Skip to content
Pfister Family Foundation at a glance

· Private foundation

Pfister Family Foundation

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.

$97k
Granted FY2024still arriving
5
Grants FY2024still arriving
2
States reached
$35k
Largest
01What it fundsRead
02The needRead
03Its granteesRead
04Its fieldRead
05Through PlinthRead
01What it funds
0195% classified

What it funded, over time

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

Education$135kCrime & Legal$79kReligion$38kHuman Services$9kHealth$1kYouth Development$540Food & Nutrition$455Philanthropy$150Other$0
02FY2024 · 5 grants

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

By grant size · FY2024

  • Under $10k2 grants · $9k
  • $10k–50k3 grants · $88k
$25,000
Median grant
2
States reached
$381k
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
THE BISHOP'S SCHOOL$35,400
VOICES FOR CHILDREN$27,500
WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY$25,000
MARY STAR OF THE SEA CATHOLIC CHURCH$8,561
LAS PATRONAS$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 (FY17–22, $21k) 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%ST VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY OF MARINETTE: $110 → 12%GILLESPIE SCHOOL: $13k → 11%GILLESPIE SCHOOL: $3k → 11%GILLESPIE SCHOOL: $3k → 11%GILLESPIE SCHOOL: $2k → 11%GILLESPIE SCHOOL: $300 → 11%GILLESPIE SCHOOL: $250 → 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.
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.

97%of every dollar goes to organizations it has funded before.
$257k · 13 repeat orgs$9k to everyone else

Grantees it renews have grown median revenue +30% since the first grant, against +14% for those funded once.

13 repeat relationships: 5 still active in FY2024, 8 since wound down.

How the two cohorts compare

Re-uppedFunded once

Organizations

13
20

Total granted

$257k
$9k

Median revenue growth · since first grant

+30%
+14%

Still filing today

69%
55%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2024, 100% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $0 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
Human ServicesEducationHealthCivil RightsCommunity ImprovementCrime & LegalOther
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

  • VF
    VOICES FOR CHILDREN
    8× · 2017–2024 · $79k · revenue +44%
  • WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY
    2× · 2023–2024 · $50k · revenue +23%
  • TG
    THE GILLISPIE SCHOOL
    6× · 2017–2022 · $21k · revenue +88%

Funded once

  • PF
    PROMISES2KIDS FOUNDATION
    one grant, 2021 · $5k · revenue -12%
  • RM
    RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE CHARITIES - BAY AREA
    one grant, 2017 · $1k · revenue +6%
  • NH
    NATURAL HIGH
    one grant, 2017 · $500 · revenue -75%
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
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
3
San Diego State University Foundation Sdsu Research Foundation

To support and further the research, education and community service objectives of san diego state university.

Education
4
United Way of San Diego County

To spark breakthrough community action that elevates every child and family toward a brighter future.

Philanthropy
5
Associated Students of San Diego State University

To support the social, recreational, cultural and education programs and facilities, both on campus and in the community, and to advocate for student interests, provide leadership opportunities and participate in shared governance.

—
6
San Diego Volunteer Lawyer Program Inc

The mission of san diego volunteer lawyer program, inc. is to provide equal access to the justice system by serving as a bridge between indigent and other disadvantaged people in san diego county and the volunteer lawyers who are willing…

Social Science
7
San Diego Opera Association

Mission: the mission of san diego opera is to deliver exceptional performances and exciting, accessible programs to diverse audiences, focusing on community partnerships, and the transformative and expressive power of the human voice. as…

Arts & Culture
8
San Diego County Credit Union

A not-for-profit credit union wholly owned by its members

—
9
San Diego French-American School

San diego french-american school offers an exceptional bilingual education within a vibrant international community, preparing students to become confident, responsible and engaged global citizens.

—
10
Dominican University of California

Our institutional mission is to educate and prepare students to be ethical leaders and socially responsible global citizens who incorporate the dominican values of study, reflection, community and service into their lives.

Education
11
San Diego Municipal Employees Assn

The san diego municipal employees association (sdmea) is dedicated to being a strong and effective advocate for san diego city employees. sdmea is united to improve employees' standard of living and promote their fair treatment by…

—
12
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
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 Wake Forest 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

20 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. 20 of the 33 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)
2
Early backer (in before they grew)
20/20
Grantees still filing
16/20
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

BISHOP SCHOOL: $62,882 · OtherBISHOP SCHOOLMARY STAR OF THE SEA CATHOLIC CHURCH: $38,142 · OtherMARY STAR OF THE SEA CATHOLIC CHURCHPROMISES2KIDS FOUNDATION: $5,000 · Other+22 more: $7,728 · Other+22 moreVOICES FOR CHILDREN: $78,660 · Civil RightsVOICES FOR CHILDRENWAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY: $50,000 · EducationWAKE FOREST UNIVERSIT…+1 more: $500 · EducationTHE GILLISPIE SCHOOL: $21,313 · Human ServicesTHE GILLI…+1 more: $110 · Human ServicesNATURAL HIGH: $500 · Community ImprovementFEEDING SAN DIEGO: $300 · Food & NutritionST GERMAINE CHILDREN'S CHARITY: $225 · Crime & Legal
Other$113,752Civil Rights$78,660Education$50,500Human Services$21,423Community Improvement$500Food & Nutrition$300Crime & Legal$225

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 budgetVOICES FOR CHILDREN: $78,660 over 8y, 0.3% of budgetWAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY: $50,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetTHE GILLISPIE SCHOOL: $21,313 over 6y, 0.1% of budgetPROMISES2KIDS FOUNDATION: $5,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetLAS PATRONAS: $2,600 over 4y, 0.1% of budgetRONALD MCDONALD HOUSE CHARITIES - BAY AREA: $1,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetCALIFORNIA WESTERN SCHOOL OF LAW: $500 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetNATURAL HIGH: $500 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetSt Madeleine Sophies Center Inc: $500 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetUNIVERSITY OF SAN DIEGO: $500 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetFEEDING SAN DIEGO: $300 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetMAKE-A-WISH FOUNDATION OF SAN DIEGO: $250 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetST GERMAINE CHILDREN'S CHARITY: $225 over 2y, 0.1% of budgetSan Diego County Bar Foundation: $200 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetST VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY OF MARINETTE: $110 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetSAN DIEGO BLOOD BANK: $100 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetSAN DIEGO COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION: $100 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetCENTRO DE SALUD DE LA COMUNIDAD DE SAN YSIDRO INC: $100 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetThe Susan G Komen Breast Cancer Foundation Inc: $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.

The San Diego Foundat…Jewish Community Foun…Sempra FoundationDavid C Copley Founda…Farrell Family Founda…Price Philanthropies …The Conrad Prebys Fou…Gs Donor Advised Phil…Marvin Family Foundat…The Parker FoundationRancho Santa Fe Found…Morgan Stanley Global…
The San Diego FoundationCA26.7× affinity11 shared granteesties to 11 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: The San Diego Foundation · Jewish Community Foundation of San Diego · Sempra Foundation · David C Copley Foundation · Farrell Family Foundation · Price Philanthropies Foundation · The Conrad Prebys Foundation · Gs Donor Advised Philanthropy Fund for Wealth Management Inc · Marvin Family Foundation · The Parker Foundation · Rancho Santa Fe Foundation · Morgan Stanley Global Impact Funding Trust 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 Pfister Family Foundation funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from Pfister Family Foundation. 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%4%8%11%15%share of the org’s income from government →
    no gov moneyreceives it· size = income
    0get no government money at all
    3report government grants on their 990 we could not trace to a source (not plotted)
    0rely on government for over half their income
    ⤢ axis zoomed · 0–15%
    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 Pfister Family Foundation?

    Find your warmest path to Pfister Family 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 33 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 Pfister 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