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Plinth

· Private foundation

The Dowd 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.

$2k
Granted FY2025still arriving
6
Grants FY2025still arriving
3
States reached
$1k
Largest
01What you fund
0186% classified

What you funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year — across FY20172025.

Religion$9kArts & Culture$2kSocial Science$650Education$300International$250Health$100Civil Rights$100Public Benefit$100Other$0
02FY2025 · 6 grants

Where the money goes

Your grants by size, and where they go.

$250
Median grant
3
States reached
$29k
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
Individual grant recipient$1,100
ST PIUS V SHRINE$655
HEARTBEAT INTERNATIONAL$250
TURNING POINT USA$100
Individual grant recipient$40
IMMACULATE CONCEPTION CHURCH$15
02The need
03

Do your dollars go where the need is?

Each grant placed by the hardship in its grantee’s ZIP, then read against the area’s typical level.

show:

Dollar for dollar, your grants (FY17–25) land where the poverty rate runs at 11%, against an area that typically sits at 9%. 63% of your dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Most of your grants land in higher-need ZIPs.

area typical 9%AMERICAN OPINION FOUNDATION: $100 → 8%PRAGER U FOUNDATION: $200 → 13%ST MICHAELS MEDIA: $500 → 8%DOMINICAN SISTERS OF MARY: $100 → 14%MISES INSTITUTE: $250 → 15%AMERICAN OPINION FOUNDATION INC: $1k → 7%OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL: $70 → 10%HEARTBEAT INTERNATIONAL: $250 → 5%IMMACULATE CONCEPTION CHURCH: $15 → 16%FATHER MICHAEL OSWALT: $730 → 6%ST JOSEPH CHURCH: $20 → 7%ST PETER CHURCH: $15 → 8%THE ROMAN CATHOLIC FAITHFUL: $100 → 9%FATHER MICHAEL OSWALT: $1k → 12%THE ST JOHN CANTIUS: $1k → 14%THE NATIONAL VACCINE INFO CENTER: $100 → 4%BROTHERS OF ST FRANCIS: $100 → 17%PRAGER UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION: $100 → 13%LUDWIG VON MISES INSTITUTE: $200 → 15%AMERICAN OPINION FOUNDATION INC: $250 → 7%FATHER MICHAEL OSWALT: $150 → 6%ST PIUS V SHRINE: $655 → 8%FR MICHAEL OSWALT: $95 → 12%VARIOUS CATHOLIC PARISHES: $1k → 14%THE MISES INSTITUTE: $100 → 15%AMERICAN OPINION FOUNDATION INC: $100 → 7%ST PIUS V CHAPEL: $540 → 8%VARIOUS CATHOLIC PARISHES: $730 → 14%THE MISES INSTITUTE: $100 → 15%AMERICAN OPINION FOUNDATION INC: $100 → 7%ST PIUS V SHRINE: $525 → 8%THE ST JOHN CANTIUS: $710 → 14%ST PIUS V CHAPEL: $165 → 8%VARIOUS CATHOLIC PARISHES: $590 → 14%FATHER NEVILLE MONTONERO: $40 → 8%VARIOUS CATHOLIC PARISHES: $460 → 14%FR NEVILLE MONTERIO: $20 → 8%THE ST JOHN CANTIUS: $350 → 14%THE ST JOHN CANTIUS: $220 → 14%THOMAS MORE SOCIETY: $100 → 14%THE ST JOHN CANTIUS CANTIAN FUND: $500 → 14%CANONS REGULAR OF ST JOHN CANTIUS: $115 → 14%THE AMDG FOUNDATION: $100 → 14%0%20%40%50%more need →
grant to an above-average-need area below average· circle size = grant amount

Matched: human-services grants are those whose grantee’s IRS cause code is Human Services. Placed by people below the poverty linein the grantee’s ZIP, averaged from the tracts in that ZIP; grantee ZIP can differ from where services are delivered.

Which US states your grants reach

IL
WI
MI
MA
OH
VA
AZ
LA
AL
FL

US grants placed by each grantee’s ZIP, which can differ from where services are actually delivered. Need from public data — U.S. Census/ACS, CDC PLACES, Eviction Lab, USDA — shown as context about the area, never attributed to your giving.

03Your edge
repeat funding

Who you back again

Which organizations you funded more than once, and which you funded a single time. Each grantee is matched to its own filings.

82%of every dollar goes to organizations you’ve funded before.
$12k · 7 repeat orgs$3k to everyone else

And the relationships you keep tend to grow: grantees you re-up on have seen median revenue of +221% since the first grant, against +10% for the ones you funded once.

7 repeat relationships — 2 still active in FY2025, 5 since wound down; 4 grantees were first funded in FY2025 (too recent to call).

How the two cohorts compare

Re-uppedFunded once

Organizations

7
16

Total granted

$12k
$2k

Median revenue growth · since first grant

+221%
+10%

Still filing today

29%
44%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2025, 81% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $405 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
Arts & CultureReligionEducationPhilanthropyCrime & LegalOther

First-time = a grantee’s first year in your filing window; renewed = funded in an earlier year too. As a portfolio matures the renewed share naturally climbs — once funded, an org stays “renewable” — so the signal is the years that buck it (a new-grantee intake wave). 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

  • VC
    VARIOUS CATHOLIC PARISHES
    4× · 2017–2020 · $3k
  • TS
    THE ST JOHN CANTIUS
    4× · 2017–2020 · $3k
  • IG
    Individual grant recipient
    3× · 2022–2025 · $2k

Funded once

  • SM
    ST MICHAEL'S MEDIA INC
    one grant, 2022 · $500 · revenue -93%
  • TS
    THE ST JOHN CANTIUS CANTIAN FUND
    one grant, 2021 · $500
  • PU
    PRAGER U FOUNDATION
    one grant, 2023 · $200

Repeat = funded in two or more distinct years; growth and survival are read from each grantee’s own subsequent IRS filings.

04Your field

The map has a center of gravity: the average direction from the rest of the sector toward the organizations the foundation funds — the shape of its giving. Scoring every nonprofit along that direction surfaces the ones that look most like the portfolio. These are the closest matchesthat aren’t grantees — a resemblance in what they say they do, not a recommendation.

1
The Institute On Religion and Public Life Inc

The institute on religion and public life is an interreligious, nonpartisan research and educational 501(c)(3) organization. the institute's mission is to articulate a governing consensus that supports: (see schedule o)- a religiously…

2
Ave Maria University Inc

University education grounded in the traditions and faith of the roman catholic church

Education
3
The Institute for Advanced Catholic Studies

The institute's mission is to conduct research on key issues facing society to help both the church and society deal thoughtfully with the major issues they face globally. the institute also sponsors and conducts research and scholarship…

Religion
4
International Catholic Jurists Forum Inc

The International Catholic Jurists Forum (ICJF) was established to produce, compile, and share resources on fundamental human rights under attack in the regional and international human rights protection systems. It operates as a forum for…

Religion
5
Catholic Answers Inc

Catholic answers is an apostolate dedicated to serving christ by bringing the fullness of catholic truth to the world. we help good catholics become better catholics, bring former catholics home, and lead non-catholics into the fullness of…

6
What Catholics Believe

Promoting the traditional, pre-1958 roman catholic faith and religion exclusively. this is accomplished by the promulgation of religious and educational materials including (but not limited to) videos, podcasts, and writings.

Religion
7
American Insight Inc
Arts & Culture
8
Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry Inc

To glorify god by equipping the church with proper christian doctrine and to help non-believers come to a saving knowledge of jesus christ.

9
Institute for Religious Research
10
The Dynamic Catholic Institute

The dynamic catholic mission is to re-energize the catholic church in america by developing world-class resources that inspire people to rediscover the genius of catholicism.

Religion
11
Regina Angelorum Institute

Inspired by don boscos vision of the two pillarsatop which stood our lady on one pillar and the most holy eucharist on the otherthe goal of regina angelorum institute is to help souls come to know and love jesus, especially in the blessed…

Religion
12
Keep the Faith Inc

Keep the faith is a catholic lay apostolate devoted to assist in the dissemanation of good catholic doctrine

Religion

For reference, the grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is Turning Point Usa Inc and the most unlike its peers is National Vaccine Information 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

11 grantees tracked through their own filings, 2017–2025.

Each one resolved to its own IRS returns and tracked year by year — your grant beside their revenue from every source. Association, dated; never a causal claim.

Counted here: distinct organizations you funded across 20172025, not grant rows in a single year — so this will not match the grant count on the cover. 11 of the 27 grantees resolved in that span have returns of their own we could reconcile; the rest are funded organizations whose filings we could not track year by year.

0
Load-bearing (≥25% of a budget)
2
Early backer (in before they grew)
11/11
Grantees still filing
6/11
Grew since you first funded

Where your money sits — by cause, then by grantee

VARIOUS CATHOLIC PARISHES — $3,129 · OtherVARIOUS CATHOLIC PARISHESTHE ST JOHN CANTIUS — $2,760 · OtherTHE ST JOHN CANTIUSIndividual grant recipient — $1,980 · OtherIndividual grant recipientST PIUS V SHRINE — $1,180 · OtherST PIUS V SHRINEST PIUS V CHAPEL — $705 · OtherST PIUS V CHAPELLUDWIG VON MISES INSTITUTE FOR AUSTRIAN ECONOMICS INC — $650 · OtherST MICHAEL'S MEDIA INC — $500 · OtherTHE ST JOHN CANTIUS CANTIAN FUND — $500 · Other+14 more — $1,225 · Other+14 moreAMERICAN OPINION FOUNDATION INC — $1,550 · Arts & CultureAMERICAN OPI…CANONS REGULAR OF ST JOHN CANTIUS — $115 · ReligionTHE AMDG FOUNDATION — $100 · PhilanthropyTHOMAS MORE SOCIETY — $100 · Crime & LegalPRAGER UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION — $100 · Education
Other$12,629Arts & Culture$1,550Religion$115Philanthropy$100Crime & Legal$100Education$100

Each org by its size and your share of it — top-left is where you’re load-bearing

25%50%75%100%$1.0M$10M$100Mgrantee revenue →↑ your share of their budgetAMERICAN OPINION FOUNDATION INC — $1,550 over 5y, 0.1% of budgetLUDWIG VON MISES INSTITUTE FOR AUSTRIAN ECONOMICS INC — $650 over 4y, 0.0% of budgetST MICHAEL'S MEDIA INC — $500 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetHEARTBEAT INTERNATIONAL INC — $250 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetCANONS REGULAR OF ST JOHN CANTIUS — $115 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetTHE AMDG FOUNDATION — $100 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetNATIONAL VACCINE INFORMATION CENTER — $100 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetTHOMAS MORE SOCIETY — $100 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetROMAN CATHOLIC FAITHFUL — $100 over 1y, 0.5% of budgetPRAGER UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION — $100 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetTURNING POINT USA INC — $100 over 1y, 0.0% of budget
Go grantee by grantee — a decade per org, and how each moved after you funded them

A decade per grantee — revenue shaded, your grants as bars, all rows on one timeline.

  • Who funds AMERICAN OPINION FOUNDATION INC
  • Who funds LUDWIG VON MISES INSTITUTE FOR AUSTRIAN ECONOMICS INC
  • Who funds ST MICHAEL'S MEDIA INC
  • Who funds HEARTBEAT INTERNATIONAL INC
  • Who funds CANONS REGULAR OF ST JOHN CANTIUS
  • Who funds THE AMDG FOUNDATION
  • Who funds NATIONAL VACCINE INFORMATION CENTER
  • Who funds THOMAS MORE SOCIETY
  • Who funds ROMAN CATHOLIC FAITHFUL
  • Who funds PRAGER UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION
  • Who funds TURNING POINT USA INC

The grantmakers whose grantees overlap with yours far more than size alone predicts. Each orbits closer the stronger the alignment; the arcs between them show where they also fund each other. Here it reads as a tightly interlocked camp — most of these funders back each other's grantees too.

American Endowment FoundationOH12.2× affinity6 shared granteesties to 5 of 5Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: American Endowment Foundation · Natl Christian Charitable Fdn Inc · Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program · Donor Advised Charitable Giving Inc · Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund · Amazonsmile Foundation

Affinity is a Gamma-Poisson posterior co-funding rate, re-centered on the typical rate, so thin evidence shrinks toward no signal. A research starting point: overlap is association, not proof of shared intent.

Government reliance of your grantees

Every dot is one organization The Dowd Foundation funds. Left–right is the share of its income from government; up–down is the share from you. Bigger dots raise more. Filter to federal or a single department — and drag the year to watch it move.

2024
202122232425
no gov · 00%0%1%3%5%your share of their income ↑0%1%3%4%5%share of the org’s income from government
    no gov moneyreceives it· size = income
    0get no government money at all
    1report government grants on their 990 we could not trace to a source (not plotted)
    0rely on government for over half their income
    ⤢ axis zoomed · 0–5%
    typical government reliance, FY2025

    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 your grant caused the public funding. Coverage is precision-first — a floor, not 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 12–24 months.

    On method. Every financial figure here is read directly from IRS e-file XML — your own 990/990-PF and the multi-year returns of the 27 grantees we resolved across every year we hold, several hundred filings in all (a different count from the grant rows on the cover, which are one fiscal year)— each linked to its source. Grantee achievements and outcomes are each organization’s own program-service reporting (Form 990, Part III); we read these as association with sustained funding — the foundation is one of several forces — suppress low-confidence name matches rather than guess, and say so where a figure rests on a single grant or filing. Not everything on this page is a filed figure, and the difference matters. Filed is what you reported on your 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. How we build these →

    Generated from your IRS Form 990-PF e-file return for fiscal year 2025, released 2025. Filings run roughly 12–24 months behind; figures are dated accordingly.

    Source object · view filing

    More from the funding graph