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Merle Fischlowitz Family Foundation Inc at a glance

· Private foundation

Merle Fischlowitz Family Foundation Inc

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.

$500
Granted FY2023
1
Grants FY2023
1
States reached
$500
Largest
01What it fundsRead
02The needRead
03Its granteesRead
04Its fieldRead
05Through PlinthRead
01What it funds
0198% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2019 to 2023.

Arts & Culture$46kReligion$15kEducation$13kHealth$6kHuman Services$2kRecreation & Sports$2kFood & Nutrition$1kPhilanthropy$200Other$0
02FY2023 · 1 grant

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

$500
Median grant
1
States reached
$545k
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
SAN DIEGO OPERA$500
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 (FY19–22, $3k) land where the poverty rate runs at 10%, against an area that typically sits at 8%. 100% of those dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Most of its grants land in higher-need ZIPs.

area typical 8%Jewish Family Service of San Diego: $1k → 11%LANAKILA PACIFIC: $2k → 9%Jewish Family Services Of SD: $400 → 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

IL
MA
IA
CA
MO
DC
HI
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.

86%of every dollar goes to organizations it has funded before.
$74k · 10 repeat orgs$12k to everyone else

Grantees it renews have grown median revenue +77% since the first grant, against +33% for those funded once.

10 repeat relationships: 1 still active in FY2023, 9 since wound down.

How the two cohorts compare

Re-uppedFunded once

Organizations

10
15

Total granted

$74k
$12k

Median revenue growth · since first grant

+77%
+33%

Still filing today

70%
47%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2023, 100% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $0 went to new ones.

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

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

’19’20’21’22’23
Arts & CultureHealthHuman ServicesFood & NutritionEducationOther
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

  • ON
    Opera Neo
    2× · 2019–2021 · $30k · revenue +220%
  • GS
    GEORGE SNOW SCHOLARSHIP FUND INC
    4× · 2019–2022 · $6k · revenue +318%
  • PLANNED PARENTHOOD FEDERATION OF AMERICA INC
    2× · 2019–2020 · $2k · revenue +43%

Funded once

  • NATIONAL SCLERODERMA FOUNDATION INCgraduated
    one grant, 2021 · $2k · revenue +58%
  • LP
    LANAKILA PACIFIC
    one grant, 2022 · $2k · revenue +15%
  • JC
    Jesus Christ of Nazareth Baptist Ch
    one grant, 2020 · $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
The San Diego Foundation

The san diego foundation inspires enduring philanthropy and enables community solutions to improve the quality of life in our region.

Philanthropy
2
The International School of San Francisco

Guided by the principles of academic rigor and diversity, the international school of san francisco offers programs of study in french and english to prepare its graduates for a world in which the ability to think critically and to…

Education
3
California Dental Association

The california dental association is committed to the success of our members in service to their patients and the public.

Community Improvement
4
Feeding San Diego

On a mission to connect every person facing hunger with nutritious meals by maximizing food rescue. through direct service and community partnerships, feeding san diego provides more than 26 million meals each year to children, families,…

Food & Nutrition
5
San Diego Jewish Academy

San Diego Jewish Academy empowers each student to learn for life, guided by Jewish values and rooted in strength of community.

Education
6
Jewish Family and Children's Service of Minneapolis

Jewish family and children's service of minneapolis provides essential services to people of all ages and backgrounds to sustain healthy relationships, ease suffering and offer support in times of need.

Human Services
7
United States Naval Institute

Provide an independent forum for those who dare to read, think, speak, and write to advance the professional, literary, and scientific understanding of sea power and other issues critical to global security.

—
8
Kqed Inc

See schedule okqed serves the people of northern california with a community-supported alternative to commercial media, providing the knowledge needed to make informed decisions; convening community dialogue; bringing the arts to everyone;…

Arts & Culture
9
Presidio Hill School

Presidio hill school is a co-ed k-8 independent, progressive school. learning is collaborative and an active experience with an emphasis on inquiry. students are engaged in their own learning and guided by an expert faculty through a…

Education
10
San Francisco Friends School

At san francisco friends school, students learn in a community grounded in the quaker values of reflection, integrity, peaceful problem-solving and stewardship. our teachers challenge students with a dynamic curriculum that inspires…

Education
11
Jewish Federation of San Diego County

Jewish federation of san diego county is dedicated to building a vibrant, caring, connected, and enduring jewish community.

—
12
Keiki O Ka 'Aina Preschool Inc

The mission of keiki o ka 'aina family learning centers (koka-flc) is to build strong communities by building strong families through communicating the vital importance of education, advocating for literacy, supporting parents as their…

Education
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is Make-a-Wish Foundation of San Diego; the most unlike its peers is Opera Neo. 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

14 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. 14 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)
3
Early backer (in before they grew)
14/14
Grantees still filing
12/14
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

Opera Neo: $30,000 · Arts & CultureOpera NeoSan Diego Opera Association: $16,200 · Arts & CultureSan Diego Opera AssociationTEMPLE ADAT SHALOM: $12,808 · OtherTEMPLE ADAT SHALOMGEORGE SNOW SCHOLARSHIP FUND INC: $5,780 · OtherGEORGE SNOW SCHOLARSHIP FUND INCGrinnel College: $3,539 · OtherGrinnel CollegeJesus Christ of Nazareth Baptist Ch: $2,000 · OtherJesus Christ of Nazareth Baptist ChGRINNELL COLLEGE: $2,000 · OtherGRINNELL COLLEGEIndividual grant recipient: $1,500 · Other+10 more: $2,660 · Other+10 morePLANNED PARENTHOOD FEDERATION OF AMERICA INC: $2,000 · HealthNATIONAL SCLERODERMA FOUNDATION INC: $2,000 · HealthLANAKILA PACIFIC: $2,000 · Human ServicesJEWISH FAMILY SERVICE OF SAN DIEGO: $1,400 · Human ServicesJACOBS & CUSHMAN SAN DIEGO FOOD BANK: $600 · Food & NutritionGREATER CHICAGO FOOD DEPOSITORY: $430 · Food & NutritionPUNAHOU SCHOOL: $1,000 · Education
Arts & Culture$46,200Other$30,287Health$4,000Human Services$3,400Food & Nutrition$1,030Education$1,000

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 budgetOpera Neo: $30,000 over 2y, 6.0% of budgetSan Diego Opera Association: $16,200 over 3y, 0.2% of budgetGEORGE SNOW SCHOLARSHIP FUND INC: $5,780 over 4y, 0.1% of budgetPLANNED PARENTHOOD FEDERATION OF AMERICA INC: $2,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetNATIONAL SCLERODERMA FOUNDATION INC: $2,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetLANAKILA PACIFIC: $2,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetJEWISH FAMILY SERVICE OF SAN DIEGO: $1,400 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetPUNAHOU SCHOOL: $1,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetJACOBS & CUSHMAN SAN DIEGO FOOD BANK: $600 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetLAWRENCE FAMILY JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTERS OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY: $500 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetInterfaith Community Services Inc: $500 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetGREATER CHICAGO FOOD DEPOSITORY: $430 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetHANAHAUOLI SCHOOL: $400 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetMAKE-A-WISH FOUNDATION OF SAN DIEGO: $100 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.

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.

Samuel I & John Henry…The Conrad Prebys Fou…Jewish Community Foun…Sempra FoundationMorgan Stanley Global…National Philanthropi…American Online Givin…Donor Advised Charita…Fidelity Investments …Amazonsmile Foundation
Samuel I & John Henry Fox FoundationWI13.6× affinity4 shared granteesties to 9 of 9Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: Samuel I & John Henry Fox Foundation · The Conrad Prebys Foundation · Jewish Community Foundation of San Diego · Sempra Foundation · Morgan Stanley Global Impact Funding Trust Inc · National Philanthropic Trust · American Online Giving Foundation Inc · Donor Advised Charitable Giving 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 Merle Fischlowitz Family Foundation Inc funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from Merle Fischlowitz Family Foundation Inc. Bigger dots raise more.

2024
’20’21’22’23’24’25
no gov · 20%0%1%3%5%funder's share of their income ↑0%10%20%30%40%share of the org’s income from government →
    no gov moneyreceives it· size = income
    2get no government money at all
    4report 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.
    05Through Plinth

    Warm introductions · Powered by PlinthPlus

    How do I get to Merle Fischlowitz Family Foundation Inc?

    Find your warmest path to Merle Fischlowitz Family Foundation Inc 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 Merle Fischlowitz Family’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