Animal Welfare Foundations & Grantmakers
1,941 grantmakers in this list reported grants on their latest 990s. The 775 that made at least 5 grants gave $3.0B. The largest by giving are National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Good Ventures Foundation and Greater Good Charities. 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
1,941
reported grants on latest 990
Annual giving
$3.0B
from the 775 with 5+ grants
Typical grant
$19K
median of each funder's average grant
Median annual giving
$68K
per grantmaker
Top 10 funders by annual giving
| # | Funder | Location | Annual giving | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | National Fish and Wildlife Foundation | Washington, DC | $464.4M | 1,286 |
| 2 | Good Ventures Foundation | Palo Alto, CA | $306.7M | 565 |
| 3 | Greater Good Charities | Seattle, WA | $123.4M | 357 |
| 4 | M J Murdock Charitable Trust | Vancouver, WA | $116.6M | 797 |
| 5 | The Rees-Jones Foundation | Dallas, TX | $103.9M | 177 |
| 6 | The Dallas Foundation | Dallas, TX | $87.3M | 788 |
| 7 | National Park Foundation | Washington, DC | $82.0M | 286 |
| 8 | Ahimsa Foundation | Niwot, CO | $73.1M | 5 |
| 9 | The Nature Conservancy | Arlington, VA | $67.8M | 671 |
| 10 | The Annenberg Foundation | Conshohocken, PA | $53.3M | 543 |
Ranked by grants reported on each funder's latest 990. Only grantmakers with at least 5 grants are ranked.
Most common focus areas
- Environment & Animals 727 · 96%
- Education 10 · 1%
- Science & Technology 3 · 0%
- Recreation & Sports 3 · 0%
- Arts, Culture & Humanities 2 · 0%
- Human Services 2 · 0%
Share of grantmakers with a program NTEE code (49% carry any NTEE code); general grantmaking foundations (NTEE T) are not counted.
Where these funders are based
- California 249 · $458.3M
- Texas 154 · $358.9M
- Florida 152 · $169.6M
- New York 121 · $131.5M
- Pennsylvania 85 · $75.1M
- Illinois 69 · $34.1M
Source: IRS Form 990 and 990-PF filings, latest available year per organization (most of the largest funders' latest filing: tax year 2025).
Showing 775 grantmakers with 5+ grants on their latest 990, most giving first
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
Washington, DC
Assets
$3.6B
Grants
1,286
Total Given
$464.4M
Good Ventures Foundation
Palo Alto, CA
Assets
$10.1B
Grants
565
Total Given
$306.7M
Greater Good Charities
Seattle, WA
Assets
$24.4M
Grants
357
Total Given
$123.4M
M J Murdock Charitable Trust
Vancouver, WA
Assets
$2.0B
Grants
797
Total Given
$116.6M
The Rees-Jones Foundation
Dallas, TX
Assets
$666.1M
Grants
177
Total Given
$103.9M
The Dallas Foundation
Dallas, TX
Assets
$491.5M
Grants
788
Total Given
$87.3M
National Park Foundation
Washington, DC
Assets
$579.1M
Grants
286
Total Given
$82.0M
Ahimsa Foundation
Niwot, CO
Assets
$1.0B
Grants
5
Total Given
$73.1M
The Nature Conservancy
Arlington, VA
Assets
$10.1B
Grants
671
Total Given
$67.8M
The Annenberg Foundation
Conshohocken, PA
Assets
$1.5B
Grants
543
Total Given
$53.3M
Humane World for Animals Inc
Washington, DC
Assets
$543.2M
Grants
209
Total Given
$51.2M
Petsmart Charities Inc
Phoenix, AZ
Assets
$96.8M
Grants
655
Total Given
$48.1M
Dayton Foundation Plus Inc
Dayton, OH
Assets
$436.8M
Grants
231
Total Given
$46.6M
Community Foundation of North Texas (Tax
Fort Worth, TX
Assets
$544.9M
Grants
872
Total Given
$41.3M
The Community Foundation of Sarasota CO Inc
Sarasota, FL
Assets
$518.5M
Grants
540
Total Given
$41.2M
Community Foundation of Jackson Hole
Jackson, WY
Assets
$170.9M
Grants
374
Total Given
$39.6M
San Antonio Area Foundation
San Antonio, TX
Assets
$640.7M
Grants
379
Total Given
$35.4M
Navigation Charitable Fund
Berkeley, CA
Assets
$1.3B
Grants
9
Total Given
$35.1M
The Dayton Foundation
Dayton, OH
Assets
$771.2M
Grants
589
Total Given
$32.6M
Park Foundation Inc
Ithaca, NY
Assets
$406.0M
Grants
457
Total Given
$30.4M
Merck Foundation a New Jersey Nonprofit Corporation
Rahway, NJ
Assets
$337.9M
Grants
74
Total Given
$29.1M
Leslie L Alexander Foundation Inc
Delray Beach, FL
Assets
$291.4M
Grants
622
Total Given
$28.4M
Ruby McKibben Foundation for the Protection of Animals
Houston, TX
Assets
—
Grants
6
Total Given
$23.7M
Dayton Foundation Depository
Dayton, OH
Assets
$42.3M
Grants
677
Total Given
$22.7M
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 National Fish and Wildlife Foundation ($464.4M across 1,286 grants), Good Ventures Foundation ($306.7M) and Greater Good Charities ($123.4M). Together the top 10 account for 49% of the $3.0B given by the 775 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 $19K (the median of each grantmaker's average grant). Half of these grantmakers gave less than $68K 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 (249), Texas (154) and Florida (152). 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.