Community Improvement & Capacity Building Foundations & Grantmakers
2,016 grantmakers focused on community improvement & capacity building reported grants on their latest 990s. The 469 that made at least 5 grants gave $987.4M. The largest by giving are Common Counsel Foundation, Community Action Kentucky Inc and Enterprise Community Partners Inc. 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
2,016
reported grants on latest 990
Annual giving
$987.4M
from the 469 with 5+ grants
Typical grant
$25K
median of each funder's average grant
Median annual giving
$61K
per grantmaker
Top 10 funders by annual giving
| # | Funder | Location | Annual giving | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Common Counsel Foundation | Oakland, CA | $101.2M | 621 |
| 2 | Community Action Kentucky Inc | Frankfort, KY | $68.0M | 24 |
| 3 | Enterprise Community Partners Inc | Columbia, MD | $61.8M | 347 |
| 4 | Community Partners | Los Angeles, CA | $57.5M | 565 |
| 5 | Commonwealth Cornerstone Group | Harrisburg, PA | $38.2M | 25 |
| 6 | The Toy Foundation Inc | New York, NY | $35.6M | 28 |
| 7 | New Profit Inc | Boston, MA | $31.2M | 59 |
| 8 | The Onestar National Service Commission Inc | Austin, TX | $28.7M | 44 |
| 9 | Hispanic Federation Inc | New York, NY | $28.2M | 437 |
| 10 | Warren Alpert Foundation | Providence, RI | $24.3M | 99 |
Ranked by grants reported on each funder's latest 990. Only grantmakers with at least 5 grants are ranked; 6 organizations that reported large giving in fewer grants (usually one transfer to an affiliated charity) are left out.
Where these funders are based
- California 204 · $207.0M
- Texas 139 · $47.5M
- New York 120 · $110.3M
- Illinois 90 · $23.0M
- Ohio 87 · $16.6M
- Pennsylvania 79 · $75.1M
Source: IRS Form 990 and 990-PF filings, latest available year per organization (most of the largest funders' latest filing: tax year 2025).
Showing 469 grantmakers with 5+ grants on their latest 990, most giving first
Common Counsel Foundation
Oakland, CA
Assets
$67.5M
Grants
621
Total Given
$101.2M
Community Action Kentucky Inc
Frankfort, KY
Assets
$7.4M
Grants
24
Total Given
$68.0M
Enterprise Community Partners Inc
Columbia, MD
Assets
$941.1M
Grants
347
Total Given
$61.8M
Community Partners
Los Angeles, CA
Assets
$85.9M
Grants
565
Total Given
$57.5M
Commonwealth Cornerstone Group
Harrisburg, PA
Assets
$164.7M
Grants
25
Total Given
$38.2M
The Toy Foundation Inc
New York, NY
Assets
$4.0M
Grants
28
Total Given
$35.6M
New Profit Inc
Boston, MA
Assets
$98.8M
Grants
59
Total Given
$31.2M
The Onestar National Service Commission Inc
Austin, TX
Assets
$4.8M
Grants
44
Total Given
$28.7M
Hispanic Federation Inc
New York, NY
Assets
$122.8M
Grants
437
Total Given
$28.2M
Warren Alpert Foundation
Providence, RI
Assets
$397.3M
Grants
99
Total Given
$24.3M
City of Muskogee Foundation Inc
Oklahoma City, OK
Assets
$156.7M
Grants
30
Total Given
$19.6M
North Main Street Fund
Concord, NH
Assets
$3.1M
Grants
6
Total Given
$19.4M
National Basketball Association Foundation
New York, NY
Assets
$21.3M
Grants
113
Total Given
$19.0M
Pidc Community Capital
Philadelphia, PA
Assets
$73.0M
Grants
17
Total Given
$17.9M
1803 Fund
Portland, OR
Assets
$49.6M
Grants
32
Total Given
$14.9M
Cedar Street Charitable Foundation Inc
Milwaukee, WI
Assets
$65.4M
Grants
219
Total Given
$13.5M
Policylink
Oakland, CA
Assets
$115.9M
Grants
127
Total Given
$13.4M
Tennessee Technology Development Corp
Nashville, TN
Assets
$37.8M
Grants
69
Total Given
$13.0M
South Central Workforce Development Council
Union Gap, WA
Assets
$6.3M
Grants
7
Total Given
$13.0M
Third Sector New England Inc
Boston, MA
Assets
$116.1M
Grants
94
Total Given
$12.5M
Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber Foundation
Cincinnati, OH
Assets
$5.3M
Grants
9
Total Given
$9.7M
People's Action Institute
Chicago, IL
Assets
$24.9M
Grants
65
Total Given
$8.4M
Arlington Tomorrow Foundation
Arlington, TX
Assets
$126.1M
Grants
21
Total Given
$7.5M
Cicp Foundation Inc
Indianapolis, IN
Assets
$27.5M
Grants
40
Total Given
$7.3M
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
What are the largest community improvement & capacity building foundations?
By grants reported on their latest 990s, the largest are Common Counsel Foundation ($101.2M across 621 grants), Community Action Kentucky Inc ($68.0M) and Enterprise Community Partners Inc ($61.8M). Together the top 10 account for 48% of the $987.4M given by the 469 grantmakers focused on community improvement & capacity building 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 $25K (the median of each grantmaker's average grant). Half of these grantmakers gave less than $61K 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 (204), Texas (139) and New York (120). 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.