· Private foundation
The Milestone Fund
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.
What it funded, over time
Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2018 to 2025.
Where the money goes
Grants by size, and the largest recipients.
By grant size · FY2025
- Under $10k9 grants · $39k
- $10k–50k6 grants · $120k
| Recipient | Amount |
|---|---|
| UNITED WAY OF CENTRAL AL | $35,000 |
| CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL FOUNDATION | $25,000 |
| UAB COMPREHENSIVE CANCER CENTER | $20,000 |
| COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF GREATER BIR | $20,000 |
| WOODLAWN FOUNDATION | $10,000 |
| INDIAN SPRINGS SCHOOL | $10,000 |
| ALTAMONT SCHOOL | $5,000 |
| MIKE SLIVE FOUNDATION | $5,000 |
| Individual grant recipient | $5,000 |
| Individual grant recipient | $5,000 |
| BIRMINGHAM HISTORICAL SOCIETY | $5,000 |
| HISPANIC INTEREST COALITION OF ALAB | $5,000 |
| BIRMINGHAM CIVIL RIGHTS INSTITUTE | $5,000 |
| THE JUNIOR LEAGUE OF BIRMINGHAM | $2,000 |
| MEDICAL OPINION AND EDUCATION FOUND | $2,000 |
Does the money reach high-need areas?
Each grant placed by the hardship in its grantee’s ZIP, against the area’s typical level.
Dollar for dollar, its grants (FY18–25) land where the poverty rate runs at 16%, against an area that typically sits at 7%. 94% of its dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Most of its grants land in higher-need ZIPs.
How this is measured
How this is measured
Who it funds again
Organizations funded in more than one year, against those funded once.
Grantees it renews have grown median revenue +23% since the first grant, against -2% for those funded once.
14 repeat relationships: 12 still active in FY2025, 2 since wound down; 3 grantees were first funded in FY2025 (too recent to call).
How the two cohorts compare
Organizations
Total granted
Median revenue growth · since first grant
Still filing today
New vs renewed · share of each year
In FY2025, 92% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $12k went to new ones.
Where new relationships form · theme of each grantee’s first grant
How this is measured
Backed again, and grew
UNITED WAY OF CENTRAL ALABAMA INC8× · 2018–2025 · $210k · revenue +41%- ACAlabama Children's Hospital Foundation8× · 2018–2025 · $170k · revenue +81%
- WUWOODLAWN UNITED INC8× · 2018–2025 · $85k · revenue +23%
Funded once
- TETHE EYE FOUNDATION INCone grant, 2019 · $10k · revenue -2% · 37% of their budget
- ELEMMET LIBRARYone grant, 2019 · $5k
- IGIndividual grant recipientone grant, 2020 · $5k
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.
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.
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…
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.
Operation of a public charter school in Livingston, AL.
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.
The mission of the Foundation is to mobilize community support and resources for the academic improvement of the Mountain Brook City School System through technological improvement, library enhancement, and professional development.
Provide facilities and support for the alabama high school of mathematics and science
Crestwood day school is a private elementary (k-6th) grade school in alabama.
The williams school builds with each child the foundation for academic, moral and social success. a williams school student embodies confidence, integrity and a love of learning.
Operation of a public charter school in Livingston, AL.
Rooted in the liberal arts & sciences & lutheran expression of the christian faith, & is committed to offering a challenging education that develops qualities of mind, spirit, & body necessary for a rewarding life of leadership & service…
Landon school is committed to the ethical, intellectual, and personal development of boys. we challenge and inspire them to think deeply, individually, and broadly; to live with respect and honor; and to grow into healthy, well-rounded men…
The jefferson scholars foundation (foundation) provides academic merit-based scholarship, fellowship and professorship support to students and faculty at the university of virginia (uva).
How this is measured
13 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. 13 of the 22 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.
Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee
Each grantee by its size and the funder’s share of it; top left is load-bearing
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 Alabama Children's Hospital Foundation ↗
- Who funds HIGHLANDS DAY SCHOOL FOUNDATION ↗
- Who funds WOODLAWN UNITED INC ↗
- Who funds INDIAN SPRINGS SCHOOL ↗
- Who funds The Mike Slive Foundation for Prostate Cancer Research ↗
- Who funds BIRMINGHAM CIVIL RIGHTS INSTITUTE ↗
- Who funds Birmingham Historical Society ↗
- Who funds JUNIOR LEAGUE OF BIRMINGHAM INC ↗
- Who funds Wheaton College ↗
- Who funds SOUTHERN RESEARCH INSTITUTE ↗
- Who funds THE EYE FOUNDATION INC ↗
- Who funds THE ALTAMONT SCHOOL ↗
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.
Open a dossier: Dunn-French Foundation · Mike and Gillian Goodrich Foundation · Hill Crest Foundation Inc · Protective Life Foundation · Altecstyslinger Foundation · The Ronne & Donald Hess Foundation · Jones Family Fund · The Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham · Lorol Roden Bowron Rediker Rucker Foundation · Viro Fund · Thomas H Lowder Family Foundation · The Hackney Foundation
How this is measured
How much its grantees rely on government
Each dot is one organization The Milestone Fund funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from The Milestone Fund. Bigger dots raise more.
How this is measured
Play a game based on Milestone’s filings →