Skip to content
The Bucknall Family Foundation at a glance

· Private foundation

The Bucknall Family Foundation

Its FY2021 filing reports that it funds preselected organizations and did not take unsolicited requests; check the foundation's own site before ruling it out.

$197k
Granted FY2020
9
Grants FY2020
2
States reached
$40k
Largest
01What it fundsRead
02The needRead
03Its granteesRead
04Its fieldRead
01What it funds
01100% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2017 to 2020.

Education$855kHuman Services$92kAnimals$60kRecreation & Sports$28kYouth Development$10kFood & Nutrition$3kHealth$1k
02FY2020 · 9 grants

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

By grant size · FY2020

  • Under $10k1 grant · $5k
  • $10k–50k8 grants · $192k
$20,000
Median grant
2
States reached
$0
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
CARROLL SCHOOL$40,000
UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAVEN$40,000
GREENS FARMS ACADEMY$35,000
TENACRE ANNUAL FUND$25,000
THE HOME FOR LITTLE WANDERERS$20,000
UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAVEN$12,000
PROJECT PRECIOUS RESCUE$10,000
HORIZONS - GREENS FARMS ACADEMY$10,000
EQUOS FOUNDATION$5,000
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 (FY17–20, $87k) land where the poverty rate runs at 16%, 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%HOUSE OF POSSIBILITIES: $1k → 11%THE HOME FOR LITTLE WANDERERS: $36k → 16%THE HOME FOR LITTLE WANDERERS: $20k → 16%THE HOME FOR LITTLE WANDERERS: $20k → 16%THE HOME FOR LITTLE WANDERERS: $10k → 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.

97%of every dollar goes to organizations it has funded before.
$1.0M · 10 repeat orgs$35k to everyone else

10 repeat relationships: 7 still active in FY2020, 3 since wound down; 1 grantees were first funded in FY2020 (too recent to call).

How the two cohorts compare

Re-uppedFunded once

Organizations

10
7

Total granted

$1.0M
$30k

Median revenue growth · since first grant

+54%
+117%

Still filing today

70%
57%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2020, 97% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $5k went to new ones.

50%100%’17’18’19’20
RenewedFirst-time

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

’17’18’19’20
EducationAnimalsHuman ServicesYouth DevelopmentRecreation & SportsPublic BenefitOther
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

  • UO
    University of New Haven
    4× · 2017–2020 · $492k · revenue +42%
  • TC
    THE CARROLL SCHOOL
    4× · 2017–2020 · $105k · revenue +76%
  • GREENS FARMS ACADEMY INC
    4× · 2017–2020 · $90k · revenue +40%

Funded once

  • LB
    LITTLE BLACK DOG RESCUE INC
    one grant, 2019 · $10k
  • CC
    CHRISTOPHER COFFLAND MEMORIAL FUND INCgraduated
    one grant, 2019 · $5k · revenue +111%
  • TR
    THE RIVERBEND CENTER FOR MONTESSORI EXCELLENCE INCgraduated
    one grant, 2017 · $5k · revenue +79%
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
The Charles River School Inc

A pre-kindergarten through grade 8 independent school committed to academic excellence and the joy of childhood, fostering intellectual curiosity, critical thinking, and the development of the whole child.

Education
2
Buckingham Browne & Nichols School

Bb&n, an all gender day school in cambridge, massachusetts, was established in 1974 by the merger of two independent schools, the buckingham school and the browne & nichols school, founded respectively in 1889 and 1883. located on multiple…

Education
3
Cold Spring School Inc

Cold spring school challenges children to become self-reliant, curious and resourceful problem solvers with the academic and social skills to engage constructively and ethically in our diverse, changing world.

Education
4
Concord Children's Center Inc

To cultivate an intimate, welcoming community where children develop respectful relationships and inquisitive minds, build confidence in their individual gifts, and are engaged, prepared and inspired to learn.

Human Services
5
Boston Architectural College

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

—
6
Eagle Hill Foundation of Massachusettsinc

Eagle hill school is a coeducational boarding school that educates students with learning disabilities, including attention deficit disorder, in grades eight through twelve. eagle hill students demonstrate average to above average…

—
7
Greenwich Academy Inc

Greenwich academy is an independent college-preparatory day school for girls and young women that seeks to foster excellence. for more information see schedule o.its mission is to provide a challenging, comprehensive educational experience…

Education
8
Compass Charter School

Compass charter school is a safe and nurturing educational environment that honors the individuality of each learner. by engaging in a process of inquiry, our graduates will be equipped with the necessary skills to lead fulfilling personal…

Education
9
The Waldorf School of Garden City

The waldorf school of garden city educates children to meet the world with purpose, gratitude and respect. our curriculum, inspired by rudolf steiner, progresses in accordance with child development, awakening students to the experience of…

Education
10
Great Oaks Charter School - Bridgeport

Great oaks charter school is a public school providing high-dosage tutoring, data-driven learning strategies & extra-curricular opportunities to students in grades 6-12 to ensure success in the career or college of their choice. great oaks…

Education
11
Northfield Mount Hermon School

Northfield mount hermon educates the head, heart and hands of our students. we engage their intellect, compassion, and talents, empowering them to act with humanity and purpose.

Education
12
Mott Haven Academy Charter School

Mott haven academy charter school empowers children in an educational environment that addresses and reduces the barriers to academic success through the integration of family support services with a rigorous college preparatory academic…

Education
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is The Home for Little Wanderers Inc; the most unlike its peers is Project Precious Rescue 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

12 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. 12 of the 18 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.

1
Load-bearing (≥25% of a budget)
4
Early backer (in before they grew)
12/12
Grantees still filing
11/12
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

University of New Haven: $492,000 · EducationUniversity of New HavenTHE CARROLL SCHOOL: $105,000 · EducationTHE CARROLL SCHOOLGREENS FARMS ACADEMY INC: $90,000 · EducationGREENS FARMS ACADEMY INCTENACRE ANNUAL FUND: $105,000 · OtherTENACRE ANNUAL FUNDHORIZONS - GREENS FARMS ACADEMY: $57,600 · OtherHORIZONS - GREENS FAR…CT SPECIAL OLYMPICS: $15,000 · OtherCT SPECIAL OLYMPICSLITTLE BLACK DOG RESCUE INC: $10,000 · Other+3 more: $8,500 · OtherTHE HOME FOR LITTLE WANDERERS INC: $85,500 · Human ServicesTHE HOME …+1 more: $1,000 · Human ServicesPROJECT PRECIOUS RESCUE INC: $40,000 · AnimalsTHE ANIMAL HAVEN INC: $5,000 · AnimalsEQUUS FOUNDATION INC: $5,000 · AnimalsHOLE IN THE WALL GANG FUND INC: $12,500 · Recreation & SportsBOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF BOSTON INC: $10,000 · Youth DevelopmentCHRISTOPHER COFFLAND MEMORIAL FUND INC: $5,000 · Public Benefit
Education$687,000Other$196,100Human Services$86,500Animals$50,000Recreation & Sports$12,500Youth Development$10,000Public Benefit$5,000

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 budgetUniversity of New Haven: $492,000 over 4y, 0.1% of budgetTHE CARROLL SCHOOL: $105,000 over 4y, 0.1% of budgetGREENS FARMS ACADEMY INC: $90,000 over 4y, 0.1% of budgetTHE HOME FOR LITTLE WANDERERS INC: $85,500 over 4y, 0.1% of budgetPROJECT PRECIOUS RESCUE INC: $40,000 over 2y, 34% of budgetHOLE IN THE WALL GANG FUND INC: $12,500 over 2y, 0.1% of budgetBOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF BOSTON INC: $10,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetCHRISTOPHER COFFLAND MEMORIAL FUND INC: $5,000 over 1y, 0.4% of budgetTHE ANIMAL HAVEN INC: $5,000 over 1y, 1.0% of budgetEQUUS FOUNDATION INC: $5,000 over 1y, 0.5% of budgetHOUSE OF POSSIBILITIES INC: $1,000 over 1y, 0.1% 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.

Paypal Charitable Giv…The Bank of America C…Network for GoodNational Philanthropi…American Online Givin…Vanguard Charitable E…Donor Advised Charita…Fidelity Investments …Amazonsmile Foundation
Paypal Charitable Giving FundDC11× affinity6 shared granteesties to 8 of 8Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

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

2024
’20’21’22’23’24’25
no gov · 80%1%3%6%10%funder's share of their income ↑0%23%45%68%90%share of the org’s income from government →median 38%
  • House of Possibilities Inc: 76% of income from government
  • The Home for Little Wanderers Inc: 38% of income from government
  • University of New Haven: 2% of income from government
  • Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston Inc: 2% of income from government
no gov moneyreceives it· size = income
8get no government money at all
1rely on government for over half their income
⤢ axis zoomed · 0–90%
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 18 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 2020, released 2020. Filings run roughly 12 to 24 months behind; figures are dated accordingly.

Possibly out of date. A more recent filing (FY2021) is on record and reports no grant expense, so the figures above are from FY2020, the most recent year this funder made grants.

Source object · view filing

Play a game based on Bucknall 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