Affordable Housing Foundations & Grantmakers
2,471 grantmakers in this list reported grants on their latest 990s. The 773 that made at least 5 grants gave $12.4B. The largest by giving are Silicon Valley Community Foundation, Foundation for the Carolinas and Legal Services Corporation. The list below ranks grantmakers with at least 5 grants by annual giving, and each funder links to a profile with its grant history and financials.
Giving at a glance
Active grantmakers
2,471
reported grants on latest 990
Annual giving
$12.4B
from the 773 with 5+ grants
Typical grant
$50K
median of each funder's average grant
Median annual giving
$166K
per grantmaker
Top 10 funders by annual giving
| # | Funder | Location | Annual giving | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Silicon Valley Community Foundation | Mountain View, CA | $3.2B | 3,576 |
| 2 | Foundation for the Carolinas | Charlotte, NC | $609.1M | 1,605 |
| 3 | Legal Services Corporation | Washington, DC | $544.9M | 132 |
| 4 | John D and Catherine T Macarthur Foundation | Chicago, IL | $356.1M | 1,086 |
| 5 | California Community Foundation | Los Angeles, CA | $326.6M | 2,174 |
| 6 | Catholic Charities Diocese of Fort Worth | Fort Worth, TX | $226.0M | 20 |
| 7 | Crankstart Foundation | San Jose, CA | $201.3M | 435 |
| 8 | The New York Community Trust | New York, NY | $193.8M | 2,748 |
| 9 | Marin Community Foundation | Novato, CA | $186.1M | 1,573 |
| 10 | The Greater Cincinnati Foundation | Cincinnati, OH | $184.4M | 1,408 |
Ranked by grants reported on each funder's latest 990. Only grantmakers with at least 5 grants are ranked.
Most common focus areas
- Housing & Shelter 815 · 86%
- Human Services 45 · 5%
- Health 20 · 2%
- Community Improvement & Capacity Building 15 · 2%
- Education 12 · 1%
- Crime & Legal Related 10 · 1%
Share of grantmakers with a program NTEE code (46% carry any NTEE code); general grantmaking foundations (NTEE T) are not counted.
Where these funders are based
- California 364 · $4.6B
- New York 187 · $690.5M
- Texas 150 · $537.4M
- Florida 125 · $174.6M
- Massachusetts 105 · $116.1M
- Illinois 101 · $711.6M
Source: IRS Form 990 and 990-PF filings, latest available year per organization (most of the largest funders' latest filing: tax year 2024).
Showing 773 grantmakers with 5+ grants on their latest 990, most giving first
Silicon Valley Community Foundation
Mountain View, CA
Assets
$12.3B
Grants
3,576
Total Given
$3.2B
Foundation for the Carolinas
Charlotte, NC
Assets
$3.9B
Grants
1,605
Total Given
$609.1M
Legal Services Corporation
Washington, DC
Assets
$208.1M
Grants
132
Total Given
$544.9M
John D and Catherine T Macarthur Foundation
Chicago, IL
Assets
$9.3B
Grants
1,086
Total Given
$356.1M
California Community Foundation
Los Angeles, CA
Assets
$2.3B
Grants
2,174
Total Given
$326.6M
Catholic Charities Diocese of Fort Worth
Fort Worth, TX
Assets
$76.9M
Grants
20
Total Given
$226.0M
Crankstart Foundation
San Jose, CA
Assets
$4.4B
Grants
435
Total Given
$201.3M
The New York Community Trust
New York, NY
Assets
$3.5B
Grants
2,748
Total Given
$193.8M
Marin Community Foundation
Novato, CA
Assets
$1.3B
Grants
1,573
Total Given
$186.1M
The Greater Cincinnati Foundation
Cincinnati, OH
Assets
$1.0B
Grants
1,408
Total Given
$184.4M
Seattle Foundation
Seattle, WA
Assets
$1.4B
Grants
5,379
Total Given
$177.9M
The Oregon Community Foundation
Portland, OR
Assets
$3.3B
Grants
2,149
Total Given
$171.4M
Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago
Chicago, IL
Assets
$1.1B
Grants
896
Total Given
$166.6M
The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta Inc
Atlanta, GA
Assets
$1.5B
Grants
1,414
Total Given
$152.3M
NCRC Community Development Fund Inc
Washington, DC
Assets
$55.6M
Grants
2,666
Total Given
$149.3M
Dogwood Health Trust
Asheville, NC
Assets
$2.0B
Grants
835
Total Given
$148.2M
Community Foundation of Greater Memphis Inc
Memphis, TN
Assets
$953.1M
Grants
761
Total Given
$134.3M
The Denver Foundation
Denver, CO
Assets
$1.3B
Grants
1,184
Total Given
$131.7M
Robin Hood Foundation
New York, NY
Assets
$334.5M
Grants
249
Total Given
$126.3M
Greater Good Charities
Seattle, WA
Assets
$24.4M
Grants
357
Total Given
$123.4M
Greater Washington Community Foundation
Washington, DC
Assets
$518.3M
Grants
1,417
Total Given
$116.9M
The Tepper Foundation
New York, NY
Assets
$962.5M
Grants
172
Total Given
$108.7M
Santa Barbara Foundation
Santa Barbara, CA
Assets
$503.6M
Grants
447
Total Given
$107.7M
Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation
St. Paul, MN
Assets
$1.7B
Grants
1,473
Total Given
$107.2M
Here's the math on clicking through this list.
You, clicking into all 24 funders
~2.8 hrs
at ~7 min per funder profile
Your agents, the same 24
~1 min
every profile evaluated and scored, with reasoning
Frequently asked questions
Which funders in this list give the most?
By grants reported on their latest 990s, the largest are Silicon Valley Community Foundation ($3.2B across 3,576 grants), Foundation for the Carolinas ($609.1M) and Legal Services Corporation ($544.9M). Together the top 10 account for 48% of the $12.4B given by the 773 grantmakers in this list that made at least 5 grants. Organizations that reported large giving in fewer grants, usually a single transfer to an affiliated charity, are left out of the ranking.
How big is a typical grant from these funders?
The typical grant is about $50K (the median of each grantmaker's average grant). Half of these grantmakers gave less than $166K in total in their latest filing year, so many are small foundations that give to a few organizations they already know. The largest funders make many more grants, but also get the most requests.
Where are these funders based?
Most are in California (364), New York (187) and Texas (150). Many foundations only fund near where they are based, so check each funder's giving geography before you apply.
How do I find which of these funders accept unsolicited proposals?
Most private foundations don't run an open application. Their 990-PF says whether they only give to preselected charities, and their past grants show who they actually fund. Start with the funders above whose grant counts and typical grant size fit your budget, then check each profile's grant history for organizations like yours before you reach out. Read the grant prospecting guide.
Related guides
- Grant prospecting: how to find funders that fit
How to shortlist foundations like these from their 990s and giving history.
- AI grant writing: draft proposals in your voice
Turn a shortlist into LOIs and proposals drafted from your own materials.