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Wolff Family Foundation at a glance

· Private foundation

Wolff Family 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.

$726k
Granted FY2024still arriving
29
Grants FY2024still arriving
7
States reached
$500k
Largest
01What it fundsRead
02The needRead
03Its granteesRead
04Its fieldRead
05Through PlinthRead
01What it funds
0197% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2020 to 2024.

Education$783kArts & Culture$184kHealth$120kPhilanthropy$105kReligion$67kPublic Benefit$29kScience & Tech$25kCommunity Improvement$24kOther$0
02FY2024 · 29 grants

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

By grant size · FY2024

  • Under $10k24 grants · $46k
  • $10k–50k3 grants · $80k
  • $50k–250k1 grant · $101k
  • $250k+1 grant · $500k
$1,010
Median grant
7
States reached
$1.8M
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
ST STEPHENS EPISCOPAL$500,000
BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE$100,500
MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS HOUSTON$44,737
WASHINGTON ON THE BRAZOS HISTORICAL FOUNDATION$25,000
CONGREGATION BETH ISRAEL$10,000
NANTUCKET PRESERVATION TRUST$5,750
NANTUCKET CONSERVATION FOUNDATION$5,000
ST JOHNS SCHOOL$5,000
HARVARD UNIVERSITY$5,000
TRUSTEES OF DARTMOUTH COLLEGE$5,000
NANTUCKET ATHENEUM$4,500
HOUSTONIANS FOR SAFE AND HEALTHY SCHOOLS$2,500
GLOBAL CAMPS AFRICA$2,500
SPCA$1,033
OPEN DANCE PROJECT$1,010
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, $1k) land where the poverty rate runs at 11%, against an area that typically sits at 10%. 100% of those dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Most of its grants land in higher-need ZIPs.

area typical 10%EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE FOUNDATION INC: $1k → 11%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

ME
NH
NY
MA
PA
CA
VA
DE
TX
FL
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.

64%of every dollar goes to organizations it has funded before.
$802k · 28 repeat orgs$444k to everyone else

Grantees it renews have grown median revenue +32% since the first grant, against +1% for those funded once.

28 repeat relationships: 16 still active in FY2024, 12 since wound down; 12 grantees were first funded in FY2024 (too recent to call).

How the two cohorts compare

Re-uppedFunded once

Organizations

28
48

Total granted

$802k
$304k

Median revenue growth · since first grant

+32%
+1%

Still filing today

57%
35%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2024, 81% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $140k went to new ones.

50%100%’20’21’22’23’24
RenewedFirst-time

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

’20’21’22’23’24
Arts & CultureEnvironmentCommunity ImprovementEducationHealthInternationalOther
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

  • HG
    Houston Grand Opera Association Inc
    3× · 2021–2023 · $50k · revenue +19%
  • TM
    THE MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS HOUSTON
    2× · 2023–2024 · $45k · revenue +73%
  • SJ
    St John's School
    5× · 2020–2024 · $16k · revenue +100%

Funded once

  • SS
    ST STEPHEN'S SCHOOL
    one grant, 2021 · $125k
  • SH
    SCENIC HOUSTON INC
    one grant, 2023 · $25k · revenue -17%
  • TR
    THE ROTARY CLUB FOUNDATION
    one grant, 2020 · $25k
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
Houston Museum of Natural Science

The mission of the Houston Museum of Natural Science shall be to preserve and advance the general knowledge of natural science; to enhance in individuals the knowledge of and delight in natural science and related subjects; and to maintain…

Arts & Culture
2
Houston Botanic Garden

To enrich life through discovery, education, and the conservation of plants and the natural environment.

Environment
3
The Houston Audubon Society

To advance the conservation of birds and their habitats in the Greater Houston Gulf Coast region by acquiring and maintaining critical habitat as bird sanctuaries, providing education programs and nature experiences, and advocating policy…

Environment
4
Houston Parks Board

The Houston Parks Board mission is to expand, improve, and protect parks and greenspace in the Houston region.

Philanthropy
5
Houston Freedmen's Town Conservancy Inc

To completely restore Houston Freedmen's Town as a heritage district that provides America with its only Freedmen's Town.

Community Improvement
6
The Heritage Society

The Heritage Society (THS) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1954 whose mission is to tell the stories of the diverse history of Houston and Texas through collections, exhibits, the arts, educational programs, film, video, and other…

—
7
Houston Local Information Initiative Inc

The Houston Local Information Initiative, Inc. provides public service journalism that reflects the civic needs of the diverse communities comprising Greater Houston.

Arts & Culture
8
The Houston Parks Board Foundation

The Houston Parks Board Foundation provides the Houston Parks Board with financial assistance to support operations and park projects.

Environment
9
Natural History Institute

Natural History Institute is organized to provide leadership and resources for a revitalized practice of natural history that integrates art, science, and humanities to promote the health and well-being of humans and the rest of the…

Arts & Culture
10
Houston Arboretum & Nature Center

The mission of the Houston Arboretum & Nature Center is to provide education about the natural environment to people of all ages and to protect and enhance the Arboretum as a haven and sanctuary for native plants and animals.

Environment
11
Harvard Conservation Trust

To preserve the unique character and natural resources of harvard.

Environment
12
Houston Christian Foundation dba National Christian Foundation Houston

As the Houston affiliate of the National Christian Foundation (NCF), our mission is to serve and encourage givers to grow as faithful stewards who give wisely to further the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

—
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is Greater Houston Community Foundation; the most unlike its peers is Kpvc 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

50 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. 50 of the 92 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.

1
Load-bearing (≥25% of a budget)
10
Early backer (in before they grew)
45/50
Grantees still filing
31/50
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

ST STEPHENS EPISCOPAL: $510,000 · OtherST STEPHENS EPISCOPALST STEPHEN'S SCHOOL: $125,000 · OtherST STEPHEN'S SCHOOLCONGREGATION BETH ISRAEL: $50,000 · OtherCONGREGATION BETH ISRAEL+58 more: $230,642 · Other+58 moreBaylor College of Medicine: $100,500 · EducationBaylor College…Trustees of Dartmouth College: $40,000 · EducationTrustees of Da…President and Fellows of Harvard College: $25,000 · EducationPresident and …Breakthrough Houston: $16,512 · EducationBreakthrough H…+3 more: $4,250 · EducationHouston Grand Opera Association Inc: $49,635 · Arts & CultureHouston G…THE MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS HOUSTON: $44,937 · Arts & CultureTHE MUSEU…NANTUCKET PRESERVATION TRUST INC: $12,250 · Arts & CultureNANTUCKET…+4 more: $6,520 · Arts & Culture+4 moreGREATER HOUSTON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION: $100,000 · Philanthropy+2 more: $750 · PhilanthropySCENIC HOUSTON INC: $25,000 · EnvironmentBuffalo Bayou Partnership Inc: $15,300 · EnvironmentNANTUCKET CONSERVATION FOUNDATION INC: $6,000 · EnvironmentALLIANCE TO PROTECT NANTUCKET SOUND INC: $3,500 · Environment+3 more: $1,745 · EnvironmentWASHINGTON ON THE BRAZOS HISTORICAL FOUNDATION: $25,000 · Recreation & SportsGLOBAL CAMPS AFRICA INC: $2,500 · Recreation & SportsWATERLOO GREENWAY CONSERVANCY: $11,833 · Community ImprovementCenter for Houston's Future Inc: $6,000 · Community ImprovementCITY OF BRENHAM COMMUNITY PROJECTS FUND INC: $2,500 · Community Improvement+2 more: $425 · Community Improvement
Other$915,642Education$186,262Arts & Culture$113,342Philanthropy$100,750Environment$51,545Recreation & Sports$27,500Community Improvement$20,758

Each grantee by its size and the funder’s share of it; top left is load-bearing

25%50%75%100%$100k$1.0M$10M$100Mgrantee revenue →↑ funder's share of their budgetBaylor College of Medicine: $100,500 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetGREATER HOUSTON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION: $100,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetHouston Grand Opera Association Inc: $49,635 over 3y, 0.1% of budgetTHE MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS HOUSTON: $44,937 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetTrustees of Dartmouth College: $40,000 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetSCENIC HOUSTON INC: $25,000 over 1y, 6.0% of budgetWASHINGTON ON THE BRAZOS HISTORICAL FOUNDATION: $25,000 over 1y, 0.7% of budgetPresident and Fellows of Harvard College: $25,000 over 5y, 0.0% of budgetBreakthrough Houston: $16,512 over 3y, 0.7% of budgetSt John's School: $16,475 over 5y, 0.0% of budgetBuffalo Bayou Partnership Inc: $15,300 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetNANTUCKET PRESERVATION TRUST INC: $12,250 over 5y, 0.5% of budgetNANTUCKET ATHENEUM INC: $12,000 over 4y, 0.1% of budgetWATERLOO GREENWAY CONSERVANCY: $11,833 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetKPVC INC: $10,000 over 1y, 93% of budgetPlanned Parenthood Gulf Coast Inc: $7,500 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetNANTUCKET CONSERVATION FOUNDATION INC: $6,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetCenter for Houston's Future Inc: $6,000 over 2y, 0.4% of budgetTrees For Houston: $5,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetJewish Federation of Greater Houston: $4,500 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetYOUTH ACTION INTERNATIONAL INC: $3,500 over 2y, 1.9% of budgetALLIANCE TO PROTECT NANTUCKET SOUND INC: $3,500 over 2y, 0.2% of budgetHoustonians for Safe and Healthy Schools: $2,500 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetCITY OF BRENHAM COMMUNITY PROJECTS FUND INC: $2,500 over 1y, 1.5% of budgetGLOBAL CAMPS AFRICA INC: $2,500 over 1y, 0.5% of budgetOpen Dance Project Inc: $2,020 over 3y, 0.2% of budgetDOCUMENTARY ALLIANCE INC: $2,000 over 1y, 8.5% of budgetAMHERST COLLEGE TRUSTEES: $1,750 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetCHILDREN'S MUSEUM INC: $1,500 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetSmall Steps Nurturing Center: $1,500 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetThe Houston Food Bank: $1,500 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetAmigos de las Americas: $1,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetMIRACLE FARM INC: $1,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetHermann Park Conservancy: $1,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetMemorial Hermann Health System: $1,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetHalo House Foundation: $1,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetBORDERLANDS RESEARCH FOUNDATION: $1,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetWilliam Marsh Rice University: $1,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetEMERGENCY ASSISTANCE FOUNDATION INC: $1,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetJohn P McGovern Museum of Health & Medical Science: $1,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetGIANTS COMMUNITY FUND: $500 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetSOUTH CHURCH PRESERVATION FUND INC: $500 over 2y, 0.1% of budgetMaine Island Trail Association: $495 over 4y, 0.0% of budgetWashington Volunteer Fire Department: $350 over 2y, 0.1% of budgetACKNOW INC: $250 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetHABITAT FOR HUMANITY NANTUCKET INC: $250 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetNANTUCKET LAND & WATER COUNCIL INC: $250 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetNEW YORK YACHT CLUB FOUNDATION: $175 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.

Greater Houston Commu…Ernst & Elfriede Fran…Albert & Ethel Herzst…Houston Endowment IncThe Susan Vaughan Fou…MD Anderson FoundationCommunity Foundation …Charina Foundation In…Strake FoundationThe Brown Foundation …Meyer & Jean Steinber…The Joelson Foundation
Greater Houston Community FoundationTX21.7× affinity11 shared granteesties to 10 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: Greater Houston Community Foundation · Ernst & Elfriede Frank Foundation Inc · Albert & Ethel Herzstein Charitable Foundation · Houston Endowment Inc · The Susan Vaughan Foundation Inc · MD Anderson Foundation · Community Foundation for Nantucket Inc · Charina Foundation Inc Richard Menschel · Strake Foundation · The Brown Foundation Inc · Meyer & Jean Steinberg Family Foundation Inc · The Joelson 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 Wolff Family Foundation funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from Wolff Family Foundation. Bigger dots raise more.

2024
’20’21’22’23’24’25
no gov · 60%6%25%56%100%funder's share of their income ↑0%5%10%15%20%share of the org’s income from government →median 4%
  • President and Fellows of Harvard College: 7% of income from government
  • Nantucket Conservation Foundation Inc: 4% of income from government
  • Amherst College Trustees: 0% of income from government
no gov moneyreceives it· size = income
6get no government money at all
13report 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.
05Through Plinth

Warm introductions · Powered by PlinthPlus

How do I get to Wolff Family Foundation?

Find your warmest path to Wolff Family 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.

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 92 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

Play a game based on Wolff Family’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