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The Tombros Foundation at a glance

· Private foundation

The Tombros 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.

$485k
Granted FY2025still arriving
6
Grants FY2025still arriving
3
States reached
$387k
Largest
01What it fundsRead
02The needRead
03Its granteesRead
04Its fieldRead
01What it funds
0192% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2019 to 2025.

Education$2.3MRecreation & Sports$443kHealth$121kArts & Culture$115kScience & Tech$83kInternational$30kPublic Safety & Disaster$10kOther$0
02FY2025 · 6 grants

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

By grant size · FY2025

  • Under $10k2 grants · $8k
  • $10k–50k2 grants · $25k
  • $50k–250k1 grant · $65k
  • $250k+1 grant · $387k
$15,000
Median grant
3
States reached
$7.7M
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
Penn State University$387,000
One Mind$65,000
Discovery Space of Central Pennsylvania$15,000
Hospital for special surgery$10,000
Special Olympics Pennsylvania$6,000
Rofeh Cholim Cancer Society Inc$2,000
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:

Dollar for dollar, its grants (FY22–25) land where the poverty rate runs at 15%, against an area that typically sits at 10%. 91% of its dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Most of its grants land in higher-need ZIPs.

area typical 10%Nurturing Minds Inc: $15k → 8%Special Olympics Pennsylvania: $7k → 7%Deer Valley YMCA Family Camp: $30k → 14%Discovery Space of Central Pennsylvania Inc: $30k → 16%One Mind: $65k → 9%Hospital for special surgery: $12k → 17%Rofeh Cholim Cancer Society Inc: $2k → 20%Stamford EMS Inc: $10k → 22%Bridge to a cure: $22k → 9%Saint Catherine Center for Special Needs: $1k → 9%Karli Short Better Tomorrow Foundation: $3k → 7%BPS Foundation: $225k → 13%Mental Health Collaborative: $5k → 8%Special Olympics Pennsylvania: $7k → 7%Deer Valley YMCA Family Camp: $20k → 14%Success with Honor: $24k → 16%One Mind: $2k → 9%Hospital for special surgery: $10k → 17%Bridge to a cure: $5k → 9%Greens ledge light Preservation Society Inc: $25k → 9%BPS Foundation: $60k → 13%Special Olympics Pennsylvania: $7k → 7%Discovery Space of Central Pennsylvania: $15k → 16%Hospital for special surgery: $10k → 17%Greens ledge light Preservation Society Inc: $25k → 9%Special Olympics Pennsylvania: $6k → 7%Discovery Space of Central Pennsylvania: $10k → 16%Hospital for special surgery: $10k → 17%Greens ledge light Preservation Society Inc: $10k → 9%Mount Nittany Health Foundation: $7k → 16%Americares Free Clinic Inc: $25k → 9%Discovery Space of Central Pennsylvania Inc: $3k → 16%Penn State University: $415k → 16%Penn State University: $552k → 16%Penn State University: $450k → 16%Penn State University: $387k → 16%Penn State Dance Marathon: $26k → 16%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

NY
MA
NV
PA
NJ
CT
CA
TX
FL
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.

96%of every dollar goes to organizations it has funded before.
$3.0M · 12 repeat orgs$120k to everyone else

Grantees it renews have grown median revenue +50% since the first grant, against +21% for those funded once.

12 repeat relationships: 5 still active in FY2025, 7 since wound down; 1 grantees were first funded in FY2025 (too recent to call).

How the two cohorts compare

Re-uppedFunded once

Organizations

12
13

Total granted

$3.0M
$118k

Median revenue growth · since first grant

+50%
+21%

Still filing today

58%
38%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2025, 100% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $2k went to new ones.

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

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

’21’22’23’24’25
Arts & CultureHealthEducationRecreation & SportsCrime & LegalPhilanthropyOther
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

  • BF
    BPS FOUNDATION
    2× · 2023–2024 · $285k · revenue +194%
  • DS
    DISCOVERY SPACE OF CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA INC
    5× · 2021–2025 · $83k · revenue +44%
  • SO
    SPECIAL OLYMPICS PENNSYLVANIA INC
    5× · 2021–2025 · $34k · revenue +52%

Funded once

  • PS
    Penn State Dance Marathon
    one grant, 2022 · $26k
  • AF
    AMERICARES FREE CLINICS INCgraduated
    one grant, 2024 · $25k · revenue +28%
  • SW
    SUCCESS WITH HONOR
    one grant, 2023 · $24k
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
Stanley M Marks Blood Cancer Research Fund

The stanley m. marks blood cancer research fund is a pennsylvania non- profit corporation dedicated to supporting the upmc hillman cancer center, which develops highly innovative research aimed at new and more effective therapies for…

Health
2
Connecticut Sports Management Group

To promote and reinforce the olympic spirit on competition that values sportsmanship, effort, and achievement and to motivate personal development in physical fitness and health through attainable goals.

Recreation & Sports
3
The Center for Medical Technology Policy Inc

To develop a health care system where patients, clinicians, health care policymakers, and payers have the evidence they need to make informed health decisions.

—
4
Fox Chase Cancer Center Foundation

To prevail over cancer, marshaling heart and mind in bold scientific discovery, pioneering prevention and compassionate care.

Health
5
Central Pennsylvania Clinic- a Medical Home for Special Children & Adults

Diagnosis and treatment of, and providing primary and subspecialty care for special children and adults with genetic diseases.

Health
6
The Pennsylvania Pink Zone

This organization promotes cancer awareness to unite central pennsylvania in the fight against breast cancer by mobilizing resources to improve lives in the community and empower survivors through year-long efforts to raise funds critical…

Environment
7
The Penn Club of New York Inc

The penn club of new york has been established to encourage and cultivate free interchange, social activity and good fellowship among alumni, faculty, staff, students and friends of the university of pennsylvania and to assist and promote…

—
8
Breathe Pennsylvania

Breathe pennsylvania's mission is to empower western pennsylvanians to breathe better and live healthier through education and awareness of lung health in our community.

Health
9
Connecticut Cancer Foundation Inc

To provide funds to benefit families affected by cancer and to support cancer research and education.

—
10
Lancaster General Health Foundation

The lancaster general health foundation is organized and operated to benefit, perform the functions of, or carry out the purposes of members of the healthcare system of lancaster general health, a non-profit corporation described in…

Philanthropy
11
Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Inc

The mission of the conference is to enhance intercollegiate competition among its member institutions and to focus on the welfare of the student athlete. the conference and its members are dedicated to upholding the highest standards of…

Education
12
Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition

The pa breast cancer coalition represents, supports, and serves breast cancer survivors and their families in pa through educational programming, legislative advocacy, and breast cancer research grants. the pbcc is a statewide non-profit…

Philanthropy
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is Special Olympics Pennsylvania Inc; the most unlike its peers is Karli Short Better Tomorrow Foundation. 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

15 grantees tracked through their own filings, 2017–2026.

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 2026, not grant rows in a single year, so this will not match the grant count on the cover. 15 of the 26 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)
3
Early backer (in before they grew)
13/15
Grantees still filing
10/15
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

Penn State University: $2,263,000 · OtherPenn State UniversityBPS FOUNDATION: $285,000 · OtherBPS FOUNDATION+13 more: $341,500 · Other+13 moreGREENS LEDGE LIGHT PRESERVATION SOCIETY INC: $110,100 · Arts & CultureDISCOVERY SPACE OF CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA INC: $82,600 · Arts & Culture+1 more: $5,000 · Arts & CultureAMERICARES FREE CLINICS INC: $25,000 · HealthSTAMFORD EMS INC: $10,000 · HealthMENTAL HEALTH COLLABORATIVE INC: $5,000 · HealthNURTURING MINDS INC: $30,000 · EducationKARLI SHORT BETTER TOMORROW FOUNDATION: $3,000 · EducationPENN STATE WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL BOOSTER CLUB INC: $6,000 · Recreation & SportsROFEH CHOLIM CANCER SOCIETY INC: $2,000 · PhilanthropyPLAY FOR PINK INC: $500 · Crime & Legal
Other$2,889,500Arts & Culture$197,700Health$40,000Education$33,000Recreation & Sports$6,000Philanthropy$2,000Crime & Legal$500

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

25%50%75%100%$1.0M$10Mgrantee revenue →↑ funder's share of their budgetBPS FOUNDATION: $285,000 over 2y, 1.6% of budgetGREENS LEDGE LIGHT PRESERVATION SOCIETY INC: $110,100 over 4y, 8.0% of budgetDISCOVERY SPACE OF CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA INC: $82,600 over 5y, 2.5% of budgetNITTANY LION WRESTLING CLUB: $42,000 over 3y, 1.4% of budgetSPECIAL OLYMPICS PENNSYLVANIA INC: $34,000 over 5y, 0.1% of budgetNURTURING MINDS INC: $30,000 over 2y, 0.9% of budgetAMERICARES FREE CLINICS INC: $25,000 over 1y, 0.3% of budgetPIVOTAL MOMENTS INC: $10,000 over 1y, 0.6% of budgetSTAMFORD EMS INC: $10,000 over 1y, 2.3% of budgetPENN STATE WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL BOOSTER CLUB INC: $6,000 over 2y, 3.8% of budgetMENTAL HEALTH COLLABORATIVE INC: $5,000 over 1y, 1.0% of budgetCENTER FOR CONTEMPORARY PRINTMAKING: $5,000 over 1y, 0.9% of budgetPLAY FOR PINK INC: $500 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 Ayco Charitable F…National Philanthropi…Vanguard Charitable E…Donor Advised Charita…American Online Givin…Fidelity Investments …Amazonsmile Foundation
The Ayco Charitable FoundationNY11.6× affinity4 shared granteesties to 6 of 6Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: The Ayco Charitable Foundation · National Philanthropic Trust · Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program · 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 Tombros Foundation funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from The Tombros Foundation. Bigger dots raise more.

2024
’20’21’22’23’24’25
no gov · 30%1%3%6%10%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
    3get no government money at all
    3report government grants on their 990 we could not trace to a source (not plotted)
    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 26 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 Tombros’ 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