Skip to content
The Swanson Family Foundation at a glanceAlso receives grants: funding profile →

· Private foundation

The Swanson 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.

$88k
Granted FY2025still arriving
4
Grants FY2025still arriving
2
States reached
$40k
Largest
01What it fundsRead
02The needRead
03Its granteesRead
04Its fieldRead
01What it funds
0193% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2020 to 2024.

Human Services$112kHousing & Shelter$75kEducation$36kAnimals$18kPublic Benefit$18kHealth$8kEnvironment$3kArts & Culture$3kOther$0
02FY2025 · 4 grants

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

By grant size · FY2025

  • Under $10k1 grant · $8k
  • $10k–50k3 grants · $80k
$20,000
Median grant
2
States reached
$810k
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
ELLA'S HOUSE$40,000
NASHVILLE SYMPHONY$20,000
Individual grant recipient$20,000
TUCKER'S HOUSE$7,500
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 (FY20–22, $8k) land where the poverty rate runs at 8%, against an area that typically sits at 11%. 35% of those dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Its grants skew toward lower-need ZIPs.

area typical 11%OPEN HEART MAGIC: $3k → 14%GRACEWORKS MINISTRIES: $5k → 4%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

MT
IL
CO
VA
AR
TN
SC
GA
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.

88%of every dollar goes to organizations it has funded before.
$361k · 7 repeat orgs$50k to everyone else

7 repeat relationships: 3 still active in FY2025, 4 since wound down; 1 grantees were first funded in FY2025 (too recent to call).

How the two cohorts compare

Re-uppedFunded once

Organizations

7
9

Total granted

$361k
$30k

Median revenue growth · since first grant

+27%
+43%

Still filing today

71%
78%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2025, 77% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $20k went to new ones.

50%100%’20’21’22’23’24’25
RenewedFirst-time

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

’20’21’22’23’24’25
Human ServicesYouth DevelopmentArts & CultureHousing & ShelterEducationPublic BenefitOther
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

  • EH
    Ellas House
    4× · 2022–2025 · $115k · revenue +102%
  • TC
    The Cradle Society
    2× · 2020–2021 · $50k · revenue +16%
  • MC
    MARINE CORPS SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION INC
    3× · 2020–2022 · $36k · revenue +85%

Funded once

  • TA
    The Anti-Cruelty Societygraduated
    one grant, 2020 · $5k · revenue +43%
  • PC
    PEITZ CANCER SUPPORT HOUSE
    one grant, 2022 · $5k
  • GM
    GRACEWORKS MINISTRIES INC
    one grant, 2022 · $5k · revenue +9%
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
Children's Hospital of Chicago Medical Center

We are dedicated to the health and well-being of all children. as the pediatric teaching facility for the northwestern university feinberg school of medicine, this commitment drives us to be a leader in: -pediatric health care delivery…

Health
3
Minnesota Medical Association

To be the leading voice of medicine to make minnesota the healthiest state and the best place to practice.

—
4
House of the Good Shepherd

House of Good Shepherd serves with love and compassion women and children affected by domestic violence by offering a safe place with opportunities for emotional, educational and spiritual growth, giving hope and continued support for a…

Human Services
5
Michigan Humane Society

To improve and save lives through compassionate care, community engagement and advocacy for animals.

Animals
6
Seattle Children's Guild Association

Seattle children's guild association advocates for seattle children's hospital through volunteer, philanthropic and community endeavors to ensure hope, excellent care and advanced cures for children.

—
7
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.

—
8
Greater Minneapolis Crisis Nursery

The mission of greater minneapolis crisis nursery is to end the abuse and neglect of children and create strong and healthy families.

Human Services
9
American Gas Association

American gas association's (the association) mission is to develop and advocate for informed, innovative, and durable policy that fulfills our nation's energy needs, environmental aspirations and economic potential. we are committed to…

—
10
Chicago Zoological Society

To inspire conservation leadership by connecting people with wildlife and nature.

Animals
11
Pediatric Faculty Foundation Inc

We value excellence and innovation in clinical and basic research, coordinated and comprehensive patient care, ongoing physician education, and evidence-based child advocacy. our goal is to provide leadership in endeavors that promote the…

Health
12
Mercy Health

Mercy Health will provide assistance, support and direction to all of the health care institutions and activities operated and maintained by its Subsidiaries. The mission of Mercy Health in performing these activities shall be to provide a…

—
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation Inc; the most unlike its peers is Honor Flight of Southern Colorado. 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

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 17 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)
4
Early backer (in before they grew)
13/13
Grantees still filing
10/13
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

Individual grant recipient: $70,000 · OtherIndividual grant recipientThe Cradle Society: $50,000 · OtherThe Cradle SocietyFRIENDS OF WILLIAMSON COUNTY ANIMAL CENTER: $12,500 · OtherFRIENDS OF WILLIAMSON COUNTY ANIMAL CE…PEITZ CANCER SUPPORT HOUSE: $5,000 · Other+2 more: $3,250 · OtherEllas House: $115,000 · Housing & ShelterEllas HouseTUCKER'S HOUSE: $60,000 · Human ServicesTUCKER'S HOUSEGRACEWORKS MINISTRIES INC: $5,000 · Human ServicesGRACEWORKS MINISTR…OPEN HEART MAGIC: $2,750 · Human ServicesMARINE CORPS SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION INC: $36,000 · EducationMARINE CO…Nashville Symphony Association: $20,000 · Arts & CultureHONOR FLIGHT OF SOUTHERN COLORADO: $2,500 · Arts & CultureCongressional Medal of Honor Society of the United States of America: $17,500 · Public BenefitBARRINGTON CHILDRENS CHARITIES: $4,000 · Youth DevelopmentBOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF AMERICA: $2,500 · Youth DevelopmentThe Anti-Cruelty Society: $5,000 · Animals
Other$140,750Housing & Shelter$115,000Human Services$67,750Education$36,000Arts & Culture$22,500Public Benefit$17,500Youth Development$6,500Animals$5,000

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 budgetEllas House: $115,000 over 4y, 13% of budgetTUCKER'S HOUSE: $60,000 over 5y, 3.0% of budgetThe Cradle Society: $50,000 over 2y, 0.5% of budgetMARINE CORPS SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION INC: $36,000 over 3y, 0.1% of budgetNashville Symphony Association: $20,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetCongressional Medal of Honor Society of the United States of America: $17,500 over 2y, 0.3% of budgetThe Anti-Cruelty Society: $5,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetGRACEWORKS MINISTRIES INC: $5,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetBARRINGTON CHILDRENS CHARITIES: $4,000 over 1y, 1.2% of budgetOPEN HEART MAGIC: $2,750 over 1y, 0.6% of budgetALLIANCE FOR THE GREAT LAKES: $2,750 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetBOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF AMERICA: $2,500 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetHONOR FLIGHT OF SOUTHERN COLORADO: $2,500 over 1y, 3.5% 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.

American Online Givin…Fidelity Investments …Donor Advised Charita…Amazonsmile Foundation
American Online Giving Foundation IncDE7.2× affinity5 shared granteesties to 3 of 3Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

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

2024
’20’21’22’23’24’25
no gov · 00%1%4%8%15%funder's share of their income ↑0%8%15%22%30%share of the org’s income from government →
    no gov moneyreceives it· size = income
    0get no government money at all
    0rely on government for over half their income
    ⤢ axis zoomed · 0–30%
    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.

    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 17 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 Swanson 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