Skip to content
Sustainable Path Foundation at a glanceAlso receives grants: funding profile →

· Public charity

Sustainable Path Foundation

Sustainable Path Foundation promotes sustainability and health in the Puget Sound region through collaborative approaches informed by scientific understanding and systems thinking.

$122k
Granted FY2024still arriving
9
Grants FY2024still arriving
1
States reached
$15k
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, FY2019 to 2024.

Environment$557kArts & Culture$45kFood & Nutrition$20kAnimals$10k
02FY2024 · 9 grants

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

$15,000
Median grant
1
States reached
$568k
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
Sustainable Connections$15,000
Northwest Natural Resources Group$15,000
Clean Energy Transition Institute$15,000
Friends of the San Juans$15,000
Center for Sustainable Infrastructure$15,000
Zero Waste Washington$15,000
Toxic Free Future$12,000
WA Conservation Action Education Fund$10,000
Climate Solutions$10,000
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:

Dollar for dollar, its grants (FY19–24) land where the poverty rate runs at 9%, against an area that typically sits at 7%. 98% of its dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Most of its grants land in higher-need ZIPs.

area typical 7%The Whidbey Island Institute: $10k → 7%WA Conservation Action Education Fund: $10k → 9%Puget Sound Bird Observatory: $10k → 9%Center for Sustainable Infrastructure: $15k → 9%Remote Energy: $10k → 9%Friends of the San Juans: $15k → 10%Port Townsend Marine Science Center: $10k → 11%Viva Farms: $10k → 11%Sustainable Connections: $15k → 12%WSU Bread Lab: $15k → 20%Washington Environmental Council: $10k → 9%Center for Sustainable Infrastructure: $10k → 9%Citizens for a Healthy Bay: $10k → 9%Jefferson Land Trust: $10k → 11%Viva Farms: $10k → 11%ReSources: $15k → 12%Sightline Institute: $10k → 9%Center for Sustainable Infrastructure: $10k → 9%NW Straits Foundation: $10k → 12%PCC Farmland Trust: $10k → 9%Center for Sustainable Infrastructure: $10k → 9%Kulshan Carbon Trust: $10k → 12%Sightline Institute: $10k → 9%Center for Sustainable Infrastructure: $10k → 9%ReSources: $10k → 12%Sightline Institute: $10k → 9%Kulshan Carbon Trust: $10k → 12%Northwest Natural Resources Group: $15k → 9%Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association: $10k → 12%Washington Environmental Council: $10k → 9%Northwest Natural Resources Group: $10k → 9%Climate Solutions: $10k → 9%Northwest Natural Resources Group: $10k → 9%Sightline Institute: $10k → 9%Northwest Natural Resources Group: $10k → 9%International Living Future Institute: $10k → 9%Long Live the Kings: $10k → 9%Oceans Initiative: $10k → 9%EarthCorps: $15k → 9%EarthCorps: $10k → 9%Emerald Cities: $10k → 9%Investigate West: $15k → 9%Toxic Free Future: $12k → 9%Investigate West: $10k → 9%Investigate West: $10k → 9%Clean Energy Transition Institute: $15k → 9%Zero Waste Washington: $15k → 9%Clean Energy Transition Institute: $10k → 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.
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.

66%of every dollar goes to organizations it has funded before.
$405k · 11 repeat orgs$207k to everyone else

Grantees it renews have grown median revenue +48% since the first grant, against +5% for those funded once.

11 repeat relationships: 5 still active in FY2024, 6 since wound down; 4 grantees were first funded in FY2024 (too recent to call).

How the two cohorts compare

Re-uppedFunded once

Organizations

11
15

Total granted

$405k
$155k

Median revenue growth · since first grant

+48%
+5%

Still filing today

100%
93%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2024, 57% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $52k went to new ones.

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

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

’19’20’21’22’23’24
EnvironmentScience & TechArts & CultureEducationAnimalsInternationalOther
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
    CENTER FOR SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE
    5× · 2019–2024 · $55k · revenue +136%
  • CE
    Clean Energy Transition Institute
    5× · 2020–2024 · $55k · revenue +32%
  • I
    InvestigateWest
    4× · 2019–2022 · $45k · revenue +40%

Funded once

  • WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATIONgraduated
    one grant, 2020 · $15k · revenue +42%
  • PS
    PUGET SOUNDKEEPER ALLIANCE
    one grant, 2022 · $10k · revenue +5%
  • LL
    LONG LIVE THE KINGSgraduated
    one grant, 2021 · $10k · revenue +95%
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
Nw Energy Coalition

The NW Energy Coalition is an alliance of over 100 environmental, civic, and human service organizations, utilities, and businesses in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, and British Columbia, plus many individual members. The NW Energy…

—
2
Center for Environmental Law & Policy

The Center for Environmental Law & Policy is a statewide organization whose mission is to protect, preserve and restore Washington's waters through education, advocacy, policy reform, and public interest litigation.

Environment
3
Stewardship Partners

Stewardship Partners helps private landowners restore and preserve the natural landscapes of WA State. We collaborate with diverse interest groups to build bridges and find solutions that achieve mutual goals of environmental protection,…

Environment
4
Coast Fork Willamette Watershed Council

The Coast Fork Willamette Watershed Council is a local nonprofit organization that strives to enhance and restore habitat for fish and wildlife our community and for future generations. Our Board of Directors consists of seven members with…

Environment
5
Cascade Climate Inc

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

Environment
6
Futurewise

Futurewise works throughout Washington state to encourage healthy, equitable and opportunity-rich communities, and to protect our most valuable farmlands, forests and water resources through wise land use policies and practices.

Environment
7
Whatcom Land Trust

The mission of the Whatcom Land Trust is to preserve and protect wildlife habitat, scenic, agricultural and open space lands in Whatcom County for future generations by securing interests in land and promoting land stewardship.

Environment
8
10000 Years Institute

10,000 Years Institute evaluates the ecological effects of human activities on natural environments, and promotes the maintenance and restoration of ecological integrity through the integration of reliable scientific information, sound…

Unclassified
9
Spark Northwest

Founded in 2001, Spark Northwest accelerates the just transition to clean energy in the Pacific Northwest. Spark Northwest uses two primary strategies: (1) on-the-ground project consulting, focusing on communities with limited financial…

Environment
10
Northwest Environmental Advocates

Work through advocacy and education to use federal environmental laws such as the Clean Water Act to protect and restore water quality and habit in the Pacific Northwest and nationwide.

Environment
11
Fsc I&P

Fsc i&p promotes environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial, and economically viable management of the world's forests. this mission aligns with the forest stewardship council (fsc), its network of offices, and other organizations.…

Philanthropy
12
Washington Wild

Washington wild protects and restores wild lands and waters in washington state through advocacy, education and civic engagement.

Animals
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is Washington Conservation Action Education Fund; the most unlike its peers is Center for Sustainable Infrastructure. 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

30 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. 30 of the 31 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)
8
Early backer (in before they grew)
30/30
Grantees still filing
19/30
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

CENTER FOR SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE: $55,000 · EnvironmentCENTER FOR SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURENORTHWEST NATURAL RESOURCE GROUP: $45,000 · EnvironmentNORTHWEST NATURAL RESOURCE GROUPSightline Institute: $40,000 · EnvironmentSightline InstituteWASHINGTON CONSERVATION ACTION EDUCATION FUND: $30,000 · EnvironmentWASHINGTON CONSERVATION ACTION EDUCATION FUNDRE SOURCES: $25,000 · EnvironmentRE SOURCESKULSHAN CARBON TRUST: $20,000 · EnvironmentKULSHAN CARBON TRUSTSUSTAINABLE CONNECTIONS: $15,000 · EnvironmentTOXIC-FREE FUTURE F/K/A WASHINGTON TOXICS COALITION: $12,000 · Environment+6 more: $60,000 · Environment+6 moreZero Waste Washington: $45,000 · OtherZero Waste WashingtonFRIENDS OF THE SAN JUANS: $15,000 · OtherFRIENDS OF THE SAN JUAN…CLIMATE SOLUTIONS: $10,000 · OtherCLIMATE SOLUTIONSPUGET SOUND BIRD OBSERVATORY: $10,000 · OtherPUGET SOUND BIRD OBSERV…VIVA FARMS: $20,000 · OtherVIVA FARMSLONG LIVE THE KINGS: $10,000 · OtherLONG LIVE THE KINGSNOOKSACK SALMON ENHANCEMENT ASSOCIATION: $10,000 · OtherNOOKSACK SALMON ENHANCE…REMOTE ENERGY: $10,000 · OtherREMOTE ENERGYClean Energy Transition Institute: $55,000 · EducationClean Energy…WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION: $15,000 · EducationWASHINGTON S…InvestigateWest: $45,000 · Arts & CultureInvestiga…THE WHIDBEY INSTITUTE: $10,000 · Arts & CultureTHE WHIDB…Oceans Initiative: $10,000 · Science & TechPORT TOWNSEND MARINE SCIENCE CENTER: $10,000 · Science & TechNORTHWEST STRAITS MARINE CONSERVATION FOUNDATION: $10,000 · Science & TechEarthcorps: $25,000 · InternationalSEATTLE FOUNDATION: $20,000 · Philanthropy
Environment$302,000Other$130,000Education$70,000Arts & Culture$55,000Science & Tech$30,000International$25,000Philanthropy$20,000

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 budgetCENTER FOR SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE: $55,000 over 5y, 2.7% of budgetClean Energy Transition Institute: $55,000 over 5y, 1.8% of budgetInvestigateWest: $45,000 over 4y, 2.6% of budgetNORTHWEST NATURAL RESOURCE GROUP: $45,000 over 4y, 1.8% of budgetZero Waste Washington: $45,000 over 4y, 1.1% of budgetSightline Institute: $40,000 over 4y, 0.4% of budgetWASHINGTON CONSERVATION ACTION EDUCATION FUND: $30,000 over 3y, 0.3% of budgetRE SOURCES: $25,000 over 2y, 0.9% of budgetEarthcorps: $25,000 over 2y, 0.4% of budgetSEATTLE FOUNDATION: $20,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetVIVA FARMS: $20,000 over 2y, 0.9% of budgetWASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION: $15,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetFRIENDS OF THE SAN JUANS: $15,000 over 1y, 0.9% of budgetSUSTAINABLE CONNECTIONS: $15,000 over 1y, 0.5% of budgetTOXIC-FREE FUTURE F/K/A WASHINGTON TOXICS COALITION: $12,000 over 1y, 0.3% of budgetPUGET SOUNDKEEPER ALLIANCE: $10,000 over 1y, 0.8% of budgetLONG LIVE THE KINGS: $10,000 over 1y, 0.4% of budgetPCC FARMLAND TRUST: $10,000 over 1y, 0.6% of budgetInternational Living Future Institute: $10,000 over 1y, 0.2% of budgetOceans Initiative: $10,000 over 1y, 1.1% of budgetJEFFERSON LAND TRUST: $10,000 over 1y, 0.2% of budgetREMOTE ENERGY: $10,000 over 1y, 2.2% of budgetWASHINGTON WATER TRUST: $10,000 over 1y, 0.3% of budgetTHE WHIDBEY INSTITUTE: $10,000 over 1y, 0.6% of budgetPORT TOWNSEND MARINE SCIENCE CENTER: $10,000 over 1y, 1.1% of budgetNOOKSACK SALMON ENHANCEMENT ASSOCIATION: $10,000 over 1y, 0.3% of budgetCLIMATE SOLUTIONS: $10,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetCOMMUNITIES FOR A HEALTHY BAY: $10,000 over 1y, 2.0% of budgetNORTHWEST STRAITS MARINE CONSERVATION FOUNDATION: $10,000 over 1y, 0.5% 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 Bullitt FoundationSeattle FoundationThe Russell Family Fo…The Norcliffe Foundat…The Rose Foundation f…The Hugh and Jane Fer…The Satterberg Founda…Puget Sound Energy Fo…Kaleidoscope Foundati…The GreerSolien FundPatagoniaorgThe Burning Foundation
The Bullitt FoundationWA46.9× affinity20 shared granteesties to 11 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: The Bullitt Foundation · Seattle Foundation · The Russell Family Foundation · The Norcliffe Foundation · The Rose Foundation for Communities the Environment · The Hugh and Jane Ferguson Foundation · The Satterberg Foundation Inc · Puget Sound Energy Foundation · Kaleidoscope Foundation · The GreerSolien Fund · Patagoniaorg · The Burning 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 Sustainable Path Foundation funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from Sustainable Path Foundation. Bigger dots raise more.

2024
’20’21’22’23’24
no gov · 10%0%1%3%5%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
    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, FY20–24
    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 Sustainable Path Foundation?

    Find your warmest path to Sustainable Path 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 31 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 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 Sustainable Path’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