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West Star Foundation at a glance

· Private foundation

West Star Foundation

Its FY2020 filing reports that it funds preselected organizations and did not take unsolicited requests; check the foundation's own site before ruling it out.

$583k
Granted FY2020
49
Grants FY2020
14
States reached
$73k
Largest
01What it fundsRead
02The needRead
03Its granteesRead
04Its fieldRead
01What it funds
0197% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2019 to 2020.

Education$187kPhilanthropy$169kInternational$164kHuman Services$140kReligion$74kArts & Culture$60kFood & Nutrition$57kYouth Development$44kOther$0
02FY2020 · 49 grants

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

By grant size · FY2020

  • Under $10k24 grants · $89k
  • $10k–50k24 grants · $421k
  • $50k–250k1 grant · $73k
$10,000
Median grant
14
States reached
$0
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
IDAHO COMMUNITY FOUNDATION$73,205
LOYOLA MARYMOUNT UNIVERSITY$40,000
OPERATION UNDERGROUND RAILROAD INC$40,000
EVERETT GOSPEL MISSION$29,000
UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA FOUNDATION$25,000
CORNELL COLLEGE$25,000
SACRED EARTH FOUNDATION$22,000
FRIENDS OF THE WEISER RIVER TRAIL$20,000
LIGHT BEARERS MINISTRIES$20,000
GLOBAL CHILD NUTRITION FOUNDATION$20,000
INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN'S CARE$20,000
THE CARTER CENTER$20,000
ST OLAF COLLEGE$15,000
ADVENTIST DEVELOPMENT AND RELIEF AGENCY$15,000
PROJECT PATCH$10,000
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 (FY19–20, $67k) land where the poverty rate runs at 10%, against an area that typically sits at 10%. 67% of those dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Most of its grants land in higher-need ZIPs.

area typical 10%YMCA OF THE GREATER TWIN CITIES: $10k → 11%PEPPERMINT RIDGE: $10k → 11%HEARTS WITH A MISSION: $8k → 13%SOUTH WHIDBEY AT HOME: $2k → 7%PROJECT PATCH: $10k → 9%YMCA OF THE GREATER TWIN CITIES: $10k → 11%HEARTS WITH A MISSION: $8k → 13%SOUTH WHIDBEY AT HOME: $2k → 7%SOUTH WHIDBEY CHILDREN'S CENTER: $2k → 7%RYAN'S HOUSE: $2k → 7%RYAN'S HOUSE: $2k → 7%SOUTH WHIDBEY CHILDREN'S CENTER: $2k → 7%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

VT
WA
ID
MN
OR
NV
IA
CA
UT
CO
VA
MD
DC
GA
TX
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.
04

Where the work is directed

The same grants placed two ways: where each recipient sits, and where its stated purpose sends the money.

About 96% of West Star Foundation’s grant dollars are earmarked for a different county than the recipient’s own address. By recipient address, 8% of the giving stays in NV; by stated purpose, 0%.

West Star Foundationlessmore of its giving
Placed by recipient address
How this is measured
Recipient view: each grant at its grantee’s ZIP, mapped to a county. Directed view: each grant at the county its stated purpose names, falling back to the recipient’s county when the purpose names no place; US grants only. A county shows only if it carries the top 95% of that view’s dollars. Purposes are read from the funder’s own 990 grant descriptions.
03Its grantees
repeat funding

Who it funds again

Organizations funded in more than one year, against those funded once.

76%of every dollar goes to organizations it has funded before.
$692k · 34 repeat orgs$217k to everyone else

34 repeat relationships: 34 still active in FY2020, 0 since wound down; 14 grantees were first funded in FY2020 (too recent to call).

How the two cohorts compare

Re-uppedFunded once

Organizations

34
4

Total granted

$692k
$57k

Median revenue growth · since first grant

+53%
+105%

Still filing today

71%
50%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2020, 69% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $160k went to new ones.

50%100%’19’20
RenewedFirst-time

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

’19’20
Human ServicesEducationInternationalHealthHousing & ShelterFood & NutritionOther
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

  • EG
    EVERETT GOSPEL MISSION
    2× · 2019–2020 · $58k · revenue +53%
  • UO
    University of Nevada Reno Foundation
    2× · 2019–2020 · $45k · revenue +35%
  • CC
    CORNELL COLLEGE
    2× · 2019–2020 · $45k · revenue +34%

Funded once

  • AR
    AMERICAN RELIEF CENTERS
    one grant, 2019 · $25k
  • BAT CONSERVATION INTERNATIONALgraduated
    one grant, 2019 · $25k · revenue +105%
  • FB
    Food Bank of Northern Nevada Incgraduated
    one grant, 2019 · $5k · revenue +58%
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
Wayside House Inc

Our mission is to break the cycle of addiction and trauma for women, children, and families.

—
2
United Way of Ne Minnesota

United way of northeastern minnesota invests in nonprofits, programs, and collaborations that equip and empower, creating opportunities for people to thrive in our communities.

—
3
Youth for Christ International Ministries

As part of the body of Christ, to see that every young person in every people group in every nation has the opportunity to make an informed decision to be a follower of Jesus Christ and become a part of the local church.

Religion
4
Great Plains Food Bank

End hunger together.

Food & Nutrition
5
Homeward Bound Inc

Providing innovative and life-enriching services for children, adolescents, and adults with disabilities.

Human Services
6
Senior Life Resources Northwest

To preserve and enhance the quality of life at home, with dignity and care.

Human Services
7
Hope Haven Inc

As followers of christ, hope haven's mission is to empower individuals with disabilities through work and life skills so that they may enjoy a productive life in their community.

—
8
Every Shelter Inc

Every Shelter's mission is to build a localized refugee-aid ecosystem centered around the needs, preferences, and aspirations of refugees.

Education
9
Next Move Homeless Services

To help families with children and individuals achieve self-reliance

—
10
Lutheran Community Services Northwest

LCSNW partners with individuals, families and communities for health, justice and hope. LCSNW provides a wide variety of social services in Oregon, Washington and Idaho and serves people of all ages, cultures and faiths.

Human Services
11
Pilgrim Africa

Pilgrim Africa's mission is to challenge despair, love boldly, and help African people create a future of sustainable prosperity and health. We give ourselves in service to others regardless of economic, religious, or social standing,…

International
12
Horizon House

Purposeful living in a diverse community. using the power of resident driven community to enhance wellbeing.

Human Services
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is Feed My Starving Children Inc; the most unlike its peers is South Whidbey Homeless Coalition. Resemblance is measured on each organization’s own IRS 990 mission text; it reflects how work is described, not its quality or impact.
05the grantee network

41 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. 41 of the 53 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)
12
Early backer (in before they grew)
38/41
Grantees still filing
33/41
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

SACRED EARTH FOUNDATION: $42,000 · OtherSACRED EARTH FOUNDATIONGLOBAL CHILD NUTRITION FOUNDATION: $40,000 · OtherGLOBAL CHILD NUTRITION FOUNDATIONLIGHT BEARERS MINISTRIES: $40,000 · OtherLIGHT BEARERS MINISTRIESAMERICAN RELIEF CENTERS: $25,000 · OtherAMERICAN RELIEF CENTERSBAT CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL: $25,000 · OtherBAT CONSERVATION INTERNATIONALTHE NEVADA DISCOVERY MUSEUM: $20,000 · OtherTHE NEVADA DISCOVERY MUSEUMNATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION: $20,000 · OtherNATIONAL PARK FOUNDATIONYWCA: $20,000 · OtherYWCAFRIENDS OF THE WEISER RIVER TRAIL: $20,000 · OtherFRIENDS OF THE WEISER RIVER TRAILNEW EARTH TIERRA NUEVA: $20,000 · OtherNEW EARTH TIERRA NUEVAREDEMPTION RIDGE: $15,000 · Other+15 more: $87,000 · Other+15 moreUniversity of Nevada Reno Foundation: $45,000 · EducationUniversity of Nevada …CORNELL COLLEGE: $45,000 · EducationCORNELL COLLEGELOYOLA MARYMOUNT UNIVERSITY: $40,000 · EducationLOYOLA MARYMOUNT UNIV…ST OLAF COLLEGE: $30,000 · EducationST OLAF COLLEGEPEO Foundation: $15,000 · EducationPEO FoundationVENTURES: $10,000 · EducationTHE MOSAIC PROJECT: $10,000 · Education+1 more: $2,000 · EducationEVERETT GOSPEL MISSION: $58,000 · Human ServicesEVERETT GOSPEL …YOUNG MENS CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION OF THE NORTH: $20,000 · Human ServicesYOUNG MENS CHRI…HEARTS WITH A MISSION: $15,000 · Human ServicesHEARTS WITH A M…EDDY HOUSE: $15,000 · Human ServicesEDDY HOUSEPEPPERMINT RIDGE: $10,000 · Human ServicesPEPPERMINT RIDG…Project Patch: $10,000 · Human ServicesProject Patch+3 more: $12,000 · Human Services+3 moreTHE CARTER CENTER INC: $45,000 · InternationalTHE CARTER CENT…INTERNATIONAL CHILDRENS CARE INC: $40,000 · InternationalINTERNATIONAL C…ADVENTIST DEVELOPMENT & RELIEF AGENCY INTERNATIONAL: $39,000 · InternationalADVENTIST DEVEL…FEED MY STARVING CHILDREN INC: $10,000 · InternationalFEED MY STARVIN…Morning Star Development: $5,000 · InternationalIDAHO COMMUNITY FOUNDATION INC: $123,205 · PhilanthropyIDAHO COMMUNIT…ASSISTANCE LEAGUE OF EVERETT: $5,000 · PhilanthropyOUR RESCUE: $40,000 · Arts & CultureJACOBS HEART CHILDRENS CANCER SUPPORT SERVICES: $10,000 · HealthFRIENDS OF FRIENDS: $4,000 · Health
Other$374,000Education$197,000Human Services$140,000International$139,000Philanthropy$128,205Arts & Culture$40,000Health$14,000

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 budgetIDAHO COMMUNITY FOUNDATION INC: $123,205 over 2y, 0.4% of budgetEVERETT GOSPEL MISSION: $58,000 over 2y, 0.6% of budgetCORNELL COLLEGE: $45,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetTHE CARTER CENTER INC: $45,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetINTERNATIONAL CHILDRENS CARE INC: $40,000 over 2y, 0.5% of budgetLOYOLA MARYMOUNT UNIVERSITY: $40,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetOUR RESCUE: $40,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetADVENTIST DEVELOPMENT & RELIEF AGENCY INTERNATIONAL: $39,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetST OLAF COLLEGE: $30,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetBAT CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL: $25,000 over 1y, 0.4% of budgetTHE NEVADA DISCOVERY MUSEUM: $20,000 over 2y, 0.4% of budgetNATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION: $20,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetYOUNG MENS CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION OF THE NORTH: $20,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetHEARTS WITH A MISSION: $15,000 over 2y, 0.3% of budgetEDDY HOUSE: $15,000 over 2y, 0.3% of budgetREDEMPTION RIDGE: $15,000 over 2y, 1.2% of budgetHOPE PARTNERS INTERNATIONAL INC: $10,000 over 2y, 0.3% of budgetPEPPERMINT RIDGE: $10,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetVENTURES: $10,000 over 2y, 0.3% of budgetProject Patch: $10,000 over 1y, 0.4% of budgetTHE MOSAIC PROJECT: $10,000 over 1y, 1.0% of budgetENTRUST: $10,000 over 2y, 0.1% of budgetJACOBS HEART CHILDRENS CANCER SUPPORT SERVICES: $10,000 over 2y, 0.3% of budgetJUBILEE WOMEN'S CENTER: $10,000 over 2y, 0.3% of budgetFEED MY STARVING CHILDREN INC: $10,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetMorning Star Development: $5,000 over 1y, 0.3% of budgetASSISTANCE LEAGUE OF EVERETT: $5,000 over 1y, 0.4% of budgetFood Bank of Northern Nevada Inc: $5,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetRYAN'S HOUSE: $4,000 over 2y, 0.5% of budgetSOUTH WHIDBEY CHILDREN'S CENTER: $4,000 over 2y, 0.3% of budgetFRIENDS OF FRIENDS: $4,000 over 2y, 2.3% of budgetSHARING ALONGSIDE: $2,000 over 1y, 1.4% of budgetSOUTH WHIDBEY GOOD CHEER: $2,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetSOUTH WHIDBEY HOMELESS COALITION: $2,000 over 1y, 0.4% 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.

Whidbey Community Fou…Seattle FoundationM J Murdock Charitabl…Encourage & Impact Fo…Community Foundation …Medina FoundationThe Norcliffe Foundat…Puget Sound Energy Fo…The Oregon Community …Bnsf Railway Foundati…Servant FoundationGs Donor Advised Phil…
Whidbey Community FoundationWA19.9× affinity7 shared granteesties to 10 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: Whidbey Community Foundation · Seattle Foundation · M J Murdock Charitable Trust · Encourage & Impact Foundation · Community Foundation of Snohomish County · Medina Foundation · The Norcliffe Foundation · Puget Sound Energy Foundation · The Oregon Community Foundation · Bnsf Railway Foundation · Servant Foundation · Gs Donor Advised Philanthropy Fund for Wealth Management 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 West Star Foundation funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from West Star Foundation. Bigger dots raise more.

2024
’20’21’22’23’24’25
no gov · 10%0%1%3%5%funder's share of their income ↑0%25%50%75%100%share of the org’s income from government →median 51%
  • Hearts With a Mission: 51% of income from government
  • Adventist Development & Relief Agency International: 35% of income from government
no gov moneyreceives it· size = income
1get no government money at all
12report government grants on their 990 we could not trace to a source (not plotted)
1rely on government for over half their income
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 53 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 2020, released 2020. Filings run roughly 12 to 24 months behind; figures are dated accordingly.

Source object · view filing

Play a game based on West Star’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