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The Hackney Foundation at a glance

· Private foundation

The Hackney 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.

$75k
Granted FY2025still arriving
58
Grants FY2025still arriving
5
States reached
$15k
Largest
01What it fundsRead
02The needRead
03Its granteesRead
04Its fieldRead
05Through PlinthRead
01What it funds
0195% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2020 to 2025.

Philanthropy$113kHealth$109kHuman Services$64kEducation$64kArts & Culture$62kReligion$41kPublic Safety & Disaster$38kRecreation & Sports$20kOther$0
02FY2025 · 58 grants

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

By grant size · FY2025

  • Under $10k57 grants · $60k
  • $10k–50k1 grant · $15k
$400
Median grant
5
States reached
$565k
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
UNITED WAY$15,000
ROTARY CLUB OF BIRMINGHAM FOUNDATION$7,875
YWCA OF CENTRAL ALABAMA$6,000
SAMFORD UNIVERSITY$5,200
CANTERBURY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH$5,100
COMMUNITY FOOD BANK OF CENTRAL ALABAMA$5,000
UAB ATHLETICS FOUNDATIONS$4,333
WOMEN'S FOUNDATION OF ALABAMA$4,000
BAPTIST HEALTH FOUNDATION$1,500
PORTRAITS OF HOPE$1,500
MITCHELL'S PLACE$1,350
NATIONAL MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS SOCIETY$1,000
Individual grant recipient$1,000
SUMMIT CHARTER SCHOOL$1,000
ALABAMA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA$1,000
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 (FY20–25, $14k) land where the poverty rate runs at 16%, against an area that typically sits at 11%. 99% of those dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Most of its grants land in higher-need ZIPs.

area typical 11%CHILDRENS AID SOCIETY: $100 → 11%CHILDRENS AID SOCIETY: $100 → 11%RAINBOW OMEGA: $100 → 18%KING'S HOME: $100 → 7%THE LOVELADY CENTER: $3k → 16%THE LOVELADY CENTER: $100 → 16%THE LOVELADY CENTER: $100 → 16%THE LOVELADY CENTER: $100 → 16%THE FOUNDRY MINISTRIES: $3k → 16%THE FOUNDRY MINISTRIES: $800 → 16%THE FOUNDRY MINISTRIES: $500 → 16%THE FOUNDRY MINISTRIES: $200 → 16%THE FOUNDRY MINISTRIES: $200 → 16%THE FOUNDRY MINISTRIES: $100 → 16%POSITIVE MATURITY: $100 → 16%ALABAMA POSSIBLE: $100 → 16%COMMUNITY FURNITURE BANK: $700 → 16%COMMUNITY FURNITURE BANK: $400 → 16%COMMUNITY FURNITURE BANK: $400 → 16%COMMUNITY FURNITURE BANK: $300 → 16%COMMUNITY FURNITURE BANK: $200 → 16%CHILDCARE RESOURCES: $200 → 16%CHILDCARE RESOURCES: $150 → 16%CHILDCARE RESOURCES: $100 → 16%COMMUNITY FURNITURE BANK: $100 → 16%CHILDCARE RESOURCES: $100 → 16%PASTORAL COUNSELING AND TRAINING CTR: $500 → 16%PASTORAL COUNSELING AND TRAINING CTR: $250 → 16%PASTORAL COUNSELING AND TRAINING CTR: $250 → 16%PASTORAL COUNSELING AND TRAINING CENTER INC: $250 → 16%GIRLS ON THE RUN BIRMINGHAM: $200 → 16%GIRLS ON THE RUN BIRMINGHAM: $100 → 16%BIG OAK RANCH: $250 → 16%BIG OAK RANCH: $100 → 16%BIG OAK RANCH: $100 → 16%PATHWAYS INC: $100 → 16%ROTARY CLUB OF BIRMINGHAM: $100 → 16%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.

Which US states its grants reach

IL
WI
NY
MA
OH
TN
NC
SC
AL
GA
TX
FL
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.

92%of every dollar goes to organizations it has funded before.
$510k · 91 repeat orgs$45k to everyone else

Grantees it renews have grown median revenue +25% since the first grant, against +11% for those funded once.

91 repeat relationships: 46 still active in FY2025, 45 since wound down; 10 grantees were first funded in FY2025 (too recent to call).

How the two cohorts compare

Re-uppedFunded once

Organizations

91
87

Total granted

$510k
$37k

Median revenue growth · since first grant

+25%
+11%

Still filing today

56%
46%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2025, 89% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $9k 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
HealthEducationHuman ServicesArts & CulturePhilanthropyRecreation & SportsOther
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

  • UNITED WAY OF CENTRAL ALABAMA INC
    6× · 2020–2025 · $96k · revenue +21%
  • Samford University
    6× · 2020–2025 · $46k · revenue +59%
  • UA
    UAB ATHLETICS FOUNDATION
    4× · 2021–2025 · $18k · revenue +37%

Funded once

  • MM
    MARION MILITARY INSTITUTE
    one grant, 2020 · $5k
  • IG
    Individual grant recipient
    one grant, 2020 · $3k
  • MV
    MARTHA'S VINEYARD MUSEUM INCgraduated
    one grant, 2020 · $3k · revenue +112%
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
Uab Educational Foundation

To support the university of alabama at birmingham in its scientific and educational mission, including managing and disbursing funds, acquiring real property, and providing operational flexibility.

Education
2
Alabama Partnership for Children

To work in partnership with families and organizations to ensure that all alabama children (birth to five) get everything they need to develop to their fullest potential.

Education
3
Alabama Bankers Association Inc

To promote the preservation and continued development of commercial banking in alabama.

—
4
The University Foundation

The university foundation is organized to assist and aid the board of trustees of the university of alabama in fulfilling its educational, research, and public service programs and activities.

—
5
The Children's Hospital of Alabama

The mission of Children's of Alabama is to provide the finest pediatric health services to all children in an environment that fosters excellence in research and medical education. Children's will be an advocate for all children and work…

Health
6
Legal Aid Society of Birmingham

The Organization is a nonprofit community defender providing legal assistance through court appointment to children and other indigent persons.

Crime & Legal
7
Nami Alabama Inc

Encourage and enhance advocacy and family support services on behalf of individuals suffering from mental illness.

Health
8
Birmingham Association of Realtors Inc

To promote the value of using a realtor and to enhance our members' opportunities to serve customers in a professional, ethical and profitable manner within an environment that fosters cooperation among the membership.

Community Improvement
9
Alabama Alliance Network

The alabama alliance netowrk works to strengthen and enhance alabama's civic society through research, education, and grantmaking

Public Benefit
10
Alabama Healthcare Hall of Fame
Arts & Culture
11
Alabama Association of Resource Conservation and Development Councils

Coordinate rc&d activity in alabama

Environment
12
Aids Alabama Inc

Aids alabama devotes its energy and resources statewide to helping people with hiv/aids live healthy, independent lives and works to prevent the spread of hiv.

Health
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is Baptist Health Foundation Inc; the most unlike its peers is Anc Highlands-Cashiers Hospital 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

103 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. 103 of the 192 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)
24
Early backer (in before they grew)
101/103
Grantees still filing
69/103
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

YWCA OF CENTRAL ALABAMA: $48,200 · OtherYWCA OF CENTRAL ALABAMACanterbury United Methodist Church: $35,050 · OtherCanterbury United Methodist ChurchRED MOUNTAIN THEATRE: $28,000 · OtherRED MOUNTAIN THEATRESLOSS FURNACES NATIONAL HIST LANDMARK: $10,100 · Other+124 more: $98,626 · Other+124 moreUNITED WAY OF CENTRAL ALABAMA INC: $95,500 · PhilanthropyUNITED WAY OF CENTRAL ALABAM…ROTARY CLUB OF BIRMINGHAM FOUNDATION: $36,375 · PhilanthropyROTARY CLUB OF BIRMINGHAM FO…+6 more: $9,775 · Philanthropy+6 moreBAPTIST HEALTH FOUNDATION INC: $32,200 · HealthBAPTIST HEALTH FOU…LAKESHORE FOUNDATION: $24,100 · HealthLAKESHORE FOUNDATI…MITCHELL'S PLACE INC: $10,500 · HealthMITCHELL'S PLACE I…THE BELL CENTER FOR EARLY INTERVENTION PROGRAMS: $5,550 · HealthTHE BELL CENTER FO…TUM TUM TREE FOUNDATION: $3,000 · HealthNATIONAL MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS SOCIETY: $3,000 · Health+15 more: $11,250 · Health+15 moreSamford University: $45,700 · EducationSamford Univers…UAB ATHLETICS FOUNDATION: $17,665 · EducationUAB ATHLETICS F…BUILDING PEACE INC: $2,500 · EducationBirmingham Promise Inc: $2,500 · Education+13 more: $5,750 · Education+13 moreTHE FOUNDRY MINISTRIES INC: $4,800 · Human ServicesFREEDOM RAIN INC: $3,400 · Human ServicesCOMMUNITY FURNITURE BANK INC: $2,100 · Human ServicesPASTORAL COUNSELING AND TRAINING CENTER INC: $1,250 · Human ServicesCHILDCARE RESOURCES: $550 · Human Services+9 more: $1,550 · Human ServicesCOMMUNITY FOOD BANK OF CENTRAL ALABAMA: $13,250 · Food & NutritionJUNIOR LEAGUE OF BIRMINGHAM INC: $3,750 · Community ImprovementRotaract Club of Birmingham Inc: $2,000 · Community ImprovementWOODLAWN UNITED INC: $1,500 · Community Improvement
Other$219,976Philanthropy$141,650Health$89,600Education$74,115Human Services$13,650Food & Nutrition$13,250Community Improvement$7,250

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

25%50%75%100%$100k$1.0M$10M$100Mgrantee revenue →↑ funder's share of their budgetUNITED WAY OF CENTRAL ALABAMA INC: $95,500 over 6y, 0.0% of budgetSamford University: $45,700 over 6y, 0.0% of budgetROTARY CLUB OF BIRMINGHAM FOUNDATION: $36,375 over 6y, 19% of budgetBAPTIST HEALTH FOUNDATION INC: $32,200 over 5y, 0.5% of budgetLAKESHORE FOUNDATION: $24,100 over 5y, 0.1% of budgetUAB ATHLETICS FOUNDATION: $17,665 over 4y, 0.2% of budgetCOMMUNITY FOOD BANK OF CENTRAL ALABAMA: $13,250 over 6y, 0.0% of budgetMITCHELL'S PLACE INC: $10,500 over 6y, 0.1% of budgetTHE BELL CENTER FOR EARLY INTERVENTION PROGRAMS: $5,550 over 6y, 0.1% of budgetTHE FOUNDRY MINISTRIES INC: $4,800 over 6y, 0.0% of budgetJUNIOR LEAGUE OF BIRMINGHAM INC: $3,750 over 6y, 0.1% of budgetFREEDOM RAIN INC: $3,400 over 4y, 0.0% of budgetMARTHA'S VINEYARD MUSEUM INC: $3,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetTUM TUM TREE FOUNDATION: $3,000 over 2y, 0.2% of budgetNATIONAL MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS SOCIETY: $3,000 over 5y, 0.0% of budgetTHE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA INC: $3,000 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetBUILDING PEACE INC: $2,500 over 1y, 0.4% of budgetBirmingham Promise Inc: $2,500 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetMission Outreach United Appeal Fund Inc: $2,500 over 6y, 1.5% of budgetBIRMINGHAM CHILDREN'S THEATRE INC: $2,150 over 5y, 0.1% of budgetCOMMUNITY FURNITURE BANK INC: $2,100 over 6y, 0.1% of budgetRotaract Club of Birmingham Inc: $2,000 over 1y, 2.7% of budgetSIGHT SAVERS OF AMERICA INC: $1,950 over 4y, 0.0% of budgetThe Mike Slive Foundation for Prostate Cancer Research: $1,800 over 4y, 0.2% of budgetTHE EXCEPTIONAL FOUNDATION: $1,750 over 5y, 0.0% of budgetAmerican Heart Association Inc: $1,500 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetWOODLAWN UNITED INC: $1,500 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetFORGE SURVIVORSHIP CENTER: $1,350 over 4y, 0.0% of budgetPASTORAL COUNSELING AND TRAINING CENTER INC: $1,250 over 4y, 0.5% of budgetGLENVILLE-CASHIERS RESCUE SQUAD INC: $1,250 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetHighlands Cashiers Health Foundation Inc: $1,250 over 4y, 0.0% of budgetSummit Charter School: $1,200 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetMAGIC MOMENTS: $1,050 over 5y, 0.0% of budgetBig Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Birmingham Inc: $1,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetI3 ACADEMY: $1,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetBIRMINGHAM JEWISH FEDERATION INC: $1,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetMountain Brook City Schools Foundation: $1,000 over 5y, 0.0% of budgetBREAST CANCER RESEARCH FOUNDATION OF ALA: $950 over 4y, 0.0% of budgetALABAMA HOLOCAUST EDUCATION CENTER: $950 over 4y, 0.0% of budgetCOUNTRY CLUB OF BIRMINGHAM: $900 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetALZHEIMERS OF CENTRAL ALABAMA INC: $850 over 4y, 0.1% of budgetTHE A EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP: $750 over 4y, 0.0% of budgetPRESBYTERIAN HOME FOR CHILDREN: $700 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetBIRMINGHAM-SOUTHERN COLLEGE: $600 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetCHILDCARE RESOURCES: $550 over 4y, 0.0% of budgetLINLY HEFLIN UNIT INC: $500 over 5y, 0.0% of budgetFREEDOM SOURCE INC: $500 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetGIRLSPRING INC: $450 over 4y, 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.

  • Who funds UNITED WAY OF CENTRAL ALABAMA INC ↗
  • Who funds Samford University ↗
  • Who funds ROTARY CLUB OF BIRMINGHAM FOUNDATION ↗
  • Who funds BAPTIST HEALTH FOUNDATION INC ↗
  • Who funds LAKESHORE FOUNDATION ↗
  • Who funds UAB ATHLETICS FOUNDATION ↗
  • Who funds COMMUNITY FOOD BANK OF CENTRAL ALABAMA ↗
  • Who funds MITCHELL'S PLACE INC ↗
  • Who funds THE BELL CENTER FOR EARLY INTERVENTION PROGRAMS ↗
  • Who funds THE FOUNDRY MINISTRIES INC ↗
  • Who funds WOMEN'S FOUNDATION OF ALABAMA ↗
  • Who funds JUNIOR LEAGUE OF BIRMINGHAM INC ↗
  • Who funds FREEDOM RAIN INC ↗
  • Who funds MARTHA'S VINEYARD MUSEUM INC ↗
  • Who funds TUM TUM TREE FOUNDATION ↗
  • Who funds NATIONAL MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS SOCIETY ↗
  • Who funds THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA INC ↗
  • Who funds BUILDING PEACE INC ↗
  • Who funds Birmingham Promise Inc ↗
  • Who funds Mission Outreach United Appeal Fund Inc ↗
  • Who funds BIRMINGHAM CHILDREN'S THEATRE INC ↗
  • Who funds COMMUNITY FURNITURE BANK INC ↗
  • Who funds Rotaract Club of Birmingham Inc ↗
  • Who funds SIGHT SAVERS OF AMERICA INC ↗
  • Who funds The Mike Slive Foundation for Prostate Cancer Research ↗
  • Who funds THE EXCEPTIONAL FOUNDATION ↗

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 Daniel Foundation…Protective Life Found…The Community Foundat…Altecstyslinger Found…Susan Mott Webb Chari…Hill Crest Foundation…Robert R Meyer Founda…Alabama Power Foundat…Dunn-French FoundationThe Maynard Nexsen Fo…Mike and Gillian Good…The Joseph S Bruno Ch…
The Daniel Foundation of AlabamaAL109.2× affinity56 shared granteesties to 11 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: The Daniel Foundation of Alabama · Protective Life Foundation · The Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham · Altecstyslinger Foundation · Susan Mott Webb Charitable Trust · Hill Crest Foundation Inc · Robert R Meyer Foundation · Alabama Power Foundation Inc · Dunn-French Foundation · The Maynard Nexsen Foundation · Mike and Gillian Goodrich Foundation · The Joseph S Bruno Charitable 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 Hackney Foundation funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from The Hackney Foundation. Bigger dots raise more.

2024
’20’21’22’23’24’25
no gov · 20%1%5%11%20%funder's share of their income ↑0%25%50%75%100%share of the org’s income from government →median 0%
  • Shriners Hospitals for Children: 0% of income from government
no gov moneyreceives it· size = income
2get no government money at all
26report government grants on their 990 we could not trace to a source (not plotted)
0rely on government for over half their income
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.
05Through Plinth

Warm introductions · Powered by PlinthPlus

How do I get to The Hackney Foundation?

Find your warmest path to The Hackney Foundation 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.

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 192 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 Hackney’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