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Zeller-Knowles Foundation Inc at a glance

· Private foundation

Zeller-Knowles Foundation Inc

Its FY2025 filing reports that it accepted unsolicited grant applications.

$297k
Granted FY2025still arriving
64
Grants FY2025still arriving
7
States reached
$27k
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, FY2018 to 2025.

Arts & Culture$262kReligion$133kHousing & Shelter$88kYouth Development$86kEducation$83kHealth$69kEnvironment$67kPhilanthropy$64kOther$0
02FY2025 · 64 grants

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

By grant size · FY2025

  • Under $10k52 grants · $98k
  • $10k–50k12 grants · $200k
$1,500
Median grant
7
States reached
$5.2M
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
CENTRAL CHRISTIAN CHURCH$27,000
FAMILY PROMISE OF GREAT FALLS$20,000
SUN RIVER VALLEY LIONS COMMUNITY FOUNDATION$20,000
HI-INE FUTURE FOUNDATION INC$20,000
CASCADE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY$20,000
GREAT FALLS MUNICIPAL BAND$20,000
MONTANA SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF AND BLIND FOUNDATION$15,000
GREAT FALLS-CASCADE COUNTY SENIOR CITIZENS CENTER$15,000
ST ANN CHURCH$12,500
SUN RIVER VALLEY HISTORICAL SOCIETY$10,000
UPTOWN OPTIMIST FOUNDATION INC$10,000
FRIENDS OF THE LITTLE BELTS$10,000
SIMMS HIGH SCHOOL$9,000
HOUSED GREAT FALLS$9,000
GREAT FALLS CLINIC LEGACY FOUNDATION$9,000
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 (FY22–25, $20k) land where the poverty rate runs at 14%, 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%GREAT FALLS SCOTTISH RITE CHILDHOOD LANGUAGE DISOR: $10k → 14%GREAT FALLS SCOTTISH RITE CHILDHOOD LANGUAGE DISOR: $5k → 14%GREAT FALLS SCOTTISH RITE CHILDHOOD LANGUAGE DISOR: $5k → 14%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
ID
MT
ND
MN
IL
OR
CO
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 8% of Zeller-Knowles Foundation Inc’s grant dollars are earmarked for a different county than the recipient’s own address.

Zeller-Knowles Foundation Inclessmore of its giving
Placed by recipient address · 2.2% directed abroad (not shown)
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.

85%of every dollar goes to organizations it has funded before.
$810k · 34 repeat orgs$140k to everyone else

Grantees it renews have grown median revenue +12% since the first grant, against -8% for those funded once.

34 repeat relationships: 28 still active in FY2025, 6 since wound down; 22 grantees were first funded in FY2025 (too recent to call).

How the two cohorts compare

Re-uppedFunded once

Organizations

34
21

Total granted

$810k
$65k

Median revenue growth · since first grant

+12%
-8%

Still filing today

53%
52%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2025, 75% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $75k went to new ones.

50%100%’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
RenewedFirst-time

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

’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Arts & CultureHealthAnimalsPhilanthropyReligionHuman ServicesOther
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

  • CC
    CASCADE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
    5× · 2021–2025 · $100k · revenue +386%
  • FP
    FAMILY PROMISE OF GREAT FALLS
    4× · 2022–2025 · $61k · revenue +43%
  • GF
    GREAT FALLS SCOTTISH RITE CHILDHOOD LANGUAGE DISORDERS CLINIC
    3× · 2022–2025 · $20k · revenue +188%

Funded once

  • SM
    SNOWY MOUNTAIN DEVELOPMENT CORPgraduated
    one grant, 2022 · $17k · revenue +185%
  • SJ
    ST JOHNS LUTHERAN CHURCH
    one grant, 2023 · $10k
  • SS
    Sawtooth Stables Youth Equestrian Center
    one grant, 2021 · $10k · 62% of their budget
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
Scenic Montana Trails
—
2
The Greater Montana Foundation
Philanthropy
3
Montana Healthcare Foundation
Philanthropy
4
Montana Preservation Alliance Inc

The montana preservation alliance (mpa) saves and protects montana's historic places, traditional landscapes, and cultural heritage. we are the only statewide, not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing montanans with the resources…

—
5
Montana Conservation Elders
Environment
6
Save our Gallatin Front Inc
Environment
7
Montana Pediatric Cancer Foundation
Philanthropy
8
Montana State Parks Foundation

The montana state parks foundation raises private support to enhance the visitors experience and build advocates for montanas state parks and recreation heritage.

Recreation & Sports
9
Montana Policy Action Inc

To promote public policy solutions that provide increased access to economic opportunities, greater individual freedoms and encourage greater participation in public matters by providing research and recommendation on public policy

Social Science
10
Headwaters Trail System

To build and maintain trails in the Missouri River Headwaters Area.

Environment
11
Colt Family Foundation Montana
Philanthropy
12
Missoula Midtown Foundation

Funding and conducting research on issues associated with the ongoing development, infrastructure, historical preservation, and planning of Missoula Midtown and operating educational programs to educate the public about these issues.

Community Improvement
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is Montana History Foundation; the most unlike its peers is Lewistown Art Center. 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

44 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. 44 of the 78 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)
11
Early backer (in before they grew)
42/44
Grantees still filing
19/44
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

GREAT FALLS MUNICIPAL BAND: $69,000 · OtherGREAT FALLS MUNICIPAL BANDCENTRAL CHRISTIAN CHURCH: $68,300 · OtherCENTRAL CHRISTIAN CHURCHSimms High School: $58,300 · OtherSimms High SchoolST ANN CHURCH: $52,500 · OtherST ANN CHURCHRECYCLE MONTANA INC: $51,500 · OtherRECYCLE MONTANA INCUPTOWN OPTIMIST FOUNDATION INC: $43,250 · OtherUPTOWN OPTIMIST FOUNDATION INCSUN RIVER VALLEY LIONS COMMUNITY FOUNDATION: $40,000 · OtherSUN RIVER VALLEY LIONS COMMUNITY FOUNDATIONMONTANA SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF AND BLIND FOUNDATION: $40,000 · OtherMONTANA SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF AND BLIND FOUNDATIONHOUSED GREAT FALLS: $25,000 · Other+44 more: $205,355 · Other+44 moreCASCADE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY: $100,000 · Arts & CultureCASCADE COUNTY H…SPARK CHILDREN'S MUSEUM OF MONTANA INC: $22,500 · Arts & CultureSPARK CHILDREN'S…EXTREME HISTORY PROJECT: $5,000 · Arts & Culture+10 more: $16,600 · Arts & Culture+10 moreFAMILY PROMISE OF GREAT FALLS: $61,000 · ReligionGREAT FALLS CLINIC LEGACY FOUNDATION: $41,500 · HealthSAMS HOPE FOUNDATION: $3,000 · Health+4 more: $2,300 · HealthLAUREL MONTANA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION INC: $20,000 · Community ImprovementSNOWY MOUNTAIN DEVELOPMENT CORP: $17,000 · Community ImprovementGREAT FALLS SCOTTISH RITE CHILDHOOD LANGUAGE DISORDERS CLINIC: $20,000 · Human ServicesPet Paw-See Inc: $7,500 · Animals+1 more: $200 · Animals
Other$653,205Arts & Culture$144,100Religion$61,000Health$46,800Community Improvement$37,000Human Services$20,000Animals$7,700

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

25%50%75%100%$100k$1.0M$10Mgrantee revenue →↑ funder's share of their budgetCASCADE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY: $100,000 over 5y, 6.8% of budgetFAMILY PROMISE OF GREAT FALLS: $61,000 over 4y, 6.5% of budgetGREAT FALLS CLINIC LEGACY FOUNDATION: $41,500 over 3y, 4.2% of budgetMONTANA SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF AND BLIND FOUNDATION: $40,000 over 2y, 3.9% of budgetSPARK CHILDREN'S MUSEUM OF MONTANA INC: $22,500 over 2y, 6.2% of budgetLAUREL MONTANA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION INC: $20,000 over 1y, 11% of budgetGREAT FALLS SCOTTISH RITE CHILDHOOD LANGUAGE DISORDERS CLINIC: $20,000 over 3y, 4.0% of budgetALLIANCE FOR YOUTH INC: $18,500 over 3y, 0.7% of budgetSNOWY MOUNTAIN DEVELOPMENT CORP: $17,000 over 1y, 1.5% of budgetGREAT FALLS-CASCADE COUNTY SENIOR CITIZENS CENTER: $15,000 over 1y, 5.3% of budgetSawtooth Stables Youth Equestrian Center: $10,000 over 1y, 62% of budgetPet Paw-See Inc: $7,500 over 5y, 1.2% of budgetEXTREME HISTORY PROJECT: $5,000 over 1y, 3.1% of budgetFRIENDS OF MONTANA SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARKS: $4,500 over 2y, 1.5% of budgetMissouri River Open Lands Preservation Inc: $4,000 over 3y, 1.3% of budgetUNITED WAY OF CASCADE COUNTY: $3,500 over 3y, 0.1% of budgetSAMS HOPE FOUNDATION: $3,000 over 3y, 0.9% of budgetGREAT FALLS PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOUNDATION: $3,000 over 2y, 0.1% of budgetMCLAUGHLIN RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES INC: $3,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetFRIENDS OF MONTANA PBS INC: $2,500 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetPreservation Cascade Inc: $2,500 over 4y, 1.2% of budgetURSULINE CENTRE HISTORICAL FOUNDATION INC: $2,000 over 2y, 1.2% of budgetCASA OF CASCADE COUNTY: $1,700 over 3y, 0.4% of budgetYWCA GREAT FALLS: $1,000 over 1y, 0.2% of budgetMONTANA HISTORY FOUNDATION: $1,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetEnnis Lions Charities Inc dba Ennis Lions Club: $1,000 over 1y, 1.8% of budgetFAMILY PROMISE OF YELLOWSTONE VALLEY: $1,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetLEWISTOWN ART CENTER: $1,000 over 1y, 0.7% of budgetGREAT FALLS FISH INC: $1,000 over 1y, 0.7% of budgetLewis and Clark Trail Heritage Fdtn: $1,000 over 1y, 0.2% of budgetENERGY SHARE OF MONTANA INC: $700 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetGREAT FALLS PUBLIC LIBRARY FOUNDATION: $500 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetBENEFIS HEALTH SYSTEM FOUNDATION INC: $200 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetIntermountain Planned Parenthood: $100 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.

  • Who funds CASCADE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY ↗
  • Who funds FAMILY PROMISE OF GREAT FALLS ↗
  • Who funds GREAT FALLS CLINIC LEGACY FOUNDATION ↗
  • Who funds MONTANA SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF AND BLIND FOUNDATION ↗
  • Who funds SPARK CHILDREN'S MUSEUM OF MONTANA INC ↗
  • Who funds LAUREL MONTANA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION INC ↗
  • Who funds GREAT FALLS SCOTTISH RITE CHILDHOOD LANGUAGE DISORDERS CLINIC ↗
  • Who funds ALLIANCE FOR YOUTH INC ↗
  • Who funds SNOWY MOUNTAIN DEVELOPMENT CORP ↗
  • Who funds GREAT FALLS-CASCADE COUNTY SENIOR CITIZENS CENTER ↗
  • Who funds Sawtooth Stables Youth Equestrian Center ↗
  • Who funds Pet Paw-See Inc ↗
  • Who funds GREAT FALLS COMMUNITY CONCERT ASSOCIATION ↗
  • Who funds EXTREME HISTORY PROJECT ↗
  • Who funds FRIENDS OF MONTANA SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARKS ↗
  • Who funds Missouri River Open Lands Preservation Inc ↗
  • Who funds UNITED WAY OF CASCADE COUNTY ↗
  • Who funds SAMS HOPE FOUNDATION ↗

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.

Town Pump Charitable …Montana Community Fou…First Interstate Banc…Dennis & Phyllis Wash…Alice Lee Lund Charit…Sample Foundation IncHerb Waltermire Comm …Oakland Family Founda…Davidson Family Found…United Way of Cascade…Browning Kimball Foun…Humanities Montana
Town Pump Charitable FoundationMT32.2× affinity14 shared granteesties to 11 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: Town Pump Charitable Foundation · Montana Community Foundation Inc · First Interstate BancSystem Foundation Inc · Dennis & Phyllis Washington Foundation · Alice Lee Lund Charitable Trust · Sample Foundation Inc · Herb Waltermire Comm Enhancement Fndt Inc · Oakland Family Foundation · Davidson Family Foundation · United Way of Cascade County · Browning Kimball Foundation · Humanities Montana

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 Zeller-Knowles Foundation Inc funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from Zeller-Knowles Foundation Inc. Bigger dots raise more.

2024
’20’21’22’23’24’25
no gov · 00%5%19%42%75%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
    7report 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 78 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 Zeller-Knowles’ 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