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Zg Foundation at a glance

· Private foundation

Zg Foundation

Its FY2021 filing reports that it funds preselected organizations and did not take unsolicited requests; check the foundation's own site before ruling it out.

$13k
Granted FY2021
1
Grants FY2021
1
States reached
$13k
Largest
01What it fundsRead
02The needRead
03Its granteesRead
04Its fieldRead
01What it funds
0190% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2018 to 2021.

Arts & Culture$124kEducation$16kHealth$10kHuman Services$3kCivil Rights$500Crime & Legal$500International$500Recreation & Sports$100Other$0
02FY2021 · 1 grant

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

$13,494
Median grant
1
States reached
$0
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
MUSICAL THEATRE PROJECT$13,494
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 (FY18–20, $940) land where the poverty rate runs at 14%, against an area that typically sits at 11%. 100% of those dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Most of its grants land in higher-need ZIPs.

area typical 11%WOUNDED WARRIOR PROJECT: $500 → 14%WOUNDED WARRIOR PROJECT: $140 → 14%WOUNDED WARRIOR PROJECT: $100 → 14%THE GATHERING PLACE: $200 → 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 grantees
repeat funding

Who it funds again

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

93%of every dollar goes to organizations it has funded before.
$147k · 15 repeat orgs$12k to everyone else

15 repeat relationships: 1 still active in FY2021, 14 since wound down.

How the two cohorts compare

Re-uppedFunded once

Organizations

15
18

Total granted

$147k
$12k

Median revenue growth · since first grant

+7%
+70%

Still filing today

60%
61%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2021, 100% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $0 went to new ones.

50%100%’18’19’20’21
RenewedFirst-time

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

’18’19’20’21
Arts & CultureEducationHealthHuman ServicesYouth DevelopmentCivil RightsOther
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

  • FH
    FACING HISTORY & OURSELVES INC
    3× · 2018–2020 · $21k · revenue +2%
  • I
    IDEASTREAM
    3× · 2018–2020 · $5k · revenue +22%
  • LS
    LAWRENCE SCHOOL
    3× · 2018–2020 · $5k · revenue +7%

Funded once

  • I
    INMOTIONgraduated
    one grant, 2018 · $3k · revenue +95%
  • SW
    SHAKING WITH LAUGHTER INC
    one grant, 2018 · $2k
  • MF
    MONTEFIORE FOUNDATION
    one grant, 2019 · $2k · revenue -91%
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
Cleveland Institute of Music

The cleveland institute of music's mission is to empower the world's most talented classical music students to fulfill their dreams and potential.

Education
2
Point Park University

Provides innovative education in a dynamic urban setting. dedicated to academic excellence and community engagement,we prepare students of diverse backgrounds with the knowledge, skill,and experience to lead meaningful lives as informed…

—
3
Connecticut Public Broadcasting Inc

Connecticut public broadcasting, inc. will inform, educate and inspire the people of connecticut, connecting and empowering the people of ct through outstanding journalism, storytelling, education and experiences, to make our state a more…

Arts & Culture
4
University of New Haven

The University of New Haven is a student-centered comprehensive university with an emphasis on excellence in liberal arts and professional education. Our mission is to prepare our students to lead purposeful and fulfilling lives in a…

Education
5
The Cleveland Foundation

Enhance the lives of all residents of greater cleveland, now and for generations to come, by working together with our donors to build community endowment, address needs through grantmaking, and provide leadership on key community issues.

Philanthropy
6
Public Media Nj Inc

To bring quality public television programs and resources to communities throughout new jersey and its tri-state neighbors. its content, both on-air and online, aims to reflect the diverse

Arts & Culture
7
National Public Radio Inc

National public radio, inc. ("npr") works collaboratively with member public radio station licensees ("member stations") to create a more informed public, one that is challenged and invigorated by a deeper understanding and appreciation of…

Arts & Culture
8
Npr Foundation

The npr foundation ("foundation") is organized and operated exclusively for the benefit of its sole supported organization, national public radio, inc. ("npr inc."). the foundation supports npr inc. through various activities such as…

—
9
Cincinnati Museum Center

Cincinnati museum center inspires people of all ages to learn more about our world through science, regional history, and educational, engaging and meaningful experiences.

Arts & Culture
10
Personal Care Products Council Foundation Inc

The foundation is set up to deliver one program - look good feel better. the mission of this nationwide program is to improve the quality of life of women, men, and teens undergoing cancer treatment by offering advice on how to cope with…

Health
11
Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association

To promote the rule of law and the legal profession by supporting, empowering and celebrating our members and the community.

Community Improvement
12
The Jewish Museum

The mission of the jewish museum is to collect, preserve, exhibit and interpret art and jewish culture. see schedule o for more information.

Arts & Culture
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is Wounded Warrior Project Inc; the most unlike its peers is Cleveland Museum of Art. 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

21 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. 21 of the 33 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)
6
Early backer (in before they grew)
20/21
Grantees still filing
15/21
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

CHAMBERFEST CLEVELAND: $35,870 · Arts & CultureCHAMBERFEST CLEVELANDFACING HISTORY & OURSELVES INC: $20,500 · Arts & CultureFACING HISTORY & OURSELVES INCPlayhouse Square Foundation: $4,700 · Arts & CulturePlayhouse Square Foundation+1 more: $1,100 · Arts & CultureTHE MUSICAL THEATER PROJECT INC: $54,494 · EducationTHE MUSICAL THEATER PROJECT INCCASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY: $2,000 · Education+1 more: $100 · EducationCOLLEGE NOW - MALONE SCHOLARSHIP FD: $9,000 · OtherCOLLEGE NOW - MALONE…LAWRENCE SCHOOL: $4,500 · OtherLAWRENCE SCHOOLIndividual grant recipient: $3,000 · OtherIndividual grant rec…Individual grant recipient: $3,000 · OtherIndividual grant rec…SHAKING WITH LAUGHTER INC: $2,000 · OtherSHAKING WITH LAUGHTE…DANCING CLASSROOMS: $1,750 · OtherDANCING CLASSROOMSCWRUUNIVERSITY HOSPITALS: $1,300 · Other+14 more: $4,440 · Other+14 moreIDEASTREAM: $5,000 · Youth DevelopmentINMOTION: $3,000 · HealthPARALYZED VETERANS OF AMERICA: $300 · HealthMONTEFIORE FOUNDATION: $1,500 · PhilanthropyCOMPASSION & CHOICES: $1,000 · Civil Rights
Arts & Culture$62,170Education$56,594Other$28,990Youth Development$5,000Health$3,300Philanthropy$1,500Civil Rights$1,000

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 MUSICAL THEATER PROJECT INC: $54,494 over 4y, 3.7% of budgetFACING HISTORY & OURSELVES INC: $20,500 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetIDEASTREAM: $5,000 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetPlayhouse Square Foundation: $4,700 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetLAWRENCE SCHOOL: $4,500 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetINMOTION: $3,000 over 1y, 0.4% of budgetCASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY: $2,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetMONTEFIORE FOUNDATION: $1,500 over 1y, 0.2% of budgetCLEVELAND MUSEUM OF ART: $1,100 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetCOMPASSION & CHOICES: $1,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetWOUNDED WARRIOR PROJECT INC: $740 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetNATIONAL COUNCIL OF JEWISH WOMEN - CLEVELAND: $500 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetMEDECINS SANS FRONTIERES USA INC: $500 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetUNITED STATES LAW ENFORCEMENT FOUNDATION INC: $500 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetPARALYZED VETERANS OF AMERICA: $300 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetTHE GATHERING PLACE: $200 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetADVANTAGE CLEVELAND TENNIS AND EDUCATION INC: $100 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetTHE HAVEN HOME LLC: $100 over 1y, 0.1% 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.

The Cleveland Foundat…Jewish Federation of …The Louise H & David …The Albert B & Audrey…The Char and Chuck Fo…The George Gund Found…Akron Community Found…The Bank of America C…Vanguard Charitable E…Donor Advised Charita…Fidelity Investments …Amazonsmile Foundation
The Cleveland FoundationOH17.2× affinity6 shared granteesties to 11 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: The Cleveland Foundation · Jewish Federation of Cleveland · The Louise H & David S Ingalls Fdn · The Albert B & Audrey G Ratner Family Foundation · The Char and Chuck Fowler Family Foundation · The George Gund Foundation · Akron Community Foundation · The Bank of America Charitable Foundation Inc · Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program · Donor Advised Charitable Giving 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 Zg Foundation funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from Zg Foundation. Bigger dots raise more.

2024
’20’21’22’23’24’25
no gov · 20%0%1%3%5%funder's share of their income ↑0%6%13%19%25%share of the org’s income from government →median 0%
  • Wounded Warrior Project Inc: 0% of income from government
no gov moneyreceives it· size = income
2get 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
⤢ axis zoomed · 0–25%
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 33 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 2021, released 2021. Filings run roughly 12 to 24 months behind; figures are dated accordingly.

Source object · view filing

Play a game based on Zg’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