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

· Public charity

The Columbia Foundation

THE COLUMBIA FOUNDATION promotes the power of community by investing in local charities, supporting club employees with educational assistance and financial hardship grants and preserving columbia's historical legacy for future generations.

$167k
Granted FY2025still arriving
4
Grants FY2025still arriving
2
States reached
$30k
Largest
01What it fundsRead
02The needRead
03Its 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, FY2018 to 2024.

Education$73kHuman Services$60kHealth$20kHousing & Shelter$20kRecreation & Sports$20kYouth Development$20k
02FY2025 · 4 grants

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

How this is measured
The 4 grants below total $80,000, the rows itemized in this filing. The $166,549 headline is the total grant expense on the return; the other $86,549 is giving the schedule does not break out (grants under the $5,000 itemization floor, grants to individuals, grants on other schedules). Every figure below describes the itemized rows only.
$20,000
Median grant
2
States reached
$1.1M
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
NOURISHING BETHESDA$30,000
HORIZONS GREATER WASHINGTON$20,000
HERO DOGS INC$20,000
COLUMBIA COUNTRY CLUB$10,000
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, $130k) land where the poverty rate runs at 10%, 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%JEWISH COUNCIL FOR THE AGING: $20k → 8%ST ANN'S CENTER FOR CHILDREN: $20k → 11%SAMARATIN INNS INC: $20k → 14%GREATER DC DIAPER BANK: $20k → 14%NOURISHING BETHESDA: $30k → 8%HERO DOGS INC: $20k → 8%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 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
Washington Dc Meals on Wheels Inc

We deliver healthy delicious meals to our home-bound neighbors. With a vision of creating a more interconnected resilient and compassionate community our program supports entire family systems. In 2024 236 volunteers delivered 55,642 meals…

—
2
Dc Greens Inc

DC Greens advances health equity by building a just and resilient food system.

Community Improvement
3
Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments

Create a more accessible, sustainable, prosperous and livable national capital region by being a discussion forum, expert resource, issue advocate, and catalyst for action.

Public Benefit
4
Healthcare Access Maryland Inc

We are making maryland healthier by connecting residents to insurance and care, educating the community about healthier living, and advocating a more equitable health care system.

Health
5
Meals On Wheels of Central Marylandinc

Meals on wheels of central maryland's charitable mission, to keep homebound people living safely and independently at home through the provision of nutritious meals, personal contact and support services, reduces hospitalization, and…

Food & Nutrition
6
Capitol Hill Day School

Capitol Hill Day School is a co-educational independent school serving students from pre-kindergarten through 8th grade. Capitol Hill Day School deeply engages a diverse community of students in connecting the classroom with the larger…

Education
7
Dc Policy Center

The mission of the d.c. policy center is to arm decision makers with fact-based, unbiased, and reliable research and analyses to help create a vibrant local economy that can maximize opportunities for residents, workers, and businesses in…

Public Benefit
8
Maryland New Directions Inc

Maryland new directions' mission is to train and coach people facing career and life transitions to overcome barriers, restore self-belief, and acquire the skills and tools needed to secure employment on a path to a living wage.

Health
9
Business Volunteers Maryland Inc

Inspire volunteerism and connect motivated people and businesses to nonprofit organizations leading to stronger communities. our programs connect the right people with the right organizations.

Community Improvement
10
District of Columbia Hospital Association

To provide leadership in improving the health care system in the district of columbia; advocate for the interests of member hospitals as they support the interests of the community; and encourage health services research and education.

—
11
Washington Vocational Services

To provide job development, job seeking skills and job placement for persons with disabilities. we are dedicated to providing outstanding quality services that result in successful community involvement and employment for persons with…

Employment
12
Usaging

Usaging represents & supports the national network of area agencies on aging & advocates for the title vi native american aging programs that help older adults & people with disabilities live with optimal health, well-being, independence &…

—
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is Jewish Council for the Aging of Greater Washington Inc; the most unlike its peers is Greater Dc Diaper Bank. 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

11 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. 11 of the 14 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)
0
Early backer (in before they grew)
11/11
Grantees still filing
5/11
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

Nourishing Bethesda Inc: $30,000 · Human ServicesNourishing Bethesda IncHero Dogs Inc: $20,000 · Human ServicesHero Dogs IncSAMARITAN INNS INC: $20,000 · Human ServicesSAMARITAN INNS INCSt Anns Center for Children Youth and Families: $20,000 · Human ServicesSt Anns Center for Children Youth and FamiliesGREATER DC DIAPER BANK: $20,000 · Human ServicesGREATER DC DIAPER BANKJEWISH COUNCIL FOR THE AGING OF GREATER WASHINGTON INC: $20,000 · Human ServicesJEWISH COUNCIL FOR THE AGING OF GREATER WASHINGTON…COLUMBIA COUNTRY CLUB: $38,000 · OtherCOLUMBIA COUNTRY CLUBWASHINGTON JESUIT ACADEMY: $20,000 · OtherWASHINGTON JESUIT ACADEMYDON BOSCO CRISTO REY HIGHSCHOOL OF THE ARCHDIOCESE OF WASHINGTON INC: $20,000 · OtherDON BOSCO CRISTO REY HIGHSCHOOL …MCLEOD STRAUSBAUGH SCHOLARSHIP FUND INC: $5,192 · OtherMCLEOD STRAUSBAUGH SCHOLARSHIP F…HORIZONS GREATER WASHINGTON INC: $20,000 · Youth DevelopmentWILDERNESS LEADERSHIP & LEARNING INC: $20,000 · Recreation & SportsMILITARY BOWL FOUNDATION INC: $20,000 · EducationTHE MERCY HEALTH CLINIC INC: $20,000 · Health
Human Services$130,000Other$83,192Youth Development$20,000Recreation & Sports$20,000Education$20,000Health$20,000

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

25%50%75%100%$1.0M$10Mgrantee revenue →↑ funder's share of their budgetCOLUMBIA COUNTRY CLUB: $38,000 over 4y, 0.0% of budgetNourishing Bethesda Inc: $30,000 over 1y, 1.5% of budgetHero Dogs Inc: $20,000 over 1y, 1.3% of budgetSAMARITAN INNS INC: $20,000 over 1y, 0.3% of budgetHORIZONS GREATER WASHINGTON INC: $20,000 over 1y, 0.7% of budgetSt Anns Center for Children Youth and Families: $20,000 over 1y, 0.4% of budgetGREATER DC DIAPER BANK: $20,000 over 1y, 0.5% of budgetWILDERNESS LEADERSHIP & LEARNING INC: $20,000 over 1y, 3.8% of budgetJEWISH COUNCIL FOR THE AGING OF GREATER WASHINGTON INC: $20,000 over 1y, 0.4% of budgetMILITARY BOWL FOUNDATION INC: $20,000 over 1y, 0.4% of budgetTHE MERCY HEALTH CLINIC INC: $20,000 over 1y, 0.5% 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.

Clark-Winchcole Found…The Morris and Gwendo…Greater Washington Co…Philip L Graham Fund …American Endowment Fo…Vanguard Charitable E…National Philanthropi…The Bank of America C…Donor Advised Charita…American Online Givin…Fidelity Investments …Amazonsmile Foundation
Clark-Winchcole FoundationMD17.8× affinity6 shared granteesties to 11 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: Clark-Winchcole Foundation · The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation · Greater Washington Community Foundation · Philip L Graham Fund co Graham Holdings Company · American Endowment Foundation · Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program · National Philanthropic Trust · The Bank of America Charitable Foundation Inc · 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 Columbia Foundation funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from The Columbia Foundation. Bigger dots raise more.

2024
’20’21’22’23’24’25
no gov · 10%0%1%3%5%funder's share of their income ↑0%4%8%11%15%share of the org’s income from government →median 6%
  • St Anns Center for Children Youth and Families: 6% of income from government
no gov moneyreceives it· size = income
1get no government money at all
4report government grants on their 990 we could not trace to a source (not plotted)
0rely on government for over half their income
⤢ axis zoomed · 0–15%
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 14 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 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

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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