Skip to content

Pennsylvania · Private foundation

The Fine Fund

Its FY2025 filing reports that it accepted unsolicited grant applications.

$229k
Granted FY2025(still arriving)
22
Grants FY2025
20
Organizations funded FY2024
25%
First-time grantees FY2024
Read the full brief
Median grant, FY2025
$7,500
Largest grant, FY2025
$40,000
Organizations funded a year
20 to 26
FY2018 to FY2024
States reached, FY2025
11
Total assets, FY2025
$4.2M
Applications
Takes unsolicited applications
Per its most recent filing; check its own site

How open it is to new grantees

In FY2024, 25% of the organizations The Fine Fund funded were first-time grantees, receiving 24% of its grant dollars.

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2024, 76% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $56k went to new ones.

50%100%’18’19’20’21’22’23’24
RenewedFirst-time

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

’18’19’20’21’22’23’24
EnvironmentArts & CultureEducationCommunity ImprovementPublic Safety & DisasterHealthOther
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.
The numbers by year
Fiscal yearOrganizations fundedTo those organizationsFirst-time grantees
FY2025still arriving18$181k61%
FY202420$232k25%
FY202321$232k24%
FY202226$273k23%
FY202124$237k17%
FY202022$196k18%
FY201922$186k27%
FY201823$157k48%
100% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2017 to 2024.

Environment$983kEducation$177kPhilanthropy$171kPublic Benefit$140kCivil Rights$130kHealth$100kArts & Culture$37kInternational$23kOther$0

Where its grants go

Grant dollars by states, across the years we hold.

Which US states its grants reach

ME
VT
NH
WA
MT
NY
MA
WY
IA
PA
CT
CA
WV
VA
MD
NC
DC

Top grantees

Largest recipients by total granted, FY2017 to FY2025, and the share of each one’s budget the grants supplied at peak.

GranteeTotal grantedYearsShare of their budget
Coming Clean Inc$200,00092%
Sustainable Markets Foundation$155,00050%
Essential Information Inc$120,00063%
Rachel's Network Inc$99,00091%
Silent Spring Institute Inc$90,00091%
University of California San Francisco$80,8044n/a
Habitable$80,00071%
Deployus Inc$70,00074%
Defend Our Health$69,70072%
The Orion Society Inc$61,00062%
Show all 57 grantees
All grantees of The Fine Fund by total granted
GranteeTotal grantedYearsShare of their budget
Coming Clean Inc$200,00092%
Sustainable Markets Foundation$155,00050%
Essential Information Inc$120,00063%
Rachel's Network Inc$99,00091%
Silent Spring Institute Inc$90,00091%
University of California San Francisco$80,8044n/a
Habitable$80,00071%
Deployus Inc$70,00074%
Defend Our Health$69,70072%
The Orion Society Inc$61,00062%
Center for Political Ecology$60,000426%
The Program for Preserving the Natural World Inc$50,000910%
Trustees of Boston University$50,00020%
Toxic-Free Future F/K/A Washington Toxics Coalition$45,00080%
West Virginia Rivers Coalition Inc$45,00032%
Center for the Study of Public Policy Inc$40,0001n/a
Virginia Organizing Inc$35,25080%
Health Care Without Harm$35,00030%
Carnegie Institute$25,00040%
Public Democracy America$20,00010%
Generation Common Good Inc$13,000119%
Environmental League of Massachusetts Inc$10,50080%
University of Massachusetts Foundation Inc$10,00020%
The Story of Stuff Project$10,0001n/a
Potential Energy Coalition Inc$10,00010%
Pesticide Action Network North America$10,00010%
Just Transition Alliance$10,00010%
Croatan Institute$10,00011%
Science & Environmental Health Network$10,00012%
American Friends of Reichman University Inc$7,73210%
Conservation Law Foundation Inc$7,50030%
Mothers Out Front Inc$7,50020%
New England Grassroots Environment Fund Inc$7,50030%
Environmental Health Sciences$7,50010%
Toxics Action Center Inc$6,50050%
Women's Voices for the Earth$6,00060%
Newton Conservators Inc$6,0002n/a
Free Speech for People Inc$5,0001n/a
Powerswitch Action$5,00010%
Highstead Foundation Inc$5,00010%
Friends of the Earth$5,00010%
Breast Cancer Prevention Partners$5,00010%
Kitchen Table Campaigns$5,00011%
Lincoln Institute of Land Policy$5,00010%
Emerald Necklace Conservancy Inc$5,00010%
Northeast Wilderness Trust Corporation$5,00010%
People for the American Way Foundation$5,00010%
Center for International Environmental Law Inc$5,00010%
Congregation Dorshei Tzedek$4,8001n/a
Invest for Better Inc$3,50021%
East Quabbin Land Trust Inc$3,00060%
Mystic River Watershed Association Inc$2,50010%
Environmental Health Trust$2,50010%
Urban Death Project$2,50012%
Slingshot$2,5001n/a
Green Science Policy Institute$2,00020%
Bunker Projects Inc$2,00021%

What it could do for these grantees

Plus 14 recipients with no EIN on record ($145k), not named here.

Where it is load-bearing

The Fine Fund supplied at least a quarter of the budget for 1 of its grantees at some point. The chart plots its 50 largest grantees; load-bearing ones sit top left.

25%50%75%100%$100k$1.0M$10M$100Mgrantee revenue →↑ funder's share of their budgetComing Clean Inc: $200,000 over 9y, 2.4% of budgetSustainable Markets Foundation: $155,000 over 5y, 0.2% of budgetEssential Information Inc: $120,000 over 6y, 3.4% of budgetRachel's Network Inc: $99,000 over 9y, 1.5% of budgetSilent Spring Institute Inc: $90,000 over 9y, 0.6% of budgetHabitable: $80,000 over 7y, 0.7% of budgetDeployus Inc: $70,000 over 7y, 4.0% of budgetDefend Our Health: $69,700 over 7y, 1.9% of budgetThe Orion Society Inc: $61,000 over 6y, 1.6% of budgetCenter for Political Ecology: $60,000 over 4y, 26% of budgetThe Program for Preserving the Natural World Inc: $50,000 over 9y, 10% of budgetTrustees of Boston University: $50,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetToxic-Free Future F/K/A Washington Toxics Coalition: $45,000 over 8y, 0.4% of budgetWest Virginia Rivers Coalition Inc: $45,000 over 3y, 1.5% of budgetVirginia Organizing Inc: $35,250 over 8y, 0.1% of budgetHealth Care Without Harm: $35,000 over 3y, 0.2% of budgetCarnegie Institute: $25,000 over 4y, 0.0% of budgetPublic Democracy America: $20,000 over 1y, 0.3% of budgetGeneration Common Good Inc: $13,000 over 1y, 19% of budgetEnvironmental League of Massachusetts Inc: $10,500 over 8y, 0.1% of budgetUniversity of Massachusetts Foundation Inc: $10,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetPotential Energy Coalition Inc: $10,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetPesticide Action Network North America: $10,000 over 1y, 0.3% of budgetJust Transition Alliance: $10,000 over 1y, 0.2% of budgetCroatan Institute: $10,000 over 1y, 0.7% of budgetScience & Environmental Health Network: $10,000 over 1y, 2.5% of budgetAmerican Friends of Reichman University Inc: $7,732 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetConservation Law Foundation Inc: $7,500 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetMothers Out Front Inc: $7,500 over 2y, 0.1% of budgetNew England Grassroots Environment Fund Inc: $7,500 over 3y, 0.3% of budgetEnvironmental Health Sciences: $7,500 over 1y, 0.4% of budgetToxics Action Center Inc: $6,500 over 5y, 0.1% of budgetWomen's Voices for the Earth: $6,000 over 6y, 0.2% of budgetPowerswitch Action: $5,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetHighstead Foundation Inc: $5,000 over 1y, 0.2% of budgetFriends of the Earth: $5,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetBreast Cancer Prevention Partners: $5,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetKitchen Table Campaigns: $5,000 over 1y, 0.6% of budgetLincoln Institute of Land Policy: $5,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetEmerald Necklace Conservancy Inc: $5,000 over 1y, 0.2% of budgetNortheast Wilderness Trust Corporation: $5,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetPeople for the American Way Foundation: $5,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetCenter for International Environmental Law Inc: $5,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetInvest for Better Inc: $3,500 over 2y, 1.4% of budgetEast Quabbin Land Trust Inc: $3,000 over 6y, 0.3% of budgetMystic River Watershed Association Inc: $2,500 over 1y, 0.2% of budgetEnvironmental Health Trust: $2,500 over 1y, 0.4% of budgetUrban Death Project: $2,500 over 1y, 2.1% of budget

Tap a dot to name the grantee.

How this is measured
Share of budget is the funder’s grant in a year over the grantee’s total revenue that year, at its highest across the years we hold; revenue is from all sources. Only grantees confirmed against their own filings, whose grants do not exceed their revenue, are plotted: the largest 50.

Nonprofits that may fit its grantmaking

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.

Maine Community Foundation IncME27.5× affinity13 shared granteesties to 11 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: Maine Community Foundation Inc · Boston Foundation Inc · Impactassetsinc · The Marisla Foundation · Park Foundation Inc · United States Energy Foundation · The John Merck Fund · Patagoniaorg · Forsythia Foundation Inc · The Passport Foundation · Cloud Mountain Foundation · Cedar Tree 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.

Compare The Fine Fund with peer funders

Warm introductions · Powered by PlinthPlus

How do I get to The Fine Fund?

Find your warmest path to The Fine Fund through trustees and officers whose names appear on both boards. Search for your organization and Plinth traces the shortest route it can evidence.

Each link is a name appearing on two organizations’ public IRS 990 filings, matched on that name and, where the filings support it, on location. A same-state match has geographic support, which is a second matching feature rather than confirmation that the two are one person; a cross-state one is the likeliest to be two people who share a name. Every hop shows its tier, low-confidence and distant paths are held back rather than guessed, and it is worth confirming the person before you use the introduction.

About The Fine Fund

How much does The Fine Fund give?
The Fine Fund reported 22 grants totaling $228,600 in its FY2025 IRS filing. It funded between 20 and 26 organizations a year over FY2018 to FY2024.
What does The Fine Fund fund?
By grant dollars over FY2017 to FY2025, its largest causes are Environment (54%), Education (10%), Philanthropy (9%).
Who are The Fine Fund's largest grantees?
By total granted over FY2017 to FY2025: Coming Clean Inc ($200k), Sustainable Markets Foundation ($155k), Essential Information Inc ($120k).
Does The Fine Fund fund new organizations?
In FY2024, 25% of the organizations it funded were first-time grantees.
Does The Fine Fund accept unsolicited applications?
Its most recent filing reports that it accepts unsolicited grant applications.
Which funders back the same organizations as The Fine Fund?
Its strongest co-funders, measured against what their size predicts, include Maine Community Foundation Inc, Boston Foundation Inc, Impactassetsinc.
Where is The Fine Fund based?
The Fine Fund is based in PA.

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 82 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 Fine’s filings →

More from the funding graph