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California · Private foundation

True North 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.

$2.1M
Granted FY2024(still arriving)
8
Grants FY2024
23
Organizations funded FY2023
4%
First-time grantees FY2023
Read the full brief
Median grant, FY2024
$150,000
Largest grant, FY2024
$961,087
Organizations funded a year
22 to 40
FY2017 to FY2023
States reached, FY2024
5
Applications
Preselected organizations only
Per its most recent filing; check its own site

How open it is to new grantees

In FY2023, 4% of the organizations True North Foundation funded were first-time grantees, receiving 3% of its grant dollars.

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2023, 97% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $80k went to new ones.

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

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

’18’19’20’21’22’23
EnvironmentCivil RightsCommunity ImprovementArts & CultureHuman ServicesOther
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.
The numbers by year
Fiscal yearOrganizations fundedTo those organizationsFirst-time grantees
FY2024still arriving7$2.0M14%
FY202323$2.9M4%
FY202228$3.7M7%
FY202128$3.4M4%
FY202036$3.9M17%
FY201922$2.6M18%
FY201830$2.7M27%
FY201740$3.2Mn/a
97% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2017 to 2024.

Environment$16MPhilanthropy$3.1MArts & Culture$3.0MCommunity Improvement$1.5MFood & Nutrition$875kCivil Rights$770kAnimals$455kHuman Services$358kOther$0

Where its grants go

Grant dollars by states, across the years we hold.

Which US states its grants reach

AK
WA
ID
MT
OR
CA
CO
MD
DE
DC

Top grantees

Largest recipients by total granted, FY2017 to FY2024, and the share of each one’s budget the grants supplied at peak.

GranteeTotal grantedYearsShare of their budget
Alaska Conservation Foundation$2,581,087817%
Western Organization of Resource Councils Education Project$1,575,000510%
Earthworks$1,425,00075%
Trustees for Alaska$880,000711%
Trout Unlimited$752,0004n/a
Cook Inletkeeper$640,00079%
Alaska Community Action on Toxics$591,000710%
Sitka Conservation Society$580,000610%
Resource Media$578,00064%
Western Mining Action Project Inc$565,000639%
Show all 45 grantees
All grantees of True North Foundation by total granted
GranteeTotal grantedYearsShare of their budget
Alaska Conservation Foundation$2,581,087817%
Western Organization of Resource Councils Education Project$1,575,000510%
Earthworks$1,425,00075%
Trustees for Alaska$880,000711%
Trout Unlimited$752,0004n/a
Cook Inletkeeper$640,00079%
Alaska Community Action on Toxics$591,000710%
Sitka Conservation Society$580,000610%
Resource Media$578,00064%
Western Mining Action Project Inc$565,000639%
Earthjustice$550,00060%
Community Alliance With Family Farmers$550,00049%
Center for Science in Public Participation$435,000639%
Renewable Energy Alaska Project$400,000512%
Native American Rights Fund Inc$370,00050%
Pesticide Action Network North America$350,00044%
Idaho Conservation League Inc$320,00062%
Legal Assistance for Seniors$315,00044%
Alaska Wilderness League$300,00033%
Advocates for the West Inc$290,00063%
Alaska Marine Community Coalition$280,000512%
Native Movement$230,00044%
Trout Unlimited$225,0002n/a
The Alaska Center Education Fund$220,00052%
California Invasive Plant Council$190,00046%
Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund Inc$170,000110%
Coalition for Susitna Dam Alternatives$140,000421%
Southeast Alaska Conservation Council Inc-SEACC$130,0001n/a
Wild Farm Alliance$100,000321%
National Audubon Society Inc$100,00010%
National Parks Conservation Association$80,00010%
Samaritan Neighborhood Center$78,00079%
Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies$75,00052%
Community Living Campaign$60,00042%
Gwichin Steering Committee$50,000110%
Alameda Meals on Wheels Inc$40,00016%
Rock Creek Alliance Inc$30,000312%
DayBreak Adult Care Centers$30,0001n/a
East Bay Innovations Inc$30,00010%
Western Organization of Resource Councils$30,00011%
Services for Brain Injury$30,00012%
Mercy Retirement and Care Center$25,00010%
Curry Senior Center$25,00011%
Community Partners$25,00010%
AXIS Dance Company$15,00012%

What it could do for these grantees

Plus 18 recipients with no EIN on record ($8.0M), not named here.

Where it is load-bearing

True North Foundation supplied at least a quarter of the budget for 2 of its grantees at some point. The chart plots its 41 largest grantees; load-bearing ones sit top left.

25%50%75%100%$100k$1.0M$10M$100Mgrantee revenue →↑ funder's share of their budgetAlaska Conservation Foundation: $2,581,087 over 8y, 17% of budgetWestern Organization of Resource Councils Education Project: $1,575,000 over 5y, 10% of budgetEarthworks: $1,425,000 over 7y, 5.1% of budgetTrustees for Alaska: $880,000 over 7y, 11% of budgetCook Inletkeeper: $640,000 over 7y, 9.4% of budgetAlaska Community Action on Toxics: $591,000 over 7y, 10% of budgetSitka Conservation Society: $580,000 over 6y, 10% of budgetResource Media: $578,000 over 6y, 3.8% of budgetWestern Mining Action Project Inc: $565,000 over 6y, 39% of budgetEarthjustice: $550,000 over 6y, 0.1% of budgetCommunity Alliance With Family Farmers: $550,000 over 4y, 8.8% of budgetCenter for Science in Public Participation: $435,000 over 6y, 39% of budgetRenewable Energy Alaska Project: $400,000 over 5y, 12% of budgetNative American Rights Fund Inc: $370,000 over 5y, 0.5% of budgetPesticide Action Network North America: $350,000 over 4y, 3.6% of budgetIdaho Conservation League Inc: $320,000 over 6y, 2.4% of budgetLegal Assistance for Seniors: $315,000 over 4y, 4.1% of budgetAlaska Wilderness League: $300,000 over 3y, 3.1% of budgetAdvocates for the West Inc: $290,000 over 6y, 3.3% of budgetAlaska Marine Community Coalition: $280,000 over 5y, 12% of budgetNative Movement: $230,000 over 4y, 3.8% of budgetThe Alaska Center Education Fund: $220,000 over 5y, 1.8% of budgetCalifornia Invasive Plant Council: $190,000 over 4y, 5.8% of budgetDisability Rights Education and Defense Fund Inc: $170,000 over 1y, 10% of budgetCoalition for Susitna Dam Alternatives: $140,000 over 4y, 21% of budgetWild Farm Alliance: $100,000 over 3y, 21% of budgetNational Audubon Society Inc: $100,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetNational Parks Conservation Association: $80,000 over 1y, 0.2% of budgetSamaritan Neighborhood Center: $78,000 over 7y, 9.1% of budgetCenter for Alaskan Coastal Studies: $75,000 over 5y, 1.7% of budgetCommunity Living Campaign: $60,000 over 4y, 2.4% of budgetGwichin Steering Committee: $50,000 over 1y, 9.8% of budgetAlameda Meals on Wheels Inc: $40,000 over 1y, 5.5% of budgetRock Creek Alliance Inc: $30,000 over 3y, 12% of budgetEast Bay Innovations Inc: $30,000 over 1y, 0.4% of budgetWestern Organization of Resource Councils: $30,000 over 1y, 1.3% of budgetServices for Brain Injury: $30,000 over 1y, 1.8% of budgetMercy Retirement and Care Center: $25,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetCurry Senior Center: $25,000 over 1y, 0.8% of budgetCommunity Partners: $25,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetAXIS Dance Company: $15,000 over 1y, 1.7% of budget

Tap a dot to name the grantee.

How this is measured
Share of budget is the funder’s grant in a year over the grantee’s total revenue that year, at its highest across the years we hold; revenue is from all sources. Only grantees confirmed against their own filings, whose grants do not exceed their revenue, are plotted: the largest 41.

Nonprofits that may fit its grantmaking

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.

PatagoniaorgCA36.5× affinity17 shared granteesties to 11 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: Patagoniaorg · Alaska Conservation Foundation · Wilburforce Foundation · Rasmuson Foundation · The Alaska Community Foundation · The New-Land Foundation Inc · New Venture Fund · 444s Foundation · Harder Foundation · George H & Jane a Mifflin Memorial Fund · The Wilderness Society · The Bullitt 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.

Compare True North Foundation with peer funders

Warm introductions · Powered by PlinthPlus

How do I get to True North Foundation?

Find your warmest path to True North 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.

About True North Foundation

How much does True North Foundation give?
True North Foundation reported 8 grants totaling $2,124,087 in its FY2024 IRS filing. It funded between 22 and 40 organizations a year over FY2017 to FY2023.
What does True North Foundation fund?
By grant dollars over FY2017 to FY2024, its largest causes are Environment (58%), Philanthropy (11%), Arts & Culture (11%).
Who are True North Foundation's largest grantees?
By total granted over FY2017 to FY2024: Alaska Conservation Foundation ($2.6M), Western Organization of Resource Councils Education Project ($1.6M), Earthworks ($1.4M).
Does True North Foundation fund new organizations?
In FY2023, 4% of the organizations it funded were first-time grantees.
Does True North Foundation accept unsolicited applications?
Its most recent filing reports that it funds preselected organizations and does not take unsolicited requests. Check the foundation's own site before ruling it out.
Which funders back the same organizations as True North Foundation?
Its strongest co-funders, measured against what their size predicts, include Patagoniaorg, Alaska Conservation Foundation, Wilburforce Foundation.
Where is True North Foundation based?
True North Foundation is based in CA.

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 68 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

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