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Thunderbird Foundation at a glanceMostly funded, not a grantmaker: see who funds it →

· Public charity

Thunderbird Foundation

The THUNDERBIRD FOUNDATION is a charitable arm of the thunderbirds through which monies are disbursed to scholarship programs benefiting amateur athletes, amateur athletic teams or amateur athletic programs and events.

$491k
Granted FY2025still arriving
28
Grants FY2025still arriving
1
States reached
$10k
Largest
01What it fundsRead
02The needRead
03Its granteesRead
04Its fieldRead
01What it funds
01100% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2017 to 2025.

Recreation & Sports$788kYouth Development$45k
02FY2025 · 28 grants

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

How this is measured
The 28 grants below total $205,000, the rows itemized in this filing. The $491,000 headline is the total grant expense on the return; the other $286,000 is giving the schedule does not break out (grants under the $5,000 itemization floor, grants to individuals, grants on other schedules). Every figure below describes the itemized rows only.

By grant size · FY2025

  • Under $10k16 grants · $85k
  • $10k–50k12 grants · $120k
$7,500
Median grant
1
States reached
$18k
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
SOUTHWESTERN GOLF ASSOCIATION$10,000
ARIZONA SILVER BELLE CHAMPIONSHIP$10,000
ST FRANCIS XAVIER ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION$10,000
THE SALVATION ARMY$10,000
RAMMS$10,000
CACTUS HORIZON LITTLE LEAGUE$10,000
VALLEY OF THE SUN YMCA$10,000
GIRLS ON THE RUN OF MARICOPA COUNTY$10,000
GENE LEWIS BOXING CLUB$10,000
PHOENIX BOBCATS TRACK AND FIELD CLUB$10,000
ARIZONA YOUTH SOCCER ASSOCIATION$10,000
PHOENIX POLICE FOUNDATION$10,000
JUNIOR GOLF UNIVERSITY$7,500
TEMPE RIO SALADO LITTLE LEAGUE$7,500
AZ YOUTH FOOTBALL BRIGADE$5,000
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:

Its human-services grants (FY22–25, $50k) land where the poverty rate runs at 11%, against an area that typically sits at 9%. 100% of those dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Most of its grants land in higher-need ZIPs.

area typical 9%VALLEY OF THE SUN YMCA: $10k → 11%VALLEY OF THE SUN YMCA: $10k → 11%VALLEY OF THE SUN YMCA: $10k → 11%VALLEY OF THE SUN YMCA: $10k → 11%ABILITY360 SPORTS & FITNESS CENTER: $10k → 11%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.

78%of every dollar goes to organizations it has funded before.
$652k · 21 repeat orgs$181k to everyone else

Grantees it renews have grown median revenue +43% since the first grant, against +8% for those funded once.

21 repeat relationships: 18 still active in FY2025, 3 since wound down; 10 grantees were first funded in FY2025 (too recent to call).

How the two cohorts compare

Re-uppedFunded once

Organizations

21
14

Total granted

$652k
$123k

Median revenue growth · since first grant

+43%
+8%

Still filing today

67%
64%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2025, 72% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $58k went to new ones.

50%100%’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
RenewedFirst-time

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

’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Recreation & SportsYouth DevelopmentHuman ServicesPublic Safety & DisasterOther
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

  • PP
    PHOENIX POLICE FOUNDATION INC
    5× · 2021–2025 · $50k · revenue +88%
  • GO
    Girls on the Run serving Maricopa & Pinal Counties
    5× · 2020–2025 · $50k · revenue +46%
  • RA
    RECREATION ASSOCIATION OF MADISON MEADOWS & SIMIS
    4× · 2021–2025 · $40k · revenue +132%

Funded once

  • RS
    REAL SALT LAKE AZ INC
    one grant, 2024 · $13k
  • SF
    Scottsdale Firebirds Youth Football and Cheer
    one grant, 2022 · $10k
  • CA
    COYOTES AMATEUR HOCKEY ASSOCIATION
    one grant, 2022 · $10k · revenue +14%
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
Little League Baseball Inc Southeast Diamondbacks Little League

Southeast Diamondbacks Little League is community based as a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to provide safe, instructional and fun baseball for the youth of Gilbert, Mesa, Queen Creek and the neighboring area in…

Recreation & Sports
2
Arizona Boys of Baseball

Membership in club to improve baseball skills and showcase them in front of college and professional scouts from across the country.

Recreation & Sports
3
Yuma Boys Baseball League

To provide a baseball league for the youth in Yuma County.

Recreation & Sports
4
Scottsdale Miss Softball

The organization continues to serve approximately 800 youths between six and sixteen years of age providing instruction in recreational softball.

Recreation & Sports
5
So Cal Aces Baseball Club

Youth sports

Religion
6
Little League Baseball Inc Dba San Tan Valley Little League

To foster local amateur sports competition through organized baseball programs, while also advancing its mission of providing educational and charitable instruction to youth athletes.

Youth Development
7
Four Peaks Little League

Providing recreational little league baseball and softball to yuth within the area of mesa arizona

Recreation & Sports
8
Little League Baseball Inc

To provide wholesome activities for the youth of Maricopa

Recreation & Sports
9
Santa Anita Little League Inc

Administration of Little League Baseball program for children ages 5 to 14.

—
10
Paradise Valley North Little League

Player Uniforms 17305 Player Equipment 2093 Trophies and Awards 3009 Other Administrative Costs 390 Merchant Processing Fess 480 Bank Fess 19 Marketing and Promotions 313

Recreation & Sports
11
Arizona Region of Usa Volleyball

To promote, govern, oversee, plan and coordinate amateur indoor and outdoor volleyball in the arizona region, in order to provide a variety of opportunities for all interested parties to participate in a safe, positive and appropriately…

Recreation & Sports
12
Kingman Youth Soccer League

To foster the physical, mental, and emotional growth and development of the greater kingman, arizona area youth through the sport of soccer at all levels of age and competition

Recreation & Sports
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is Junior Golf Association of Arizona Inc; the most unlike its peers is Recreation Association of Madison Meadows & Simis. 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

31 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. 31 of the 45 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)
8
Early backer (in before they grew)
27/31
Grantees still filing
19/31
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

Arizona Silver Belle Championship Inc: $60,000 · OtherArizona Silver Belle Championship IncTHE SALVATION ARMY: $40,000 · OtherTHE SALVATION ARMYCACTUS LITTLE LEAGUE INC: $32,000 · OtherCACTUS LITTLE LEAGUE INCARCADIA LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL INC: $30,000 · OtherARCADIA LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL INCGENE LEWIS BOXING CLUB LLC: $30,000 · OtherGENE LEWIS BOXING CLUB LLCST FRANCIS XAVIER ROMAN CATHOLIC PARISH PHOENIX: $30,000 · OtherST FRANCIS XAVIER ROMAN CATHOLIC PARISH PHOENIXPHOENIX BOBCATS TRACK AND FIELD CLUB: $30,000 · OtherPHOENIX BOBCATS TRACK AND FIELD CLUBTEAM IMPACT FOUNDATION INC: $22,500 · OtherTEAM IMPACT FOUNDATION INCBOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF METROPOLITAN PHOENIX INC: $20,000 · OtherARCADIA SCOTTSDALE UNITED SOCCER: $15,000 · Other+15 more: $102,634 · Other+15 moreRECREATION ASSOCIATION OF MADISON MEADOWS & SIMIS: $40,000 · Recreation & SportsRECREATION ASSOCIATION OF MADIS…American Junior Golf Association Inc: $37,500 · Recreation & SportsAmerican Junior Golf Associatio…JUNIOR GOLF UNIVERSITY DBA PING JUNIOR INTERCLUB: $37,500 · Recreation & SportsJUNIOR GOLF UNIVERSITY DBA PING…PLAYBALL PONY BASEBALL INC: $21,000 · Recreation & SportsPLAYBALL PONY BASEBALL INCSOUTHWESTERN GOLF ASSOCIATION INC: $20,000 · Recreation & SportsSOUTHWESTERN GOLF ASSOCIATION I…REAL SALT LAKE AZ INC: $13,000 · Recreation & SportsREAL SALT LAKE AZ INCScottsdale Firebirds Youth Football and Cheer: $10,000 · Recreation & SportsCOYOTES AMATEUR HOCKEY ASSOCIATION: $10,000 · Recreation & SportsEAST VALLEY BASEBALL: $10,000 · Recreation & SportsMADISON FUTBOL CLUB: $10,000 · Recreation & SportsARIZONA SOCCER ASSOCIATION: $10,000 · Recreation & Sports+2 more: $12,500 · Recreation & Sports+2 moreGirls on the Run serving Maricopa & Pinal Counties: $50,000 · Youth DevelopmentGirls on th…BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF GREATER SCOTTSDALE INC: $25,000 · Youth DevelopmentBOYS & GIRL…VALLEY OF THE SUN HOCKEY ASSOCIATION II: $9,000 · Youth DevelopmentVALLEY OF T…Valley of the Sun Young Men's Christian Association: $40,000 · Human ServicesABILITY360 INC: $10,000 · Human ServicesHEART FOR THE CITY: $5,000 · Human ServicesPHOENIX POLICE FOUNDATION INC: $50,000 · Public Safety & Disaster
Other$412,134Recreation & Sports$231,500Youth Development$84,000Human Services$55,000Public Safety & Disaster$50,000

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

25%50%75%100%$100k$1.0M$10Mgrantee revenue →↑ funder's share of their budgetArizona Silver Belle Championship Inc: $60,000 over 6y, 17% of budgetPHOENIX POLICE FOUNDATION INC: $50,000 over 5y, 1.1% of budgetGirls on the Run serving Maricopa & Pinal Counties: $50,000 over 5y, 3.6% of budgetRECREATION ASSOCIATION OF MADISON MEADOWS & SIMIS: $40,000 over 4y, 4.6% of budgetValley of the Sun Young Men's Christian Association: $40,000 over 4y, 0.0% of budgetAmerican Junior Golf Association Inc: $37,500 over 5y, 0.1% of budgetJUNIOR GOLF UNIVERSITY DBA PING JUNIOR INTERCLUB: $37,500 over 5y, 24% of budgetCACTUS LITTLE LEAGUE INC: $32,000 over 3y, 17% of budgetARCADIA LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL INC: $30,000 over 3y, 5.4% of budgetGENE LEWIS BOXING CLUB LLC: $30,000 over 3y, 7.8% of budgetBOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF GREATER SCOTTSDALE INC: $25,000 over 3y, 0.1% of budgetPLAYBALL PONY BASEBALL INC: $21,000 over 3y, 3.2% of budgetARCADIA SCOTTSDALE UNITED SOCCER: $15,000 over 2y, 0.3% of budgetLITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL INC: $11,525 over 2y, 5.5% of budgetJUNIOR GOLF ASSOCIATION OF ARIZONA INC: $10,109 over 2y, 0.4% of budgetScottsdale Firebirds Youth Football and Cheer: $10,000 over 1y, 8.6% of budgetCOYOTES AMATEUR HOCKEY ASSOCIATION: $10,000 over 1y, 0.3% of budgetEAST VALLEY BASEBALL: $10,000 over 1y, 5.1% of budgetABILITY360 INC: $10,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetPOP WARNER LITTLE SCHOLARS INC: $10,000 over 1y, 19% of budgetMADISON FUTBOL CLUB: $10,000 over 1y, 2.9% of budgetARIZONA SOCCER ASSOCIATION: $10,000 over 1y, 0.3% of budgetVALLEY OF THE SUN HOCKEY ASSOCIATION II: $9,000 over 1y, 1.3% of budgetAMERICAN YOUTH FOOTBALL INC: $7,500 over 1y, 20% of budgetSCOTTSDALE AQUATIC CLUB INC: $6,000 over 1y, 0.4% of budgetLittle League Baseball Inc 4030308 High Desert LL: $5,000 over 1y, 1.6% 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.

Arizona Diamondbacks …Fiesta Events IncArizona Community Fou…The ThunderbirdsThunderbirds CharitiesAmerican Express Foun…Phoenix Suns Charitie…Dick's Sporting Goods…Baird Foundation IncThe Bank of America C…American Online Givin…Donor Advised Charita…
Arizona Diamondbacks FoundationincAZ27.9× affinity11 shared granteesties to 11 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: Arizona Diamondbacks Foundationinc · Fiesta Events Inc · Arizona Community Foundation · The Thunderbirds · Thunderbirds Charities · American Express Foundation · Phoenix Suns Charities Inc · Dick's Sporting Goods Foundation · Baird Foundation Inc · The Bank of America Charitable Foundation Inc · American Online Giving Foundation Inc · Donor Advised Charitable Giving 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 Thunderbird Foundation funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from Thunderbird Foundation. Bigger dots raise more.

2024
’20’21’22’23’24’25
no gov · 10%2%6%14%25%funder's share of their income ↑0%1%3%4%5%share of the org’s income from government →
    no gov moneyreceives it· size = income
    1get no government money at all
    2report government grants on their 990 we could not trace to a source (not plotted)
    0rely on government for over half their income
    ⤢ axis zoomed · 0–5%
    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 45 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 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

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    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