Early Childhood Education Foundations & Grantmakers
334 grantmakers in this list reported grants on their latest 990s. The 184 that made at least 5 grants gave $6.3B. The largest by giving are Silicon Valley Community Foundation, WK Kellogg Foundation and Conrad N Hilton 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
334
reported grants on latest 990
Annual giving
$6.3B
from the 184 with 5+ grants
Typical grant
$50K
median of each funder's average grant
Median annual giving
$658K
per grantmaker
Top 10 funders by annual giving
| # | Funder | Location | Annual giving | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Silicon Valley Community Foundation | Mountain View, CA | $3.2B | 3,576 |
| 2 | WK Kellogg Foundation | Battle Creek, MI | $303.9M | 1,818 |
| 3 | Conrad N Hilton Foundation | Westlake Village, CA | $287.7M | 1,339 |
| 4 | The Oregon Community Foundation | Portland, OR | $171.4M | 2,149 |
| 5 | Early Learning Coalition of Broward County Inc | Fort Lauderdale, FL | $152.2M | 636 |
| 6 | Robin Hood Foundation | New York, NY | $126.3M | 249 |
| 7 | Santa Barbara Foundation | Santa Barbara, CA | $107.7M | 447 |
| 8 | The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee Inc | Nashville, TN | $107.1M | 2,450 |
| 9 | Robert R McCormick Foundation | Chicago, IL | $106.1M | 255 |
| 10 | George Kaiser Family Foundation | Tulsa, OK | $99.9M | 383 |
Ranked by grants reported on each funder's latest 990. Only grantmakers with at least 5 grants are ranked.
Most common focus areas
- Education 40 · 48%
- Human Services 20 · 24%
- Health 7 · 8%
- Community Improvement & Capacity Building 3 · 4%
- International, Foreign Affairs & National Security 2 · 2%
- Religion Related 2 · 2%
Share of grantmakers with a program NTEE code (37% carry any NTEE code); general grantmaking foundations (NTEE T) are not counted.
Where these funders are based
- California 30 · $3.6B
- Texas 26 · $139.6M
- Illinois 24 · $263.5M
- Florida 23 · $345.4M
- Colorado 19 · $114.1M
- Ohio 18 · $79.0M
Source: IRS Form 990 and 990-PF filings, latest available year per organization (most of the largest funders' latest filing: tax year 2024).
Showing 184 grantmakers with 5+ grants on their latest 990, most giving first
Silicon Valley Community Foundation
Mountain View, CA
Assets
$12.3B
Grants
3,576
Total Given
$3.2B
WK Kellogg Foundation
Battle Creek, MI
Assets
$481.0M
Grants
1,818
Total Given
$303.9M
Conrad N Hilton Foundation
Westlake Village, CA
Assets
$7.4B
Grants
1,339
Total Given
$287.7M
The Oregon Community Foundation
Portland, OR
Assets
$3.3B
Grants
2,149
Total Given
$171.4M
Early Learning Coalition of Broward County Inc
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Assets
$15.9M
Grants
636
Total Given
$152.2M
Robin Hood Foundation
New York, NY
Assets
$334.5M
Grants
249
Total Given
$126.3M
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
Robert R McCormick Foundation
Chicago, IL
Assets
$1.8B
Grants
255
Total Given
$106.1M
George Kaiser Family Foundation
Tulsa, OK
Assets
$5.1B
Grants
383
Total Given
$99.9M
The Dallas Foundation
Dallas, TX
Assets
$491.5M
Grants
788
Total Given
$87.3M
The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida Inc
Jacksonville, FL
Assets
$708.7M
Grants
2,470
Total Given
$78.0M
Joseph B Whitehead Foundation
Atlanta, GA
Assets
$717.3M
Grants
41
Total Given
$76.1M
Daniels Fund
Denver, CO
Assets
$1.4B
Grants
1,593
Total Given
$69.7M
The Roots and Wings Foundation Inc
Seattle, WA
Assets
$611.8M
Grants
518
Total Given
$66.6M
St Louis Community Foundation Inc
St. Louis, MO
Assets
$494.4M
Grants
839
Total Given
$63.9M
Strada Collaborative Inc
Indianapolis, IN
Assets
—
Grants
8
Total Given
$49.2M
United Way of Greater St Louis Inc
Saint Louis, MO
Assets
$122.5M
Grants
294
Total Given
$47.8M
Healthy Start Momcare Network Inc
Tallahassee, FL
Assets
$21.5M
Grants
33
Total Given
$46.7M
United Way of Greater Houston
Houston, TX
Assets
$99.5M
Grants
275
Total Given
$40.5M
Start Early
Chicago, IL
Assets
$124.4M
Grants
51
Total Given
$36.8M
United Way of Greater Atlanta Inc
Atlanta, GA
Assets
$118.6M
Grants
203
Total Given
$36.4M
Capital One Foundation Inc
McLean, VA
Assets
$327.8M
Grants
102
Total Given
$36.0M
Buffett Early Childhood Fund
Omaha, NE
Assets
$8.0M
Grants
42
Total Given
$33.4M
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
Frequently asked questions
Which funders in this list give the most?
By grants reported on their latest 990s, the largest are Silicon Valley Community Foundation ($3.2B across 3,576 grants), WK Kellogg Foundation ($303.9M) and Conrad N Hilton Foundation ($287.7M). Together the top 10 account for 73% of the $6.3B given by the 184 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 $50K (the median of each grantmaker's average grant). Half of these grantmakers gave less than $658K 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 (30), Texas (26) and Illinois (24). 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.