Disaster Relief Foundations & Grantmakers
1,278 grantmakers in this list reported grants on their latest 990s. The 468 that made at least 5 grants gave $5.3B. The largest by giving are The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Feed the Children Inc and Direct Relief. 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
1,278
reported grants on latest 990
Annual giving
$5.3B
from the 468 with 5+ grants
Typical grant
$26K
median of each funder's average grant
Median annual giving
$100K
per grantmaker
Top 10 funders by annual giving
| # | Funder | Location | Annual giving | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation | Princeton, NJ | $622.6M | 3,093 |
| 2 | Feed the Children Inc | Oklahoma City, OK | $343.7M | 487 |
| 3 | Direct Relief | Santa Barbara, CA | $337.4M | 1,367 |
| 4 | Good Ventures Foundation | Palo Alto, CA | $306.7M | 565 |
| 5 | Conrad N Hilton Foundation | Westlake Village, CA | $287.7M | 1,339 |
| 6 | United Jewish Appeal-Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of New York Inc | New York, NY | $275.5M | 306 |
| 7 | Greater Houston Community Foundation | Houston, TX | $232.3M | 1,724 |
| 8 | Matthew 25 Ministries Inc | Cincinnati, OH | $200.6M | 210 |
| 9 | Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago | Chicago, IL | $166.6M | 896 |
| 10 | Tulsa Community Foundation | Tulsa, OK | $158.6M | 1,066 |
Ranked by grants reported on each funder's latest 990. Only grantmakers with at least 5 grants are ranked.
Most common focus areas
- Public Safety, Disaster Preparedness & Relief 317 · 70%
- Crime & Legal Related 29 · 6%
- International, Foreign Affairs & National Security 25 · 6%
- Human Services 20 · 4%
- Education 16 · 4%
- Environment & Animals 9 · 2%
Share of grantmakers with a program NTEE code (44% carry any NTEE code); general grantmaking foundations (NTEE T) are not counted.
Where these funders are based
- California 152 · $1.2B
- New York 116 · $494.5M
- Texas 89 · $250.6M
- Florida 84 · $113.2M
- Pennsylvania 62 · $76.7M
- Minnesota 46 · $7.6M
Source: IRS Form 990 and 990-PF filings, latest available year per organization (most of the largest funders' latest filing: tax year 2025).
Showing 468 grantmakers with 5+ grants on their latest 990, most giving first
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Princeton, NJ
Assets
$13.4B
Grants
3,093
Total Given
$622.6M
Feed the Children Inc
Oklahoma City, OK
Assets
$133.3M
Grants
487
Total Given
$343.7M
Direct Relief
Santa Barbara, CA
Assets
$1.3B
Grants
1,367
Total Given
$337.4M
Good Ventures Foundation
Palo Alto, CA
Assets
$10.1B
Grants
565
Total Given
$306.7M
Conrad N Hilton Foundation
Westlake Village, CA
Assets
$7.4B
Grants
1,339
Total Given
$287.7M
United Jewish Appeal-Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of New York Inc
New York, NY
Assets
$1.9B
Grants
306
Total Given
$275.5M
Greater Houston Community Foundation
Houston, TX
Assets
$1.1B
Grants
1,724
Total Given
$232.3M
Matthew 25 Ministries Inc
Cincinnati, OH
Assets
$125.2M
Grants
210
Total Given
$200.6M
Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago
Chicago, IL
Assets
$1.1B
Grants
896
Total Given
$166.6M
Tulsa Community Foundation
Tulsa, OK
Assets
$1.1B
Grants
1,066
Total Given
$158.6M
World Vision Inc
Federal Way, WA
Assets
$515.3M
Grants
410
Total Given
$157.4M
Greater Good Charities
Seattle, WA
Assets
$24.4M
Grants
357
Total Given
$123.4M
The Coca-Cola Foundation Inc
Atlanta, GA
Assets
$533.9M
Grants
246
Total Given
$117.2M
Americares Foundation Inc
Stamford, CT
Assets
$372.5M
Grants
635
Total Given
$113.3M
Santa Barbara Foundation
Santa Barbara, CA
Assets
$503.6M
Grants
447
Total Given
$107.7M
The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee Inc
Nashville, TN
Assets
$832.0M
Grants
2,450
Total Given
$107.1M
Habitat for Humanity International Inc
Americus, GA
Assets
$760.0M
Grants
719
Total Given
$101.6M
International Rescue Committee INC
New York, NY
Assets
$697.0M
Grants
77
Total Given
$55.0M
Liberty Mutual Foundation Inc
Boston, MA
Assets
$46.1M
Grants
706
Total Given
$50.6M
Global Impact
Washington, DC
Assets
$283.6M
Grants
266
Total Given
$48.2M
Petsmart Charities Inc
Phoenix, AZ
Assets
$96.8M
Grants
655
Total Given
$48.1M
Gulf Coast Community Foundation Inc
Venice, FL
Assets
$533.7M
Grants
651
Total Given
$45.0M
Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Harrisburg, PA
Assets
$11.6M
Grants
59
Total Given
$41.0M
South Dakota Community Foundation
Pierre, SD
Assets
$939.2M
Grants
390
Total Given
$39.7M
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 The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation ($622.6M across 3,093 grants), Feed the Children Inc ($343.7M) and Direct Relief ($337.4M). Together the top 10 account for 55% of the $5.3B given by the 468 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 $26K (the median of each grantmaker's average grant). Half of these grantmakers gave less than $100K 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 (152), New York (116) and Texas (89). 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.