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Powell Charitable Foundation at a glance

· Private foundation

Powell Charitable 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.

$550k
Granted FY2024still arriving
58
Grants FY2024still arriving
9
States reached
$75k
Largest
01What it fundsRead
02The needRead
03Its granteesRead
04Its fieldRead
01What it funds
0197% classified

What it funded, over time

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

Religion$1.1MEducation$1.1MHuman Services$470kArts & Culture$196kHealth$189kFood & Nutrition$90kYouth Development$68kRecreation & Sports$49kOther$0
02FY2024 · 58 grants

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

By grant size · FY2024

  • Under $10k39 grants · $179k
  • $10k–50k18 grants · $296k
  • $50k–250k1 grant · $75k
$6,000
Median grant
9
States reached
$11M
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
Individual grant recipient$75,000
FAITH CHRISTIAN CHURCH$40,000
STAR COMMUNITY$35,000
VALLEY BIBLE CHURCH$27,500
E&H COLLEGE$25,000
STAR CITY SOCCER FOUNDATION$17,500
RALLY FOR THE VALLEY$15,000
Individual grant recipient$14,500
EAST SALEM ELEMENTARY SCHOOL$12,000
GW CARVER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL$12,000
WEST SALEM ELEMENTARY SCHOOL$12,000
SOUTH SALEM ELEMENTARY SCHOOL$12,000
ANDREW LEWIS MIDDLE SCHOOL$12,000
SALVATION ARMY$11,000
BLUE RIDGE WOMEN'S CENTER$10,500
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 (FY17–24, $315k) land where the poverty rate runs at 13%, against an area that typically sits at 9%. 99% of those dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Most of its grants land in higher-need ZIPs.

area typical 9%STAR COMMUNITY: $60k → 12%STAR COMMUNITY: $45k → 12%TURN THE PAGE: $3k → 8%STAR COMMUNITY: $35k → 12%STAR COMMUNITY: $35k → 12%STAR COMMUNITY: $35k → 12%STAR COMMUNITY: $35k → 12%STAR COMMUNITY: $30k → 12%RESCUE MISSION MINISTRIES: $9k → 20%RESCUE MISSION MINISTRIES: $7k → 20%RESCUE MISSION MINISTRIES: $4k → 20%FRIENDSHIP HOUSE ROANOKE: $3k → 20%RESCUE MISSION MINISTRIES: $4k → 20%RESCUE MISSION MINISTRIES: $4k → 20%RESCUE MISSION MINISTRIES: $4k → 20%RESCUE MISSION MINISTRIES: $4k → 20%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

ID
NY
SD
PA
CA
CO
WV
VA
MD
TN
NC
SC
TX
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.

93%of every dollar goes to organizations it has funded before.
$3.2M · 61 repeat orgs$257k to everyone else

Grantees it renews have grown median revenue +50% since the first grant, against +27% for those funded once.

61 repeat relationships: 43 still active in FY2024, 18 since wound down; 15 grantees were first funded in FY2024 (too recent to call).

How the two cohorts compare

Re-uppedFunded once

Organizations

61
31

Total granted

$3.2M
$148k

Median revenue growth · since first grant

+50%
+27%

Still filing today

44%
39%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2024, 80% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $108k went to new ones.

50%100%’17’19’20’21’22’23’24
RenewedFirst-time

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

’17’19’20’21’22’23’24
ReligionHuman ServicesHealthEducationArts & CultureAnimalsOther
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

  • SC
    STAR COMMUNITY INC
    7× · 2017–2024 · $275k · revenue +50%
  • FC
    Faith Christian School Inc
    7× · 2017–2024 · $255k · revenue +21%
  • RC
    ROANOKE CULTURAL ENDOWMENT
    6× · 2019–2024 · $70k · revenue +170%

Funded once

  • RM
    RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE
    one grant, 2020 · $25k
  • FU
    FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
    one grant, 2017 · $25k
  • SS
    SALEM SPORTS FOUNDATION INC
    one grant, 2017 · $15k
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 Rescue Mission Foundation

The rescue mission foundation, inc. is an endowment fund organized for the support of the charitable purposes of the rescue mission of roanoke, inc., a related 501 (c)(3) organization, which seeks to minister to the whole person and…

—
2
Roanoke Symphony Orchestra

The Roanoke Symphony Orchestra provides a professional symphony orchestra of artistic excellence and integrity to enrich lives, to educate, and to entertain diverse audiences in western Virginia with the highest quality instrumental and…

Arts & Culture
3
Roane County Family Health Care Inc

The mission of roane family health care is to exceed the quality of care that our patients deserve and expect while surpassing community needs through innovative technology.

Health
4
Western Carolina Rescue Ministries Inc

Provide food, shelter, rehabilitation and christian ministry to the poor and homeless

Housing & Shelter
5
Roanoke Valley Rescue Squad Inc

Provide emergency medical services, emergency medical trasportation, and search and rescue of missing persons.

Health
6
The Raleigh Rescue Mission Inc

Believing every individual has sacred value, we equip people to impact the world for good through the love of jesus christ.

Human Services
7
Bon Secours - Richmond Health System Inc

The mission is to bring compassion to health care and to be good to those in need, especially those who are poor and dying. as a system of caregivers, we commit ourselves to help bring people and communities to health and wholeness.

Health
8
Redemption Ridge

Redemption Ridge is dedicated to bringing hope and healing to young girls rescued from the horrendous world of sex trafficking. We are committed to redeeming lives, restoring dignity and placing purpose in hearts of these precious children.

—
9
Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce

The Chamber is a Business Advocate for the Roanoke Region.

—
10
Roane County Medical Center

Roane County Medical Center provides quality healthcare, in alignment with Covenant Health's mission to serve the community by improving the quality of life through better health, regardless of a patient's ability to pay.

Health
11
First Fruit Ministries

First fruit ministries shares the unconditional love of god through outreach and supportive housing for people experiencing homelessness or trafficking in southeastern north carolina.

Religion
12
Roanoke Park Counseling

We unite to create a safe place to achieve a crucial mission: to restore the hope and dignity of adults who have been sexually abused in childhood through specialized and affordable therapy, community education and public advocacy.

Health
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is Star Community Inc; the most unlike its peers is Valley Select. 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

42 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. 42 of the 107 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)
11
Early backer (in before they grew)
42/42
Grantees still filing
30/42
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

Individual grant recipient: $337,000 · OtherIndividual grant recipientE&H COLLEGE: $315,000 · OtherE&H COLLEGEIndividual grant recipient: $204,850 · OtherIndividual grant recipientVALLEY BIBLE CHURCH OF RADFORD INC: $170,000 · OtherVALLEY BIBLE CHURCH OF RADFORD INC+83 more: $1,546,680 · Other+83 moreSTAR COMMUNITY INC: $275,000 · Human ServicesSTAR COMMU…THE RESCUE MISSION OF ROANOKE INC: $35,250 · Human ServicesTHE RESCUE…+2 more: $5,000 · Human ServicesFaith Christian School Inc: $254,500 · EducationFaith Chr…ROANOKE COLLEGE: $15,000 · EducationSTEPHEN SILLER TUNNEL TO TOWERS FOUNDATION: $15,000 · EducationBLUE RIDGE WOMEN'S CENTER INC: $45,500 · HealthMASTERPIECE ALLIANCE: $44,000 · HealthST JUDE CHILDREN'S RESEARCH HOSPITAL INC: $15,000 · Health+1 more: $1,000 · HealthROANOKE CULTURAL ENDOWMENT: $70,000 · Arts & CultureROANOKE VALLEY CHILDRENS CHOIR INC: $3,500 · Arts & Culture+1 more: $1,000 · Arts & CultureYOUNG LIFE: $60,500 · Youth DevelopmentBONHOEFFER HAUS: $25,500 · ReligionYOUTH EVANGELISM STRATEGIES INC: $10,000 · ReligionSAMARITAN'S PURSE: $6,000 · ReligionSalem Area Ecumenical Ministries: $5,375 · ReligionDEEPER STILL: $5,000 · Religion
Other$2,573,530Human Services$315,250Education$284,500Health$105,500Arts & Culture$74,500Youth Development$60,500Religion$51,875

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 budgetSTAR COMMUNITY INC: $275,000 over 7y, 0.4% of budgetFaith Christian School Inc: $254,500 over 7y, 1.8% of budgetROANOKE CULTURAL ENDOWMENT: $70,000 over 6y, 2.6% of budgetYOUNG LIFE: $60,500 over 7y, 0.0% of budgetBLUE RIDGE WOMEN'S CENTER INC: $45,500 over 7y, 0.8% of budgetMASTERPIECE ALLIANCE: $44,000 over 5y, 6.5% of budgetTHE RESCUE MISSION OF ROANOKE INC: $35,250 over 7y, 0.2% of budgetBONHOEFFER HAUS: $25,500 over 5y, 4.5% of budgetRoanoke Area Ministries: $25,500 over 7y, 0.6% of budgetRESTORATION HOUSING INC: $25,500 over 6y, 0.9% of budgetBLUE RIDGE LEGAL SERVICES INC: $20,000 over 4y, 0.2% of budgetHEALING STRIDES OF VIRGINIA: $18,000 over 6y, 1.0% of budgetAPPLE RIDGE FARM INC: $16,400 over 7y, 0.5% of budgetCHILD HEALTH INVESTMENT PARTNERSHIP DBA CHIP OF ROANOKE VALLEY: $16,000 over 3y, 0.4% of budgetROANOKE COLLEGE: $15,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetSTEPHEN SILLER TUNNEL TO TOWERS FOUNDATION: $15,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetST JUDE CHILDREN'S RESEARCH HOSPITAL INC: $15,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetBRADLEY FREE CLINIC OF ROANOKE VALLEY INC: $15,000 over 3y, 0.1% of budgetROANOKE REFUGEE PARTNERSHIP: $14,000 over 4y, 12% of budgetBlue Ridge Literacy Council Inc: $12,000 over 2y, 5.9% of budgetAPPALACHIAN TRAIL CONSERVANCY: $10,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetSALEM RESCUE SQUAD INC: $10,000 over 2y, 5.1% of budgetYOUTH EVANGELISM STRATEGIES INC: $10,000 over 2y, 2.3% of budgetMERCY MULTIPLIED AMERICA INC: $10,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetLIFE RING FOUNDATION: $8,500 over 1y, 0.5% of budgetSAMARITAN'S PURSE: $6,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetSalem Area Ecumenical Ministries: $5,375 over 1y, 3.3% of budgetDEEPER STILL: $5,000 over 4y, 0.3% of budgetTHE ROANOKE VALLEY SOCIETY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO ANIMALS: $4,000 over 2y, 0.2% of budgetROANOKE VALLEY CHILDRENS CHOIR INC: $3,500 over 1y, 1.1% of budgetRAFIKI FOUNDATION INC: $3,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetBrother Wolf Animal Rescue Inc: $3,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetFRIENDSHIP HOUSE ROANOKE INC: $2,500 over 1y, 0.6% of budgetTURN THE PAGE INC: $2,500 over 1y, 7.6% of budgetFEEDING SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA: $2,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetBLUE RIDGE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF VIRGINIA INC DBA MILL MOUNTAIN ZOO: $1,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetFRIENDS OF SMYTH CHAPEL INC: $1,000 over 1y, 0.9% of budgetBROTHER'S BROTHER FOUNDATION: $1,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetCAROLINA FARM TRUST INC: $1,000 over 1y, 0.3% of budgetAMYOTROPHIC LATERAL SCLEROSIS ASSN: $1,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetVALLEY SELECT: $375 over 1y, 0.2% 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 STAR COMMUNITY INC ↗
  • Who funds Faith Christian School Inc ↗
  • Who funds ROANOKE CULTURAL ENDOWMENT ↗
  • Who funds YOUNG LIFE ↗
  • Who funds BLUE RIDGE WOMEN'S CENTER INC ↗
  • Who funds MASTERPIECE ALLIANCE ↗
  • Who funds THE RESCUE MISSION OF ROANOKE INC ↗
  • Who funds BONHOEFFER HAUS ↗
  • Who funds Roanoke Area Ministries ↗
  • Who funds RESTORATION HOUSING INC ↗
  • Who funds BLUE RIDGE LEGAL SERVICES INC ↗
  • Who funds HEALING STRIDES OF VIRGINIA ↗

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.

Community Foundation …Robertson Family Foun…Farrell FoundationEdgar a Thurman Fdn C…United Way of Virgini…Ge Aerospace Foundati…James a Meador Founda…The Newbern FoundationWestern Virginia Envi…The Helen C Cobbs Fou…Investco FoundationMuse Family Foundatio…
Community Foundation Serving Western VirginiaVA29.9× affinity12 shared granteesties to 11 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: Community Foundation Serving Western Virginia · Robertson Family Foundation Inc · Farrell Foundation · Edgar a Thurman Fdn Children Nect · United Way of Virginia's Blue Ridge Inc · Ge Aerospace Foundation · James a Meador Foundation · The Newbern Foundation · Western Virginia Environmental and Social Trust Foundation · The Helen C Cobbs Foundation · Investco Foundation · Muse Family Foundation Co Elizabeth Muse

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

2024
’20’21’22’23’24’25
no gov · 10%1%4%8%15%funder's share of their income ↑0%25%50%75%100%share of the org’s income from government →median 2%
  • Star Community Inc: 2% of income from government
no gov moneyreceives it· size = income
1get no government money at all
11report 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.

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 107 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 Powell’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