The Funders Network (TFN)

The Funders Network (TFN), formerly the Funders’ Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities, is a membership network that coordinates and promotes grantmaking among left-of-center foundations and other grantmaking organizations in areas such as environment, urban development, transportation, water, and race and ethnicity. 1 As of 2026, it claimed more than 130 member organizations across the United States and Canada.  1

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At-A-Glance

Type: Non-profit, 501(c)(3)
Ideological Alignment: Left of Center
Issue Areas: Environmental Policy, Housing Policy
Website: www.fundersnetwork.org
President & CEO:

Dion Cartwright

Location: South Miami, FL View on map
Tax ID: 57-1173613
Most Recent Filing: 2025
Budget (2025): Assets: $4,339,906 Revenue: $3,728,913 Expenses: $4,695,706

Contents

    Background

    The Funders Network is a membership organization for left-of-center grantmaking organizations.  2 It coordinates and encourages philanthropic giving among its members in areas such as environment, urban development, transportation, water, and race and ethnicity, with a strong focus on the ways those issues allegedly interact. 2

    It was founded in 2003 as the “Funders’ Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities,” which was a spinoff of the now-defunct Florida-based think tank Collins Center for Public Policy. 3 The spinoff was encouraged by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and Ford Foundation, which pledged startup funding.  3

    Beginning in 2020, TFN committed to a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)-driven strategic planning model based on the assertion that “structural racism, inequity, and other social disparities are the root cause of our environmental and economic challenges.” 4

    As of 2026, Dion Cartwright was president and CEO of TFN, having previously worked at the Baltimore Community Foundation before becoming a staffer of TFN. 5

    PLACES Fellowship

    Since 2009, the Funders Network has operated a fellowship program for staff members at its member grantmaking institutions, with a focus on developing leaders who, in its words, are “passionate about racial equity and social justice.” 6 The program, known as “Professionals Learning About Community, Equity and Sustainability” (PLACES), claimed more than 200 alumni were in its network as of 2026.  6

    Organizations with 2025 PLACES fellows included the Seattle Foundation, Patagonia, San Francisco Foundation, James Irvine Foundation, California Wellness Foundation, Kresge Foundation, McKnight Foundation, Educational Credit Management Corporation (ECMC) Foundation, Hive Fund for Climate and Gender Justice (Hive Fund), San Diego Foundation, and other nonprofits. 6 The PLACES Fellowship is funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, which in 2019 celebrated what it characterized as the program’s “decade of advancing racial equity in philanthropy.” 7

    Grantmaking

    In addition to coordinating grantmaking among its members, the Funders Network also serves as a conduit or bundler for grants to selected organizations. 8 In 2024, it made 15 grants totaling $871,441. 9 Recipient organizations included Asian Pacific Environmental Network (APEN), Pinelands Preservation Alliance, and New England Grassroots Environment Fund, as well as the City of Orlando, Florida. 9

    Funding

    The Funders Network is funded through a combination of grants, membership fees, and program service revenues.  9 In 2024, TFN reported receiving $3,070,354 in grants, $355,309 in membership fees and $270,262 in conference registrations.  9

    It has received major support from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, with a total of $1.25 million in grants from 1999 through 2015. 10 As the Funders’ Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities, it received six grants from the Ford Foundation. 11

    Other notable funders since 2019 include the Amalgamated Charitable Foundation, Greater Washington Community Foundation, United Philanthropy Forum, Resources Legacy Fund, Share Our Strength, Cleveland Foundation, New Venture Fund, California Community Foundation, and Donor Advised Charitable Giving (DAFgiving360). 12

    Financial Statistics

    Total Assets

    Total Revenue

    Total Expenses

    YearTotal AssetsTotal RevenueTotal ExpensesFiling
    2025 $4,339,906 $3,728,913 $4,695,706 View
    2024 $5,164,124 $4,368,529 $4,964,257 View
    2023 $6,186,828 $4,696,100 $5,530,248 View
    2022 $6,637,810 $3,541,588 $5,117,639 View
    2021 $7,738,513 $5,142,783 $3,982,666 View

    Prior year filings: 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011

    Revenue Detail

    Expenses Detail

    Employee Compensation

    • Number of Employees: 14

    Highest Earning Employees

    EmployeeTitleTotal Compensation
    Dion CartwrightPRESIDENT &$250,108
    Maureen Lawless MestepeyEXECUTIVE VP$173,328
    Ann F WallaceVPOFPRGRMS&P$157,611
    Jennifer CummingsCFO$148,499
    Teresita NegreteSRDIRCOMMUNI$134,341
    Allison Jai O'DellDIR.DATA & I$117,614

    Grant Activity

    All-time grants received statistics from Candid dataset:

    • Total Grant Value: $57,217,471
    • Number of Grants: 734
    • Number of Funders: 135

    Selection of highest value grants received from the last seven years:

    AmountYearFunderSubject
    $2,250,0002021 Freedom Together FoundationTo strengthen and deepen the philanthropic field and its impact through intersectional learning, investments, partnerships, and collective actions grounded in advancing racial equity and justice.
    $1,000,0002020 Margaret a Cargill FoundationSUPPORT FOR COMMUNITY FOUNDATION RESPONSE FUND
    $800,0002024 Margaret a Cargill FoundationPHILANTHROPIC PREPAREDNESS, RESILIENCY AND EMERGENCY PARTNERSHIP
    $800,0002023 The Kendeda FundPartners for Places
    $800,0002021 Margaret a Cargill FoundationSUPPORT FOR PHILANTHROPIC PREPAREDNESS, RESILIENCY AND EMERGENCY PARTNERSHIP
    $795,0002023 The Kresge FoundationTo support the Partners for Places grant program and TFN’s Urban Water Funders (UWF) working group.
    $785,0002021 The Kresge FoundationBuilding the capacity of urban practitioners to address racial equity in sustainability and climate action.
    $750,0002024 Freedom Together FoundationLEVERAGING PHILANTHROPYS ROLE AND IMPACT IN SUSTAINABLE, PROSPEROUS, HEALTHY AND JUST COMMUNITIES: PARTNERS FOR PLACES, TFNS NEW STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK, AND THE PLACES FELLOWSHIP AND ALUMNI NETWORK
    $750,0002023 Freedom Together FoundationLEVERAGING PHILANTHROPY'S ROLE AND IMPACT IN SUSTAINABLE, PROSPEROUS, HEALTHY AND JUST COMMUNITIES: PARTNERS FOR PLACES, TFN'S NEW STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK, AND THE PLACES FELLOWSHIP AND ALUMNI NETWORK
    $750,0002022 Freedom Together FoundationLEVERAGING PHILANTHROPY'S ROLE AND IMPACT IN SUSTAINABLE, PROSPEROUS, HEALTHY AND JUST COMMUNITIES: PARTNERS FOR PLACES, TFN'S NEW STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK, AND THE PLACES FELLOWSHIP AND ALUMNI NETWORK
    $705,0002021 SURDNA FOUNDATION INCGeneral operating support for the Funders' Network Smart Growth and Livable Cities, a membership organization that inspires, strengthens and expands philanthropic leadership and funding to create more just and sustainable and prosperous regions and communities.
    $700,0002023 Margaret A Cargill FoundationThe purpose of the project is to build and strengthen community foundation leadership and capacity to help create more disaster ready and resilient communities in a ten-state Midwestern region (Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and South Dakota).
    $700,0002020 Margaret a Cargill FoundationSUPPORT FOR PHILANTHROPIC PREPAREDNESS, RESILIENCY AND EMERGENCY PARTNERSHIP
    $500,0002022 Robert Wood Johnson FoundationTo provide general operating support for the Funders Network, Inc.
    $500,0002022 Margaret A Cargill FoundationThe purpose of this project is to build and strengthen community foundation leadership and capacity to help create more disaster ready and resilient communities in a ten-state Midwestern region (Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and South Dakota).
    $400,0002022 The Kendeda FundPartners for Places
    $400,0002020 The Kendeda FundPartners for Places Leading with Racial Equity, Phase II
    $375,0002021 The Kresge FoundationAdvancing a Racial Equity Framework
    $350,0002023 The California EndowmentTo support networking, learning and collaboration among foundation funders to advance a transportation and land-use reform agenda that will improve health in California.
    $350,0002020 Freedom Together FoundationCovid-19 – To position TFN as a durable, resilient organization that is well-positioned to operate in a virtual and changing environment to mobilize and serve a bold, thoughtful and strategic network of funders.
    $340,0002024 SURDNA FOUNDATION INCGeneral Support
    $250,0002024 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation82299 GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT FOR THE FUNDERS NETWORK, 2024-2026
    $250,0002023 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
    $250,0002023 Freedom Together FoundationPARTNERS FOR PLACES
    $250,0002021 The California EndowmentTo support networking, learning and collaboration among foundation funders to advance a transportation and land-use reform agenda that will improve health in California.

    All-time grants given statistics from Candid dataset:

    • Total Grant Value: $13,173,606
    • Number of Grants: 293
    • Number of Recipients: 152

    Selection of highest value grants given from the last seven years:

    AmountYearFunderSubject
    $180,0002024 Healthy GulfPARTNERS FOR PLACES
    $159,7502022 Montana Community Foundation IncPPREP
    $150,0002023 MISSION WACO MISSION WORLD INCPARTNERS FOR PLACES
    $121,1502024 Canal AlliancePARTNERS FOR PLACES
    $115,0002025 City of OrlandoPARTNERS FOR PLACES
    $106,4502024 GREENROOTS INCPARTNERS FOR PLACES
    $97,5002025 The Friendship House Association of American IndiansPARTNERS FOR PLACES
    $90,0002025 ASIAN PACIFIC ENVIRONMENTAL NETWORKPARTNERS FOR PLACES
    $90,0002023 Cultivate CharlottesvillePARTNERS FOR PLACES
    $88,8502023 Canal AlliancePARTNERS FOR PLACES
    $85,0002023 San Diego FoundationPARTNERS FOR PLACES
    $83,6452025 Connecticut Roundtable on Climate and JobsPARTNERS FOR PLACES
    $80,0002024 Delridge Neighborhoods Development AssociationPARTNERS FOR PLACES
    $77,2502023 Initiative FoundationPPREP
    $77,2502023 Montana Community Foundation IncPPREP
    $77,2502022 Boreal Waters Community FoundationPPREP
    $77,2502022 Community Foundation of the OzarksPPREP
    $77,2502022 Fargo Moorhead Area FoundationPPREP
    $77,2502022 North Dakota Community FoundationPPREP
    $77,2502022 Northwest Minnesota FoundationPPREP
    $77,2502022 Southwest Initiative FoundationPPREP
    $77,2502022 Tulsa Community FoundationPPREP
    $77,2502022 Willmar Area Community FoundationPPREP
    $75,8142024 SEVEN GENERATIONS AHEADPARTNERS FOR PLACES
    $75,0002023 ECOLIBRIUM3PARTNERS FOR PLACES

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    Financials, employee compensation, and grant information provided by Candid.

    Mentioned in this Article

    References

    1. “Impact at the Intersection of Environment, Economy and Equity.” The Funders Network. Accessed April 27, 2026. https://www.fundersnetwork.org/.
    2. “About TFN.” The funders network. Accessed April 27, 2026. https://www.fundersnetwork.org/about-tfn/.
    3. Steuteville, Robert. “The Collins Center for Public Policy Recently Formed.” CNU, January 22, 2016. https://www.cnu.org/publicsquare/collins-center-public-policy-recently-formed.
    4. “Putting Equity First.” The Funders Network. Accessed April 27, 2026. https://www.fundersnetwork.org/equity/.
    5. “Our Team.” The Funders Network. Accessed April 27, 2026. https://www.fundersnetwork.org/staff/.
    6. “Places Fellowship.” The Funders Network. Accessed April 27, 2026. https://www.fundersnetwork.org/places/.
    7. “The Places Fellowship: A Decade of Advancing Racial Equity in Philanthropy.” The Annie E. Casey Foundation, April 25, 2019. https://www.aecf.org/blog/the-places-fellowship-a-decade-of-advancing-racial-equity-in-philanthropy.
    8. “Inclusive Economies.” The Funders Network. Accessed April 27, 2026. https://www.fundersnetwork.org/inclusive-economies/#frpi.
    9. “The Funders Network Inc.” ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer. Accessed April 27, 2026. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/571173613.
    10. “Funders’ Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities.” MacArthur Foundation. Accessed April 27, 2026. https://www.macfound.org/grantee/funders-network-for-smart-growth-and-livable-communities-30128/.
    11. “Funders’ Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities Archives.” Ford Foundation (accessed via Wayback Machine). Accessed April 27, 2026. https://web.archive.org/web/20230922081319/https://www.fordfoundation.org/work/our-grants/awarded-grants/grantee/funders-network-for-smart-growth-and-livable-communities/.
    12. “Nonprofit Explorer IRS Form 990 Search for Grants to EIN 57-1173613.” ProPublica. Search performed April 27, 2026. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/full_text_search?form%5B%5D=IRS990ScheduleI&q=57-1173613&sort=best&submit=Apply&year%5B%5D=2023.