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William & Dorothy Meyers Foundation at a glance

· Private foundation

William & Dorothy Meyers 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.

$283k
Granted FY2020
47
Grants FY2020
6
States reached
$125k
Largest
01What it fundsRead
02The needRead
03Its fieldRead
01What it funds
0196% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2017 to 2020.

Arts & Culture$201kEducation$75kCrime & Legal$10kHousing & Shelter$9kCivil Rights$7kHealth$6kEmployment$5kYouth Development$5kOther$0
02FY2020 · 47 grants

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

By grant size · FY2020

  • Under $10k44 grants · $98k
  • $10k–50k1 grant · $10k
  • $50k–250k2 grants · $175k
$2,500
Median grant
6
States reached
$0
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
THE MY HERO PROJECT$125,000
FRANCIS W PARKER SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIP FUND$50,000
WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY$10,000
THE MODEL SCHOOL$5,000
LOS ANGELES ROOM & BOARD$5,000
UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO MASTER OF ARTS PROGRAM IN SOCIAL SCIENCES$5,000
LAGUNA ART MUSEUM$5,000
EAST BAY COMMUNITY LAW CENTER$5,000
LEGAL AID AT WORK$5,000
CENTER FOR WORKERS RIGHTS$5,000
MAS CONTEXT NFP$4,000
CHICAGO ARCHITECTURE CENTER$3,000
ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO$2,500
TRAUMA RESOURCE CENTER INSTITUTE$2,500
AMERICAN FILM INSTITUTE$2,500
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 (FY20–20, $3k) land where the poverty rate runs at 11%, against an area that typically sits at 10%. 17% of those dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Its grants skew toward lower-need ZIPs.

area typical 10%CHILDREN'S GLOBAL HEALTH FUND INC: $3k → 9%COVENANT HOUSE: $500 → 17%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 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
Los Angeles Conservancy

The los angeles conservancy is a nonprofit membership organization that works through education and advocacy to recognize, preserve, and revitalize the historic architectural and cultural resources of los angeles county.

Arts & Culture
2
The American Institute of Architects California

The AIA California, in collaboration with local components, is the voice of the architectural profession.

—
3
Ucla Foundation

The ucla foundation is the giving, receiving, and investing arm of the ucla campus. the foundation enables private donors to help build, sustain and advance one of the world's finest academic and research institutions. private philanthropy…

Education
4
California College of the Arts

California college of the arts educates students to shape culture and society through the practice and critical study of art, architecture, design, and writing. benefitting from its san francisco bay area location, the college prepares…

Education
5
Los Angeles County Bar Association (Lacba)

Meeting the professional needs of los angeles lawyers, and improving the administration of justice.

—
6
Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce

Chamber's mission: design and advance opportunities and solutions for a thriving regional economy that are inclusive and globally competitive. 1) advocacy - be a bold advocate for business as a driver of a strong economy that enables…

—
7
Boston Architectural College

The bac is committed to provide excellence in design education grounded in practice and accessible to diverse communities.

—
8
Museum of Arts and Design

To collect, display and interpret objects in craft art and design.

Arts & Culture
9
Academy of Television Arts and Sciences

The Television Academy is dedicated to celebrating excellence, innovation and the advancement of the telecommunications arts and sciences through recognition, education and leadership, while fostering a diverse, inclusive and accessible…

—
10
University of La Verne

The university of la verne offers a distinctive and relevant educational experience to a diverse population of traditional-age, adult, and graduate learners, preparing them for successful careers and a commitment to lifelong learning…

Education
11
Columbia College Chicago

The organization's mission is to educate students for creative occupations in diverse fields of arts and media.

Education
12
Laguna College of Art & Design

Laguna college of art & design prepares individuals for careers as creative artists and designers in a culturally and ethnically diverse world through a curriculum that emphasizes acquiring skills based on observation, representation, and…

Education
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is The Laguna Playhouse; the most unlike its peers is Covenant House. 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

29 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. 29 of the 47 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)
7
Early backer (in before they grew)
29/29
Grantees still filing
23/29
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

THE MY HERO PROJECT INC: $175,000 · EducationTHE MY HERO PROJECT INCWASHINGTON UNIVERSITY: $10,000 · Education+3 more: $7,000 · EducationFRANCIS W PARKER SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIP FUND: $50,000 · OtherFRANCIS W PARKER SCHOOL SCHOLAR…UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO MASTER OF ARTS PROGRAM IN SOCIAL SCIENCES: $5,000 · OtherTHE MODEL SCHOOL: $5,000 · OtherMAS CONTEXT NFP: $4,000 · Other+22 more: $30,000 · Other+22 moreLAGUNA ART MUSEUM: $5,000 · Arts & CultureChicago Architecture Foundation: $3,000 · Arts & CultureGRANT PARK ORCHESTRAL ASSOCIATION: $2,500 · Arts & CultureTHE AMERICAN FILM INSTITUTE: $2,500 · Arts & CultureCREATIVE VISIONS FOUNDATION: $2,500 · Arts & CultureDEMOCRACY NOW PRODUCTIONS INC: $2,000 · Arts & CultureMUSEUM ASSOCIATES: $1,500 · Arts & CultureTHE LAGUNA PLAYHOUSE: $1,000 · Arts & CultureSOCIETY OF ARCHITECTURAL HISTORIANS: $1,000 · Arts & CultureEAST BAY COMMUNITY LAW CENTER: $5,000 · Crime & LegalLegal Aid at Work: $5,000 · Crime & LegalLos Angeles Room & Board: $5,000 · Housing & ShelterLOS ANGELES MISSION INC: $1,000 · Housing & ShelterCENTER FOR WORKERS' RIGHTS: $5,000 · EmploymentBOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF LAGUNA BEACH: $2,500 · Youth DevelopmentHOMEBOY INDUSTRIES: $2,500 · Youth Development
Education$192,000Other$94,000Arts & Culture$21,000Crime & Legal$10,000Housing & Shelter$6,000Employment$5,000Youth Development$5,000

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 budgetTHE MY HERO PROJECT INC: $175,000 over 4y, 18% of budgetWASHINGTON UNIVERSITY: $10,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetEAST BAY COMMUNITY LAW CENTER: $5,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetLos Angeles Room & Board: $5,000 over 1y, 0.7% of budgetLAGUNA ART MUSEUM: $5,000 over 1y, 0.2% of budgetCENTER FOR WORKERS' RIGHTS: $5,000 over 1y, 0.8% of budgetLegal Aid at Work: $5,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetChicago Architecture Foundation: $3,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetGRANT PARK ORCHESTRAL ASSOCIATION: $2,500 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetTHE AMERICAN FILM INSTITUTE: $2,500 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetCREATIVE VISIONS FOUNDATION: $2,500 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetBOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF LAGUNA BEACH: $2,500 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetCHILDRENS GLOBAL HEALTH FUND INC: $2,500 over 1y, 0.3% of budgetCoalition for Engaged Education: $2,500 over 1y, 0.7% of budgetTHE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO: $2,500 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetHOMEBOY INDUSTRIES: $2,500 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetLAGUNA FOOD PANTRY: $2,500 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetDEMOCRACY NOW PRODUCTIONS INC: $2,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetESCUELA BILINGUE INTERNACIONAL: $2,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetTHE LAGUNA PLAYHOUSE: $1,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetSOCIETY OF ARCHITECTURAL HISTORIANS: $1,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetBARNSDALL ART PARK FOUNDATION: $1,000 over 1y, 2.3% of budgetLINCOLN PARK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY: $500 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetAQUARIUM OF THE PACIFIC CORPORATION: $500 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetPLANNED PARENTHOOD FEDERATION OF AMERICA INC: $500 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetLOS ANGELES REGIONAL FOOD BANK: $500 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetCOVENANT HOUSE: $500 over 1y, 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.

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.

Macgillivray Family F…Orange County Communi…The Hanauer Family Fo…Roberta Freeman Cox C…The William Gillespie…Laguna Beach Communit…O L Halsell FoundationThe California Endowm…Vanguard Charitable E…American Endowment Fo…American Online Givin…National Philanthropi…
Macgillivray Family FoundationCA15.7× affinity5 shared granteesties to 11 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: Macgillivray Family Foundation · Orange County Community Foundation · The Hanauer Family Foundation · Roberta Freeman Cox Charitable Foundation · The William Gillespie Foundation · Laguna Beach Community Foundation · O L Halsell Foundation · The California Endowment · Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program · American Endowment Foundation · American Online Giving Foundation Inc · National Philanthropic Trust

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 William & Dorothy Meyers Foundation funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from William & Dorothy Meyers Foundation. Bigger dots raise more.

2024
’20’21’22’23’24’25
no gov · 00%1%5%11%20%funder's share of their income ↑0%5%10%15%20%share of the org’s income from government →
    no gov moneyreceives it· size = income
    0get no government money at all
    10report government grants on their 990 we could not trace to a source (not plotted)
    0rely on government for over half their income
    ⤢ axis zoomed · 0–20%
    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 47 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 William & Dorothy Meyers’ 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