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The Bales Family Foundation at a glance

· Private foundation

The Bales Family 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.

$5k
Granted FY2025still arriving
5
Grants FY2025still arriving
4
States reached
$3k
Largest
01What it fundsRead
02The needRead
03Its granteesRead
04Its fieldRead
01What it funds
0198% 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$88kEducation$50kHealth$22kCommunity Improvement$15kFood & Nutrition$11kScience & Tech$6kCivil Rights$5kCrime & Legal$4kOther$0
02FY2025 · 5 grants

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

$1,000
Median grant
4
States reached
$5k
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
SANTA FE FOOD DEPOT$2,500
SOLSTICE PROJECT$1,000
REGARDING HER$1,000
FLORENCE IMMIGRANT REFUGEE RIGHTS P$500
FOUNDATIN FOR HISTORIC CHRIST CHURC$250
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 (FY17–20, $5k) land where the poverty rate runs at 14%, against an area that typically sits at 11%. 100% of those dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Most of its grants land in higher-need ZIPs.

area typical 11%CHILDREN'S CENTER AT CAL TECH: $4k → 14%AMERICAN RED CROSS: $1k → 14%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

ID
NY
MA
CA
VA
MD
AZ
NM
DC
MS
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.
04

Where the work is directed

The same grants placed two ways: where each recipient sits, and where its stated purpose sends the money.

About 19% of The Bales Family Foundation’s grant dollars are earmarked for a different county than the recipient’s own address. By recipient address, 32% of the giving stays in CA; by stated purpose, 20%.

The Bales Family Foundationlessmore of its giving
Placed by recipient address
How this is measured
Recipient view: each grant at its grantee’s ZIP, mapped to a county. Directed view: each grant at the county its stated purpose names, falling back to the recipient’s county when the purpose names no place; US grants only. A county shows only if it carries the top 95% of that view’s dollars. Purposes are read from the funder’s own 990 grant descriptions.
03Its grantees
repeat funding

Who it funds again

Organizations funded in more than one year, against those funded once.

65%of every dollar goes to organizations it has funded before.
$131k · 11 repeat orgs$72k to everyone else

11 repeat relationships: 2 still active in FY2025, 9 since wound down; 3 grantees were first funded in FY2025 (too recent to call).

How the two cohorts compare

Re-uppedFunded once

Organizations

11
22

Total granted

$131k
$70k

Median revenue growth · since first grant

+33%
+34%

Still filing today

73%
59%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2025, 67% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $2k 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 & CultureEducationCivil RightsHuman ServicesInternationalEnvironmentOther
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

  • FI
    FRAMEWORKS INSTITUTE
    2× · 2017–2018 · $16k · revenue +39%
  • MB
    Manhattan Beach Chamber of Commerce
    3× · 2019–2022 · $15k · revenue +33%
  • MT
    MOSAIC THEATER COMPANY OF DC
    2× · 2017–2018 · $10k · revenue +11%

Funded once

  • JH
    JEWISH HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF GR WA
    one grant, 2017 · $20k
  • PC
    Pitzer Collegegraduated
    one grant, 2017 · $15k · revenue +49%
  • SM
    SIMMS MANN INSTITUTE
    one grant, 2019 · $10k
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
United States Naval Institute

Provide an independent forum for those who dare to read, think, speak, and write to advance the professional, literary, and scientific understanding of sea power and other issues critical to global security.

—
2
Ucsf Foundation Investment Company

The organization provides professional investment management services for endowed gifts and financial assets entrusted to the ucsf foundation.

Education
3
National Association of College and University Attorneys

To advance the practice of higher education attorneys for the benefit of the institutions they serve.

—
4
University of New Haven

The University of New Haven is a student-centered comprehensive university with an emphasis on excellence in liberal arts and professional education. Our mission is to prepare our students to lead purposeful and fulfilling lives in a…

Education
5
National Association of Corporate Directors

We empower directors and transform boards to be future ready.

Public Benefit
6
Minnesota Council on Foundations

MCF is a vibrant philanthropic community connecting, strengthening and mobilizing the power of philanthropy to advance prosperity and equity.

—
7
Federation of State Medical Boards of the United States Inc

The fsmb serves as the voice for state medical boards, supporting them through education, assessment, research and advocacy while providing services and initiatives that promote patient safety, quality health care and regulatory best…

Health
8
American Flood Coalition Inc

To drive transformational adaptation to protect communities across the country from higher seas, stronger storms, and more frequent flooding.

Environment
9
Boston Architectural College

The bac is committed to provide excellence in design education grounded in practice and accessible to diverse communities.

—
10
American Gas Association

American gas association's (the association) mission is to develop and advocate for informed, innovative, and durable policy that fulfills our nation's energy needs, environmental aspirations and economic potential. we are committed to…

—
11
National Public Radio Inc

National public radio, inc. ("npr") works collaboratively with member public radio station licensees ("member stations") to create a more informed public, one that is challenged and invigorated by a deeper understanding and appreciation of…

Arts & Culture
12
The American Institute of Architects California

The AIA California, in collaboration with local components, is the voice of the architectural profession.

—
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is Naacp Legal Defense & Educ Fund Inc; the most unlike its peers is Rosenwald Park Campaign. Resemblance is measured on each organization’s own IRS 990 mission text; it reflects how work is described, not its quality or impact.
05the grantee network

23 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. 23 of the 37 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)
3
Early backer (in before they grew)
23/23
Grantees still filing
18/23
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

JEWISH HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF GR WA: $20,000 · OtherJEWISH HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF GR WAManhattan Beach Chamber of Commerce: $15,200 · OtherManhattan Beach Chamber of CommerceIndividual grant recipient: $11,500 · OtherIndividual grant recipientSANTA FE FOOD DEPOT: $10,500 · OtherSANTA FE FOOD DEPOTSIMMS MANN INSTITUTE: $10,000 · OtherSIMMS MANN INSTITUTESOLSTICE PROJECT INC: $5,750 · OtherSOLSTICE PROJECT INC+11 more: $9,000 · Other+11 moreLillian and Albert Small Capital Jewish Museum: $52,500 · Arts & CultureLillian and Albert Small Capital Je…MOSAIC THEATER COMPANY OF DC: $10,000 · Arts & CultureMOSAIC THEATER COMPANY OF DCROSENWALD PARK CAMPAIGN: $3,500 · Arts & Culture+2 more: $1,250 · Arts & CultureFRAMEWORKS INSTITUTE: $16,000 · EducationFRAMEWORKS INSTITUTEPitzer College: $15,000 · EducationPitzer CollegeUCLA FOUNDATION: $8,500 · EducationUCLA FOUNDATIONDEFY VENTURES INC: $5,000 · EducationDEFY VENTURES INC+1 more: $1,000 · EducationCHILDRENS CENTER AT CALTECH: $4,000 · Human ServicesAmerican National Red Cross & Its Constituent Chapters and Branches: $1,000 · Human ServicesUNITED WE DREAM NETWORK INC: $3,000 · Civil RightsNAACP LEGAL DEFENSE & EDUC FUND INC: $1,000 · Civil RightsALLIANCE FOR JUSTICE: $250 · Civil RightsMISSISSIPPI CENTER FOR JUSTICE: $3,500 · Crime & LegalHIAS INC: $2,000 · InternationalMEDECINS SANS FRONTIERES USA INC: $1,000 · InternationalCHESAPEAKE BAY FOUNDATION INC: $1,000 · EnvironmentNATIONAL PARKS CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION: $500 · Environment
Other$81,950Arts & Culture$67,250Education$45,500Human Services$5,000Civil Rights$4,250Crime & Legal$3,500International$3,000Environment$1,500

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 budgetLillian and Albert Small Capital Jewish Museum: $52,500 over 3y, 0.6% of budgetFRAMEWORKS INSTITUTE: $16,000 over 2y, 0.3% of budgetManhattan Beach Chamber of Commerce: $15,200 over 3y, 3.5% of budgetPitzer College: $15,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetMOSAIC THEATER COMPANY OF DC: $10,000 over 2y, 0.2% of budgetUCLA FOUNDATION: $8,500 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetSOLSTICE PROJECT INC: $5,750 over 5y, 4.7% of budgetDEFY VENTURES INC: $5,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetCHILDRENS CENTER AT CALTECH: $4,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetMISSISSIPPI CENTER FOR JUSTICE: $3,500 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetROSENWALD PARK CAMPAIGN: $3,500 over 2y, 2.3% of budgetUNITED WE DREAM NETWORK INC: $3,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetHIAS INC: $2,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetCHESAPEAKE BAY FOUNDATION INC: $1,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetAmerican National Red Cross & Its Constituent Chapters and Branches: $1,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetNAACP LEGAL DEFENSE & EDUC FUND INC: $1,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetUniversity of the Pacific: $1,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetNonprofit Information Networking Association: $1,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetMEDECINS SANS FRONTIERES USA INC: $1,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetNATIONAL PARKS CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION: $500 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetALLIANCE FOR JUSTICE: $250 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.

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.

National Philanthropi…Vanguard Charitable E…Donor Advised Charita…American Online Givin…Fidelity Investments …Amazonsmile Foundation
National Philanthropic TrustPA7× affinity4 shared granteesties to 5 of 5Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: National Philanthropic Trust · Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program · Donor Advised Charitable Giving Inc · American Online Giving Foundation 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 The Bales Family Foundation funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from The Bales Family Foundation. Bigger dots raise more.

2024
’20’21’22’23’24’25
no gov · 20%0%1%3%5%funder's share of their income ↑0%25%50%75%100%share of the org’s income from government →median 88%
  • Hias Inc: 88% of income from government
  • Chesapeake Bay Foundation Inc: 2% of 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)
1rely 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 37 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 Bales Family’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