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The Ball Foundation at a glanceAlso receives grants: funding profile →

· Private foundation

The Ball Foundation

Its FY2024 filing reports that it accepted unsolicited grant applications.

$1.6M
Granted FY2024still arriving
12
Grants FY2024still arriving
6
States reached
$400k
Largest
01What it fundsRead
02The needRead
03Its granteesRead
04Its fieldRead
05Through PlinthRead
01What it funds
0193% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2020 to 2024.

International$2.3MHuman Services$1.3MPhilanthropy$1.1MEducation$976kArts & Culture$531kPublic Safety & Disaster$450kEnvironment$440kYouth Development$310kOther$0
02FY2024 · 12 grants

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

By grant size · FY2024

  • $10k–50k4 grants · $70k
  • $50k–250k5 grants · $488k
  • $250k+3 grants · $1.1M
$52,500
Median grant
6
States reached
$29M
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
EverFi Inc$400,000
GlobalGiving Foundation$400,000
CANd AID Foundation$250,000
JASON Learning$200,000
Individual grant recipient$135,000
Childrens Museum of Denver$52,500
American Red Cross$50,000
Front Range Community College$50,000
National Childrens Museum$25,000
Community Food Share$15,000
Girls Inc of Metro Denver$15,000
A Precious Child$15,000
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 (FY20–24, $1.3M) land where the poverty rate runs at 11%, against an area that typically sits at 8%. 95% of those dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Most of its grants land in higher-need ZIPs.

area typical 8%A Precious Child: $25k → 5%CAN'd AID Foundation: $250k → 12%A PRECIOUS CHILD: $20k → 5%CANd AID Foundation: $250k → 12%A Precious Child: $15k → 5%CAN'D AID FOUNDATION: $240k → 12%CAN'D AID FOUNDATION: $240k → 12%CAN'd AID Foundation: $240k → 12%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

NH
IA
PA
CA
CO
VA
DC
GA
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.

86%of every dollar goes to organizations it has funded before.
$7.1M · 17 repeat orgs$1.1M to everyone else

Grantees it renews have grown median revenue +67% since the first grant, against +38% for those funded once.

17 repeat relationships: 8 still active in FY2024, 9 since wound down; 4 grantees were first funded in FY2024 (too recent to call).

How the two cohorts compare

Re-uppedFunded once

Organizations

17
12

Total granted

$7.1M
$737k

Median revenue growth · since first grant

+67%
+38%

Still filing today

82%
58%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2024, 77% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $375k went to new ones.

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

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

’20’21’22’23’24
EducationEnvironmentHuman ServicesArts & CulturePhilanthropyYouth DevelopmentOther
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

  • CA
    Can'd Aid
    5× · 2020–2024 · $1.2M · revenue +1%
  • AN
    American National Red Cross & Its Constituent Chapters and Branches
    3× · 2021–2024 · $450k · revenue +27%
  • UO
    UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO FOUNDATION
    4× · 2020–2023 · $416k · revenue +76%

Funded once

  • BA
    Boys and Girls of America
    one grant, 2023 · $200k
  • TC
    The Children's Hospital
    one grant, 2023 · $150k
  • F
    FIRST
    one grant, 2022 · $135k
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
Aia Colorado

AIA Colorado,is the voice of the architecture profession in Colorado. Through advocacy, leadership development, education and resources for architects, the organization supports architecture professionals in designing a better world where…

—
2
Colorado Council On Economic Education

Our mission is to empower colorado students to achieve a lifetime of economic understanding and financial freedom. how will we achieve this mission? by providing economic and personal financial education to students through training…

—
3
Colorado Gives Foundation

We connect people, ideas, and nonprofits to make good happen. our vision is that all of jeffco is thriving.

Philanthropy
4
Colorado Association of School Executives

Empower colorado education leaders through advocacy, professional learning and networking to deliver on the promise of public education

—
5
Agile Learner Fund

The Agile Learner Fund is a nonprofit organization of Colorado Succeeds. As a supporting organization, ALF exists for the express purpose of supporting activities that benefit Colorado Succeeds' mission, vision, and core strategies. More…

Education
6
Colorado State University Foundation

See schedule o colorado state university foundation assists in the promotion, development, and enhancement of facilities and educational programs and enhancements of faculty, students, and alumni of colorado state university (csu). this is…

Education
7
Colorado Legal Services

To provide meaningful access to high quality, civil legal services in the pursuit of justice for as many low income persons and members of vulnerable populations throughout colorado as possible.

Crime & Legal
8
Colorado Chamber of Commerce Fka Co Assn of Commerce & Industry

The colorado chamber of commerce mission is to enhance the business climate of the state of colorado by promoting a positive legislative and regulatory environment and providing programs and services for its members, economic education,…

—
9
Colorado Learning Connections

Through individualized learning and responsive mentoring, we inspire, guide and empower students and families.

Education
10
Colorado Business Roundtable Partners

To perform education and research priorities that work to strengthen Colorado's economic viability. COBRT Partners works to improve the business climate in our state by focusing on key pillars for a sustainable, growing, and global…

Education
11
Colorado Nonprofit Association

Colorado nonprofit association strengthens colorado's nonprofits through education, connection and advocacy.

Community Improvement
12
Energize Colorado Inc

We foster resiliency in underinvested business communities across colorado by innovatively addressing capital gaps. at energize colorado, we envision a future where we are the go-to destination for business owners seeking comprehensive…

Community Improvement
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is Mile High United Way Inc; the most unlike its peers is Green Up Our Schools. 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

25 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. 25 of the 34 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)
6
Early backer (in before they grew)
25/25
Grantees still filing
18/25
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

GlobalGiving Foundation: $2,312,500 · OtherGlobalGiving FoundationEVERFI INC: $1,200,000 · OtherEVERFI INCBoys and Girls of America: $200,000 · OtherFRONT RANGE COMMUNITY COLLEGE: $200,000 · OtherThe Children's Hospital: $150,000 · Other+7 more: $375,000 · Other+7 moreCan'd Aid: $1,220,000 · Human ServicesCan'd AidAmerican National Red Cross & Its Constituent Chapters and Branches: $450,000 · Human ServicesAmerican National Red…A PRECIOUS CHILD INC: $60,000 · Human ServicesCOMMUNITY FOUNDATION BOULDER COUNTY: $1,000,000 · PhilanthropyCOMMUNITY FOUN…MILE HIGH UNITED WAY INC: $125,000 · PhilanthropyMILE HIGH UNIT…COLORADO OPEN GOLF FOUNDATION INC: $50,000 · PhilanthropyUNIVERSITY OF COLORADO FOUNDATION: $416,000 · EducationUNIVERSIT…DENVER SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION: $200,000 · EducationDENVER SC…Colorado Succeeds: $80,000 · EducationColorado …COLORADO ROBOTICS EXCELLING AT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY INC: $50,000 · EducationCOLORADO …+2 more: $20,000 · EducationTHE CHILDRENS MUSEUM OF DENVER INC: $226,000 · Arts & CultureJASON LEARNING: $200,000 · Arts & CultureColorado Museum of Natural History: $80,000 · Arts & CultureRIVER NETWORK: $170,000 · EnvironmentTHE RECYCLING PARTNERSHIP INC: $100,000 · EnvironmentTHE SURFRIDER FOUNDATION: $100,000 · EnvironmentECO-CYCLE INC: $48,000 · EnvironmentGREEN UP OUR SCHOOLS: $22,000 · EnvironmentGIRLS INCORPORATED OF METRO DENVER: $110,000 · Youth DevelopmentCOMMUNITY FOOD SHARE INC: $15,000 · Food & Nutrition
Other$4,437,500Human Services$1,730,000Philanthropy$1,175,000Education$766,000Arts & Culture$506,000Environment$440,000Youth Development$110,000Food & Nutrition$15,000

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 budgetCan'd Aid: $1,220,000 over 5y, 21% of budgetCOMMUNITY FOUNDATION BOULDER COUNTY: $1,000,000 over 1y, 1.9% of budgetAmerican National Red Cross & Its Constituent Chapters and Branches: $450,000 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetUNIVERSITY OF COLORADO FOUNDATION: $416,000 over 4y, 0.0% of budgetTHE CHILDRENS MUSEUM OF DENVER INC: $226,000 over 5y, 0.8% of budgetDENVER SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION: $200,000 over 3y, 0.7% of budgetJASON LEARNING: $200,000 over 1y, 11% of budgetRIVER NETWORK: $170,000 over 2y, 3.3% of budgetMILE HIGH UNITED WAY INC: $125,000 over 4y, 0.1% of budgetGIRLS INCORPORATED OF METRO DENVER: $110,000 over 3y, 2.3% of budgetTHE RECYCLING PARTNERSHIP INC: $100,000 over 2y, 0.2% of budgetTHE SURFRIDER FOUNDATION: $100,000 over 2y, 0.4% of budgetColorado Succeeds: $80,000 over 2y, 0.9% of budgetColorado Museum of Natural History: $80,000 over 1y, 0.2% of budgetA PRECIOUS CHILD INC: $60,000 over 3y, 0.2% of budgetCOLORADO ROBOTICS EXCELLING AT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY INC: $50,000 over 2y, 12% of budgetCOLORADO OPEN GOLF FOUNDATION INC: $50,000 over 1y, 2.6% of budgetECO-CYCLE INC: $48,000 over 2y, 0.3% of budgetNational Children Museum: $25,000 over 1y, 0.4% of budgetCOMMUNITY FOOD SHARE INC: $15,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetColorado Association of Black Professional Engineers & Scientists: $15,000 over 1y, 7.3% of budgetI Have A Dream Foundation Of Boulder County: $10,000 over 1y, 0.3% of budgetGIRLS IN STEM: $10,000 over 1y, 5.8% of budgetLATIN AMERICAN EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION INC: $10,000 over 1y, 1.7% 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.

Colorado Gives Founda…The Denver FoundationRose Community Founda…The Janus Henderson F…Daniels FundXcel Energy FoundationMile High United Way …Adolph Coors Foundati…Rose FoundationEl Pomar FoundationThe Colorado Health F…Amg Charitable Gift F…
Colorado Gives FoundationCO23.8× affinity10 shared granteesties to 11 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: Colorado Gives Foundation · The Denver Foundation · Rose Community Foundation · The Janus Henderson Foundation · Daniels Fund · Xcel Energy Foundation · Mile High United Way Inc · Adolph Coors Foundation · Rose Foundation · El Pomar Foundation · The Colorado Health Foundation · Amg Charitable Gift 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 Ball Foundation funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from The Ball 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
    9report 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.
    05Through Plinth

    Warm introductions · Powered by PlinthPlus

    How do I get to The Ball Foundation?

    Find your warmest path to The Ball 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 34 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 Ball’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