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The Dotson Family Foundation at a glance

· Private foundation

The Dotson 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.

$100k
Granted FY2021
6
Grants FY2021
3
States reached
$45k
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, FY2018 to 2021.

Human Services$101kReligion$74kArts & Culture$63kEducation$40kHealth$29kInternational$6kSocial Science$5kYouth Development$5kOther$0
02FY2021 · 6 grants

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

By grant size · FY2021

  • Under $10k4 grants · $18k
  • $10k–50k2 grants · $83k
$5,000
Median grant
3
States reached
$0
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
GILCREASE MUSEUM$45,000
SAINT JOHNS EPISCOPAL CHURCH$37,808
CHILDREN'S ORGAN TRANSPLANT ASSOCIATION$5,000
HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL$5,000
MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY$5,000
ARTS ALLIANCE TULSA$2,500
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 (FY18–19, $98k) land where the poverty rate runs at 15%, against an area that typically sits at 9%. 100% of those dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Most of its grants land in higher-need ZIPs.

area typical 9%HEARTS FOR HEARING: $10k → 16%ASSISTANCE LEAGUE OF TULSA: $88k → 15%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.

26%of every dollar goes to organizations it has funded before.
$81k · 8 repeat orgs$234k to everyone else

8 repeat relationships: 2 still active in FY2021, 6 since wound down; 3 grantees were first funded in FY2021 (too recent to call).

How the two cohorts compare

Re-uppedFunded once

Organizations

8
10

Total granted

$81k
$146k

Median revenue growth · since first grant

+12%
+76%

Still filing today

63%
70%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2021, 8% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $88k went to new ones.

50%100%’18’19’20’21
RenewedFirst-time

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

’18’19’20’21
Arts & CultureHuman ServicesEducationHealthInternationalHousing & ShelterOther
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

  • PH
    PEMBROKE HILL SCHOOL
    2× · 2018–2019 · $20k · revenue +12%
  • THE PHILBROOK MUSEUM OF ART INC
    2× · 2018–2019 · $4k · revenue +109%
  • TL
    Tulsa Lawyers for Children Inc
    2× · 2018–2019 · $1k · revenue +17%

Funded once

  • AL
    ASSISTANCE LEAGUE OF TULSA INC
    one grant, 2018 · $88k · revenue -43%
  • SJ
    ST JOHNS EPISCOPAL CHURCH
    one grant, 2018 · $18k
  • MH
    Mental Health Association in Tulsa Inc dba Mental Health Association Oklahomagraduated
    one grant, 2018 · $14k · revenue +76%
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 University of Tulsa

The university of tulsa is a student-centered research university that cultivates interconnected learning experiences to explore complex ideas and create new knowledge in a spirit of free inquiry. guided by our commitment to diversity,…

Education
2
Tulsa School of Arts and Sciences

The mission of tsas middle and high school is to provide students a multi-strand liberal arts education in a safe, supportive, individualized and challenging school environment through a college preparatory curriculum.

Education
3
Tulsa Regional Chamber (Fka Metropolitan Tulsa Chamber of Commerce)

The tulsa regional chamber transforms the tulsa region by attracting and retaining employers, talent and tourism for long-term prosperity.

—
4
Tulsa Area United Way

The tulsa area united way unites people and resources to improve lives and strengthen our communities.

—
5
Tulsa Legacy Charter School

To prepare students for college through a rigorous arts infused program.

Education
6
Tulsa Honor Academy Inc

The operation of a public charter school in the tulsa area with the mission to equip all scholars with the academic skills, content knowledge, and ethical character required for college graduation and life success.

Education
7
Tulsa Girls Art School Project Inc

Empowered by art, tulsa girls overcome barriers and discover life-changing purpose and possibilities.

Arts & Culture
8
Oklahoma Hospital Association Inc

The mission of the Oklahoma Hospital Association is to promote the welfare of the public by representing its members and advocating on their behalf, providing services to assist its members in meeting the health care needs of their…

—
9
Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association

The OSSAA will serve member schools by providing leadership in the development, supervision, and conduct of co-curricular activities, which enrich the educational experiences of high school students. It will provide for equitable…

—
10
Tulsa Children's Museum Inc

To inspire children, connect families, and build community through exploration, exhibits, programming, and play.

Arts & Culture
11
Oklahoma State Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc

The State Chamber is a statewide membership organization. Our purpose is to be the unified voice of business and the most effective advocacy organization at the State Capitol.

—
12
Greater Tulsa Association of Realtors

The organization operates to promote the Real Estate industry by uniting real estate professionals, promoting and maintaining high standards of conduct in real estate transactions, advancing civil development and economic growth in Tulsa,…

—
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is Mental Health Association in Tulsa Inc dba Mental Health Association Oklahoma; the most unlike its peers is Bushenyi Alliance for Rural Health& Development 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

14 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. 14 of the 22 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)
2
Early backer (in before they grew)
14/14
Grantees still filing
8/14
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

GILCREASE MUSEUM: $45,000 · OtherGILCREASE MUSEUMSAINT JOHNS EPISCOPAL CHURCH: $37,808 · OtherSAINT JOHNS EPISCOPAL CHURCHST JOHNS EPISCOPAL CHURCH: $18,000 · OtherST JOHNS EPISCOPAL CHURCHST SIMEON'S FOUNDATION: $15,600 · OtherST SIMEON'S FOUNDATIONRONALD MCDONALD HOUSE OF TULSA: $12,500 · OtherRONALD MCDONALD HOUSE OF TULSAHARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL: $10,000 · OtherHARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL+6 more: $16,500 · Other+6 moreASSISTANCE LEAGUE OF TULSA INC: $88,334 · Human ServicesASSISTANCE LEAGUE OF TULSA INCHearts for Hearing Foundation: $10,000 · Human ServicesHearts for Hearing FoundationPEMBROKE HILL SCHOOL: $20,000 · EducationPEMBROKE H…Massachusetts Institute of Technology: $10,000 · EducationMassachuse…ARTS ALLIANCE TULSA INC: $12,500 · Arts & CultureTHE PHILBROOK MUSEUM OF ART INC: $4,322 · Arts & CultureTULSA HISTORICAL SOCIETY: $800 · Arts & CultureMental Health Association in Tulsa Inc dba Mental Health Association Oklahoma: $14,000 · HealthBUSHENYI ALLIANCE FOR RURAL HEALTH& DEVELOPMENT INC: $5,500 · InternationalGIRL SCOUTS OF EASTERN OKLAHOMA INC: $4,640 · Youth Development
Other$155,408Human Services$98,334Education$30,000Arts & Culture$17,622Health$14,000International$5,500Youth Development$4,640

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 budgetASSISTANCE LEAGUE OF TULSA INC: $88,334 over 1y, 2.8% of budgetPEMBROKE HILL SCHOOL: $20,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetMental Health Association in Tulsa Inc dba Mental Health Association Oklahoma: $14,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetMassachusetts Institute of Technology: $10,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetHearts for Hearing Foundation: $10,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetBUSHENYI ALLIANCE FOR RURAL HEALTH& DEVELOPMENT INC: $5,500 over 2y, 1.4% of budgetCOTA - Children's Organ Transplant Association: $5,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetGIRL SCOUTS OF EASTERN OKLAHOMA INC: $4,640 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetTHE PHILBROOK MUSEUM OF ART INC: $4,322 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetSHEFFIELD PLACE: $2,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetCamp O-AT-KA Inc: $1,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetTulsa Lawyers for Children Inc: $1,000 over 2y, 0.1% of budgetTULSA HISTORICAL SOCIETY: $800 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.

The Sharna and Irvin …The Anne and Henry Za…The Gelvin FoundationThe Hardesty Family F…One Gas Foundation IncJohn and Donnie Brock…The Oxley FoundationMervin Bovaird Founda…Ralph and Frances McG…Tulsa Community Found…Sanford P & Irene F B…Grace & Franklin Bern…
The Sharna and Irvin Frank FoundationOK22× affinity8 shared granteesties to 11 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: The Sharna and Irvin Frank Foundation · The Anne and Henry Zarrow Foundation · The Gelvin Foundation · The Hardesty Family Foundation Inc · One Gas Foundation Inc · John and Donnie Brock Foundation · The Oxley Foundation · Mervin Bovaird Foundation · Ralph and Frances McGill Foundation the Trust Company of Oklahoma · Tulsa Community Foundation · Sanford P & Irene F Burnstein Foundation Irene F Burnstein Co-Trustee · Grace & Franklin Bernsen 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 Dotson Family Foundation funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from The Dotson Family Foundation. Bigger dots raise more.

2024
’20’21’22’23’24’25
no gov · 30%0%1%3%5%funder's share of their income ↑0%10%20%30%40%share of the org’s income from government →median 8%
  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology: 35% of income from government
  • Mental Health Association in Tulsa Inc dba Mental Health Association Oklahoma: 8% of income from government
  • The Philbrook Museum of Art Inc: 4% of income from government
no gov moneyreceives it· size = income
3get no government money at all
6report government grants on their 990 we could not trace to a source (not plotted)
0rely on government for over half their income
⤢ axis zoomed · 0–40%
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 22 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 2021, released 2021. Filings run roughly 12 to 24 months behind; figures are dated accordingly.

Source object · view filing

Play a game based on Dotson 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