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Southern Imagination Foundation at a glance

· Private foundation

Southern Imagination Foundation

Its FY2025 filing reports that it funds preselected organizations and did not take unsolicited requests; check the foundation's own site before ruling it out.

$63k
Granted FY2025still arriving
15
Grants FY2025still arriving
4
States reached
$20k
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, FY2018 to 2024.

Philanthropy$166kScience & Tech$82kHuman Services$70kReligion$55kFood & Nutrition$48kInternational$37kEnvironment$33kArts & Culture$29kOther$0
02FY2025 · 15 grants

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

By grant size · FY2025

  • Under $10k12 grants · $15k
  • $10k–50k3 grants · $48k
$1,000
Median grant
4
States reached
$388k
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
FRESH AIR FAMILY$20,000
UNITED WAY$15,000
ROCK N ROLL RESCUE$12,500
SAMARITAN'S PURSE$6,000
Individual grant recipient$2,500
COMMUNITY FOODBANK OF CENTRAL ALABAMA$1,500
WOODLAWN UNITED$1,000
ASHEVILLE BUNCOMBE COMMUNITY CHRISTIAN MINISTRY$1,000
CHRIST HEALTH CENTER$1,000
Individual grant recipient$550
MEDICINE FOR ALL PEOPLE$500
BIRMINGHAM ZOO$500
SALVATION ARMY$450
THE FOUNDRY MINISTRIES$200
FAMILY PROMISE$50
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 (FY21–25, $64k) land where the poverty rate runs at 15%, 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%PUYALLUP FOOD BANK: $10k → 9%TEACHER'S SUPPLY CLOSET: $2k → 12%THE LOVELADY CENTER: $1k → 16%URBAN MINISTRY: $10k → 16%THE FOUNDRY MINISTRIES: $200 → 16%FRESH AIR FAMILY: $20k → 16%FRESH AIR FAMILY: $20k → 16%CHILDCARE RESOURCES: $1k → 16%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.

75%of every dollar goes to organizations it has funded before.
$484k · 15 repeat orgs$159k to everyone else

Grantees it renews have grown median revenue +41% since the first grant, against +29% for those funded once.

15 repeat relationships: 8 still active in FY2025, 7 since wound down; 7 grantees were first funded in FY2025 (too recent to call).

How the two cohorts compare

Re-uppedFunded once

Organizations

15
40

Total granted

$484k
$155k

Median revenue growth · since first grant

+41%
+29%

Still filing today

73%
53%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2025, 93% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $5k went to new ones.

50%100%’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
RenewedFirst-time

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

’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Human ServicesArts & CultureFood & NutritionRecreation & SportsHealthEnvironmentOther
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

  • UNITED WAY OF CENTRAL ALABAMA INC
    8× · 2018–2025 · $118k · revenue +41%
  • SP
    SAMARITAN'S PURSE
    8× · 2018–2025 · $43k · revenue +163%
  • MR
    MEDIA REFORM SC LLC
    4× · 2018–2023 · $22k · revenue +114%

Funded once

  • PV
    PUYALLUP VALLEY FOOD BANK
    one grant, 2020 · $25k
  • UM
    Urban Ministry Inc
    one grant, 2023 · $10k · revenue -33%
  • PF
    PUYALLUP FOOD BANKgraduated
    one grant, 2023 · $10k · revenue +29%
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
Feeding the Carolinas

The mission of the Organization is to coordinate, support, and advocate for member Food Banks across the Carolinas to create lasting solutions to address hunger.

Food & Nutrition
2
Food Bank of Greenwood County

The mission of the food bank of greenwood county is to reduce hunger through community cooperation, effectively distributing donated grocery products and perishable foods, and making the best possible use of all available resources.

Food & Nutrition
3
Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank

Our mission is to feed the hungry in baton rouge and the surrounding parishes by providing food and educational outreach through faith-based and other community partners.

—
4
Second Chance Foods Inc

Second Chance Foods (SCF or the Organization) is dedicated to reducing food waste by rescuing food that would otherwise be discarded, reducing hunger on a local basis while elevating the health of those served by the program, and reducing…

Food & Nutrition
5
Food Bank of Eastern Michigan

The Food Bank of Eastern Michigan's mission is to be the Food Source for people in need. Partnering with organizations to feed the hungry, we advocate and build a community solution to a community problem. By leveraging an abundance of…

Food & Nutrition
6
The Cooperative Ministry

The organization's mission is to increase the economic self-sufficiency of people experiencing poverty in the Midlands through crisis assistance and sustainability programs. The Ministry provides guidance, counseling, referrals, and direct…

Human Services
7
Charleston Habitat for Humanity Inc

Charleston Habitat for Humanitys (CHFH) vision is a world where everyone has a decent place to live. Seeking to put God's love into action, Charleston Habitat for Humanity brings people together to build homes, communities, and hope. By…

—
8
UrbanPromise Charlotte

Provide Charlotte's low-income children and youth with the academic, spiritual, and social development necessary to become Christian leaders determined to restore their communities.

Youth Development
9
A Hand Up Ministries

Our mission is to see communities transformed by the Gospel through loving, serving, sharing, and sending. We accomplish this mission through local partnership, training, and service opportunities while advocating and empowering…

Religion
10
South Carolina Aquarium

Our mission is to inspire conservation of the natural world by exhibiting and caring for animals, by excelling in education and research, and by providing an exceptional visitor experience.

Animals
11
Community Kitchens of Birmingham

Assistance to homeless and needy persons.

Food & Nutrition
12
Community Kitchen Inc of Myrtle Beach

The mission is to feed the hungry and eliminate hunger in our community. last year, we fed over 101,000 adults in our general feeding program and nourished 32,644 children in our childrens hunger initiative program (chip). every person who…

Food & Nutrition
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is The Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham; the most unlike its peers is Samaritan's Purse. 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, 2017–2025.

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. 37 of the 63 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)
36/37
Grantees still filing
28/37
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF THE ADVENT: $55,068 · OtherCATHEDRAL CHURCH OF THE ADVENTYWCA: $55,000 · OtherYWCAPUYALLUP VALLEY FOOD BANK: $25,000 · OtherPUYALLUP VALLEY FOOD BANKWOODLAWN UNITED INC: $10,500 · OtherTURN90: $9,500 · Other+40 more: $126,484 · Other+40 moreUNITED WAY OF CENTRAL ALABAMA INC: $118,000 · PhilanthropyUNITED WAY OF CENTRAL ALA…THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF GREATER BIRMINGHAM: $32,000 · PhilanthropyTHE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION …PACIFIC SCIENCE CENTER FOUNDATION: $75,000 · Arts & CulturePACIFIC SCIENCE …MEDIA REFORM SC LLC: $22,000 · Arts & CultureMEDIA REFORM SC …+2 more: $3,000 · Arts & CultureFRESH AIR FAMILY INC: $40,000 · Human ServicesFRESH AIR F…Urban Ministry Inc: $10,000 · Human ServicesUrban Minis…PUYALLUP FOOD BANK: $10,000 · Human ServicesPUYALLUP FO…I GOT LEGS: $4,500 · Human ServicesI GOT LEGS+4 more: $4,200 · Human Services+4 moreSAMARITAN'S PURSE: $43,000 · ReligionRock n Roll Rescue: $17,500 · EducationCHARLESTON WATERKEEPER: $12,500 · EnvironmentGreen Heart Project Inc: $2,000 · Environment
Other$281,552Philanthropy$150,000Arts & Culture$100,000Human Services$68,700Religion$43,000Education$17,500Environment$14,500

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 budgetUNITED WAY OF CENTRAL ALABAMA INC: $118,000 over 8y, 0.0% of budgetPACIFIC SCIENCE CENTER FOUNDATION: $75,000 over 3y, 0.2% of budgetSAMARITAN'S PURSE: $43,000 over 8y, 0.0% of budgetFRESH AIR FAMILY INC: $40,000 over 2y, 4.8% of budgetTHE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF GREATER BIRMINGHAM: $32,000 over 4y, 0.0% of budgetMEDIA REFORM SC LLC: $22,000 over 4y, 19% of budgetRock n Roll Rescue: $17,500 over 2y, 21% of budgetCHARLESTON WATERKEEPER: $12,500 over 2y, 3.8% of budgetWOODLAWN UNITED INC: $10,500 over 5y, 0.3% of budgetUrban Ministry Inc: $10,000 over 1y, 0.7% of budgetPUYALLUP FOOD BANK: $10,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetTURN90: $9,500 over 2y, 0.5% of budgetBirmingham Zoo Inc: $7,334 over 5y, 0.0% of budgetWARRIOR SURF FOUNDATION: $5,000 over 1y, 0.9% of budgetHEALING FARM MINISTRIES: $5,000 over 1y, 2.1% of budgetQUEST IN RECOVERY: $5,000 over 1y, 4.1% of budgetMANNA FOOD BANK INC: $5,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetRED MOUNTAIN PARK FOUNDATION: $3,000 over 2y, 0.4% of budgetAMOR HEALING KITCHEN INC: $2,000 over 1y, 2.2% of budgetOne-Eighty Place: $2,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetDARKNESS TO LIGHT INC: $2,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetGreen Heart Project Inc: $2,000 over 1y, 0.2% of budgetLOWCOUNTRY FOOD BANK INC: $2,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetEnough Pie: $2,000 over 1y, 1.8% of budgetTEACHERS SUPPLY CLOSET: $2,000 over 1y, 0.4% of budgetBIRMINGHAM LANDMARKS INC: $2,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetWindwood Farm Home For Children Inc: $2,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetKIDS ON POINT INC: $2,000 over 1y, 0.2% of budgetLowcountry Local First: $2,000 over 1y, 0.2% of budgetMCWANE SCIENCE CENTER: $1,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetCHILDCARE RESOURCES: $1,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetFREEDOM RAIN INC: $1,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetTHE FOUNDRY MINISTRIES INC: $200 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 UNITED WAY OF CENTRAL ALABAMA INC ↗
  • Who funds PACIFIC SCIENCE CENTER FOUNDATION ↗
  • Who funds SAMARITAN'S PURSE ↗
  • Who funds FRESH AIR FAMILY INC ↗
  • Who funds THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF GREATER BIRMINGHAM ↗
  • Who funds MEDIA REFORM SC LLC ↗
  • Who funds Rock n Roll Rescue ↗
  • Who funds CHARLESTON WATERKEEPER ↗
  • Who funds WOODLAWN UNITED INC ↗
  • Who funds Urban Ministry Inc ↗
  • Who funds PUYALLUP FOOD BANK ↗
  • Who funds TURN90 ↗
  • Who funds Birmingham Zoo Inc ↗
  • Who funds WARRIOR SURF FOUNDATION ↗
  • Who funds HEALING FARM MINISTRIES ↗
  • Who funds QUEST IN RECOVERY ↗
  • Who funds MANNA FOOD BANK INC ↗
  • Who funds I GOT LEGS ↗
  • Who funds GOING PLACES ↗
  • Who funds RED MOUNTAIN PARK FOUNDATION ↗
  • Who funds AMOR HEALING KITCHEN INC ↗
  • Who funds One-Eighty Place ↗
  • Who funds DARKNESS TO LIGHT INC ↗
  • Who funds Green Heart Project 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.

The Joanna FoundationCoastal Community Fou…The Daniel Foundation…Mike and Gillian Good…Susan Mott Webb Chari…Protective Life Found…The Community Foundat…Harold M Henderson Be…Nall-Whatley Foundati…Arlington Partners Ch…The Hugh Kaul Foundat…Dunn-French Foundation
The Joanna FoundationSC28.2× affinity11 shared granteesties to 6 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: The Joanna Foundation · Coastal Community Foundation of South Carolina Inc · The Daniel Foundation of Alabama · Mike and Gillian Goodrich Foundation · Susan Mott Webb Charitable Trust · Protective Life Foundation · The Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham · Harold M Henderson Benevolent Fund · Nall-Whatley Foundation · Arlington Partners Charitable Foundation Inc · The Hugh Kaul Foundation · Dunn-French 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 Southern Imagination Foundation funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from Southern Imagination Foundation. Bigger dots raise more.

2024
’20’21’22’23’24’25
no gov · 00%2%6%14%25%funder's 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
    13report 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 63 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 Southern Imagination’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