona

One arizonas mission is to increase civic participation among arizonans

Civil Rights
5
Ufw Foundation

The ufw foundation's mission is to empower communities to ensure human dignity.

—
6
Farmworker Justice Fund Inc

Farmworker justice fund, inc. is a non-profit corporation established under the laws of the district of columbia. its mission is to empower farmworkers to improve their wages, working conditions, occupational safety, health, immigration…

Civil Rights
7
United Food Bank

United Food Bank unites communities to alleviate hunger.

Food & Nutrition
8
100 Club of Arizona

To provide immediate financial assistance to families of public safety officers and firefighters who are seriously injured or killed in the line of duty, and to provide resources to enhance their safety and welfare.

—
9
Arizona Voice for Crime Victims Inc

To secure rights and services for arizona's and the nation's victims of crime.

Human Services
10
Arizona Capital Representation Project

ACRP is a non-profit legal services organization that assists indigent persons facing the death penalty and sentenced to death in Arizona through direct representation, pro-bono consulting services and training for capital defense…

—
11
Environmental Fund for Arizona Inc Dba Efaz

Efaz serves, preserves and improves az's environment by raising awareness, volunteers and finanical support through workplace giving campaigns.

—
12
Opera Southwest

Professional production of opera for the public, and education about opera and the performing arts for audiences of all ages.

Arts & Culture
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is New Venture Fund; the most unlike its peers is The Sherwood 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

50 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. 50 of the 130 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.

12
Load-bearing (≥25% of a budget)
14
Early backer (in before they grew)
49/50
Grantees still filing
35/50
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

GRANTS: $2,494,887,163 · OtherGRANTS+101 more: $228,161,515 · Other+101 moreCommunity Health Improvement Center: $25,850,364 · Health+3 more: $4,000 · HealthMASS DESIGN GROUP LTD: $22,295,598 · InternationalINTERNATIONAL JUSTICE MISSION: $2,753,159 · International+2 more: $721,000 · InternationalSEQUOIA FARM FOUNDATION: $14,827,673 · Science & TechRwanda Girls Initiative: $5,779,385 · Human Services+7 more: $113,461 · Human ServicesARIZONA LAW ENFORCEMENT AIR SUPPORT: $3,239,610 · Crime & LegalPOLICE EXECUTIVE RESEARCH FORUM: $140,909 · Crime & Legal+6 more: $370,228 · Crime & LegalCHILDREN'S MUSEUM OF ILLINOIS: $2,989,850 · Arts & CultureTHE FUTURO MEDIA GROUP: $368,764 · Arts & CultureTHREE GENERATIONS INC: $275,615 · Arts & Culture
Other$2,723,048,678Health$25,854,364International$25,769,757Science & Tech$14,827,673Human Services$5,892,846Crime & Legal$3,750,747Arts & Culture$3,634,229

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 budgetSEQUOIA FARM FOUNDATION: $14,827,673 over 2y, 76% of budgetRwanda Girls Initiative: $5,779,385 over 1y, 82% of budgetARIZONA LAW ENFORCEMENT AIR SUPPORT: $3,239,610 over 2y, 100% of budgetCHILDREN'S MUSEUM OF ILLINOIS: $2,989,850 over 1y, 86% of budgetINTERNATIONAL JUSTICE MISSION: $2,753,159 over 2y, 2.2% of budgetDECATUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOUNDATION: $1,697,085 over 2y, 63% of budgetNEW VENTURE FUND: $1,173,350 over 1y, 0.3% of budgetCIERTO: $1,001,562 over 1y, 91% of budgetNATIONAL DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS: $471,000 over 1y, 0.4% of budgetTHE FUTURO MEDIA GROUP: $368,764 over 2y, 18% of budgetThe Oakland Institute: $337,294 over 1y, 42% of budgetTHREE GENERATIONS INC: $275,615 over 1y, 53% of budgetUnited States Association for UNHCR: $250,000 over 1y, 0.4% of budgetPOLICE EXECUTIVE RESEARCH FORUM: $140,909 over 1y, 1.7% of budgetNATIONAL CRIMINAL ENFORCEMENT ASSOC CORP: $121,728 over 2y, 26% of budgetWESTERN UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SCIENCES: $111,869 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetILLINOIS SHERIFFS' ASSOCIATION: $101,000 over 1y, 10% of budgetFLORENCE IMMIGRANT & REFUGEE RIGHTS PROJECT INC: $90,000 over 1y, 0.8% of budgetTHE SHERWOOD FOUNDATION: $83,032 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetMalpai Borderlands Group Inc: $66,000 over 2y, 13% of budgetDECATUR COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP: $62,367 over 1y, 42% of budgetCOWPUNCHERS CRISIS FUND INC: $60,000 over 1y, 63% of budgetPROJECT HARMONY: $40,000 over 2y, 0.2% of budgetCENTRAL PARK CONSERVANCY INC: $40,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetTHE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF MACON COUNTY: $30,000 over 1y, 0.4% of budgetHEARTLAND WORKERS CENTER: $20,000 over 1y, 1.5% of budgetFOOD BANK OF SIOUXLAND INC: $20,000 over 1y, 0.4% of budgetTexas Border Sheriffs Coalition: $15,000 over 2y, 26% of budgetFIDELITY INVESTMENTS CHARITABLE GIFT FUND: $5,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetWASHINGTON DC POLICE FOUNDATION: $2,500 over 1y, 0.2% of budgetSierra Vista Symphony Association: $1,000 over 1y, 0.7% of budgetUNIVERSITY SOUTH FOUNDATION INC: $1,000 over 1y, 0.3% of budgetECHOING HOPE RANCH: $1,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetPremier Alliances Inc: $1,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetCommunity Montessori School of Bisbee Inc: $600 over 1y, 1.3% 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 Community Health Improvement Center ↗
  • Who funds MASS DESIGN GROUP LTD ↗
  • Who funds SEQUOIA FARM FOUNDATION ↗
  • Who funds Rwanda Girls Initiative ↗
  • Who funds ARIZONA LAW ENFORCEMENT AIR SUPPORT ↗
  • Who funds CHILDREN'S MUSEUM OF ILLINOIS ↗
  • Who funds INTERNATIONAL JUSTICE MISSION ↗
  • Who funds DECATUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOUNDATION ↗
  • Who funds NEW VENTURE FUND ↗
  • Who funds CIERTO ↗
  • Who funds BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF DECATUR INC ↗
  • Who funds NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS ↗
  • Who funds THE FUTURO MEDIA GROUP ↗
  • Who funds The Oakland Institute ↗

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 Legacy Foundation…Andreas FoundationThe Community Foundat…James Millikin Trust AJohn Ullrich Foundati…United Way of Decatur…The Erwin and Linda A…Ts & Juanita Ballance…Amherst F Hardy Found…Arizona Community Fou…Tides FoundationGs Donor Advised Phil…
The Legacy Foundation of Southeast ArizonaAZ32.3× affinity13 shared granteesties to 3 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: The Legacy Foundation of Southeast Arizona · Andreas Foundation · The Community Foundation of Macon County · James Millikin Trust A · John Ullrich Foundation Trust Busey Trust Co - Trustee · United Way of Decatur and Mid Il · The Erwin and Linda Arends Foundation · Ts & Juanita Ballance Foundation · Amherst F Hardy Foundation · Arizona Community Foundation · Tides Foundation · Gs Donor Advised Philanthropy Fund for Wealth Management Inc

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

2024
’20’21’22’23’24’25
no gov · 10%0%1%3%5%funder's share of their income ↑0%25%50%75%100%share of the org’s income from government →
    no gov moneyreceives it· size = income
    1get no government money at all
    8report 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.
    05Through Plinth

    Warm introductions · Powered by PlinthPlus

    How do I get to Howard G Buffett Foundation?

    Find your warmest path to Howard G Buffett 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 130 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 2025, released 2025. Filings run roughly 12 to 24 months behind; figures are dated accordingly.

    Source object · view filing

    Play a game based on Howard G Buffett’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