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Wilderness Comm Education Foundation at a glance

· Private foundation

Wilderness Comm Education 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.

$15k
Granted FY2025still arriving
1
Grants FY2025still arriving
1
States reached
$15k
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.

Food & Nutrition$32kEnvironment$32kHousing & Shelter$14kEducation$7kHuman Services$6kPublic Safety & Disaster$4kHealth$3k
02FY2025 · 1 grant

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

$15,000
Median grant
1
States reached
$600k
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
SOS Kaw Valley Foundation$15,000
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 (FY18–23, $3k) land where the poverty rate runs at 15%, against an area that typically sits at 8%. 100% of those dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Most of its grants land in higher-need ZIPs.

area typical 8%Justice Matters: $2k → 15%Justice Matters: $500 → 15%Justice Matters: $300 → 15%Justice Matters: $300 → 15%Justice Matters: $200 → 15%Justice Matters: $200 → 15%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

WA
MN
WI
CA
CO
MO
KS
DC
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.

81%of every dollar goes to organizations it has funded before.
$79k · 20 repeat orgs$19k to everyone else

20 repeat relationships: 0 still active in FY2025, 20 since wound down; 1 grantees were first funded in FY2025 (too recent to call).

How the two cohorts compare

Re-uppedFunded once

Organizations

20
5

Total granted

$79k
$4k

Still filing today

70%
0%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2025, 0% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $15k went to new ones.

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

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

’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’25
EnvironmentFood & NutritionEducationHousing & ShelterHuman ServicesPublic BenefitOther
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

  • LM
    LAWRENCE MEALS ON WHEELS INC
    7× · 2017–2023 · $9k · revenue +39%
  • LC
    LAWRENCE COMMUNITY SHELTER INC
    7× · 2017–2023 · $9k · revenue +301%
  • AMERICAN INDIAN COLLEGE FUND
    7× · 2017–2023 · $5k · revenue +198%

Funded once

  • EJ
    EcKan JustFoods
    one grant, 2020 · $2k
  • SA
    Salvation Army
    one grant, 2020 · $800
  • KS
    Kansas Special Olympics
    one grant, 2020 · $500
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
Cultivate Kansas City Inc

Grow food, farms and community in support of a sustainable, healthy and local food system.

Food & Nutrition
2
Oregon Agricultural Trust

Oregon agricultural trust partners with farmers and ranchers to protect agricultural lands for the benefit of oregons economy, communities, and landscapes.

Environment
3
Kansas Farm Bureau

Kansas farm bureau exists to strengthen agriculture and the lives of kansans through advocacy, education, and service.

—
4
Kansas Bioscience Organization Inc

Biokansas is the unified voice representing the biosciences in kansas. across the human, plant, animal and industrial biosciences, biokansas is focused on enhancing the business and research climate and working with leaders across the…

Education
5
Midwest Dairy Association

Midwest dairy works with others to give consumers an excellent dairy experience increasing sales, fostering innovation, and inspiring consumer confidence of dairy products and practices.

—
6
Wallowa Land Trust

Our mission is to protect the rural nature of Wallowa County by working cooperatively with private landowners,indigenous people, local communities and governmental entities to conserve land.

Environment
7
Kansas Cooperative Council

The kansas cooperative council exists to promote, support and advance the interests, business success, and understanding of agricultural, utility, credit and consumer cooperatives and their members through legislation and regulatory…

—
8
Environmental Investigation Agency

To establish and promote programs to protect the global climate, forests, wildlife and the natural environment, through research, advocacy, and investigation.

International
9
Land Conservancy of West Michigan

Our mission is conserving West Michigans ecologically critical land. We protect land by creating public nature preserves, providing support to communities and local governments in creating natural areas, and helping private landowners…

Environment
10
The Montana Land Reliance

The mission of the montana land reliance (mlr) is to partner with landowners to provide permanent protection for private lands that are significant for agricultural production, fish and wildlife habitat, and open space.

Environment
11
The Union of Concerned Scientists Inc

The union of concerned scientists puts rigorous, independent science into action, developing solutions and advocating for a healthy, safe, and just future.

International
12
Organic Farmers Association

The mission of the Organic Farmers Association is to provide a strong and unified national voice for domestic certified organic producers so that organic agriculture will become the basis of a viable United States food and agricultural…

Food & Nutrition
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is Harvesters - the Community Food Network; the most unlike its peers is Justice Matters Inc. 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

14 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. 14 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)
4
Early backer (in before they grew)
14/14
Grantees still filing
8/14
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

SOS Kaw Valley Foundation: $15,000 · OtherSOS Kaw Valley FoundationKansas Food Bank -- Wichita: $7,950 · OtherKansas Food Bank -- WichitaHabitat For Humanity: $5,400 · OtherHabitat For HumanityEcKan JustFood: $4,289 · OtherEcKan JustFoodIndividual grant recipient: $4,100 · OtherIndividual grant recipientJust Foods: $3,300 · OtherJust FoodsTHE KANSAS RURAL CENTER: $2,900 · OtherTHE KANSAS RURAL CENTERThe Land Institute: $2,600 · OtherCity Union Mission in KC: $1,948 · Other+5 more: $3,800 · Other+5 moreLAWRENCE MEALS ON WHEELS INC: $8,965 · Food & NutritionLAWRENCE MEALS O…THE CORNUCOPIA INSTITUTE INC: $3,600 · Food & NutritionTHE CORNUCOPIA I…HARVESTERS - THE COMMUNITY FOOD NETWORK: $2,000 · Food & NutritionHARVESTERS - THE…FRIENDS OF THE KAW INC: $4,350 · EnvironmentFRIENDS OF TH…KANSAS LAND TRUST INC: $2,600 · EnvironmentKANSAS LAND T…ENVIRONMENTAL WORKING GROUP: $2,500 · EnvironmentENVIRONMENTAL…SIERRA CLUB FOUNDATION: $2,300 · EnvironmentSIERRA CLUB F…LAWRENCE COMMUNITY SHELTER INC: $8,550 · Housing & ShelterLAWRENCE …AMERICAN INDIAN COLLEGE FUND: $5,000 · EducationBastyr University: $2,200 · EducationJustice Matters INC: $3,000 · Human ServicesORGANIC CONSUMERS ASSOCIATION: $1,750 · Public Benefit
Other$51,287Food & Nutrition$14,565Environment$11,750Housing & Shelter$8,550Education$7,200Human Services$3,000Public Benefit$1,750

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 budgetLAWRENCE MEALS ON WHEELS INC: $8,965 over 7y, 0.7% of budgetLAWRENCE COMMUNITY SHELTER INC: $8,550 over 7y, 0.1% of budgetAMERICAN INDIAN COLLEGE FUND: $5,000 over 7y, 0.0% of budgetFRIENDS OF THE KAW INC: $4,350 over 7y, 0.7% of budgetTHE CORNUCOPIA INSTITUTE INC: $3,600 over 7y, 0.1% of budgetJustice Matters INC: $3,000 over 6y, 0.6% of budgetTHE KANSAS RURAL CENTER: $2,900 over 7y, 0.2% of budgetThe Land Institute: $2,600 over 7y, 0.0% of budgetKANSAS LAND TRUST INC: $2,600 over 7y, 0.3% of budgetENVIRONMENTAL WORKING GROUP: $2,500 over 7y, 0.0% of budgetSIERRA CLUB FOUNDATION: $2,300 over 6y, 0.0% of budgetBastyr University: $2,200 over 7y, 0.0% of budgetHARVESTERS - THE COMMUNITY FOOD NETWORK: $2,000 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetORGANIC CONSUMERS ASSOCIATION: $1,750 over 6y, 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.

  • Who funds LAWRENCE MEALS ON WHEELS INC ↗
  • Who funds LAWRENCE COMMUNITY SHELTER INC ↗
  • Who funds AMERICAN INDIAN COLLEGE FUND ↗
  • Who funds FRIENDS OF THE KAW INC ↗
  • Who funds THE CORNUCOPIA INSTITUTE INC ↗
  • Who funds Justice Matters INC ↗
  • Who funds THE KANSAS RURAL CENTER ↗
  • Who funds The Land Institute ↗
  • Who funds KANSAS LAND TRUST INC ↗
  • Who funds ENVIRONMENTAL WORKING GROUP ↗
  • Who funds SIERRA CLUB FOUNDATION ↗
  • Who funds Bastyr University ↗
  • Who funds HARVESTERS - THE COMMUNITY FOOD NETWORK ↗
  • Who funds ORGANIC CONSUMERS ASSOCIATION ↗

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.

Douglas County Commun…Vanguard Charitable E…American Online Givin…Fidelity Investments …Amazonsmile Foundation
Douglas County Community FoundationKS15.7× affinity5 shared granteesties to 4 of 4Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: Douglas County Community Foundation · Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program · 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 Wilderness Comm Education Foundation funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from Wilderness Comm Education Foundation. 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%25%50%75%100%share of the org’s income from government →
    no gov moneyreceives it· size = income
    0get no government money at all
    6report government grants on their 990 we could not trace to a source (not plotted)
    0rely 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 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 Wilderness Comm Education’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