Pharos Foundation
Jackson, WY · EIN 46-1127429. Reported 136 grants totalling $15.1M to 79 organizations across tax years 2021-2024. This foundation did not tell the IRS it funds only preselected organizations.
Does this foundation accept applications?
Yes -- on its own tax return. Form 990-PF asks every private foundation whether it makes grants only to organizations it selects itself. Of the 91,758 foundations in our data that made a grant and answered, 78% said yes -- and applying to those is wasted effort. Pharos Foundation did not check that box on its most recent filing, which puts it in the minority that is at least open to being approached.
How big are its grants?
The median grant is $15,000. Half of everything it gave fell between $8,000 and $50,000; the smallest was $10 and the largest $2,000,000. If you are asking for materially more than the top of that range, you are asking the wrong foundation.
Every organization it funded
This is the complete list from its filings, largest first. Years funded is the number of separate tax years in which the organization received money -- more than one means a real relationship rather than a one-off.
| Organization | Location | Total received | Grants | Years funded | Last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City Fund | Beaverton, OR | $3,500,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Heritage Foundation | Washington, DC | $1,725,680 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Arizona Leads | Phoenix, AZ | $1,002,500 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Phoenix Union High School Dist 210 | Phoenix, AZ | $905,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Turning Point USA | Phoenix, AZ | $800,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| All in Education | Corona, CA | $778,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| KIPP New Jersey | Newark, NJ | $750,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Greater Phoenix Chamber Foundation | Phoenix, AZ | $650,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Arizona Community Foundation | Phoenix, AZ | $580,333 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| City Education Partners (san Antoni | San Antonio, TX | $500,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| San Joaquin a Plus Inc | Stockton, CA | $500,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| The Opportunity Trust | St Louis, MO | $500,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Aliento Education Fund | Phoenix, AZ | $405,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Northern Arizona University Foundat | Flagstaff, AZ | $400,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Boys & Girls Clubs of the Valley | Phoenix, AZ | $225,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Achievement First Inc | Brooklyn, NY | $215,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Center for Education Reform | Washington, DC | $150,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Arizona Latino Leaders in Education | Phoenix, AZ | $125,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Hoover Institution | Stanford, CA | $95,000 | 5 | 4 | 2024 |
| Montclair Foundation Inc | Montclair, NJ | $85,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Mayo Clinic | Scottsdale, AZ | $80,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Grand Teton Music Festival | Jackson, WY | $60,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Phoenix Public Library Foundation | Phoenix, AZ | $60,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Children's Learning Center | Jackson, WY | $55,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Be a Leader Foundation | Phoenix, AZ | $52,500 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Common Sense Institute | Greenwood Village, CO | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Freedom Works Foundation | Washington, DC | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Jackson Hole Community Foundation | Jackson, WY | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Desert Botanical Garden | Phoenix, AZ | $40,600 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Palmetto Promise Institute | Columbia, SC | $40,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Teach for America - Phoenix | San Francisco, CA | $40,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Common Sense Media | San Francisco, CA | $35,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Big Brothers Big Sisters of Az | Phoenix, AZ | $30,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Central Wyoming College | Riverton, WY | $30,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Dress for Success | New York, NY | $30,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Kent School | Kent, CT | $30,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Mental Health & Recovery Services | Jackson, WY | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| New Pathways for Youth | Phoenix, AZ | $25,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Protect Our Water Jackson Hole | Wilson, WY | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Teton Youth and Family Services | Jackson, WY | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Jackson Hole Classical Academy Inc | Jackson, WY | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| One 22 Inc | Jackson, WY | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Santa Fe Dreamers Project | Santa Fe, NM | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Santa Fe Indian School | Santa Fe, NM | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| St Joseph the Worker | West Jordan, UT | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Teewinot Institute | Wilson, WY | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Teton Youth & Family Services | Jackson, WY | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Isac Amaya Foundation | Phoenix, AZ | $18,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Education Forward Arizona | Phoenix, AZ | $15,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| St Mary's Food Bank | Phoenix, AZ | $15,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Van Vleck House & Garden | Montclair, NJ | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Vela Education Fund | Glencoe, IL | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Chicanos Por La Causa | Phoenix, AZ | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Dancer's Workshop | Jackson, WY | $10,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Homeward Bound | Phoenix, AZ | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Landmark Legal Foundation | Kansas City, MO | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Rosie's House | Phoenix, AZ | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Social Venture Partners | Seattle, WA | $5,625 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Arizona Animal Welfare League | Phoenix, AZ | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Ballet Arizona | Phoenix, AZ | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Capital Research Center | Washington, DC | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Homeless Prenatal Program | San Francisco, CA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Independent Institute | Oakland, CA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Kbach | Tempe, AZ | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Kbach Friends of Public Radio Az | Tempe, AZ | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Maricopa County Community College District | Tempe, AZ | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Montclair Art Museum | Montclair, NJ | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| National Right to Work Foundation | Springfield, VA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Rising Youth Theatre | Phoenix, AZ | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| T74 | New York, NY | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Friends of Public Radio Arizona | Tempe, AZ | $3,500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Prager University | Sherman Oaks, CA | $2,550 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Phoenix Union Foundation for Education | Tempe, AZ | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Asu Foundation | Tempe, AZ | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Luckys Place | Sauk Rapids, MN | $1,500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Champion Athletic Club Inc | Warren, OH | $1,300 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Leadership Institute | Arlington, VA | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Legacy Global Foundation | Mesa, AZ | $186 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Esplanade Association | Phoenix, AZ | $10 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
32 of 79 (41%) received money in more than one year over the 4 years we hold.
Measured the way we measure every foundation -- what share of one year's grantees are funded again the next -- this one retains 40%, across 3 year-to-year transitions. The median foundation retains about 67%, so this one is less consistent than most. A high number means its list is close to settled and a newcomer has to displace someone; a low one means it is still moving money around, which is where an opening is.
What the money was for
Taken verbatim from the purpose field of its filings. This is the closest thing to a statement of what this foundation cares about, in its own words.
- City Fund
GENERAL CHARITABLE SUPPORT
What kind of organizations it funds
By the recipient's own IRS classification, for the 87 grants where we could identify the organization. These are assigned categories, not our guesses.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants | Total | Median grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 43 | $3,780,108 | $20,000 |
| 2022 | 30 | $5,718,376 | $10,000 |
| 2023 | 33 | $4,333,800 | $10,000 |
| 2024 | 30 | $1,240,500 | $10,000 |
Tax years, not calendar years, and the most recent year is usually incomplete -- filings arrive about a year late, so a low final year means late paperwork rather than a foundation winding down.
Where its money goes
Foundations concentrate geographically far more than their mission statements suggest. 36% of this one's giving went to organizations in Arizona. If you are outside its footprint, that matters more than how well your programme fits.
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Funders that support the same organizations
These funders gave to organizations this one also funded -- some private foundations, some community foundations and other grantmaking charities. Shared grantees are the strongest available signal that two funders have overlapping priorities, and a funder already backing your peers is a far warmer prospect than one that merely lists your cause.
How to approach this foundation
- Check you are its size. The median grant is $15,000. Asking for ten times that is the most common way small organizations waste a submission.
- Check you are in its geography. Its giving is concentrated in Arizona.
- Read the recipient list above for organizations like yours. If nothing on it resembles your work, that is a real answer, and a cheap one to get.
- Look up the current filing before writing. The 990-PF names the foundation's officers and, where one exists, its application procedure. We link it below.
Related guides
Where these numbers come from
Everything above is taken from Pharos Foundation's own Form 990-PF filings, which the IRS publishes in bulk. We used 4 returns (tax years 2021-2024). Nothing here is scraped, inferred, or estimated.
Address of record on the latest return: Po Box 5, Jackson, WY, 83001. This is the address the foundation gave the IRS; many small foundations file through an accountant or a bank trust department, so it may not be where post to a programme officer should go.
EIN 46-1127429 · See the original filings on ProPublica · How we build this
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