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The Sarah Spencer Foundation at a glance

· Private foundation

The Sarah Spencer Foundation

Its FY2022 filing reports that it funds preselected organizations and did not take unsolicited requests; check the foundation's own site before ruling it out.

$155k
Granted FY2022
1
Grants FY2022
1
States reached
$155k
Largest
01What it fundsRead
02The needRead
03Its granteesRead
04Its fieldRead
05Through PlinthRead
01What it funds
0198% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2018 to 2022.

Arts & Culture$190kAnimals$165kEnvironment$99kEducation$31kInternational$10kHealth$5kHuman Services$5kFood & Nutrition$2kOther$0
02FY2022 · 1 grant

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

$155,059
Median grant
1
States reached
$0
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
CHICAGO ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY$155,059
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 (FY18–18, $5k) land where the poverty rate runs at 13%, against an area that typically sits at 10%. 95% of those dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Most of its grants land in higher-need ZIPs.

area typical 10%GORTON COMMUNITY CENTER: $250 → 8%YMCA OF METROPOLITAN CHICAGO: $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.

83%of every dollar goes to organizations it has funded before.
$467k · 7 repeat orgs$93k to everyone else

Grantees it renews have grown median revenue +80% since the first grant, against +38% for those funded once.

7 repeat relationships: 1 still active in FY2022, 6 since wound down.

How the two cohorts compare

Re-uppedFunded once

Organizations

7
24

Total granted

$467k
$93k

Median revenue growth · since first grant

+80%
+38%

Still filing today

57%
67%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2022, 100% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $0 went to new ones.

50%100%’18’19’20’22
RenewedFirst-time

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

’18’19’20’22
Arts & CultureAnimalsHuman ServicesInternationalEducationHealthOther
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

  • Chicago Zoological Society
    2× · 2020–2022 · $165k · revenue +80%
  • JF
    JOHN F KENNEDY CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
    2× · 2018–2019 · $114k · revenue +62%
  • MF
    MAYMONT FOUNDATION
    3× · 2018–2020 · $40k · revenue +130%

Funded once

  • TF
    THE FIRST TEE
    one grant, 2018 · $50k
  • RW
    REVEILLE WEEKDAY SCHOOL
    one grant, 2018 · $10k
  • OPPORTUNITY INTERNATIONAL INC D/B/A OPPORTUNITY INTERNATIONAL-US
    one grant, 2018 · $10k · revenue -40%
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
Detroit Historical Society

The Detroit Historical Society tells Detroit's stories and why they matter through its exhibits, programs, outreach, and the preservation and dissemination of its artifacts and collections.

Arts & Culture
2
Npr Foundation

The npr foundation ("foundation") is organized and operated exclusively for the benefit of its sole supported organization, national public radio, inc. ("npr inc."). the foundation supports npr inc. through various activities such as…

—
3
New York Botanical Garden

The new york botanical garden is a museum of plants and a scientific research center devoted to the study of plants and their uses. it is the garden's mission to improve public understanding of the natural world, horticulture, and the…

Environment
4
Colorado Museum of Natural History

Be a catalyst! Ignite our community's passion for nature and science.

Arts & Culture
5
Lincoln Park Zoological Society

Lincoln park zoo is dedicated to connecting people with nature by providing a free, family-oriented wildlife experience in the heart of chicago and by advancing the highest quality of animal care, horticulture, education, science and…

Animals
6
United States Naval Institute

Provide an independent forum for those who dare to read, think, speak, and write to advance the professional, literary, and scientific understanding of sea power and other issues critical to global security.

—
7
Museum of American Finance

Finance impacts everyone. as a socially relevant organization, the museum of american finance seeks to improve understanding of the influence of financial institutions and capital markets on the u.s. and global economies, and on…

—
8
Houston Botanic Garden

To enrich life through discovery, education, and the conservation of plants and the natural environment.

Environment
9
Eastern National

Eastern national promotes the public's understanding and support of america's national parks and other public trust partners by providing quality educational experiences, products and services.

Recreation & Sports
10
Native Plant Trust Inc

The organization's mission is to conserve and promote new england's native plants to ensure healthy, biologically diverse landscapes.

Environment
11
National Tropical Botanical Garden

To enrich life by perpetuating tropical plants, ecosystems and cultural heritage through discovery, scientific research, conservation, and education.

Environment
12
American Geophysical Union

Agu's mission is to advance and support an inclusive community of earth and space scientists and partners dedicated to discovery and solutions to societal challenges. agu seeks to catalyze discovery and solutions to scientific and societal…

Science & Tech
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is Field Museum of Natural History; the most unlike its peers is The Adler Planetarium. 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 31 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)
5
Early backer (in before they grew)
20/21
Grantees still filing
15/21
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

NATURE CONSERVANCY OF ILLINOIS: $99,000 · OtherNATURE CONSERVANCY OF ILLINOISTHE FIRST TEE: $50,000 · OtherTHE FIRST TEEVIRGINIA MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS: $19,000 · OtherVIRGINIA MUSEUM OF FINE ARTSSAINT CATHERINE'S SCHOOL: $15,000 · OtherSAINT CATHERINE'S SCHOOLREVEILLE WEEKDAY SCHOOL: $10,000 · Other+11 more: $9,600 · OtherJOHN F KENNEDY CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS: $114,000 · Arts & CultureJOHN F KENNEDY CENTER FOR THE PERF…MAYMONT FOUNDATION: $40,000 · Arts & CultureMAYMONT FOUNDATIONHISTORIC RICHMOND FOUNDATION: $15,000 · Arts & CultureHISTORIC RICHMOND FOUNDATION+5 more: $2,150 · Arts & CultureChicago Zoological Society: $165,059 · AnimalsChicago Zoological Society+1 more: $300 · AnimalsOPPORTUNITY INTERNATIONAL INC D/B/A OPPORTUNITY INTERNATIONAL-US: $10,000 · InternationalTRUSTEES OF DEERFIELD ACADEMY: $5,500 · EducationThe YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago: $5,000 · Human ServicesGorton Community Center: $250 · Human ServicesA JUST HARVEST: $500 · Health
Other$202,600Arts & Culture$171,150Animals$165,359International$10,000Education$5,500Human Services$5,250Health$500

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

25%50%75%100%$10M$100Mgrantee revenue →↑ funder's share of their budgetChicago Zoological Society: $165,059 over 2y, 0.2% of budgetJOHN F KENNEDY CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS: $114,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetMAYMONT FOUNDATION: $40,000 over 3y, 0.5% of budgetHISTORIC RICHMOND FOUNDATION: $15,000 over 3y, 0.6% of budgetOPPORTUNITY INTERNATIONAL INC D/B/A OPPORTUNITY INTERNATIONAL-US: $10,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetTRUSTEES OF DEERFIELD ACADEMY: $5,500 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetThe YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago: $5,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetBon Secours Richmond Healthcare Foundation: $5,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetELAWA FARM FOUNDATION: $1,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetA JUST HARVEST: $500 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetTHE MENOKIN FOUNDATION: $500 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetCHICAGO COALITION TO END HOMELESSNESS: $500 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetKenneth C Griffin Museum of Science and Industry: $350 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetAMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION FOUNDATION INC: $350 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetFIELD MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY: $300 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetSHEDD AQUARIUM SOCIETY: $300 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetMETROSQUASH NFP: $250 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetCHICAGO HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY: $250 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetTHE ADLER PLANETARIUM: $250 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetNATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO INC: $250 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetGorton Community Center: $250 over 1y, 0.0% 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 Chicago Community…Sheffield FoundationNational Philanthropi…Morgan Stanley Global…Donor Advised Charita…American Online Givin…Fidelity Investments …Amazonsmile Foundation
The Chicago Community TrustIL13.9× affinity5 shared granteesties to 7 of 7Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: The Chicago Community Trust · Sheffield Foundation · National Philanthropic Trust · Morgan Stanley Global Impact Funding Trust Inc · Donor Advised Charitable Giving Inc · American Online Giving Foundation 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 Sarah Spencer Foundation funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from The Sarah Spencer Foundation. Bigger dots raise more.

2024
’20’21’22’23’24’25
no gov · 10%0%1%3%5%funder's share of their income ↑0%25%50%75%100%share of the org’s income from government →
    no gov moneyreceives it· size = income
    1get no government money at all
    4report 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 Sarah Spencer Foundation?

    Find your warmest path to The Sarah Spencer 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 31 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 2022, released 2022. Filings run roughly 12 to 24 months behind; figures are dated accordingly.

    Source object · view filing

    Play a game based on Sarah Spencer’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