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Sage Foundation at a glance

· Private foundation

Sage 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.

$5.2M
Granted FY2024still arriving
18
Grants FY2024still arriving
7
States reached
$1.5M
Largest
01What it fundsRead
02The needRead
03Its granteesRead
04Its fieldRead
01What it funds
0199% classified

What it funded, over time

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

Arts & Culture$31MEducation$5.1MPublic Benefit$2.0MAnimals$1.6MRecreation & Sports$277kHuman Services$222kPhilanthropy$70kOther$0
02FY2024 · 18 grants

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

By grant size · FY2024

  • $10k–50k3 grants · $64k
  • $50k–250k8 grants · $818k
  • $250k+7 grants · $4.3M
$150,000
Median grant
7
States reached
$54M
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
Individual grant recipient$1,500,000
E-TOWN$1,000,000
CENTRUM FOUNDATION$600,000
MUSIC IS EXTRAORDINARY INC$400,000
OJAI VALLEY SCHOOL EQUESTRIAN PROGRAM$277,226
CELTIC ARTS FOUNDATION$260,000
THE STEEL GUITAR HALL OF FAME INC$250,000
BARMORAL SCHOOL OF PIPING$155,000
SING FOR AMERICA FOUNDATION$150,000
LOS CENZONTIES MEXICAN ARTS CENTER$125,000
ANGEL RESOURCE CONNECTION$122,000
ARHOOLIE FOUNDATION$100,000
UL LAYFAYETTE FOUNDATION$60,000
SEATTLE FOLKLORE SOCIETY$56,000
Individual grant recipient$50,000
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 (FY24–24, $122k) land where the poverty rate runs at 9%, 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%ANGEL RESOURCE CONNECTION: $122k → 9%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

WA
NY
MA
PA
CT
CA
CO
MO
VA
MD
TN
DC
LA
TX
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.

72%of every dollar goes to organizations it has funded before.
$30M · 23 repeat orgs$12M to everyone else

23 repeat relationships: 8 still active in FY2024, 15 since wound down; 9 grantees were first funded in FY2024 (too recent to call).

How the two cohorts compare

Re-uppedFunded once

Organizations

23
23

Total granted

$30M
$9.3M

Median revenue growth · since first grant

+22%
+28%

Still filing today

74%
70%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2024, 49% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $2.6M 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
Arts & CultureEnvironmentEducationHuman ServicesOther
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

  • CF
    CENTRUM FOUNDATION
    8× · 2017–2024 · $5.4M · revenue +32% · 33% of their budget
  • ET
    E TOWN
    7× · 2018–2024 · $2.9M · revenue +28% · 34% of their budget
  • OV
    OJAI VALLEY SCHOOL
    4× · 2018–2023 · $2.7M · revenue +0%

Funded once

  • CA
    CELTIC ARTS SUPPORTING ORGANIZATION
    one grant, 2020 · $4.0M · revenue -45% · 100% of their budget
  • CW
    CALIFORNIA WATERFOWL ASSOCIATIONgraduated
    one grant, 2020 · $1.6M · revenue +243%
  • OV
    OJAI VALLEY SCHOOL RESTORE RENEW REBUILD
    one grant, 2020 · $1.0M
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
San Francisco Guzheng Music Society
Arts & Culture
2
Folk Alliance Region - West Farwest

Organize conference for folk musicians

—
3
Bowdoin International Music Festival

The mission of the Bowdoin International Music Festival is to provide gifted young musicians from around the world with an opportunity to study with world-class artists, and to provide audiences with classical music performed to the…

Arts & Culture
4
Foundation for Modern Opera
—
5
Friends of Early Music

Presentation of early music performances.

—
6
Santa Fe Concert Foundation Dba Performance Santa Fe Foundation

To support Santa Fe Concert Association, DBA: Performance Santa Fe

Arts & Culture
7
Americana Music Foundation

The Americana Music Association Foundation was founded to preserve Americana music through education. Our endeavors strengthen understanding, awareness and appreciation of cultural heritage, shine a light on inspiration, and promote the…

Arts & Culture
8
Sebastopol Center for the Arts

Enriching Lives Through the Arts

Arts & Culture
9
Northern California Center for the Arts

The Center for the Arts is a cultural and educational organization that promotes and presents the literary, visual and performing arts for the enrichment of the community.

Arts & Culture
10
Occidental Center for the Arts

Occidental Center for the Arts exists to provide a welcoming and accessible venue for the performing and visual arts in Sonoma County California for local regional national and international artists. our mission is to enrich our community…

Arts & Culture
11
Continuo Arts Foundation Inc

Music Education Performance and Exposure

Arts & Culture
12
Conservation Music
Arts & Culture
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is Celtic Arts Foundation; the most unlike its peers is Steel Guitar Hall of Fame 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

37 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. 37 of the 56 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.

14
Load-bearing (≥25% of a budget)
8
Early backer (in before they grew)
37/37
Grantees still filing
25/37
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

FORTISSIMO: $4,067,211 · OtherFORTISSIMOE TOWN: $2,900,000 · OtherE TOWNFORT WORDEN PDA: $2,020,600 · OtherFORT WORDEN PDAIndividual grant recipient: $1,500,000 · OtherIndividual grant recipientBook-It Repertory Theatre: $1,310,000 · OtherBook-It Repertory TheatreNATIONAL COUNCIL FOR TRADITIONAL ARTS: $1,050,000 · OtherNATIONAL COUNCIL FOR TRADITIONAL ARTSOJAI VALLEY SCHOOL RESTORE RENEW REBUILD: $1,000,000 · OtherBERKELEY SOCIETY FOR PRESERVATION OF MUSIC: $900,000 · OtherSteel Guitar Hall of Fame Inc: $700,000 · Other+15 more: $3,608,347 · Other+15 moreCENTRUM FOUNDATION: $5,356,153 · Arts & CultureCENTRUM FOUNDATIONCELTIC ARTS SUPPORTING ORGANIZATION: $4,000,000 · Arts & CultureCELTIC ARTS SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONArhoolie Foundation: $2,100,000 · Arts & CultureArhoolie FoundationGRABHORN INSTITUTE: $1,200,000 · Arts & CultureGRABHORN INSTITUTECOUNTRY DANCE AND SONG SOCIETY INC: $800,000 · Arts & CultureCELTIC ARTS FOUNDATION: $700,000 · Arts & Culture+20 more: $4,102,863 · Arts & Culture+20 moreOJAI VALLEY SCHOOL: $2,700,000 · Education+1 more: $10,000 · EducationCALIFORNIA WATERFOWL ASSOCIATION: $1,650,000 · EnvironmentASHOKAN CENTER INC: $485,000 · EnvironmentANGEL RESOURCE CONNECTION: $122,000 · Human ServicesCommunity Foundation of Acadiana: $10,000 · Philanthropy
Other$19,056,158Arts & Culture$18,259,016Education$2,710,000Environment$2,135,000Human Services$122,000Philanthropy$10,000

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 budgetCENTRUM FOUNDATION: $5,356,153 over 8y, 33% of budgetFORTISSIMO: $4,067,211 over 6y, 6.0% of budgetCELTIC ARTS SUPPORTING ORGANIZATION: $4,000,000 over 1y, 100% of budgetE TOWN: $2,900,000 over 7y, 34% of budgetOJAI VALLEY SCHOOL: $2,700,000 over 4y, 7.0% of budgetArhoolie Foundation: $2,100,000 over 7y, 95% of budgetCALIFORNIA WATERFOWL ASSOCIATION: $1,650,000 over 1y, 14% of budgetBook-It Repertory Theatre: $1,310,000 over 7y, 22% of budgetGRABHORN INSTITUTE: $1,200,000 over 6y, 37% of budgetCOUNTRY DANCE AND SONG SOCIETY INC: $800,000 over 4y, 21% of budgetCELTIC ARTS FOUNDATION: $700,000 over 3y, 27% of budgetSteel Guitar Hall of Fame Inc: $700,000 over 3y, 100% of budgetRADIO PORT TOWNSEND: $580,000 over 2y, 41% of budgetBERKELEY SOCIETY FOR THE PRESERVATION OF TRADITIONAL MUSIC: $550,000 over 2y, 7.0% of budgetASHOKAN CENTER INC: $485,000 over 4y, 14% of budgetSMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION: $475,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetLos Cenzontles Mexican Arts Center: $450,000 over 4y, 12% of budgetMUSIC IS EXTRAORDINARY INC: $400,000 over 1y, 54% of budgetSierra Music and Arts Institute: $300,000 over 1y, 72% of budgetSING FOR AMERICA FOUNDATION: $300,000 over 2y, 71% of budgetSEATTLE FOLKLORE SOCIETY INC: $193,164 over 6y, 44% of budgetNATIONAL COUNCIL FOR THE TRADITIONAL ARTS: $150,000 over 1y, 7.7% of budgetPBS FOUNDATION: $150,000 over 1y, 0.9% of budgetANGEL RESOURCE CONNECTION: $122,000 over 1y, 86% of budgetASSOCIATION FOR THE LIBERTY THEATRE OF E: $100,000 over 1y, 100% of budgetBLACK FRET DBA SONIC GUILD: $100,000 over 1y, 8.2% of budgetTHE DAWN REDWOODS CHARITABLE TRUST: $100,000 over 1y, 18% of budgetFOLK ALLIANCE INTERNATIONAL: $68,000 over 1y, 4.6% of budgetCOLLINGS FOUNDATION INC: $61,449 over 1y, 1.3% of budgetCOUNTRY MUSIC FOUNDATION INC: $60,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetCinnabar Arts Corporation: $50,000 over 1y, 5.0% of budgetLOUISIANA FOLK ROOTS INC: $30,000 over 1y, 14% of budgetInterMusic SF: $24,000 over 1y, 2.5% of budgetCommunity Foundation of Acadiana: $10,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetTHE EVERGREEN SCHOOL: $10,000 over 1y, 0.1% 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 CENTRUM FOUNDATION ↗
  • Who funds FORTISSIMO ↗
  • Who funds CELTIC ARTS SUPPORTING ORGANIZATION ↗
  • Who funds E TOWN ↗
  • Who funds OJAI VALLEY SCHOOL ↗
  • Who funds Arhoolie Foundation ↗
  • Who funds CALIFORNIA WATERFOWL ASSOCIATION ↗
  • Who funds Book-It Repertory Theatre ↗
  • Who funds GRABHORN INSTITUTE ↗
  • Who funds COUNTRY DANCE AND SONG SOCIETY INC ↗
  • Who funds CELTIC ARTS FOUNDATION ↗
  • Who funds Steel Guitar Hall of Fame Inc ↗
  • Who funds RADIO PORT TOWNSEND ↗
  • Who funds BERKELEY SOCIETY FOR THE PRESERVATION OF TRADITIONAL MUSIC ↗
  • Who funds ASHOKAN CENTER INC ↗
  • Who funds SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION ↗
  • Who funds Los Cenzontles Mexican Arts Center ↗
  • Who funds MUSIC IS EXTRAORDINARY INC ↗
  • Who funds Sierra Music and Arts Institute ↗
  • Who funds SING FOR AMERICA FOUNDATION ↗
  • Who funds SEATTLE FOLKLORE SOCIETY INC ↗
  • Who funds NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR THE TRADITIONAL ARTS ↗
  • Who funds PBS FOUNDATION ↗
  • Who funds ANGEL RESOURCE CONNECTION ↗
  • Who funds ASSOCIATION FOR THE LIBERTY THEATRE OF E ↗
  • Who funds BLACK FRET DBA SONIC GUILD ↗

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 Francisco Fou…Mid Atlantic Arts IncArtsfundSeattle FoundationGrammy Museum Foundat…The Miner Anderson Fa…Marin Community Found…The William & Flora H…The Yelp FoundationNational Philanthropi…Silicon Valley Commun…Vanguard Charitable E…
The San Francisco FoundationCA17.6× affinity8 shared granteesties to 11 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: The San Francisco Foundation · Mid Atlantic Arts Inc · Artsfund · Seattle Foundation · Grammy Museum Foundation Inc · The Miner Anderson Family Foundation · Marin Community Foundation · The William & Flora Hewlett Foundation · The Yelp Foundation · National Philanthropic Trust · Silicon Valley Community Foundation · Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program

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

2024
’20’21’22’23’24’25
no gov · 20%6%25%56%100%funder's share of their income ↑0%23%45%68%90%share of the org’s income from government →median 53%
  • National Council for the Traditional Arts: 53% of income from government
no gov moneyreceives it· size = income
2get no government money at all
11report government grants on their 990 we could not trace to a source (not plotted)
1rely on government for over half their income
⤢ axis zoomed · 0–90%
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 56 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 Sage’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