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Margaret Chesley Memorial Fund at a glance

· Private foundation

Margaret Chesley Memorial Fund

Its FY2024 filing reports that it accepted unsolicited grant applications.

$63k
Granted FY2024still arriving
27
Grants FY2024still arriving
1
States reached
$10k
Largest
01What it fundsRead
02The needRead
03Its granteesRead
04Its fieldRead
05Through PlinthRead
01What it funds
0183% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2017 to 2024.

Public Safety & Disaster$75kEducation$66kYouth Development$59kArts & Culture$51kReligion$43kFood & Nutrition$32kRecreation & Sports$26kHealth$22kOther$0
02FY2024 · 27 grants

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

By grant size · FY2024

  • Under $10k26 grants · $53k
  • $10k–50k1 grant · $10k
$2,000
Median grant
1
States reached
$2.1M
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
BELLVILLE VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPT$10,000
BOYS & GIRLS CLUB$5,500
Individual grant recipient$5,000
Individual grant recipient$4,500
LATIUM-WESLEY-GREENVINE VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT$3,000
ST MARYS EPISCOPAL CHURCH$3,000
FAITH ACADEMY MARBLE FALLS$2,540
FRIENDS OF SAN FELIPE HISTORIC SITE$2,500
RAISING ACADEMIC PROFORMANCE$2,000
SEALY CHRISTIAN FOOD PANTRY$2,000
MEALS ON WHEELS$2,000
BLUEBONNET SOCIETY$2,000
CAT SPRING VOL FIRE DEPT$2,000
BELLVILLE HISTORIC SOCIETY$2,000
SEALY PREGNACY RESOURCE CENTER$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 (FY19–24, $14k) land where the poverty rate runs at 15%, against an area that typically sits at 12%. 100% of those dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Most of its grants land in higher-need ZIPs.

area typical 12%FOCUSING FAMILIES: $2k → 14%FOCUSING FAMILIES: $2k → 14%SEALY PREGNACY RESOURCE CENTER: $2k → 15%SEALY PREGNACY RESOURCE CENTER: $2k → 15%MEALS ON WHEELS: $2k → 15%MEALS ON WHEELS: $2k → 15%MEALS ON WHEELS: $1k → 15%MEALS ON WHEELS: $1k → 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.
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.

94%of every dollar goes to organizations it has funded before.
$486k · 49 repeat orgs$31k to everyone else

49 repeat relationships: 23 still active in FY2024, 26 since wound down; 3 grantees were first funded in FY2024 (too recent to call).

How the two cohorts compare

Re-uppedFunded once

Organizations

49
23

Total granted

$486k
$29k

Median revenue growth · since first grant

+27%
+115%

Still filing today

33%
17%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2024, 96% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $2k 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
Public Safety & DisasterHuman ServicesEducationHealthRecreation & SportsCivil RightsOther
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

  • FF
    FUTURE FARMERS OF AMERICA AND ITS 42117 BELLVILLE FFA ALUMNI
    8× · 2017–2024 · $15k · revenue +24%
  • LW
    LATIUM WESLEY GREENVINE VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT INC
    7× · 2018–2024 · $12k · revenue +27%
  • CS
    CAT SPRING VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMEN
    7× · 2017–2024 · $12k · revenue +317%

Funded once

  • TP
    TURNVEREIN PROJECT - BELLVILLE
    one grant, 2018 · $3k
  • MF
    MIRACLE FARM INCgraduated
    one grant, 2017 · $2k · revenue +100%
  • IG
    Individual grant recipient
    one grant, 2017 · $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
Frelsburg Volunteer Fire Dept

Provide firefighting services for frelsburg, texas area.

Public Safety & Disaster
2
Carmine Volunteer Fire Department

Provides fire protection and response and first responder services for medical emergencies to carmine, texas and surrounding areas

Public Safety & Disaster
3
Kaufman Volunteer Fire Department

Provides protection, preservation, and well-being of the health, safety, and property of persons residing in the rural areas of kaufman county, tx .

Public Safety & Disaster
4
Florence Volunteer Fire Department

Fire prevention, fire supression and rescue in florence texas and the williamson county emergency services district 7 area.

Public Safety & Disaster
5
Skellytown Area Vol Fire and Ems a

Multi texas county volunteer fire & ambulance services

Public Safety & Disaster
6
Wellington Volunteer Fire Department Inc

None

Public Safety & Disaster
7
Little Texas Volunteer Fire Department

To provide fire protection for little texas commuity of macon county, alabama.

Public Safety & Disaster
8
Melvin Volunteer Fire Department Inc

Volunteer fire department

Public Safety & Disaster
9
Hankamer Volunteer Fire Department

Provide fire fighting & ambulance service to hankamer, texas and surrounding areas.

Public Safety & Disaster
10
Hitchcock Volunteer Fire Department

Fire and rescue services for the community of hitchcock, texas.

—
11
Boerne Volunteer Fire Department

Provide fire suppression and first responder services to the Boerne, Tx area as well as provide support to the Boerne Fire Department.

Public Safety & Disaster
12
Clyde Volunteer Fire Department

To provide fire suppression, fire investigation, and search and rescue services to the citizens of clyde and the surrounding rural areas of callahan co., tx.

Public Safety & Disaster
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is Latium Wesley Greenvine Volunteer Fire Department Inc; the most unlike its peers is Texas Christian University. 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

24 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. 24 of the 76 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)
8
Early backer (in before they grew)
22/24
Grantees still filing
20/24
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

Individual grant recipient: $39,000 · OtherIndividual grant recipientBOYS & GIRLS CLUB: $31,500 · OtherBOYS & GIRLS CLUBIndividual grant recipient: $30,500 · OtherIndividual grant recipientBLINN COLLEGE: $26,050 · OtherBLINN COLLEGEAUSTIN COUNTY MUSEUM ASSOCIATION INC: $23,000 · OtherAUSTIN COUNTY MUSEUM ASSOCIATION INCFAITH ACADEMY MARBLE FALLS: $22,640 · OtherFAITH ACADEMY MARBLE FALLSST MARYS EPISCOPAL CHURCH: $19,000 · OtherFUTURE FARMERS OF AMERICA AND ITS 42117 BELLVILLE FFA ALUMNI: $15,100 · OtherMILL CREEK CHURCH: $14,000 · Other+50 more: $165,059 · Other+50 moreBELLVILLE VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT: $45,500 · Public Safety & DisasterBELLVILLE VOLUN…LATIUM WESLEY GREENVINE VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT INC: $12,000 · Public Safety & DisasterLATIUM WESLEY G…CAT SPRING VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMEN: $11,500 · Public Safety & DisasterCAT SPRING VOLU…+3 more: $5,000 · Public Safety & Disaster+3 moreMEALS ON WHEELS: $5,500 · Human ServicesFOCUSING FAMILIES: $4,350 · Human ServicesSEALY PREGNANCY RESOURCE CENTER: $4,000 · Human ServicesCOMMUNITY RENEWAL TEAM INC: $3,000 · Human ServicesBELLVILLE HOSPITAL FOUNDATION: $16,000 · Health+1 more: $500 · HealthRAISING ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE: $9,500 · EducationTEXAS CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY: $6,000 · EducationBELLVILLE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION: $12,000 · PhilanthropyCAMERON KIECKE MEMORIAL FOUNDATION: $3,000 · PhilanthropyCASA For Kids Inc: $6,000 · Civil Rights
Other$385,849Public Safety & Disaster$74,000Human Services$16,850Health$16,500Education$15,500Philanthropy$15,000Civil Rights$6,000

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 budgetBELLVILLE VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT: $45,500 over 8y, 2.4% of budgetBELLVILLE HOSPITAL FOUNDATION: $16,000 over 5y, 2.3% of budgetFUTURE FARMERS OF AMERICA AND ITS 42117 BELLVILLE FFA ALUMNI: $15,100 over 8y, 3.0% of budgetLATIUM WESLEY GREENVINE VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT INC: $12,000 over 7y, 2.3% of budgetBELLVILLE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION: $12,000 over 7y, 13% of budgetCAT SPRING VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMEN: $11,500 over 7y, 3.0% of budgetRAISING ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE: $9,500 over 8y, 4.4% of budgetCASA For Kids Inc: $6,000 over 4y, 0.4% of budgetTEXAS CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY: $6,000 over 4y, 0.0% of budgetSealy Christian Pantry Inc: $5,500 over 3y, 0.8% of budgetMEALS ON WHEELS: $5,500 over 4y, 1.2% of budgetHOA INCORPORATED OF AUSTIN COUNTY: $5,500 over 3y, 0.7% of budgetFOCUSING FAMILIES: $4,350 over 2y, 0.2% of budgetSEALY PREGNANCY RESOURCE CENTER: $4,000 over 2y, 0.7% of budgetCOMMUNITY RENEWAL TEAM INC: $3,000 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetCAMERON KIECKE MEMORIAL FOUNDATION: $3,000 over 3y, 1.4% of budgetMIRACLE FARM INC: $2,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetSHELBY VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT: $2,000 over 2y, 1.3% of budgetNEW ULM VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT: $2,000 over 2y, 1.2% of budgetTHE FRIENDS FOUNDATION: $1,000 over 1y, 0.4% of budgetCANDLELIGHT RANCH FOUNDATION: $1,000 over 1y, 0.2% of budgetBLEIBLERVILLE VOLUNTEER: $1,000 over 1y, 0.6% of budgetCamp For All Foundation: $1,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetHOUSTON COALITION FOR LIFE: $500 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 BELLVILLE VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT ↗
  • Who funds BELLVILLE HOSPITAL FOUNDATION ↗
  • Who funds FUTURE FARMERS OF AMERICA AND ITS 42117 BELLVILLE FFA ALUMNI ↗
  • Who funds LATIUM WESLEY GREENVINE VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT INC ↗
  • Who funds BELLVILLE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION ↗
  • Who funds CAT SPRING VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMEN ↗
  • Who funds RAISING ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE ↗
  • Who funds CASA For Kids Inc ↗
  • Who funds TEXAS CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY ↗
  • Who funds Sealy Christian Pantry Inc ↗
  • Who funds MEALS ON WHEELS ↗
  • Who funds HOA INCORPORATED OF AUSTIN COUNTY ↗
  • Who funds FOCUSING FAMILIES ↗
  • Who funds SEALY PREGNANCY RESOURCE CENTER ↗
  • Who funds COMMUNITY RENEWAL TEAM INC ↗
  • Who funds CAMERON KIECKE MEMORIAL 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.

Will and Bailee Byler…American Online Givin…Fidelity Investments …Amazonsmile Foundation
Will and Bailee Byler FoundationTX13.6× affinity4 shared granteesties to 3 of 3Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: Will and Bailee Byler Foundation · American Online Giving Foundation Inc · Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund · 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 Margaret Chesley Memorial Fund funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from Margaret Chesley Memorial Fund. 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 77%
  • Community Renewal Team Inc: 77% of income from government
no gov moneyreceives it· size = income
0get no government money at all
7report government grants on their 990 we could not trace to a source (not plotted)
1rely 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 Margaret Chesley Memorial Fund?

Find your warmest path to Margaret Chesley Memorial Fund 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 76 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 Margaret Chesley Memorial’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