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The Metzger Family Foundation at a glance

· Private foundation

The Metzger 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.

$290k
Granted FY2025still arriving
19
Grants FY2025still arriving
9
States reached
$30k
Largest
01What it fundsRead
02The needRead
03Its granteesRead
04Its fieldRead
05Through PlinthRead
01What it funds
01100% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2021 to 2025.

Human Services$200kEducation$150kHealth$140kInternational$80kCrime & Legal$60kPhilanthropy$55kHousing & Shelter$45kEmployment$33kOther$0
02FY2025 · 19 grants

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

By grant size · FY2025

  • Under $10k5 grants · $19k
  • $10k–50k14 grants · $271k
$15,000
Median grant
9
States reached
$5.6M
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
SALVATION ARMY$30,000
STEPHEN SILLER TUNNEL TO TOWERS$30,000
AMERICAN LEBANESE SYRIAN ASSOCIATED$25,000
SUPPORT CENTER FOR CHILD ADVOCATES$25,000
MIKE ROWE WORKS FOUNDATION$23,000
SAMARITANS PURSE$20,000
LEGACY OF LIFE FOUNDATION$20,000
PROJECT HOME$15,000
TEAM RUBICON INC$15,000
PHILADELPHIA RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE$15,000
PROJECT OF EASTON$15,000
RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE CHARITIES GEN$15,000
CHILDREN'S SCHOLARSHIP FUND$13,000
FOSTERING HOPE$10,000
ROOTS AND WINGS NJ$7,000
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 (FY21–25, $100k) land where the poverty rate runs at 15%, against an area that typically sits at 11%. 45% of those dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Its grants spread fairly evenly across need levels.

area typical 11%FOSTERING HOPE: $10k → 7%PROJECT OF EASTON: $15k → 11%PROJECT HOME: $15k → 22%PROJECT OF EASTON: $15k → 11%PROJECT HOME: $15k → 22%PROJECT OF EASTON: $5k → 11%PROJECT HOME: $5k → 22%PROJECT OF EASTON: $5k → 11%PROJECT HOME: $5k → 22%PROJECT OF EASTON: $5k → 11%PROJECT HOME: $5k → 22%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
MI
NY
PA
NJ
CA
VA
TN
NC
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.

95%of every dollar goes to organizations it has funded before.
$752k · 15 repeat orgs$37k to everyone else

Grantees it renews have grown median revenue +34% since the first grant, against 0% for those funded once.

15 repeat relationships: 14 still active in FY2025, 1 since wound down; 4 grantees were first funded in FY2025 (too recent to call).

How the two cohorts compare

Re-uppedFunded once

Organizations

15
4

Total granted

$752k
$37k

Median revenue growth · since first grant

+34%
0%

Still filing today

87%
75%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2025, 87% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $37k went to new ones.

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

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

’21’22’23’24’25
PhilanthropyEducationHuman ServicesHealthReligionCrime & LegalOther
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

  • STEPHEN SILLER TUNNEL TO TOWERS FOUNDATION
    5× · 2021–2025 · $95k · revenue +112%
  • RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE CHARITIES OF THE PHILADELPHIA REGION
    5× · 2021–2025 · $70k · revenue +196%
  • LO
    LEGACY OF LIFE FOUNDATION INC
    4× · 2022–2025 · $55k · revenue +56%

Funded once

  • RM
    Ronald McDonald House Global
    one grant, 2025 · $15k · revenue 0%
  • FH
    FOSTERING HOPE
    one grant, 2025 · $10k · revenue 0%
  • RA
    ROOTS AND WINGS NJ
    one grant, 2025 · $7k
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 Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

The children's hospital of philadelphia, the oldest hospital in the united states dedicated exclusively to pediatrics, strives to be the world leader in the advancement of health care for children by integrating excellent patient care,…

Health
2
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center

Leadership in the prevention, treatment, and cure of cancer through excellence, vision and cost effectiveness in patient care, outreach programs, research, and education.

Health
3
Stc Healthcare Partners Llc

Website: https://towerhealth.org/locations/st-christophers-hospital- children stc opco, llc (st. christopher's hospital for children) provides a full range of high-quality healthcare services to all children and youth up to age 21 who seek…

Health
4
Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute

Sanford burnham prebys medical discovery institute's mission is to advance the biomedical sciences by cultivating the next generation of scientific leaders, providing meaningful opportunities for researchers of all backgrounds to learn,…

Health
5
Women's Law Project

Women's law project creates a more just and equitable society by advancing the rights and status of all women throughout their lives. to this end, we engage in high-impact litigation, advocacy, and education. the core values of women's law…

Civil Rights
6
The Johns Hopkins Hospital

For more than 125 years, the mission of the johns hopkins hospital has been to lead the world in the diagnosis and treatment of disease and to train tomorrow's great physicians, nurses and scientists. above all, we aim to provide the…

Health
7
Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania

The trustees of the university of pennsylvania (the "university") sees itself as having a public service mission. in such regard, the university aims to provide a rich and diverse educational environment for its students; to pioneer…

Education
8
Saint Joseph's University

As philadelphia's jesuit catholic university, saint joseph's provides a rigorous, student-centered education rooted in the liberal arts. we prepare students for personal excellence, professional success, and engaged citizenship. striving…

Education
9
Drexel University

Drexel university fulfills its founder's vision of preparing each new generation of students for productive professional and civic lives while also focusing its collective expertise on solving society's greatest problems. drexel is an…

Education
10
Prostate Cancer Foundation

The prostate cancer foundation (pcf) funds the world's most promising research on the biology and treatment of prostate cancer, accelerating those discoveries into therapies and strategies designed to improve the quality of life and…

Philanthropy
11
Children's Health Care

We champion the health needs of children and families. we are committed to improving children's health by providing the highest-quality, family centered care, advanced through research and education.

Health
12
Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh Foundation

Children's hospital of pittsburgh foundation is the sole fundraising arm of upmc children's hospital of pittsburgh.the foundation exists to provide financial support for the hospital's mission of improving the health and well-being of…

Health
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is St Jude Children's Research Hospital Inc; the most unlike its peers is Legacy of Life Foundation 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

18 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. 18 of the 20 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)
17/18
Grantees still filing
12/18
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

SALVATION ARMY: $110,000 · OtherSALVATION ARMYRONALD MCDONALD HOUSE CHARITIES OF THE PHILADELPHIA REGION: $70,000 · OtherRONALD MCDONALD HOUSE CHAR…ROOTS AND WINGS NJ: $7,000 · OtherSTEPHEN SILLER TUNNEL TO TOWERS FOUNDATION: $95,000 · EducationSTEPHEN SILLER TUNNEL TO …CHILDREN'S SCHOLARSHIP FUND PHILADELPHIA: $38,000 · EducationCHILDREN'S SCHOLARSHIP FU…The Robert James Leonard Foundation Inc: $31,000 · EducationThe Robert James Leonard …HILLSDALE COLLEGE: $17,000 · EducationHILLSDALE COLLEGELEGACY OF LIFE FOUNDATION INC: $55,000 · PhilanthropyLEGACY OF LIFE …MIKEROWEWORKS FOUNDATION: $33,000 · PhilanthropyMIKEROWEWORKS F…Travis Manion Foundation: $20,000 · PhilanthropyTravis Manion F…Muddy Paws Rescue: $5,000 · PhilanthropyPROJECT OF EASTON INC: $45,000 · Human ServicesPROJECT OF EAS…PROJECT HOME: $45,000 · Human ServicesPROJECT HOMEFOSTERING HOPE: $10,000 · Human ServicesFOSTERING HOPEAMERICAN LEBANESE SYRIAN ASSOCIATED CHARITIES INC: $45,000 · ReligionAMERICAN LE…SAMARITAN'S PURSE: $40,000 · ReligionSAMARITAN'S…Support Center for Child Advocates: $60,000 · Crime & LegalTEAM RUBICON INC: $40,000 · Public Safety & DisasterST JUDE CHILDREN'S RESEARCH HOSPITAL INC: $25,000 · HealthRonald McDonald House Global: $15,000 · Health
Other$187,000Education$181,000Philanthropy$113,000Human Services$100,000Religion$85,000Crime & Legal$60,000Public Safety & Disaster$40,000Health$40,000

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 budgetSTEPHEN SILLER TUNNEL TO TOWERS FOUNDATION: $95,000 over 5y, 0.0% of budgetRONALD MCDONALD HOUSE CHARITIES OF THE PHILADELPHIA REGION: $70,000 over 5y, 0.2% of budgetSupport Center for Child Advocates: $60,000 over 5y, 0.6% of budgetLEGACY OF LIFE FOUNDATION INC: $55,000 over 4y, 0.4% of budgetPROJECT OF EASTON INC: $45,000 over 5y, 0.6% of budgetAMERICAN LEBANESE SYRIAN ASSOCIATED CHARITIES INC: $45,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetPROJECT HOME: $45,000 over 5y, 0.0% of budgetSAMARITAN'S PURSE: $40,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetTEAM RUBICON INC: $40,000 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetCHILDREN'S SCHOLARSHIP FUND PHILADELPHIA: $38,000 over 5y, 0.1% of budgetMIKEROWEWORKS FOUNDATION: $33,000 over 2y, 0.2% of budgetThe Robert James Leonard Foundation Inc: $31,000 over 5y, 6.3% of budgetST JUDE CHILDREN'S RESEARCH HOSPITAL INC: $25,000 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetTravis Manion Foundation: $20,000 over 4y, 0.1% of budgetHILLSDALE COLLEGE: $17,000 over 5y, 0.0% of budgetRonald McDonald House Global: $15,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetFOSTERING HOPE: $10,000 over 1y, 1.6% of budgetMuddy Paws Rescue: $5,000 over 1y, 0.2% 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 Pfizer Foundation…American Online Givin…Vanguard Charitable E…Donor Advised Charita…Fidelity Investments …Amazonsmile Foundation
The Pfizer Foundation IncNY12.9× affinity5 shared granteesties to 5 of 5Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: The Pfizer Foundation Inc · American Online Giving Foundation Inc · Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program · Donor Advised Charitable Giving Inc · Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund · Amazonsmile 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 Metzger Family Foundation funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from The Metzger Family Foundation. Bigger dots raise more.

2024
’20’21’22’23’24’25
no gov · 00%1%3%6%10%funder's share of their income ↑0%5%10%15%20%share of the org’s income from government →
    no gov moneyreceives it· size = income
    0get no government money at all
    3report government grants on their 990 we could not trace to a source (not plotted)
    0rely on government for over half their income
    ⤢ axis zoomed · 0–20%
    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 Metzger Family Foundation?

    Find your warmest path to The Metzger Family 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 20 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 Metzger 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