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Robert and Patricia Switzer Foundation at a glance

· Private foundation

Robert and Patricia Switzer Foundation

Its FY2025 filing reports that it accepted unsolicited grant applications.

$476k
Granted FY2025still arriving
5
Grants FY2025still arriving
2
States reached
$170k
Largest
01What it fundsRead
02The needRead
03Its granteesRead
04Its fieldRead
05Through PlinthRead
01What it funds
01100% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2017 to 2025.

Environment$2.5MEmployment$106kHousing & Shelter$43kHealth$22kArts & Culture$10kPhilanthropy$2kCommunity Improvement$500Science & Tech$500
02FY2025 · 5 grants

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

By grant size · FY2025

  • $10k–50k1 grant · $26k
  • $50k–250k4 grants · $450k
$60,000
Median grant
2
States reached
$17M
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
Fellowship Prog Grants Appr Prior F$170,000
Fellowship Prog Grants Appr Curr FY$170,000
Community Water Center$60,000
Frontline Catalysts$50,000
Individual grant recipient$26,156
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:

Dollar for dollar, its grants (FY17–25) land where the poverty rate runs at 12%, against an area that typically sits at 9%. 93% of its dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Most of its grants land in higher-need ZIPs.

area typical 9%Woodwell Climate Research Center: $58k → 8%Silent Spring Institute: $22k → 8%Carnegie Museum of Natural History: $10k → 11%Waterways Restoration Institute: $25k → 9%Arctos Consortium -Community Initia: $40k → 10%Environmental Health Coalition: $25k → 11%California Native Plant Society: $25k → 12%Community Water Center: $60k → 18%ReAL Edgemere CLT: $43k → 13%Confluence Philanthropy: $2k → 17%EcoAdapt: $500 → 10%Earth Science Information Partners: $40k → 6%American Bird Conservancy: $5k → 5%New Hampshire Sustainable Energy As: $25k → 7%Association of State Wetland Manage: $15k → 7%Fellowship Program Grants 2022: $170k → 13%Frontline Catalysts: $60k → 10%Community Water Center: $550 → 18%March for Science: $500 → 17%Fellowship Prog Grants Appr Prior F: $170k → 13%Frontline Catalysts: $50k → 10%Hester Street Collaborative: $500 → 17%Fellowship Prog Grants Appr Current: $170k → 13%Fellowship Prog Grants Appr Prior F: $170k → 13%Fellowship Prog Grants - Appr Prior: $170k → 13%Fellowship Program Grants: $150k → 13%Fellowship Program Grants: $150k → 13%Fellowship Program Grants: $150k → 13%Fellowship Program Grants 2021: $150k → 13%Fellowship Program Grants: $150k → 13%Professional Development Grants: $49k → 13%Professional Development Grants: $26k → 13%Professional Development Grants: $17k → 13%Professional Development Grants: $13k → 13%Other Grants: $12k → 13%Professional Development Grants: $11k → 13%Other Grants: $7k → 13%Professional Development Grant: $6k → 13%Professional Development Grants: $5k → 13%Other Grants: $5k → 13%Professional Development Grants: $5k → 13%Other Grants: $2k → 13%Other Grants: $300 → 13%Other Grants: $200 → 13%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

ME
NH
WA
NY
MA
PA
CA
MD
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.

63%of every dollar goes to organizations it has funded before.
$1.7M · 9 repeat orgs$1.0M to everyone else

Grantees it renews have grown median revenue +85% since the first grant, against +70% for those funded once.

9 repeat relationships: 5 still active in FY2025, 4 since wound down.

How the two cohorts compare

Re-uppedFunded once

Organizations

9
21

Total granted

$1.7M
$1.0M

Median revenue growth · since first grant

+85%
+70%

Still filing today

44%
38%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2025, 100% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $0 went to new ones.

50%100%’17’18’20’21’22’23’24’25
RenewedFirst-time

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

’17’18’20’21’22’23’24’25
EnvironmentPhilanthropyCommunity ImprovementScience & TechHealthArts & CultureOther
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

  • FC
    Frontline Catalysts
    2× · 2023–2025 · $110k · revenue +82%
  • CW
    Community Water Center
    2× · 2017–2025 · $61k · revenue +248%
  • MI
    MANOMET INC
    2× · 2017–2018 · $33k · revenue +85%

Funded once

  • FP
    Fellowship Prog Grants Appr Current
    one grant, 2023 · $170k
  • IG
    Individual grant recipient
    one grant, 2023 · $170k
  • FP
    Fellowship Program Grants 2022
    one grant, 2022 · $170k
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 Climate Center

The Climate Center is a climate and energy policy nonprofit working to rapidly reduce climate pollution at scale, starting in California.

Education
2
Chile-California Council

The Chile-California Council is a San Francisco-based nonprofit dedicated to developing and promoting joint endeavors and cooperative relations between Chile and California, as well as individuals, legal entities and other institutions in…

International
3
Sustainable Conservation

Sustainable Conservation advances the collaborative stewardship of Californias land, air, and water for the benefit of nature and people. For over three decades, Sustainable Conservation has built coalitions of people with different…

Environment
4
Environment Now
—
5
California Environmental Justice Alliance

Our mission is to fight against fossil fuel executives and industries that have turned our communities into dumping grounds for toxic waste, poisoning our air, water, lan, and bodies. We organize to oppose giant oil refineries, dirty…

Environment
6
Ocean Conservancy

Ocean conservancy unites science, people, and policy to protect our ocean, today and for generations to come.

Environment
7
California Coastkeeper dba California Coastkeeper Alliance

California Coastkeeper Alliance unites Waterkeeper programs statewide to fight for swimmable, fishable, and drinkable waters for all Californians.

Environment
8
Climate Central Inc

Climate central, inc. (the organization") is an independent not-for-profit organization of leading scientists, technology experts and communication professionals that are dedicated to researching and reporting on climate change and its…

Science & Tech
9
National Caucus of Environmental Legislators

The national caucus of environmental legislators empowers a nonpartisan network of legislative champions to protect, conserve, and improve the natural and human environment.

Education
10
Cascade Climate Inc

To accelerate progress in interventions that harness Earths natural systems to stabilize the climate.

Environment
11
Marin City Climate Resilience

Marin City Climate Resilience is an African American-led environmental organization advocating for climate resilience and health justice for Marin City, CA, by promoting equitable planning, resource allocation, and community preparedness.

—
12
Conservation Law Foundation Inc

Conservation law foundation, inc. (clf) protects new england's environment for the benefit of all people and future generations. we use the law, science, and markets to create solutions that preserve and restore our natural resources,…

Environment
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is Woodwell Climate Research Center Inc; the most unlike its peers is Silent Spring Institute Inc. 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

12 grantees tracked through their own filings, 2017–2026.

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 2026, not grant rows in a single year, so this will not match the grant count on the cover. 12 of the 30 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)
7
Early backer (in before they grew)
12/12
Grantees still filing
9/12
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

Fellowship Program Grants: $600,000 · OtherFellowship Program GrantsFellowship Prog Grants Appr Curr FY: $340,000 · OtherFellowship Prog Grants Appr Curr FYFellowship Prog Grants Appr Prior F: $340,000 · OtherFellowship Prog Grants Appr Prior FFellowship Prog Grants Appr Current: $170,000 · OtherFellowship Prog Grants Appr CurrentIndividual grant recipient: $170,000 · OtherIndividual grant recipientFellowship Program Grants 2022: $170,000 · OtherFellowship Program Grants 2022Fellowship Program Grants 2021: $150,000 · OtherFellowship Program Grants 2021Individual grant recipient: $126,526 · OtherIndividual grant recipient+10 more: $224,914 · Other+10 moreFrontline Catalysts: $110,000 · EnvironmentFrontline Cat…ST CROIX ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOCIATION: $80,000 · EnvironmentST CROIX ENVI…Community Water Center: $60,550 · EnvironmentCommunity Wat…MANOMET INC: $33,000 · EnvironmentMANOMET INCEnvironmental Health Coalition: $25,000 · EnvironmentEnvironmental…California Native Plant Society: $25,000 · EnvironmentCalifornia Na…+1 more: $500 · EnvironmentWoodwell Climate Research Center Inc: $57,500 · Science & TechSILENT SPRING INSTITUTE INC: $22,000 · HealthCARNEGIE INSTITUTE: $10,000 · Arts & CultureCONFLUENCE PHILANTHROPY INC: $1,500 · PhilanthropyHester Street Collaborative Inc: $500 · Community Improvement
Other$2,291,440Environment$334,050Science & Tech$57,500Health$22,000Arts & Culture$10,000Philanthropy$1,500Community Improvement$500

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 budgetFrontline Catalysts: $110,000 over 2y, 16% of budgetST CROIX ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOCIATION: $80,000 over 2y, 14% of budgetWoodwell Climate Research Center Inc: $57,500 over 1y, 0.2% of budgetMANOMET INC: $33,000 over 2y, 0.6% of budgetEnvironmental Health Coalition: $25,000 over 1y, 0.8% of budgetCalifornia Native Plant Society: $25,000 over 1y, 0.6% of budgetSILENT SPRING INSTITUTE INC: $22,000 over 1y, 0.9% of budgetCARNEGIE INSTITUTE: $10,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetCONFLUENCE PHILANTHROPY INC: $1,500 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetEcoAdapt: $500 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetHester Street Collaborative Inc: $500 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.

  • Who funds Frontline Catalysts ↗
  • Who funds ST CROIX ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOCIATION ↗
  • Who funds Community Water Center ↗
  • Who funds Woodwell Climate Research Center Inc ↗
  • Who funds MANOMET INC ↗
  • Who funds Environmental Health Coalition ↗
  • Who funds California Native Plant Society ↗
  • Who funds SILENT SPRING INSTITUTE INC ↗
  • Who funds CARNEGIE INSTITUTE ↗
  • Who funds CONFLUENCE PHILANTHROPY INC ↗
  • Who funds EcoAdapt ↗
  • Who funds Hester Street Collaborative Inc ↗

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.

Natural Resources Def…The David and Lucile …The Nature ConservancyAmalgamated Charitabl…Tides FoundationAmerican Endowment Fo…Vanguard Charitable E…American Online Givin…Donor Advised Charita…Fidelity Investments …Amazonsmile Foundation
Natural Resources Defense Council IncNY13.5× affinity4 shared granteesties to 10 of 10Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: Natural Resources Defense Council Inc · The David and Lucile Packard Foundation · The Nature Conservancy · Amalgamated Charitable Foundation Inc · Tides Foundation · American Endowment Foundation · Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program · 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 Robert and Patricia Switzer Foundation funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from Robert and Patricia Switzer Foundation. Bigger dots raise more.

2024
’20’21’22’23’24’25
no gov · 00%1%5%11%20%funder's share of their income ↑0%25%50%75%100%share of the org’s income from government →median 12%
  • Manomet Inc: 12% of income from government
  • Silent Spring Institute Inc: 12% of income from government
  • Woodwell Climate Research Center Inc: 11% of income from government
no gov moneyreceives it· size = income
0get no government money at all
1report 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.
05Through Plinth

Warm introductions · Powered by PlinthPlus

How do I get to Robert and Patricia Switzer Foundation?

Find your warmest path to Robert and Patricia Switzer 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 30 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 2025, released 2025. Filings run roughly 12 to 24 months behind; figures are dated accordingly.

Source object · view filing

Play a game based on Robert and Patricia Switzer’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