Community Development Foundations & Grantmakers
3,706 grantmakers in this list reported grants on their latest 990s. The 872 that made at least 5 grants gave $10.2B. The largest by giving are Lilly Endowment Inc, Foundation for the Carolinas and Columbus Foundation. 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
3,706
reported grants on latest 990
Annual giving
$10.2B
from the 872 with 5+ grants
Typical grant
$27K
median of each funder's average grant
Median annual giving
$67K
per grantmaker
Top 10 funders by annual giving
| # | Funder | Location | Annual giving | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lilly Endowment Inc | Indianapolis, IN | $3.9B | 2,285 |
| 2 | Foundation for the Carolinas | Charlotte, NC | $609.1M | 1,605 |
| 3 | Columbus Foundation | Columbus, OH | $242.7M | 1,747 |
| 4 | The Marcus Foundation Inc | Atlanta, GA | $227.5M | 221 |
| 5 | The Schmidt Family Foundation | Palo Alto, CA | $185.4M | 695 |
| 6 | The Cleveland Foundation | Cleveland, OH | $184.2M | 1,016 |
| 7 | Michael & Susan Dell Foundation | Austin, TX | $164.6M | 835 |
| 8 | Rippleworks Inc | San Francisco, CA | $153.8M | 89 |
| 9 | NCRC Community Development Fund Inc | Washington, DC | $149.3M | 2,666 |
| 10 | Fidelity Non-Profit Management Foundation | Boston, MA | $135.2M | 108 |
Ranked by grants reported on each funder's latest 990. Only grantmakers with at least 5 grants are ranked; 1 organization that reported large giving in fewer grants (usually one transfer to an affiliated charity) is left out.
Most common focus areas
- Community Improvement & Capacity Building 1,802 · 96%
- Human Services 25 · 1%
- Housing & Shelter 14 · 1%
- Education 10 · 1%
- Environment & Animals 6 · 0%
- Arts, Culture & Humanities 5 · 0%
Share of grantmakers with a program NTEE code (53% carry any NTEE code); general grantmaking foundations (NTEE T) are not counted.
Where these funders are based
- California 374 · $1.1B
- Texas 227 · $375.9M
- New York 225 · $311.7M
- Illinois 187 · $242.5M
- Ohio 164 · $499.6M
- Pennsylvania 130 · $179.7M
Source: IRS Form 990 and 990-PF filings, latest available year per organization (most of the largest funders' latest filing: tax year 2024).
Showing all 4,255 foundations and grantmakers
Lilly Endowment Inc
Indianapolis, IN
Assets
$105.9B
Grants
2,285
Total Given
$3.9B
Foundation for the Carolinas
Charlotte, NC
Assets
$3.9B
Grants
1,605
Total Given
$609.1M
The Signatry Charitable Trust
Sioux Falls, SD
Assets
$816.2M
Grants
1,765
Total Given
$568.4M
Fund for Policy Reform
Wilmington, DE
Assets
$3.3B
Grants
1
Total Given
$412.0M
New Venture Fund
Washington, DC
Assets
$624.9M
Grants
854
Total Given
$359.6M
Columbus Foundation
Columbus, OH
Assets
$2.8B
Grants
1,747
Total Given
$242.7M
The Marcus Foundation Inc
Atlanta, GA
Assets
$366.8M
Grants
221
Total Given
$227.5M
The Schmidt Family Foundation
Palo Alto, CA
Assets
$2.0B
Grants
695
Total Given
$185.4M
The Cleveland Foundation
Cleveland, OH
Assets
$3.3B
Grants
1,016
Total Given
$184.2M
America Votes
Washington, DC
Assets
$22.3M
Grants
119
Total Given
$168.6M
Michael & Susan Dell Foundation
Austin, TX
Assets
$7.8B
Grants
835
Total Given
$164.6M
Rippleworks Inc
San Francisco, CA
Assets
$2.5B
Grants
89
Total Given
$153.8M
NCRC Community Development Fund Inc
Washington, DC
Assets
$55.6M
Grants
2,666
Total Given
$149.3M
Fidelity Non-Profit Management Foundation
Boston, MA
Assets
$2.6B
Grants
108
Total Given
$135.2M
Community Foundation of Greater Memphis Inc
Memphis, TN
Assets
$953.1M
Grants
761
Total Given
$134.3M
Greater Good Charities
Seattle, WA
Assets
$24.4M
Grants
357
Total Given
$123.4M
Orange County Community Foundation
Irvine, CA
Assets
$743.6M
Grants
975
Total Given
$120.4M
Realdania
Assets
$4.6B
Grants
0
Total Given
$120.2M
Food Bank for New York City
Bronx, NY
Assets
$75.0M
Grants
398
Total Given
$117.6M
Robert R McCormick Foundation
Chicago, IL
Assets
$1.8B
Grants
255
Total Given
$106.1M
The Rees-Jones Foundation
Dallas, TX
Assets
$666.1M
Grants
177
Total Given
$103.9M
Local Initiatives Support Corporation
New York, NY
Assets
$1.6B
Grants
1,119
Total Given
$102.8M
The Colorado Health Foundation
Denver, CO
Assets
$2.9B
Grants
684
Total Given
$102.2M
Common Counsel Foundation
Oakland, CA
Assets
$67.5M
Grants
621
Total Given
$101.2M
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 Lilly Endowment Inc ($3.9B across 2,285 grants), Foundation for the Carolinas ($609.1M) and Columbus Foundation ($242.7M). Together the top 10 account for 58% of the $10.2B given by the 872 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 $27K (the median of each grantmaker's average grant). Half of these grantmakers gave less than $67K 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 (374), Texas (227) and New York (225). 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.