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Plinth

· Public charity

Ballad Health

Honor those we serve by delivering the best possible care.Ballad Health is dedicated to improving the health of the 29-county Appalachian Highlands region.

$2.0M
Granted FY2025still arriving
19
Grants FY2025still arriving
3
States reached
$125k
Largest
01What you fundRead
02The needRead
03Your edgeRead
04Your fieldRead
01What you fund
0178% classified

What you funded, over time

Every grant clustered by its grantee’s IRS cause code (NTEE), by year — across FY2019–2025.

Philanthropy$4.0MEducation$477kCommunity Improvement$256kPublic Benefit$117kArts & Culture$59kInternational$47kHealth$30kHuman Services$10kYouth Development$4kOther$1.4M
02FY2025 · 19 grants

Where the money goes

Your grants by size, and where they go.

The 19 grants below total $691,757 — the rows itemised in this filing. The $2,007,011 headline is the total grant expense reported on the return, so the remaining $1,315,254 is giving the schedule does not break out: grants under the $5,000 itemisation floor, grants to individuals, and grants reported on other schedules. Every figure below describes the itemised rows only.

By grant size · FY2025

  • Under $10k3 grants · $23k
  • $10k–50k11 grants · $245k
  • $50k–250k5 grants · $424k
$25,000
Median grant
3
States reached
$2.0B
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
ETSU Foundation$125,000
Appalachian Highlands Economic Development Partnership$100,000
Kingsport Chamber Foundation$85,000
Milligan University$63,500
First TN Development District$50,000
Dobyns-Bennett Band Boosters Club$35,000
Cardinal Productions Inc$25,000
Morrison School$25,000
Jeremiah School$25,000
Leadership Tennessee$25,000
Tennessee State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE)$25,000
Junior Achievement of Tri-Cities TNVA$25,000
Music for All$20,000
Governor's Early Literacy Fdn$20,000
Visit Johnson City Foundation Inc$10,000
02The need
03

Do your dollars go where the need is?

Each grant placed by the hardship in its grantee’s ZIP, then read against the area’s typical level.

show:

Your human-services grants (FY23–23, $10k) land where the poverty rate runs at 14%, against an area that typically sits at 10%. 100% of those dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Most of your grants land in higher-need ZIPs.

area typical 10%American Red Cross: $10k → 14%0%20%40%50%more need →
grant to an above-average-need area below average· circle size = grant amount

Matched: human-services grants are those whose grantee’s IRS cause code is Human Services. Placed by people below the poverty linein the grantee’s ZIP, averaged from the tracts in that ZIP; grantee ZIP can differ from where services are delivered.

US grants placed by each grantee’s ZIP, which can differ from where services are actually delivered. Need from public data — U.S. Census/ACS, CDC PLACES, Eviction Lab, USDA — shown as context about the area, never attributed to your giving.

03Your edge
repeat funding

Who you back again

Which organizations you funded more than once, and which you funded a single time. Each grantee is matched to its own filings.

5%of every dollar goes to organizations you’ve funded before.
$302k · 4 repeat orgs$6.1M to everyone else

And the relationships you keep tend to grow: grantees you re-up on have seen median revenue of +5% since the first grant, against 0% for the ones you funded once.

4 repeat relationships — 4 still active in FY2025, 0 since wound down; 14 grantees were first funded in FY2025 (too recent to call).

How the two cohorts compare

Re-uppedFunded once

Organizations

4
23

Total granted

$302k
$5.6M

Median revenue growth · since first grant

+5%
0%

Still filing today

100%
78%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2025, 27% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $498k went to new ones.

50%100%’19’22’23’24’25
RenewedFirst-time

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

’19’22’23’24’25
EducationArts & CultureCommunity ImprovementPublic BenefitPhilanthropyHealthOther

First-time = a grantee’s first year in your filing window; renewed = funded in an earlier year too. As a portfolio matures the renewed share naturally climbs — once funded, an org stays “renewable” — so the signal is the years that buck it (a new-grantee intake wave). 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

  • MU
    MILLIGAN UNIVERSITY
    2× · 2024–2025 · $130k · revenue +5%
  • KC
    Kingsport Chamber Foundation Inc
    2× · 2024–2025 · $106k · revenue 0%
  • JA
    JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT OF TRI-CITIES TN/VA INC
    2× · 2024–2025 · $47k · revenue 0% · 26% of their budget

Funded once

  • EC
    EO COMPANIES
    one grant, 2024 · $4.0M · revenue -49%
  • MS
    MOUNTAIN STATES FOUNDATION
    one grant, 2019 · $990k
  • TO
    Town of Jonesborough
    one grant, 2024 · $250k

Repeat = funded in two or more distinct years; growth and survival are read from each grantee’s own subsequent IRS filings.

04Your field

The map has a center of gravity: the average direction from the rest of the sector toward the organizations the foundation funds — the shape of its giving. Scoring every nonprofit along that direction surfaces the ones that look most like the portfolio. These are the closest matchesthat aren’t grantees — a resemblance in what they say they do, not a recommendation.

1
Nashville Technology Council

Ntc mission is to advance the diverse technology ecosystem by connecting and promoting members, attracting, growing and retaining tech talent, and providing opportunities to reinvest in the greater nashville community.

Community Improvement
2
Tennesseans for Quality Early Education

To advance state policies and practices that ensure all tennessee children from birth through 3rd grade get the high quality early education they need to power our state's future.

Education
3
Communities in Schools of Tennessee

To surround students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life.

Education
4
Nashville Public Radio

Nashville public radio's mission is to be the most trusted & independent nashville voice, connecting our communities through non-partisan journalism, compelling storytelling, civil conversation and music discovery.

Arts & Culture
5
Arts and Business Council of Greater Nashville Inc

Arts & business council of greater nashville supports and promotes the arts by driving collaboration between arts and business that contribute to the creativity, vitality, and prosperity of greater nashville/the regions/the city.

Crime & Legal
6
Tennessee Chamber of Commerce and Industry

The organizations mission is to promote and maintain a business climate favorable to businesses in tennessee.

—
7
Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce

The nashville area chamber of commerce facilitates community leadership to create economic prosperity.

—
8
Tennessee Performing Arts Center (Tpac) Management Corporation

To provide facilities, services, and programs of the highest quality for the greatest benefit of the people, institutions, and communities of the state, and to take a leadership role in fostering the performing arts, arts education,…

Arts & Culture
9
Tennessee Business Leadership Council

The tennessee business leadership council is organized for the primary purpose of promoting the common business interests of its members, and, among other things, it shall support policies that foster economic growth and the general…

Community Improvement
10
The Nashville Chamber Public Benefit Foundation

The nashville chamber public benefit foundation supports the work of the nashville area chamber of commerce through efforts to improve the quality of education, encourage public and private efforts around education, and to facilitate the…

—
11
Tennessee Educational Cooperative

Tennessee educational cooperative's mission is to help all children reach their potential by partnering with parents, schools and communities.

Education
12
Vanderbilt University

See Disclosure Above.

Education

For reference, the grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is East Tennessee Foundation and the most unlike its peers is FoundersForge. Resemblance is measured on each organization’s own IRS 990 mission text; it reflects how work is described, not its quality or impact.

Your grantees are a median of 19 years old; the field is 17. You back the established end — and your money leans older still.

THE FIELDby orgYOUR GRANTEESby number21%17%<5yr14%23%5–10yr17%13%10–20yr16%10%20–35yr14%17%35–55yr17%20%55yr+
THE FIELDby orgYOUR MONEYby value21%17%<5yr14%14%5–10yr17%7%10–20yr16%13%20–35yr14%19%35–55yr17%30%55yr+

The field is 21% startups (under 5 years old) — 17% of your grantees by number, and just 17% of your money.

Closures · last 5 years

The orgs you fund almost never close — 0.0% lost their exemption, against 13% of the field you don’t fund.

orgs you fund
0.0%0/42
the rest of the field
13%
3,399/27,005

Age = years since IRS exemption (a founding proxy). “Closed” = auto-revocation for 3 years of non-filing — a floor on closure, not proof, and bigger established orgs lapse least. Association, not causation.

04the grantee network

37 grantees tracked through their own filings, 2017–2025.

Each one resolved to its own IRS returns and tracked year by year — your grant beside their revenue from every source. Association, dated; never a causal claim.

Counted here: distinct organizations you funded across 2017–2025, not grant rows in a single year — so this will not match the grant count on the cover. 37 of the 42 grantees resolved in that span have returns of their own we could reconcile; the rest are funded organizations whose filings we could not track year by year.

1
Load-bearing (≥25% of a budget)
5
Early backer (in before they grew)
36/37
Grantees still filing
9/37
Grew since you first funded

Where your money sits — by cause, then by grantee

EO COMPANIES — $4,000,000 · PhilanthropyEO COMPANIES+2 more — $40,000 · PhilanthropyMOUNTAIN STATES FOUNDATION — $990,209 · OtherMOUNTAIN STATES FOUNDATIO…Town of Jonesborough — $250,000 · OtherTown of JonesboroughFIRST TENNESSEE DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT — $50,000 · Other+12 more — $163,950 · Other+12 moreMILLIGAN UNIVERSITY — $129,600 · EducationEAST TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION — $125,000 · EducationNISWONGER FOUNDATION INC — $40,000 · EducationDOBYNS BENNETT BAND BOOSTERS CLUB — $35,000 · EducationJeremiah School — $25,000 · EducationFOUNDATION FOR EDUCATIONAL AND DEVE LOPMENTAL OPPORTUNITY SCHOOL — $25,000 · EducationTENNESSEE STATE COLLABORATIVE ON REFORMING EDUCATION — $25,000 · EducationGOVERNOR'S EARLY LITERACY FOUNDATION — $20,000 · EducationAPPALACHIAN BANNER ACADEMY — $20,000 · Education+3 more — $32,257 · EducationKingsport Chamber Foundation Inc — $105,525 · Community ImprovementAPPALACHIAN HIGHLANDS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP INC — $100,000 · Community ImprovementHOMETOWN SERVICE COALITION — $50,000 · Community ImprovementBIPARTISAN POLICY CENTER INC — $67,150 · Public BenefitCARDINAL PRODUCTIONS INC — $25,000 · Public BenefitLEADERSHIP TENNESSEE INC — $25,000 · Public BenefitMusic For All Inc — $20,000 · Arts & CultureBLUE PLUM ORGANIZATION — $15,000 · Arts & CultureINTERNATIONAL STORYTELLING CENTER — $8,500 · Arts & CultureThe Bristol Trainstation Foundation — $7,500 · Arts & CultureGEORGE L CARTER RAILROAD MUSUEM INC — $7,500 · Arts & CultureJUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT OF TRI-CITIES TN/VA INC — $47,000 · International
Philanthropy$4,040,000Other$1,454,159Education$476,857Community Improvement$255,525Public Benefit$117,150Arts & Culture$58,500International$47,000

Each org by its size and your share of it — top-left is where you’re load-bearing

25%50%75%100%$1.0M$10M$100Mgrantee revenue →↑ your share of their budgetEO COMPANIES — $4,000,000 over 1y, 14% of budgetMILLIGAN UNIVERSITY — $129,600 over 2y, 0.1% of budgetEAST TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION — $125,000 over 1y, 0.7% of budgetKingsport Chamber Foundation Inc — $105,525 over 2y, 0.5% of budgetAPPALACHIAN HIGHLANDS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP INC — $100,000 over 1y, 17% of budgetBIPARTISAN POLICY CENTER INC — $67,150 over 1y, 0.2% of budgetHOMETOWN SERVICE COALITION — $50,000 over 1y, 3.9% of budgetJUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT OF TRI-CITIES TN/VA INC — $47,000 over 2y, 26% of budgetNISWONGER FOUNDATION INC — $40,000 over 1y, 0.2% of budgetDOBYNS BENNETT BAND BOOSTERS CLUB — $35,000 over 1y, 5.8% of budgetJeremiah School — $25,000 over 1y, 3.1% of budgetFOUNDATION FOR EDUCATIONAL AND DEVE LOPMENTAL OPPORTUNITY SCHOOL — $25,000 over 1y, 1.5% of budgetVisit Johnson City Foundation Inc — $20,000 over 2y, 3.4% of budgetGOVERNOR'S EARLY LITERACY FOUNDATION — $20,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetGREATER KINGSPORT FAMILY YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION INC — $20,000 over 2y, 0.3% of budgetMusic For All Inc — $20,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetEAST TENNESSEE FOUNDATION — $20,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetAPPALACHIAN BANNER ACADEMY — $20,000 over 1y, 8.8% of budgetTHE COALITION FOR BETTER HEALTH — $20,000 over 1y, 9.7% of budgetAPPALACHIAN MOUNTAIN PROJECT ACCESS INC — $15,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetFoundersForge — $15,000 over 1y, 7.4% of budgetAMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY INC — $14,500 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetBOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF GREATER KINGSPORT INC — $12,500 over 1y, 0.9% of budgetSCIENCE HILL HIGH SCHOOL BAND BOOSTERS INC — $10,000 over 1y, 5.1% of budgetAmerican National Red Cross & Its Constituent Chapters and Branches — $10,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetBARTER FOUNDATION INC STATE THEATRE OF VIRGINIA — $9,550 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetBoys and Girls Club of Elizabethton Carter County Inc — $8,000 over 1y, 0.6% of budgetThe Bristol Trainstation Foundation — $7,500 over 1y, 5.2% of budgetGEORGE L CARTER RAILROAD MUSUEM INC — $7,500 over 1y, 2.1% of budgetBOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF JOHNSON CITY WASHINGTON COUNTY — $4,400 over 1y, 0.5% of budget
Go grantee by grantee — a decade per org, and how each moved after you funded them

A decade per grantee — revenue shaded, your grants as bars, all rows on one timeline.

The grantmakers whose grantees overlap with yours far more than size alone predicts. Each orbits closer the stronger the alignment; the arcs between them show where they also fund each other. Here it reads as a tightly interlocked camp — most of these funders back each other's grantees too.

Mountain States Healt…Wellmont Health SystemEast Tennessee Founda…Eastman Credit UnionSpeedway Children's C…The Community Foundat…Citizens Bank Tri-Cit…Mooneyhan Family Foun…United Way of East Te…Food City Charitable …Tennessee Health Foun…The Blackbaud Giving …
Mountain States Health AllianceTN30.5× affinity12 shared granteesties to 11 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: Mountain States Health Alliance · Wellmont Health System · East Tennessee Foundation · Eastman Credit Union · Speedway Children's Charities · The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee Inc · Citizens Bank Tri-Cities Foundation Ltd · Mooneyhan Family Foundation Inc · United Way of East Tennessee Highlands Inc · Food City Charitable Foundation · Tennessee Health Foundation Inc · The Blackbaud Giving Fund

Affinity is a Gamma-Poisson posterior co-funding rate, re-centered on the typical rate, so thin evidence shrinks toward no signal. A research starting point: overlap is association, not proof of shared intent.

Government reliance of your grantees

Every dot is one organization Ballad Health funds. Left–right is the share of its income from government; up–down is the share from you. Bigger dots raise more. Filter to federal or a single department — and drag the year to watch it move.

2024
’20’21’22’23’24’25
no gov · 00%2%8%17%30%your share of their income ↑0%25%50%75%100%share of the org’s income from government →
    no gov moneyreceives it· size = income
    0get no government money at all
    10report 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

    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 your grant caused the public funding. Coverage is precision-first — a floor, not 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 12–24 months.

    On method. Every financial figure here is read directly from IRS e-file XML — your own 990/990-PF and the multi-year returns of the 42 grantees we resolved across every year we hold, several hundred filings in all (a different count from the grant rows on the cover, which are one fiscal year)— each linked to its source. Grantee achievements and outcomes are each organization’s own program-service reporting (Form 990, Part III); we read these as association with sustained funding — the foundation is one of several forces — suppress low-confidence name matches rather than guess, and say so where a figure rests on a single grant or filing. Not everything on this page is a filed figure, and the difference matters. Filed is what you reported on your 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. How we build these →

    Generated from your IRS Form 990 e-file return for fiscal year 2025, released 2025. Filings run roughly 12–24 months behind; figures are dated accordingly.

    Source object · view filing

    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 camps
    funders cluster by geography, not ideology
    By state
    where grant money is based, and what stays home
    State money flows
    the interactive map of money crossing state lines