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United Way of Mason County at a glanceMostly funded, not a grantmaker: see who funds it →

· Public charity

United Way of Mason County

To raise funds to assist other non-profit agencies.

$123k
Granted FY2018
13
Grants FY2018
1
States reached
$24k
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, FY2017 to 2018.

Human Services$146kHousing & Shelter$23kPublic Safety & Disaster$19kEducation$12kHealth$12kFood & Nutrition$10k
02FY2018 · 13 grants

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

How this is measured
The 13 grants below total $118,115, the rows itemized in this filing. The $123,333 headline is the total grant expense on the return; the other $5,218 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 · FY2018

  • Under $10k10 grants · $69k
  • $10k–50k3 grants · $49k
$6,474
Median grant
1
States reached
$507k
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
STAIRCASE - YOUTH OUTREACH$23,647
CATHOLIC CHARITIES$15,584
Individual grant recipient$10,000
OAKTREE ACADEMY$9,831
ARC-WSC-DISASTER SERVICES$9,448
SALVATION ARMY - EMERGENCY ASSIST$9,040
COVE - WOMAN'S SHELTER$6,474
LUDINGTON AREA SCHOOLS - OJ DEJON$6,000
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY$5,952
ASSOC FOR THE BLIND-VISION REHAB$5,901
SCOTTVILLE SENIOR CENTER - MED TRAN$5,799
J & J MISSION - WOMEN'S JERICHO HOU$5,383
MCC SR MEALS-DELIVERED SENIOR MEALS$5,056
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 (FY17–18, $79k) land where the poverty rate runs at 10%, 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%STAIRCASE - YOUTH OUTREACH: $24k → 10%STAIRCASE - YOUTH OUTREACH: $24k → 10%OAKTREE ACADEMY: $10k → 10%OAKTREE ACADEMY: $10k → 10%COVE - WOMAN'S SHELTER: $6k → 10%COVE - WOMAN'S SHELTER: $6k → 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.

85%of every dollar goes to organizations it has funded before.
$188k · 9 repeat orgs$34k to everyone else

9 repeat relationships: 9 still active in FY2018, 0 since wound down; 3 grantees were first funded in FY2018 (too recent to call).

How the two cohorts compare

Re-uppedFunded once

Organizations

9
2

Total granted

$188k
$12k

Median revenue growth · since first grant

+68%
+69%

Still filing today

67%
50%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2018, 81% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $22k went to new ones.

50%100%’17’18
RenewedFirst-time

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

’17’18
Human ServicesHousing & ShelterHealthOther
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

  • SY
    STAIRCASE YOUTH SERVICES INC
    2× · 2017–2018 · $47k · revenue +121%
  • CC
    CATHOLIC CHARITIES WEST MICHIGAN
    2× · 2017–2018 · $31k · revenue +32%
  • OA
    OAKTREE ACADEMY INC
    2× · 2017–2018 · $20k · revenue +129%

Funded once

  • LA
    LUDINGTON AREA SCHOOLS - OJ DEJON
    one grant, 2017 · $6k
  • HF
    HABITAT FOR HUMANITYgraduated
    one grant, 2017 · $6k · revenue +69%
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
Habitat for Humanity of Lapeer - Tuscola

To eliminate sub-standard housing and homelessness from lapeer county.

—
2
Caring House Inc

To promote a violence free atmosphere from domestic and sexual violence in which survivors can recognize their options to have the opportunity to continue living violence free and regain their sense of self-worth; to educate and raise…

Human Services
3
Montcalm County Habitat for Humanity

The mission of Montcalm County Habitat for Humanity is to improve lives in our community by building safe and affordable housing in partnership with Gods people.

—
4
Habitat for Humanity of Michigan Inc

Our mission is to assist our affiliates to increase capacity to build simple decent homes in partnership with people in need in the State of Michigan.

Housing & Shelter
5
Michigan Casa Inc

Michigan casa, inc. is dedicated to changing the lives of abused and neglected children by advocating for their best interests through establishing, supporting, and expanding quality casa programs throughout the state of michigan to ensure…

Civil Rights
6
Housing Services of Mid Michigan

To assist people with low or moderate income to obtain safe and affordable housing

Housing & Shelter
7
Oceana County Housing Commission Nonprofit Corporation

The purpose of the oceana county housing commission nonprofit corporation is to provide decent, safe, affordable, and sanitary housing opportunities for low and moderate income residents of oceana county, michigan. the oceana county…

Housing & Shelter
8
Habitat for Humanity of Oakland County Inc

Seeking to put God's love into action, Habitat for Humanity of Oakland County brings people together to build homes, communities and hope.

—
9
Northwest Michigan Rural Housing Partnership

To help provide safe, accessible, and affordable housing in Northwest Michigan.

Housing & Shelter
10
Mahaska County Habitat for Humanity

A nonprofit ecumenical christian housing ministry dedicated to eleminating substandard housing and homelessness worldwide and to making adequate, affordable shelter a matter of conscience and action.

—
11
South Oakland Shelter

Lighthouse mi endeavors to build equitable communities and alleviate poverty in partnership with and in service to individuals, families, and organizations.

Housing & Shelter
12
Habitat for Humanity Detroit

To provide decent, affordable housing to low income families.

—
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is Staircase Youth Services Inc; the most unlike its peers is J & J Mission of Mason County. 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

8 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. 8 of the 14 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)
5
Early backer (in before they grew)
8/8
Grantees still filing
6/8
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

CATHOLIC CHARITIES WEST MICHIGAN: $31,192 · OtherCATHOLIC CHARITIES WEST MICHIGANTHE SALVATION ARMY - KALAMAZOO: $19,182 · OtherTHE SALVATION ARMY - KALAMAZOOARC-WSC-DISASTER SERVICES: $19,131 · OtherARC-WSC-DISASTER SERVICESMASON COUNTY CENTRAL SCHOOLS: $16,076 · OtherMASON COUNTY CENTRAL SCHOOLSIndividual grant recipient: $10,000 · OtherIndividual grant recipientLUDINGTON AREA SCHOOLS - OJ DEJON: $6,000 · OtherLUDINGTON AREA SCHOOLS: $6,000 · OtherHOME TEAM HOUSING: $5,952 · OtherSTAIRCASE YOUTH SERVICES INC: $47,304 · Human ServicesSTAIRCASE YOUTH SERVICES INCOAKTREE ACADEMY INC: $19,782 · Human ServicesOAKTREE ACADEMY INCCOMMUNITIES OVERCOMING VIOLENT ENCO: $12,300 · Human ServicesCOMMUNITIES OVERCOMING VIOLENT ENCOJ & J MISSION OF MASON COUNTY: $11,355 · Housing & ShelterHABITAT FOR HUMANITY: $6,000 · Housing & ShelterASSOCIATION FOR THE BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED: $11,901 · Health
Other$113,533Human Services$79,386Housing & Shelter$17,355Health$11,901

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 budgetSTAIRCASE YOUTH SERVICES INC: $47,304 over 2y, 6.2% of budgetCATHOLIC CHARITIES WEST MICHIGAN: $31,192 over 2y, 0.1% of budgetOAKTREE ACADEMY INC: $19,782 over 2y, 1.5% of budgetCOMMUNITIES OVERCOMING VIOLENT ENCO: $12,300 over 2y, 0.9% of budgetASSOCIATION FOR THE BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED: $11,901 over 2y, 0.7% of budgetHABITAT FOR HUMANITY: $6,000 over 1y, 1.9% of budgetHOME TEAM HOUSING: $5,952 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.

Community Foundation …Pennies From Heaven F…Amazonsmile Foundation
Community Foundation for Muskegon CountyMI24.1× affinity9 shared granteesties to 2 of 2Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: Community Foundation for Muskegon County · Pennies From Heaven Foundation · 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 United Way of Mason County funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from United Way of Mason County. Bigger dots raise more.

2024
’20’21’22’23’24’25
no gov · 00%0%1%3%5%funder's share of their income ↑0%10%20%30%40%share of the org’s income from government →
    no gov moneyreceives it· size = income
    0get 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 · 0–40%
    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 United Way of Mason County?

    Find your warmest path to United Way of Mason County 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 14 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 2018, released 2018. Filings run roughly 12 to 24 months behind; figures are dated accordingly.

    Possibly out of date. A more recent filing (FY2025) is on record and reports $82k of grant expense, but none of it to a named recipient. On a Form 990 that can mean grants abroad, filed by region only (Schedule F), grants under $5,000, which are not itemized, or a schedule referenced as an attachment the e-file does not carry. The figures above are therefore from FY2018, the most recent year this funder named its grantees.

    Source object · view filing

    Play a game based on United Way of Mason County’s filings →

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