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The Alabaster Fund at a glance

· Private foundation

The Alabaster Fund

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.

$122k
Granted FY2025still arriving
6
Grants FY2025still arriving
2
States reached
$25k
Largest
01What it fundsRead
02The needRead
03Its granteesRead
04Its fieldRead
01What it funds
0195% classified

What it funded, over time

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

Arts & Culture$618kInternational$183kPhilanthropy$95kYouth Development$77kHuman Services$50kReligion$40kEmployment$20kEnvironment$5kOther$0
02FY2025 · 6 grants

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

By grant size · FY2025

  • Under $10k1 grant · $7k
  • $10k–50k5 grants · $115k
$25,000
Median grant
2
States reached
$2.0M
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
GRAND TRAVERSE REGIONAL COMMUNITY FOUNDATION$25,000
CENTRAL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH$25,000
YOUTH LEADERSHIP INCUBATOR INC$25,000
GOODWILL NORTHERN MICHIGAN$20,000
GENERATIONS AHEAD$20,000
Individual grant recipient$6,500
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 (FY20–25, $40k) land where the poverty rate runs at 10%, against an area that typically sits at 11%. 0% of those dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Its grants skew toward lower-need ZIPs.

area typical 11%GENERATIONS AHEAD: $20k → 10%GENERATIONS AHEAD: $10k → 10%GENERATIONS AHEAD: $10k → 10%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.

67%of every dollar goes to organizations it has funded before.
$686k · 8 repeat orgs$334k to everyone else

Grantees it renews have grown median revenue +47% since the first grant, against +25% for those funded once.

8 repeat relationships: 2 still active in FY2025, 6 since wound down; 3 grantees were first funded in FY2025 (too recent to call).

How the two cohorts compare

Re-uppedFunded once

Organizations

8
14

Total granted

$686k
$264k

Median revenue growth · since first grant

+47%
+25%

Still filing today

50%
50%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2025, 27% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $70k went to new ones.

50%100%’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
RenewedFirst-time

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

’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Arts & CultureInternationalHuman ServicesYouth DevelopmentEmploymentPhilanthropyOther
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

  • FRACTURED ATLAS INC
    6× · 2018–2023 · $500k · revenue +57%
  • YA
    YOUTH ACTION INTERNATIONAL INC
    3× · 2019–2021 · $74k · revenue +24% · 27% of their budget
  • CD
    COMPANY DANCE TRAVERSE
    2× · 2021–2022 · $40k · revenue +47%

Funded once

  • HP
    Haiti Partners Inc
    one grant, 2019 · $50k · revenue -19%
  • NY
    NEWFLEX YOUTH PROGRAMS INC
    one grant, 2020 · $50k
  • IC
    INTERNATIONAL CHILD RESOURCE INSTITUTEgraduated
    one grant, 2019 · $40k · revenue +38%
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
Great Lakes Center for the Arts

The Center's mission is to inspire, entertain, educate, and serve all in Northern Michigan year-round by presenting exceptional experiences across the full spectrum of the performing arts and offering impactful educational opportunities.

Arts & Culture
2
Artprize Grand Rapids

Artprize allows for open citywide contemporary art experiences that encourage critical discourse, celebrate artists, transform urban space and promote cultural understanding.

Arts & Culture
3
Grandville Avenue Arts and Humanities Inc

We build environments of curiosity and creativity with our neighbors to cultivate inclusion and justice.

Arts & Culture
4
Gratitude Global

Working through social entrepreneurs to impact the lives of children globally. the gratitude network seeks out the worlds most dynamic and innovative leaders and organizations impacting the lives of children and youth for competitive…

Philanthropy
5
Grand Traverse Industries Inc

Grand traverse industries fiercely advocates strengthens and advances the dignity and opportunities of people with disabilities through services and employment.

Employment
6
Grand Rapids Ballet

To lift the human spirit through the art of dance by providing: exceptional and diverse programming; high quality dance education; outreach to inspire and enrich the community; family-friendly programming including newly commissioned…

Arts & Culture
7
Grand Rapids Early Discovery Center

Our mission is to continuously expand the potential of children, the experiences of educators and the involvement of parents within the diverse community of grand rapids, mi

Human Services
8
Traverse City Center of Entrepreneurship

To cultivate a thriving and connected startup ecosystem in nw lower michigan.

—
9
Northwest Michigan Arts & Culture Network

The mission of the northwest michigan arts & culture network ("the network") is to harness the collective power of the creative sector to cultivate vibrant communities by strengthening the regional ecosystem that supports arts and culture.…

Arts & Culture
10
Youth in Arts

Youth in Arts builds visual and performing arts skills through innovative and in-depth programs that foster confidence, compassion and resilience in students of all abilities. We develop capacity among educators and teaching artists,…

Arts & Culture
11
Young Audiences of Indiana Inc

Arts for learning indiana brings the arts to your school community to champion creative learning, innovate education, and transform lives.

Arts & Culture
12
Alternatives Inc

Alternatives, inc.'s mission is to facilitate personal development,strengthen family relationships and enhance the community's well being. serving over 3,000 youth and families annually, the organization offers a range of counseling and…

Health
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is Haiti Partners Inc; the most unlike its peers is Youth Action International 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

16 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. 16 of the 27 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.

2
Load-bearing (≥25% of a budget)
6
Early backer (in before they grew)
15/16
Grantees still filing
13/16
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

FRACTURED ATLAS INC: $500,000 · Arts & CultureFRACTURED ATLAS INCCOMPANY DANCE TRAVERSE: $40,000 · Arts & CultureCOMPANY DANCE TRAVERSE+1 more: $2,500 · Arts & CultureNEWFLEX YOUTH PROGRAMS INC: $50,000 · OtherNEWFLEX YOUTH PROGRAMS INCINTERNATIONAL CHILD RESOURCE INSTITUTE: $40,000 · OtherINTERNATIONAL CHILD RESOURC…Arts For All of Northern Michigan: $30,000 · OtherArts For All of Northern Mi…CENTRAL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH: $25,000 · OtherCENTRAL UNITED METHODIST CH…Chicago Human Rhythm Project: $25,000 · OtherChicago Human Rhythm Projec…TC DANCE PROJECT: $20,000 · OtherTC DANCE PROJECTYOUTH ACTION INTERNATIONAL: $19,500 · OtherYOUTH ACTION INTERNATIONALWATERSHED CHURCH: $15,000 · OtherWATERSHED CHURCHIndividual grant recipient: $12,500 · Other+7 more: $29,376 · Other+7 moreYOUTH ACTION INTERNATIONAL INC: $73,500 · InternationalYOUTH ACTION…Haiti Partners Inc: $50,000 · InternationalHaiti Partne…THE GIVING BACK FUND: $60,000 · PhilanthropyTHE GIVIN…GRAND TRAVERSE REGIONAL COMMUNITY FOUNDATION: $35,000 · PhilanthropyGRAND TRA…+1 more: $2,000 · PhilanthropyGENERATIONS AHEAD: $40,000 · Human ServicesYouth Leadership Incubator Inc HackPlus: $25,000 · Youth DevelopmentGOODWILL INDUSTRIES OF NORTHERN MICHIGAN INC: $20,000 · Employment
Arts & Culture$542,500Other$266,376International$123,500Philanthropy$97,000Human Services$40,000Youth Development$25,000Employment$20,000

Each grantee by its size and the funder’s share of it; top left is load-bearing

25%50%75%100%$100k$1.0M$10Mgrantee revenue →↑ funder's share of their budgetFRACTURED ATLAS INC: $500,000 over 6y, 0.5% of budgetYOUTH ACTION INTERNATIONAL INC: $73,500 over 3y, 27% of budgetTHE GIVING BACK FUND: $60,000 over 2y, 0.1% of budgetHaiti Partners Inc: $50,000 over 1y, 6.1% of budgetCOMPANY DANCE TRAVERSE: $40,000 over 2y, 12% of budgetINTERNATIONAL CHILD RESOURCE INSTITUTE: $40,000 over 1y, 0.3% of budgetGENERATIONS AHEAD: $40,000 over 3y, 4.0% of budgetGRAND TRAVERSE REGIONAL COMMUNITY FOUNDATION: $35,000 over 2y, 0.3% of budgetArts For All of Northern Michigan: $30,000 over 1y, 30% of budgetChicago Human Rhythm Project: $25,000 over 1y, 3.1% of budgetGrand Traverse Ski Club: $5,000 over 1y, 2.8% of budgetCHILD & FAMILY SERVICES OF NORTHWESTERN MICHIGAN INC: $3,143 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetCITY OPERA HOUSE HERITAGE ASSOCIATION INC: $2,500 over 1y, 0.7% of budgetDESMOND DOSS FOUNDATION: $2,000 over 1y, 6.0% 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.

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.

Jim and Diana Huckle …Grand Traverse Region…The Art and Mary Schm…Oleson FoundationBaird Foundation IncNatl Christian Charit…The Bank of America C…Vanguard Charitable E…American Online Givin…Fidelity Investments …Donor Advised Charita…Amazonsmile Foundation
Jim and Diana Huckle Family FoundationDE15.7× affinity5 shared granteesties to 11 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: Jim and Diana Huckle Family Foundation · Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation · The Art and Mary Schmuckal Family Foundation · Oleson Foundation · Baird Foundation Inc · Natl Christian Charitable Fdn Inc · The Bank of America Charitable Foundation Inc · Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program · American Online Giving Foundation Inc · Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund · Donor Advised Charitable Giving Inc · 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 The Alabaster Fund funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from The Alabaster Fund. Bigger dots raise more.

2024
’20’21’22’23’24’25
no gov · 20%2%8%17%30%funder's share of their income ↑0%5%10%15%20%share of the org’s income from government →
    no gov moneyreceives it· size = income
    2get no government money at all
    3report government grants on their 990 we could not trace to a source (not plotted)
    0rely on government for over half their income
    ⤢ axis zoomed · 0–20%
    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 27 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 Alabaster’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