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California · Private foundation

The Michelson 20mm Foundation Inc

Its FY2024 filing reports that it funds preselected organizations and did not take unsolicited requests; check the foundation's own site before ruling it out.

$1.3M
Granted FY2024(still arriving)
55
Grants FY2024
44
Organizations funded FY2023
48%
First-time grantees FY2023
Read the full brief
Median grant, FY2024
$15,000
Largest grant, FY2024
$125,000
Organizations funded a year
1 to 46
FY2017 to FY2023
States reached, FY2024
9
Total assets, FY2024
$4.4M
Applications
Preselected organizations only
Per its most recent filing; check its own site

How open it is to new grantees

In FY2023, 48% of the organizations The Michelson 20mm Foundation Inc funded were first-time grantees, receiving 37% of its grant dollars.

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2023, 63% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $297k went to new ones.

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

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

’18’19’20’21’22’23
EducationPhilanthropyPublic BenefitCivil RightsCrime & LegalCommunity ImprovementOther
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
FY2024still arriving51$1.1M55%
FY202344$803k48%
FY202246$935k54%
FY202145$710k73%
FY202026$578k85%
FY201911$352k100%
FY20181$25k100%
FY20172$41kn/a
100% classified

What it funded, over time

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

Education$2.3MCrime & Legal$359kPhilanthropy$348kScience & Tech$241kPublic Benefit$236kEnvironment$230kCommunity Improvement$206kHealth$175kOther$0

Where its grants go

Grant dollars by states, across the years we hold.

Which US states its grants reach

VT
MN
IL
NY
MA
OR
NV
PA
CA
CO
VA
MD
SC
DC
LA
AL
GA
TX
FL

Top grantees

Largest recipients by total granted, FY2017 to FY2024, and the share of each one’s budget the grants supplied at peak.

GranteeTotal grantedYearsShare of their budget
Community Partners$200,00040%
Foothill-Deanza Community Colleges Foundation$158,00013%
Center for Accessible Technology$150,00027%
The Education Trust Inc$129,15050%
California State University Foundation$125,00013%
Nextgen Climate America Inc$120,00031%
Public Policy Institute of California$110,00030%
Foundation for California Community Colleges$105,00030%
Generation Hope$100,0001n/a
The Utility Reform Network$100,00011%
Show all 121 grantees
All grantees of The Michelson 20mm Foundation Inc by total granted
GranteeTotal grantedYearsShare of their budget
Community Partners$200,00040%
Foothill-Deanza Community Colleges Foundation$158,00013%
Center for Accessible Technology$150,00027%
The Education Trust Inc$129,15050%
California State University Foundation$125,00013%
Nextgen Climate America Inc$120,00031%
Public Policy Institute of California$110,00030%
Foundation for California Community Colleges$105,00030%
Generation Hope$100,0001n/a
The Utility Reform Network$100,00011%
National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship Inc$82,50041%
William Marsh Rice University$80,00020%
Creative Commons Corporation$75,85331%
Institute for Local Self Reliance$75,00031%
Impact Justice$75,00040%
Foundation for the Los Angeles Community Colleges$70,00022%
California Competes$65,00022%
Campaign for College Opportunity$60,00041%
Unite-La Inc$56,00030%
The Rand Corporation$50,50040%
Believe in Students Inc$50,00026%
People-Centered Internet Inc$50,000141%
Temple University - Of The Commonwealth System of Higher Education$50,00010%
Urban Association of Forestry and Fire Professionals Inc$50,00032%
Northwestern University$50,00010%
Urban Resource Institute$50,00010%
Young Invincibles$50,00020%
California State University Long Beach Research Foundation$45,00020%
Root & Rebound$44,50031%
Connect to Compete Inc$40,50041%
Homeboy Industries$40,00030%
National Collegiate Inventors & Innovators Alliance Inc$37,40040%
Long Beach State Foundation$35,00030%
The Center for Intellectual Property Understanding Inc$27,000421%
Partners for College Affordability & Public Trust$26,00026%
Tuskegee University$25,00020%
The Institute for College Access & Success$25,00011%
The Anti-Recidivism Coalition$25,00010%
Peoples Resource Center$25,000110%
The Common Application Inc$25,00010%
Mohuman$25,0001n/a
John Burton Advocates for Youth$25,00011%
Higher Learning Advocates Inc$25,00016%
City Heights Community Development Corporation$25,00011%
Norfolk State University Foundation Inc and Subsidiary$25,00020%
Xavier University of Louisiana$25,00020%
American Association of Colleges and Universities$25,00010%
Indigenous Justice$25,00011%
Destination Crenshaw$25,00010%
The Giving Spirit$25,00013%
California State University Northridge Foundation$25,00010%
Human-I-T$25,00010%
Civic Nation$25,00010%
Student Basic Needs Coalition$25,0001n/a
The Friends of Chabot College$25,00014%
A New Way of Life Reentry Project$25,00010%
2nd Call$25,000110%
Public Advocates Inc$25,00010%
Insure the Uninsured Project$25,00011%
Regents of the University of California at Irvine$25,0001n/a
Bard College$25,00010%
Elevate Community Services Inc$25,00011%
The Mirman School for Gifted Children$25,00010%
Morehouse College$25,00020%
University of San Diego$25,00010%
Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights$25,00010%
California State University Los Angeles Auxiliary Services Inc$25,00010%
Privacy Rights Clearinghouse$25,00013%
Foundation for compton Community College District$25,000144%
Transformative Collective Institute Inc$25,0001n/a
Regents of the University of California at Riverside$25,0001n/a
The Oakland Public Education Fund$25,00010%
Wiki Education Foundation$25,00011%
Bethune-Cookman University$25,00010%
Uaspire Inc$25,00010%
Community College League of California$24,50030%
The College of the Canyons Foundation$23,50022%
Glendale College Foundation$23,10010%
National Student Legal Defense Network$21,41511%
Food Research & Action Center$20,50020%
Swipe Out Hunger$20,00012%
Trustees of Purdue University$20,0002n/a
Vera Institute of Justice Inc$20,00010%
United Negro College Fund Inc$19,00020%
California Invention Convention$15,0001n/a
Pro Bono Advisory Council$15,00016%
Hildreth Institute Inc$14,50014%
Association of Community College Trustees$14,42520%
Austin Pets Alive Inc$12,50010%
Intellectual Property Owners Education Foundation$10,00012%
University of California Berkeley Foundation$10,00010%
Benton Institute for Broadband & Society$10,00011%
Southern California Grantmakers$10,00020%
Los Angeles County Science and Engineering Fair$10,00028%
California State University Fresno Foundation$10,00020%
Online Learning Consortium Inc$10,00010%
Cal Poly Corporation$10,00010%
National Academy of Inventors Inc$7,50030%
The Santa Monica College Foundation$5,15010%
The University Foundation at Sacramento State$5,00010%
HBCU Founders Initiative$5,00010%
Kalw Public Media Inc$5,0001n/a
Underground Scholars Inc$5,0001n/a
Student Organizing Inc$5,00011%
Open Education Global Incorporated$4,19530%
Pukuu Cultural Community Services$4,00010%
United States Intellectual Property Alliance Inc$2,60022%
Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship$2,50010%
Open Campus Media Inc$2,50010%
Dignity and Power Now$2,50010%
Board of Regents Nevada System of Higher Education$2,5001n/a
Student Senate for California Community Colleges$2,00010%
San Diego State University Foundation Sdsu Research Foundation$1,50010%
Casa of Los Angeles$1,50010%
Inclusive Entrepreneurs Foundation FKA TiE Oregon Foundation$1,00010%
Social Justice Learning Institute$94210%
Neighborhood Connections Inc$10010%
American Intellectual Property Law Association$5010%
Japanese Garden Society of Oregon$5010%
University of California Irvine Foundation$5010%
The Beautiful Foundation Inc$501n/a

What it could do for these grantees

Plus 22 recipients with no EIN on record ($510k), not named here.

Where it is load-bearing

The Michelson 20mm Foundation Inc supplied at least a quarter of the budget for 2 of its grantees at some point. The chart plots its 109 largest grantees; load-bearing ones sit top left.

25%50%75%100%$100k$1.0M$10M$100Mgrantee revenue →↑ funder's share of their budgetCommunity Partners: $200,000 over 4y, 0.1% of budgetFoothill-Deanza Community Colleges Foundation: $158,000 over 1y, 3.2% of budgetCenter for Accessible Technology: $150,000 over 2y, 7.1% of budgetThe Education Trust Inc: $129,150 over 5y, 0.1% of budgetCalifornia State University Foundation: $125,000 over 1y, 3.2% of budgetNextgen Climate America Inc: $120,000 over 3y, 0.9% of budgetPublic Policy Institute of California: $110,000 over 3y, 0.2% of budgetFoundation for California Community Colleges: $105,000 over 3y, 0.1% of budgetThe Utility Reform Network: $100,000 over 1y, 1.0% of budgetNational Association for Community College Entrepreneurship Inc: $82,500 over 4y, 0.7% of budgetWilliam Marsh Rice University: $80,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetCreative Commons Corporation: $75,853 over 3y, 0.8% of budgetInstitute for Local Self Reliance: $75,000 over 3y, 0.6% of budgetImpact Justice: $75,000 over 4y, 0.1% of budgetFoundation for the Los Angeles Community Colleges: $70,000 over 2y, 1.6% of budgetCalifornia Competes: $65,000 over 2y, 1.6% of budgetCampaign for College Opportunity: $60,000 over 4y, 0.7% of budgetUnite-La Inc: $56,000 over 3y, 0.4% of budgetThe Rand Corporation: $50,500 over 4y, 0.0% of budgetBelieve in Students Inc: $50,000 over 2y, 5.6% of budgetPeople-Centered Internet Inc: $50,000 over 1y, 41% of budgetTemple University - Of The Commonwealth System of Higher Education: $50,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetUrban Association of Forestry and Fire Professionals Inc: $50,000 over 3y, 1.8% of budgetNorthwestern University: $50,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetUrban Resource Institute: $50,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetYoung Invincibles: $50,000 over 2y, 0.4% of budgetCalifornia State University Long Beach Research Foundation: $45,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetRoot & Rebound: $44,500 over 3y, 1.0% of budgetConnect to Compete Inc: $40,500 over 4y, 1.4% of budgetHomeboy Industries: $40,000 over 3y, 0.1% of budgetNational Collegiate Inventors & Innovators Alliance Inc: $37,400 over 4y, 0.2% of budgetLong Beach State Foundation: $35,000 over 3y, 0.1% of budgetThe Center for Intellectual Property Understanding Inc: $27,000 over 4y, 21% of budgetPartners for College Affordability & Public Trust: $26,000 over 2y, 6.4% of budgetTuskegee University: $25,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetThe Institute for College Access & Success: $25,000 over 1y, 0.5% of budgetThe Anti-Recidivism Coalition: $25,000 over 1y, 0.3% of budgetPeoples Resource Center: $25,000 over 1y, 9.8% of budgetThe Common Application Inc: $25,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetJohn Burton Advocates for Youth: $25,000 over 1y, 1.5% of budgetHigher Learning Advocates Inc: $25,000 over 1y, 5.9% of budgetCity Heights Community Development Corporation: $25,000 over 1y, 0.5% of budgetNorfolk State University Foundation Inc and Subsidiary: $25,000 over 2y, 0.2% of budgetXavier University of Louisiana: $25,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetAmerican Association of Colleges and Universities: $25,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetIndigenous Justice: $25,000 over 1y, 1.5% of budgetDestination Crenshaw: $25,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetThe Giving Spirit: $25,000 over 1y, 2.6% 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 109.

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.

Ecmc FoundationCalifornia Community …Lumina Foundation for…The California Wellne…College Futures Found…The Kresge FoundationThe California Endowm…Gates FoundationWeingart FoundationThe James Irvine Foun…Conrad N Hilton Found…The Rosalinde and Art…
Ecmc FoundationMN44.3× affinity21 shared granteesties to 11 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: Ecmc Foundation · California Community Foundation · Lumina Foundation for Education Inc · The California Wellness Foundation · College Futures Foundation · The Kresge Foundation · The California Endowment · Gates Foundation · Weingart Foundation · The James Irvine Foundation · Conrad N Hilton Foundation · The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert 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 Michelson 20mm Foundation Inc with peer funders

Warm introductions · Powered by PlinthPlus

How do I get to The Michelson 20mm Foundation Inc?

Find your warmest path to The Michelson 20mm Foundation Inc 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 Michelson 20mm Foundation Inc

How much does The Michelson 20mm Foundation Inc give?
The Michelson 20mm Foundation Inc reported 55 grants totaling $1,289,397 in its FY2024 IRS filing. It funded between 1 and 46 organizations a year over FY2017 to FY2023.
What does The Michelson 20mm Foundation Inc fund?
By grant dollars over FY2017 to FY2024, its largest causes are Education (46%), Crime & Legal (7%), Philanthropy (7%).
Who are The Michelson 20mm Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
By total granted over FY2017 to FY2024: Community Partners ($200k), Foothill-Deanza Community Colleges Foundation ($158k), Center for Accessible Technology ($150k).
Does The Michelson 20mm Foundation Inc fund new organizations?
In FY2023, 48% of the organizations it funded were first-time grantees.
Does The Michelson 20mm Foundation Inc accept unsolicited applications?
Its most recent filing reports that it funds preselected organizations and does not take unsolicited requests. Check the foundation's own site before ruling it out.
Which funders back the same organizations as The Michelson 20mm Foundation Inc?
Its strongest co-funders, measured against what their size predicts, include Ecmc Foundation, California Community Foundation, Lumina Foundation for Education Inc.
Where is The Michelson 20mm Foundation Inc based?
The Michelson 20mm Foundation Inc is based in CA.

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 147 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 2024, released 2024. Filings run roughly 12 to 24 months behind; figures are dated accordingly.

Source object · view filing

Play a game based on Michelson 20mm’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