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The Single Step Foundation at a glance

· Private foundation

The Single Step Foundation

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.

$31k
Granted FY2024still arriving
5
Grants FY2024still arriving
1
States reached
$15k
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, FY2019 to 2024.

Health$125kYouth Development$124kEducation$35kPublic Safety & Disaster$26kArts & Culture$12kEnvironment$9kAnimals$6kHuman Services$6kOther$0
02FY2024 · 5 grants

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

By grant size · FY2024

  • Under $10k3 grants · $6k
  • $10k–50k2 grants · $25k
$5,100
Median grant
1
States reached
$758k
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
BEVERLY HOSPITAL$15,000
BOSTON'S CHILDREN HOSPITAL$10,000
PLUMMER YOUTH PROMISE$5,100
SQUASHBUSTERS$527
ACORD FOOD PANTRY$500
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 (FY19–24, $111k) land where the poverty rate runs at 10%, against an area that typically sits at 12%. 3% of those dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Its grants skew toward lower-need ZIPs.

area typical 12%HARLEM CHILDREN'S ZONE: $1k → 17%HARLEM CHILDREN'S ZONE: $1k → 17%HARLEM CHILDREN'S ZONE: $1k → 17%PINE STREET INN: $1k → 10%ACORD FOOD PANTRY: $1k → 10%ACORD FOOD PANTRY: $500 → 10%PLUMMER YOUTH PROMISE: $90k → 10%PLUMMER YOUTH PROMISE: $5k → 10%PLUMMER YOUTH PROMISE: $4k → 10%PLUMMER YOUTH PROMISE: $3k → 10%PLUMMER YOUTH PROMISE: $2k → 10%PLUMMER YOUTH PROMISE: $2k → 10%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.

99%of every dollar goes to organizations it has funded before.
$344k · 21 repeat orgs$3k to everyone else

21 repeat relationships: 5 still active in FY2024, 16 since wound down.

How the two cohorts compare

Re-uppedFunded once

Organizations

21
3

Total granted

$344k
$3k

Median revenue growth · since first grant

+36%
+51%

Still filing today

76%
100%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2024, 100% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $0 went to new ones.

50%100%’19’20’21’22’23’24
RenewedFirst-time

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

’19’20’21’22’23’24
Human ServicesArts & CultureEnvironmentAnimalsHealthCommunity 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.

Backed again, and grew

  • PLUMMER YOUTH PROMISE INC
    6× · 2019–2024 · $106k · revenue +111%
  • CH
    Children's Hospital Corporation
    6× · 2019–2024 · $70k · revenue +75%
  • BS
    BROOKS SCHOOL
    2× · 2022–2023 · $6k · revenue +42%

Funded once

  • NORTHEAST ARC INC
    one grant, 2020 · $1k · revenue -70%
  • PINE STREET INN INCgraduated
    one grant, 2019 · $1k · revenue +80%
  • BACKYARD GROWERS INCgraduated
    one grant, 2020 · $1k · revenue +51%
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
Boston Architectural College

The bac is committed to provide excellence in design education grounded in practice and accessible to diverse communities.

—
2
Buckingham Browne & Nichols School

Bb&n, an all gender day school in cambridge, massachusetts, was established in 1974 by the merger of two independent schools, the buckingham school and the browne & nichols school, founded respectively in 1889 and 1883. located on multiple…

Education
3
Bartlett Arboretum Association Inc

To cultivate and develop an expansive collection of trees, gardens, and plants for all to explore, enjoy and study; and to provide through education and stewardship, a greener, healthier, more beautiful environment.

Environment
4
Western New England University

Western new england university, a comprehensive private institution with a tradition of excellence in teaching and scholarship and a commitment to service, awards undergraduate, master's, and doctoral degrees in various departments from…

Education
5
Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston Inc

Boys & girls clubs of boston (bgcb) stands as a transformative force in boston and chelsea, where high expectations unlock greatness. we believe that every young person who walks through our doors carries limitless potential. through our…

Youth Development
6
Concord Children's Center Inc

To cultivate an intimate, welcoming community where children develop respectful relationships and inquisitive minds, build confidence in their individual gifts, and are engaged, prepared and inspired to learn.

Human Services
7
Boys & Girls Clubs of Dorchester Inc

Our mission is to always welcome and connect young people and families to opportunities that embrace diversity, nurture growth, and inspire success.

Youth Development
8
Pine Cobble School Incorporated

Provide private school education for children from nursery school through grade 8

Education
9
Broccoli Hall Inc

Corwin-russell school at broccoli hall has a single goal. rooted in the latin "educare," we define ourselves as leading students to discover and develop the best in themselves: academically, creatively, socially, personally. in an…

Education
10
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Inc

Organization's mission statement true to the ambitious vision of its founder and her spirit of creative risk-taking, the mission of the isabella stewart gardner museum is: - to bring to life and preserve the rich historic collection; - to…

Arts & Culture
11
Natural Resources Trust of Easton

It is the mission of the natural resources trust of easton (nrt) to educate the public of significant natural and cultural resources and to acquire and preserve land of special character for the benefit of the public.

Environment
12
Gore Place Society

The mission of gore place is to preserve and promote the 1806 country estate of christopher and rebecca gore as a unique community resource that tells the story of early 19th century american life.

Arts & Culture
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is The Childrens Museum; the most unlike its peers is African Wildlife 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

19 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. 19 of the 24 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)
19/19
Grantees still filing
12/19
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

BEVERLY HOSPITAL: $75,000 · OtherBEVERLY HOSPITALSHORE COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL: $29,100 · OtherSHORE COUNTRY DAY SCHOOLRAW ART WORKS INC: $12,000 · OtherRAW ART WORKS INCMUSEUM OF FINE ARTS BOSTON: $5,000 · Other+9 more: $19,000 · Other+9 morePLUMMER YOUTH PROMISE INC: $105,600 · Human ServicesPLUMMER YOUTH PROMISE INC+3 more: $5,500 · Human ServicesChildren's Hospital Corporation: $70,000 · HealthChildren's Hospital Co…CABOT PERFORMING ARTS CENTER INC: $5,000 · Arts & CultureTHE CHILDRENS MUSEUM: $2,000 · Arts & CultureSQUASHBUSTERS INC: $6,527 · Youth DevelopmentESSEX COUNTY GREENBELT ASSOCIATION: $3,500 · EnvironmentTHE TRUSTEES OF RESERVATIONS: $3,000 · EnvironmentBROOKS SCHOOL: $6,000 · Education
Other$140,100Human Services$111,100Health$70,000Arts & Culture$7,000Youth Development$6,527Environment$6,500Education$6,000

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 budgetPLUMMER YOUTH PROMISE INC: $105,600 over 6y, 0.7% of budgetChildren's Hospital Corporation: $70,000 over 6y, 0.0% of budgetSHORE COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL: $29,100 over 4y, 0.1% of budgetRAW ART WORKS INC: $12,000 over 5y, 0.1% of budgetSQUASHBUSTERS INC: $6,527 over 4y, 0.0% of budgetBROOKS SCHOOL: $6,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetCABOT PERFORMING ARTS CENTER INC: $5,000 over 4y, 0.1% of budgetESSEX COUNTY GREENBELT ASSOCIATION: $3,500 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetHARLEM CHILDREN'S ZONE INC: $3,000 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetNORTH COUNTRY ANIMAL LEAGUE INC: $3,000 over 3y, 0.1% of budgetAFRICAN WILDLIFE FOUNDATION INC: $3,000 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetTHE TRUSTEES OF RESERVATIONS: $3,000 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetBEVERLY BOOTSTRAPS COMMUNITY SERVICES I: $3,000 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetTHE CHILDRENS MUSEUM: $2,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetACORD INC: $1,500 over 2y, 0.3% of budgetNORTH SHORE NORDIC ASSOCIATION: $1,000 over 2y, 4.7% of budgetNORTHEAST ARC INC: $1,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetPINE STREET INN INC: $1,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetBACKYARD GROWERS INC: $1,000 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.

Essex County Communit…Institution for Savin…Eastern Bank Foundati…Boston Foundation IncVan Otterloo Family F…Amelia Peabody Charit…Salem Five Charitable…United Way Of Massach…The Pfizer Foundation…American Tower Corpor…Ge Aerospace Foundati…The Bank of America C…
Essex County Community Foundation IncMA17.7× affinity6 shared granteesties to 11 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: Essex County Community Foundation Inc · Institution for Savings in Newburyport & Its Vicinity Charitable Foundation Inc · Eastern Bank Foundation · Boston Foundation Inc · Van Otterloo Family Foundation · Amelia Peabody Charitable Fund Trust · Salem Five Charitable Foundation Inc · United Way Of Massachusetts Bay Inc · The Pfizer Foundation Inc · American Tower Corporation Foundation Inc · Ge Aerospace Foundation · The Bank of America Charitable Foundation Inc

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 Single Step Foundation funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from The Single Step Foundation. Bigger dots raise more.

2024
’20’21’22’23’24’25
no gov · 50%0%1%3%5%funder's share of their income ↑0%23%45%68%90%share of the org’s income from government →median 10%
  • Northeast Arc Inc: 73% of income from government
  • Plummer Youth Promise Inc: 64% of income from government
  • Pine Street Inn Inc: 11% of income from government
  • Acord Inc: 10% of income from government
  • Children's Hospital Corporation: 10% of income from government
  • Essex County Greenbelt Association: 8% of income from government
  • Raw Art Works Inc: 7% of income from government
  • Cabot Performing Arts Center Inc: 3% of income from government
  • The Trustees of Reservations: 2% of income from government
  • The Childrens Museum: 1% of income from government
no gov moneyreceives it· size = income
5get no government money at all
2report government grants on their 990 we could not trace to a source (not plotted)
2rely on government for over half their income
⤢ axis zoomed · 0–90%
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 Single Step Foundation?

Find your warmest path to The Single Step 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 24 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 Single Step’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