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The Franken Family Foundation at a glance

· Private foundation

The Franken Family 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.

$133k
Granted FY2025still arriving
18
Grants FY2025still arriving
6
States reached
$24k
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, FY2020 to 2024.

Arts & Culture$99kEducation$64kInternational$56kHealth$37kYouth Development$25kHousing & Shelter$23kFood & Nutrition$10kPhilanthropy$10kOther$0
02FY2025 · 18 grants

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

By grant size · FY2025

  • Under $10k11 grants · $47k
  • $10k–50k7 grants · $86k
$5,000
Median grant
6
States reached
$935k
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
THE OLC SCHOOL$24,000
US FOUNDATION - NATL HOLOCAUST MUSEUM$11,600
SMILE TRAIN$10,000
DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS$10,000
INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE$10,000
WOUNDED WARRIOR PROJECT$10,000
NATIONAL PARKINSONS FOUNDATION$10,000
AMERICA'S VETDOGS$5,000
SAVE THE CHILDREN$5,000
DIRECT RELIEF$5,000
WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN$5,000
DIRECT RELIEF$5,000
BREAST CANCER RESEARCH FOUNDATION$5,000
WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN$5,000
Individual grant recipient$5,000
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 (FY23–25, $20k) land where the poverty rate runs at 14%, against an area that typically sits at 7%. 100% of those dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Most of its grants land in higher-need ZIPs.

area typical 7%WOUNDED WARRIOR PROJECT: $10k → 14%WOUNDED WARRIOR PROJECT: $5k → 14%WOUNDED WARRIOR PROJECT: $5k → 14%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.

78%of every dollar goes to organizations it has funded before.
$363k · 16 repeat orgs$103k to everyone else

16 repeat relationships: 13 still active in FY2025, 3 since wound down; 3 grantees were first funded in FY2025 (too recent to call).

How the two cohorts compare

Re-uppedFunded once

Organizations

16
14

Total granted

$363k
$78k

Median revenue growth · since first grant

+1%
+16%

Still filing today

69%
50%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2025, 81% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $25k went to new ones.

50%100%’20’21’22’23’24’25
RenewedFirst-time

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

’20’21’22’23’24’25
InternationalEducationHealthHousing & ShelterHuman ServicesFood & NutritionOther
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

  • SP
    STUDENTSPONSOR PARTNERS INC
    2× · 2020–2021 · $25k · revenue +35%
  • WOUNDED WARRIOR PROJECT INC
    3× · 2023–2025 · $20k · revenue +24%
  • MEDECINS SANS FRONTIERES USA INC
    3× · 2023–2025 · $20k · revenue +1%

Funded once

  • TO
    TTHE OLC SCHOOL
    one grant, 2022 · $15k
  • CF
    Community Food Bank Of New Jersey Incgraduated
    one grant, 2020 · $10k · revenue +26%
  • UH
    US HOLOCAUST MORIAL MUSEUM
    one grant, 2020 · $10k
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 Susan G Komen Breast Cancer Fdn Group

Susan g. komen 's mission is to save lives by meeting the most critical needs in our communities & investing in breakthrough research to prevent & cure breast cancer.

—
2
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Inc

The mission of dfci is to provide expert, compassionate, and equitable care to children, adults, and their families, while advancing the understanding, diagnosis, treatment, cure, and prevention of cancer and related diseases. we train new…

Health
3
The Susan G Komen Breast Cancer Foundation Inc

Susan g. komen has an unmatched, comprehensive 360-degree approach to fighting breast cancer across all fronts and supporting millions of people in the u.s. and in countries worldwide. we advocate for policies to protect patients, drive…

Health
4
Management Sciences for Health Inc

(msh) saves lives and improves the health of the world's poorest (see schedule o) and most vulnerable people by closing the gap between knowledge and action in public health.

International
5
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

The aspca's mission, as stated by founder henry bergh in 1866, is "to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the united states." the aspca was founded on the belief that animals are entitled to kind and…

Animals
6
International Aids Vaccine Initiative Inc

A global nonprofit biomedical research organization that develops vaccines and antibodies for hiv, tuberculosis, and emerging infectious diseases.

International
7
International Committee of the Red Cross

The international committee of the red cross (switzerland)(icrc) is an impartial, neutral, and independent organization whose exclusively humanitarian mission is to protect the lives and dignity of victims of armed conflict and of violence…

International
8
Project Hope - the People-to-People Health Foundation Inc

To conduct and support programs and activities aimed at solving some of the world's greatest public health challenges, with a specific focus on enabling health workers to have the greatest possible impact on the health of the people they…

International
9
International Medical Corps

To save lives & relieve suffering through health interventions & related activities that strengthen communities affected by conflict, natural disasters & disease outbreaks.

International
10
The Ovarian Cancer Research Fund Inc

Ovarian cancer research alliance (ocra) is committed to preventing, developing better treatments for and ultimately curing ovarian and related gynecologic cancers through innovative research, raising awareness and ensuring the best care…

Philanthropy
11
Committee to Protect Journalists Inc

The committee to protect journalists promotes press freedom worldwide and defends the right of journalists to report the news safely and without fear of reprisal. cpj ensures the free flow of news and commentary by taking action wherever…

Civil Rights
12
World Relief Corp of National Association of Evangelicals

To boldly engage the world's greatest crises in partnership with the church.

International
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is Save the Children Federation Inc; the most unlike its peers is Sylvia's Children 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

21 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. 21 of the 34 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)
1
Early backer (in before they grew)
21/21
Grantees still filing
12/21
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

US FOUNDATION - NATL HOLOCAUST MUSEUM: $100,552 · OtherUS FOUNDATION - NATL HOLOCAUST MUSEUMTHE OLC SCHOOL: $58,000 · OtherTHE OLC SCHOOLNATIONAL PARKINSONS FOUNDATION: $20,000 · OtherNATIONAL PARKINSONS FOUNDATIONTTHE OLC SCHOOL: $15,000 · OtherSMILE TRAIN INC: $15,000 · OtherUS HOLOCAUST MORIAL MUSEUM: $10,000 · OtherIndividual grant recipient: $10,000 · OtherAMERICA'S VETDOGS THE VETERANS K-9 CORPS INC: $10,000 · OtherCOMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF NEW JERSEY: $10,000 · OtherTHE BREAST CANCER RESEARCH FOUNDATION INC: $10,000 · Other+9 more: $38,500 · Other+9 moreInternational Rescue Committee INC: $20,000 · InternationalInternational Rescue C…Save The Children Federation Inc: $20,000 · InternationalSave The Children Fede…MEDECINS SANS FRONTIERES USA INC: $20,000 · InternationalMEDECINS SANS FRONTIER…WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN INC: $10,000 · InternationalWORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN …DIRECT RELIEF: $10,000 · InternationalDIRECT RELIEFSylvia's Children Inc: $6,000 · InternationalSylvia's Children IncAMERICAN FRIENDS OF MAGEN DAVID ADOM: $5,000 · InternationalUNITED STATES FUND FOR UNICEF: $5,000 · InternationalSTUDENTSPONSOR PARTNERS INC: $24,600 · EducationSTEPHEN SILLER TUNNEL TO TOWERS FOUNDATION: $5,000 · EducationWOUNDED WARRIOR PROJECT INC: $20,000 · Human ServicesURBAN PATHWAYS INC: $12,588 · Housing & ShelterNATIONAL BREAST CANCER FOUNDATION INC: $10,000 · HealthThe Jed Ian Taxel Foundation for Rare Cancer Research Inc: $500 · HealthCommunity Food Bank Of New Jersey Inc: $10,000 · Food & Nutrition
Other$297,052International$96,000Education$29,600Human Services$20,000Housing & Shelter$12,588Health$10,500Food & Nutrition$10,000

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 budgetSTUDENTSPONSOR PARTNERS INC: $24,600 over 2y, 0.2% of budgetInternational Rescue Committee INC: $20,000 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetWOUNDED WARRIOR PROJECT INC: $20,000 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetSave The Children Federation Inc: $20,000 over 4y, 0.0% of budgetMEDECINS SANS FRONTIERES USA INC: $20,000 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetSMILE TRAIN INC: $15,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetURBAN PATHWAYS INC: $12,588 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetCommunity Food Bank Of New Jersey Inc: $10,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetAMERICA'S VETDOGS THE VETERANS K-9 CORPS INC: $10,000 over 2y, 0.1% of budgetCOMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF NEW JERSEY: $10,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetNATIONAL BREAST CANCER FOUNDATION INC: $10,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetDIRECT RELIEF: $10,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetTHE BREAST CANCER RESEARCH FOUNDATION INC: $10,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetSylvia's Children Inc: $6,000 over 2y, 1.6% of budgetGUIDE DOG FOUNDATION FOR THE BLIND INC: $6,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetAMERICAN FRIENDS OF MAGEN DAVID ADOM: $5,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetSTEPHEN SILLER TUNNEL TO TOWERS FOUNDATION: $5,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetUNITED STATES FUND FOR UNICEF: $5,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetSEVERAL SOURCES SHELTERS INC: $2,500 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetThe Jed Ian Taxel Foundation for Rare Cancer Research Inc: $500 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.

How much its grantees rely on government

Each dot is one organization The Franken Family Foundation funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from The Franken 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 30%
  • Save the Children Federation Inc: 30% of income from government
  • Wounded Warrior Project Inc: 0% of income from government
no gov moneyreceives it· size = income
3get no government money at all
2report 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 34 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

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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