Foundations & Grantmakers in Arizona
2,550 grantmakers in Arizona reported grants on their latest 990s. The 865 that made at least 5 grants gave $1.2B. The largest by giving are Arizona Community Foundation, Make-A-Wish Foundation of America and Valley of the Sun United Way. 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.
Looking for open funding opportunities instead? Browse Arizona grants
Foundation giving in Arizona at a glance
Active grantmakers
2,550
reported grants on latest 990
Annual giving
$1.2B
from the 865 with 5+ grants
Typical grant
$19K
median of each funder's average grant
Median annual giving
$70K
per grantmaker
Top 10 foundations in Arizona by annual giving
| # | Funder | City | Annual giving | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona Community Foundation | Phoenix | $92.9M | 1,174 |
| 2 | Make-A-Wish Foundation of America | Phoenix | $66.6M | 59 |
| 3 | Valley of the Sun United Way | Phoenix | $62.9M | 98 |
| 4 | Petsmart Charities Inc | Phoenix | $48.1M | 655 |
| 5 | The Diane and Bruce Halle Foundation | Scottsdale | $47.7M | 138 |
| 6 | People-People-People Foundation | Scottsdale | $28.2M | 17 |
| 7 | The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation | Scottsdale | $26.0M | 55 |
| 8 | Virginia G Piper Charitable Trust | Phoenix | $24.5M | 483 |
| 9 | Banner Health Foundation | Phoenix | $24.2M | 5 |
| 10 | Helios Education Foundation | Phoenix | $19.5M | 78 |
Ranked by grants reported on each funder's latest 990. Only grantmakers with at least 5 grants are ranked; 8 organizations that reported large giving in fewer grants (usually one transfer to an affiliated charity) are left out.
Most common focus areas
- Education 127 · 20%
- Health 113 · 18%
- Human Services 92 · 14%
- Arts, Culture & Humanities 43 · 7%
- Religion Related 35 · 5%
- Environment & Animals 32 · 5%
Share of grantmakers with a program NTEE code (47% carry any NTEE code); general grantmaking foundations (NTEE T) are not counted.
Community foundations in Arizona
- Arizona Community Foundation $92.9M · 1,174 grants
- Jewish Community Foundation of Southern Arizona $15.2M · 141 grants
- Community Foundation for Southern Arizona $11.8M · 346 grants
- Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Phoenix $10.4M · 19 grants
- One Az Community Foundation Inc $445K · 52 grants
- Fountain Hills Community Foundation Inc $26K · 22 grants
Source: IRS Form 990 and 990-PF filings, latest available year per organization (most of the largest funders' latest filing: tax year 2025).
Most open to new grantees in Arizona
Foundations based in Arizona whose latest grant list had the largest share of organizations they had not funded in any earlier year on file.
| # | Funder | First-time grantees | Grantees | Avg first grant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 100 Club of Arizona | 82% (32) | 39 in 2024 | $14K |
| 2 | Del E Webb Foundation | 72% (36) | 50 in 2025 | $74K |
| 3 | Mayo Family Foundation | 65% (13) | 20 in 2025 | $7K |
| 4 | APS Foundation Inc | 62% (23) | 37 in 2025 | $43K |
| 5 | The Diane and Bruce Halle Foundation | 61% (84) | 138 in 2024 | $248K |
| 6 | The Philip J & Carol J Lyons Foundation | 61% (37) | 61 in 2025 | $12K |
| 7 | Alliance Defending Freedom | 59% (22) | 37 in 2025 | $419K |
| 8 | The Steve Mihaylo and Lois Mihaylo | 58% (49) | 85 in 2025 | $2K |
| 9 | Gery and Sunny Chico Family Foundation | 57% (21) | 37 in 2024 | $1K |
| 10 | The Lodestar Foundation | 56% (23) | 41 in 2025 | $28K |
Estimate from itemized IRS Form 990 and 990-PF grant lists. Only foundations with at least 20 grants in each of the last three years (and 20 distinct grantees in the latest), a filing from the last 2 years, and first grants averaging at least $1K are ranked; grants to individuals are left out, and recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed grantee can look new. How we calculate this.
Showing 865 grantmakers in Arizona with 5+ grants on their latest 990, most giving first
Arizona Community Foundation
Phoenix, AZ
Assets
$1.2B
Grants
1,174
Total Given
$92.9M
Make-A-Wish Foundation of America
Phoenix, AZ
Assets
$125.5M
Grants
59
Total Given
$66.6M
Valley of the Sun United Way
Phoenix, AZ
Assets
$100.4M
Grants
98
Total Given
$62.9M
Petsmart Charities Inc
Phoenix, AZ
Assets
$96.8M
Grants
655
Total Given
$48.1M
The Diane and Bruce Halle Foundation
Scottsdale, AZ
Assets
$16K
Grants
138
Total Given
$47.7M
People-People-People Foundation
Scottsdale, AZ
Assets
$2.4M
Grants
17
Total Given
$28.2M
The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation
Scottsdale, AZ
Assets
$24.8M
Grants
55
Total Given
$26.0M
Virginia G Piper Charitable Trust
Phoenix, AZ
Assets
$429.9M
Grants
483
Total Given
$24.5M
Banner Health Foundation
Phoenix, AZ
Assets
$186.9M
Grants
5
Total Given
$24.2M
Helios Education Foundation
Phoenix, AZ
Assets
$879.7M
Grants
78
Total Given
$19.5M
Kenny's Kids
Sedona, AZ
Assets
—
Grants
22
Total Given
$17.7M
World Hunger Ecumenical Arizona Task Force Inc
Phoenix, AZ
Assets
$2.4M
Grants
10
Total Given
$17.6M
Area Agency on Aging Region One Incorporated
Phoenix, AZ
Assets
$23.3M
Grants
44
Total Given
$17.2M
Ben and Catherine Ivy Foundation
Scottsdale, AZ
Assets
$315.4M
Grants
35
Total Given
$16.5M
Jewish Community Foundation of Southern Arizona
Tucson, AZ
Assets
$170.8M
Grants
141
Total Given
$15.2M
Garcia Family Foundation
Tempe, AZ
Assets
$61.0M
Grants
48
Total Given
$14.1M
The Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation
Phoenix, AZ
Assets
$6.0M
Grants
349
Total Given
$13.1M
Community Foundation for Southern Arizona
Tucson, AZ
Assets
$219.5M
Grants
346
Total Given
$11.8M
Thunderbirds Charities
Phoenix, AZ
Assets
$11.3M
Grants
150
Total Given
$11.0M
Commonspirit Health
Phoenix, AZ
Assets
$12.1B
Grants
40
Total Given
$10.5M
Alliance Defending Freedom
Scottsdale, AZ
Assets
$112.2M
Grants
37
Total Given
$10.5M
Burton Family Foundation
Phoenix, AZ
Assets
$132.9M
Grants
148
Total Given
$10.5M
EFS Foundation
Tucson, AZ
Assets
—
Grants
79
Total Given
$10.4M
Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Phoenix
Scottsdale, AZ
Assets
$105.5M
Grants
19
Total Given
$10.4M
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
Questions about foundations in Arizona
What are the largest foundations in Arizona?
By grants reported on their latest 990s, the largest are Arizona Community Foundation ($92.9M across 1,174 grants), Make-A-Wish Foundation of America ($66.6M) and Valley of the Sun United Way ($62.9M). Together the top 10 account for 37% of the $1.2B given by the 865 grantmakers in Arizona 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 foundation grant in Arizona?
The typical grant is about $19K (the median of each grantmaker's average grant). Half of these grantmakers gave less than $70K 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.
Are there community foundations in Arizona?
Yes. We found 6 community foundations in Arizona with grant activity. The largest by giving are Arizona Community Foundation, Jewish Community Foundation of Southern Arizona and Community Foundation for Southern Arizona. Community foundations pool gifts from many local donors and usually run open grant rounds for nonprofits in their area, which makes them a good first stop for local funding.
How do I find Arizona foundations that 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 in Arizona 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.