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The Charles Spear Charitable Foundation at a glance

· Private foundation

The Charles Spear Charitable 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.

$680k
Granted FY2025still arriving
40
Grants FY2025still arriving
14
States reached
$100k
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 2024.

Health$633kEnvironment$523kInternational$473kScience & Tech$370kAnimals$358kArts & Culture$345kHuman Services$277kFood & Nutrition$255kOther$0
02FY2025 · 40 grants

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

By grant size · FY2025

  • Under $10k7 grants · $35k
  • $10k–50k31 grants · $495k
  • $50k–250k2 grants · $150k
$10,000
Median grant
14
States reached
$9.8M
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
WNYC-NY PUBLIC RADIO$100,000
WNET$50,000
CHILDRENS CENTER OF NEW MILFORD$40,000
PUBLIC MEDIA BRIDGE FUND$30,000
FAIRNESS AND ACCURACY IN REPORTING$30,000
PRO PUBLICA$30,000
INSTITUTE FOR NON PROFIT PRACTICE$30,000
SALK INSTITUTE FOR BIOLOGICAL STUDIES$20,000
ACLU FOUNDATION$20,000
PLANNED PARENTHOOD$20,000
FOOD BANK OF NYC$20,000
JANE GOODALL INSTITUTE FOR WILDLIFE RESEARCH$20,000
NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL$20,000
ST JUDES CHILDRENS HOSPITAL$15,000
US AUTISM HOMES$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 (FY22–25, $70k) land where the poverty rate runs at 11%, against an area that typically sits at 9%. 43% of those dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Its grants spread fairly evenly across need levels.

area typical 9%INSTITUTE FOR NON PROFIT PRACTICE: $30k → 16%CHARITY NAVIGATOR: $10k → 7%CHARITY NAVIGATOR: $10k → 7%CHARITY NAVIGATOR: $10k → 7%CHARITY NAVIGATOR: $10k → 7%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

ME
NH
WA
MN
NY
MA
PA
NJ
CT
CA
VA
MD
TN
SC
DC
AL
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.

89%of every dollar goes to organizations it has funded before.
$3.8M · 50 repeat orgs$463k to everyone else

Grantees it renews have grown median revenue +38% since the first grant, against +7% for those funded once.

50 repeat relationships: 33 still active in FY2025, 17 since wound down; 7 grantees were first funded in FY2025 (too recent to call).

How the two cohorts compare

Re-uppedFunded once

Organizations

50
21

Total granted

$3.8M
$223k

Median revenue growth · since first grant

+38%
+7%

Still filing today

78%
33%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2025, 65% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $240k 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
InternationalEnvironmentAnimalsScience & TechArts & CultureCommunity ImprovementOther
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

  • MEDECINS SANS FRONTIERES USA INC
    8× · 2017–2024 · $280k · revenue +98%
  • TC
    THE CHILDREN'S CENTER OF NEW MILFORD INC
    7× · 2018–2025 · $238k · revenue +28%
  • TS
    The Salk Institute for Biological Studies
    9× · 2017–2025 · $175k · revenue +38%

Funded once

  • NY
    NEW YORK PUBLIC RADIO
    one grant, 2022 · $50k
  • JG
    JANE GOODALL INSTITUTE FOR WILDLIFE RESEARCH EDUCATION AND CONSERVATIONgraduated
    one grant, 2017 · $25k · revenue +50%
  • SR
    SAWYER RESEARCH INSTITUTE
    one grant, 2017 · $20k
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
World Resources Institute

Wri is committed to creating change that improves people's lives and ensures the natural world can thrive. (see schedule o)wri's bold vision requires a formula for success we call "count it. change it. scale it.": - count it: our work is…

International
2
World Wildlife Fund Inc

Wwf's mission is to conserve nature and reduce the most pressing threats to the diversity of life on earth. (continued on schedule o)

Environment
3
International Center for Research On Women

The international center for research for women (icrw) is a global research institute, with a mission to advance rights and opportunities for women, girls, and structurally excluded populations with actionable evidence and solutions.

International
4
Climate Institute

The climate institute is organized for the purpose of educating the general public and policy makers as to the gravity of potential climate change, exploring the policy implications of the latest scientific findings on climate modelling…

Environment
5
Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Foundation

To engage and catalyze global seafood supply chains in rebuilding depleted fish stocks and reducing the environmental impacts of fishing and fish farming.

Animals
6
Open Markets Institute

The open markets institute works to help people relearn how to use competition policy to build stronger democracies, more just and equitable societies, more innovative and sustainable economies, and a more secure and peaceful world.

Education
7
Third Way

To research and develop centrist policy ideas.

Civil Rights
8
Ceres Inc

Ceres is a nonprofit advocacy organization working to accelerate the transition to a cleaner, more just, and resilient world. through education and research, we make the business case for action on the most pressing sustainability…

Environment
9
Institute for Agriculture & Trade Policy

Iatp works locally and globally at the intersection of policy and practice to ensure fair and sustainable food, farm and trade systems.

Food & Nutrition
10
Center for International Environmental Law Inc

To investigate, research, write, publish, present conferences and teach with respect to global, regional, transboundary, and comparative environmental issues and to make the findings from such activities available to the general public; to…

International
11
Center for Strategic and International Studies

The center for strategic and international studies (csis) is a bipartisan, nonprofit policy research organization dedicated to advancing practical ideas to address the world's greatest challenges.

International
12
Ocean Conservancy

Ocean conservancy unites science, people, and policy to protect our ocean, today and for generations to come.

Environment
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is Wikimedia Foundation Inc; the most unlike its peers is Acadia Center. 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

52 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. 52 of the 78 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)
50/52
Grantees still filing
35/52
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

THE CHILDREN'S CENTER OF NEW MILFORD INC: $237,500 · OtherTHE CHILDREN'S CENTER OF NEW MILFORD INCST JUDES CHILDRENS HOSPITAL: $160,000 · OtherST JUDES CHILDRENS HOSPITALCLIFFORD BEERS COMMUNITY CARE CENTER INC: $155,000 · OtherCLIFFORD BEERS COMMUNITY CARE CENTER INCJANE GOODALL INSTITUTE FOR WILDLIFE RESEARCH: $135,000 · OtherJANE GOODALL INSTITUTE FOR WILDLIFE RESEARCHPLANNED PARENTHOOD: $105,000 · OtherWNYC-NY PUBLIC RADIO: $100,000 · OtherLONG ISLAND AUTISM COMMITTEE: $75,000 · OtherFOOD BANK FOR NEW YORK CITY: $120,000 · OtherFOOD BANK FOR NEW YORK CITYAMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION FOUNDATION INC: $125,000 · OtherAMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION FOUNDATION INCSOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER INC: $75,000 · Other+36 more: $850,500 · Other+36 moreMEDECINS SANS FRONTIERES USA INC: $280,000 · InternationalMEDECINS SANS …WATER MISSIONS INTERNATIONAL: $60,000 · InternationalWATER MISSIONS…THE UNION OF CONCERNED SCIENTISTS INC: $55,000 · InternationalTHE UNION OF C…OXFAM-AMERICA INC: $40,000 · InternationalOXFAM-AMERICA …BOOKS FOR AFRICA INC: $40,000 · InternationalBOOKS FOR AFRI…CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL POLICY INC: $33,000 · InternationalCENTER FOR INT…AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL OF THE USA INC: $20,000 · International+2 more: $15,000 · InternationalENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND INCORPORATED: $105,000 · EnvironmentENVIRONMENTA…NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL INC: $90,000 · EnvironmentNATURAL RESO…350ORG: $67,000 · Environment350ORGCONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION: $60,500 · EnvironmentCONSERVATION…RIVERKEEPER INC: $55,000 · EnvironmentRIVERKEEPER …Acadia Center: $45,000 · EnvironmentAcadia Cente…FRIENDS OF THE EARTH: $35,000 · EnvironmentFRIENDS OF T…NEW YORK PUBLIC RADIO: $204,500 · Arts & CultureNEW YORK …WNET: $120,000 · Arts & CultureWNETPRO PUBLICA INC: $30,000 · Arts & CulturePRO PUBLI…The Salk Institute for Biological Studies: $175,000 · Science & TechAMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE: $65,000 · Science & TechAMAZON CONSERVATION TEAM: $35,000 · Science & TechSOCIETY FOR SCIENCE & THE PUBLIC: $20,000 · Science & TechLast Chance for Animals: $60,000 · AnimalsTHE ANIMAL MEDICAL CENTER: $50,000 · AnimalsNEW FAIRFIELD SHERMAN ANIMAL WELFARE SOCIETY INCORPORATED: $41,000 · AnimalsAFRICAN WILDLIFE FOUNDATION INC: $41,000 · AnimalsHUMANE FARMING ASSOCIATION: $41,000 · AnimalsJANE GOODALL INSTITUTE FOR WILDLIFE RESEARCH EDUCATION AND CONSERVATION: $25,000 · AnimalsOPERATION DELTA DOG INC: $20,000 · AnimalsCITYMEALS-ON-WHEELS: $100,000 · Food & NutritionCITY HARVEST INC: $70,000 · Food & Nutrition
Other$2,138,000International$543,000Environment$457,500Arts & Culture$354,500Science & Tech$295,000Animals$278,000Food & Nutrition$170,000

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 budgetMEDECINS SANS FRONTIERES USA INC: $280,000 over 8y, 0.0% of budgetTHE CHILDREN'S CENTER OF NEW MILFORD INC: $237,500 over 7y, 3.8% of budgetNEW YORK PUBLIC RADIO: $204,500 over 7y, 0.1% of budgetThe Salk Institute for Biological Studies: $175,000 over 9y, 0.0% of budgetCLIFFORD BEERS COMMUNITY CARE CENTER INC: $155,000 over 8y, 0.2% of budgetAMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION FOUNDATION INC: $125,000 over 9y, 0.0% of budgetWNET: $120,000 over 9y, 0.0% of budgetFOOD BANK FOR NEW YORK CITY: $120,000 over 7y, 0.0% of budgetENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND INCORPORATED: $105,000 over 8y, 0.0% of budgetCITYMEALS-ON-WHEELS: $100,000 over 9y, 0.1% of budgetNATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL INC: $90,000 over 5y, 0.0% of budgetSOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER INC: $75,000 over 8y, 0.0% of budgetCITY HARVEST INC: $70,000 over 7y, 0.0% of budgetWIKIMEDIA FOUNDATION INC: $70,000 over 8y, 0.0% of budget350ORG: $67,000 over 9y, 0.1% of budgetAMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE: $65,000 over 7y, 0.0% of budgetCONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION: $60,500 over 8y, 0.0% of budgetLast Chance for Animals: $60,000 over 9y, 0.4% of budgetWATER MISSIONS INTERNATIONAL: $60,000 over 8y, 0.1% of budgetUS AUTISM HOMES INC: $60,000 over 4y, 2.1% of budgetNURSES HOUSE INC: $58,000 over 8y, 4.3% of budgetRIVERKEEPER INC: $55,000 over 8y, 0.2% of budgetCANCER RESEARCH INSTITUTE INC: $55,000 over 4y, 0.1% of budgetTHE UNION OF CONCERNED SCIENTISTS INC: $55,000 over 6y, 0.0% of budgetTHE ANIMAL MEDICAL CENTER: $50,000 over 8y, 0.0% of budgetAcadia Center: $45,000 over 8y, 0.5% of budgetNEW FAIRFIELD SHERMAN ANIMAL WELFARE SOCIETY INCORPORATED: $41,000 over 9y, 3.3% of budgetAFRICAN WILDLIFE FOUNDATION INC: $41,000 over 9y, 0.0% of budgetHUMANE FARMING ASSOCIATION: $41,000 over 7y, 0.2% of budgetOXFAM-AMERICA INC: $40,000 over 5y, 0.0% of budgetBOOKS FOR AFRICA INC: $40,000 over 5y, 0.0% of budgetCharity Navigator: $40,000 over 4y, 0.2% of budgetAMAZON CONSERVATION TEAM: $35,000 over 5y, 0.2% of budgetENVIRONMENTAL AND ENERGY STUDY INSTITUTE: $35,000 over 4y, 0.6% of budgetFRIENDS OF THE EARTH: $35,000 over 4y, 0.1% of budgetCENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL POLICY INC: $33,000 over 4y, 0.3% of budgetINSTITUTE FOR NONPROFIT PRACTICE INC: $30,000 over 1y, 0.4% of budgetFAIRNESS & ACCURACY IN REPORTING INC: $30,000 over 1y, 5.4% of budgetJANE GOODALL INSTITUTE FOR WILDLIFE RESEARCH EDUCATION AND CONSERVATION: $25,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetOPERATION DELTA DOG INC: $20,000 over 3y, 1.1% of budgetAMNESTY INTERNATIONAL OF THE USA INC: $20,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetSOCIETY FOR SCIENCE & THE PUBLIC: $20,000 over 4y, 0.0% of budgetWOMEN FOR WOMEN INTERNATIONAL: $10,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetCOALITION FOR THE HOMELESS INC: $10,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetSEATTLE BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE: $10,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetINSTITUTE FOR CONTEMPORARY PSYCHOTHERAPY: $10,000 over 1y, 0.4% of budgetAdvocates for Children of New York: $5,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetUNITED STATES FUND FOR UNICEF: $5,000 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.

  • Who funds MEDECINS SANS FRONTIERES USA INC ↗
  • Who funds THE CHILDREN'S CENTER OF NEW MILFORD INC ↗
  • Who funds NEW YORK PUBLIC RADIO ↗
  • Who funds The Salk Institute for Biological Studies ↗
  • Who funds CLIFFORD BEERS COMMUNITY CARE CENTER INC ↗
  • Who funds AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION FOUNDATION INC ↗
  • Who funds WNET ↗
  • Who funds FOOD BANK FOR NEW YORK CITY ↗
  • Who funds ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND INCORPORATED ↗
  • Who funds CITYMEALS-ON-WHEELS ↗
  • Who funds NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL INC ↗
  • Who funds SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER INC ↗
  • Who funds CITY HARVEST INC ↗
  • Who funds WIKIMEDIA FOUNDATION INC ↗
  • Who funds 350ORG ↗
  • Who funds AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE ↗
  • Who funds CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION ↗
  • Who funds Last Chance for Animals ↗
  • Who funds WATER MISSIONS INTERNATIONAL ↗
  • Who funds US AUTISM HOMES INC ↗
  • Who funds NURSES HOUSE INC ↗
  • Who funds RIVERKEEPER INC ↗
  • Who funds CANCER RESEARCH INSTITUTE INC ↗
  • Who funds THE UNION OF CONCERNED SCIENTISTS INC ↗
  • Who funds THE ANIMAL MEDICAL CENTER ↗
  • Who funds Acadia Center ↗
  • Who funds NEW FAIRFIELD SHERMAN ANIMAL WELFARE SOCIETY INCORPORATED ↗
  • Who funds AFRICAN WILDLIFE FOUNDATION INC ↗
  • Who funds HUMANE FARMING ASSOCIATION ↗
  • Who funds OXFAM-AMERICA INC ↗
  • Who funds BOOKS FOR AFRICA INC ↗

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.

Jpmorgan Chase Founda…Network for GoodPaypal Charitable Giv…Vanguard Charitable E…The Bank of America C…Fidelity Investments …American Online Givin…Donor Advised Charita…Amazonsmile Foundation
Jpmorgan Chase FoundationNY10× affinity5 shared granteesties to 8 of 8Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: Jpmorgan Chase Foundation · Network for Good · Paypal Charitable Giving Fund · Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program · The Bank of America Charitable Foundation Inc · Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund · American Online Giving Foundation Inc · 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 Charles Spear Charitable Foundation funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from The Charles Spear Charitable Foundation. Bigger dots raise more.

2024
’20’21’22’23’24’25
no gov · 50%0%1%3%5%funder's share of their income ↑0%23%45%68%90%share of the org’s income from government →median 7%
  • Clifford Beers Community Care Center Inc: 75% of income from government
  • The Children's Center of New Milford Inc: 7% of income from government
  • Oxfam-America Inc: 0% of income from government
no gov moneyreceives it· size = income
5get no government money at all
6report government grants on their 990 we could not trace to a source (not plotted)
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 78 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 Charles Spear’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