Early Childhood Education Foundations & Grantmakers
287 grantmakers in this list reported grants on their latest 990s. The 145 that made at least 5 grants gave $5.6B. 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
287
reported grants on latest 990
Annual giving
$5.6B
from the 145 with 5+ grants
Typical grant
$50K
median of each funder's average grant
Median annual giving
$434K
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 | Santa Barbara Foundation | Santa Barbara, CA | $107.7M | 447 |
| 7 | The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee Inc | Nashville, TN | $107.1M | 2,450 |
| 8 | Robert R McCormick Foundation | Chicago, IL | $106.1M | 255 |
| 9 | George Kaiser Family Foundation | Tulsa, OK | $99.9M | 383 |
| 10 | The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida Inc | Jacksonville, FL | $78.0M | 2,470 |
Ranked by grants reported on each funder's latest 990. Only grantmakers with at least 5 grants are ranked; 2 organizations that reported large giving in fewer grants (usually one transfer to an affiliated charity) are left out.
Most common focus areas
- Education 40 · 54%
- Human Services 17 · 23%
- Health 4 · 5%
- International, Foreign Affairs & National Security 2 · 3%
- Religion Related 2 · 3%
- Crime & Legal Related 2 · 3%
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 28 · $3.6B
- Texas 21 · $7.2M
- Florida 19 · $266.7M
- Colorado 18 · $94.3M
- Illinois 16 · $178.1M
- Ohio 16 · $55.9M
Source: IRS Form 990 and 990-PF filings, latest available year per organization (most of the largest funders' latest filing: tax year 2024).
Showing 145 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
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 Community Foundation for Northeast Florida Inc
Jacksonville, FL
Assets
$708.7M
Grants
2,470
Total Given
$78.0M
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
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
Start Early
Chicago, IL
Assets
$124.4M
Grants
51
Total Given
$36.8M
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
Hampton Roads Community Foundation
Norfolk, VA
Assets
$524.1M
Grants
329
Total Given
$31.1M
Baltimore Community Foundation Inc
Baltimore, MD
Assets
$314.3M
Grants
604
Total Given
$29.3M
Merck Foundation a New Jersey Nonprofit Corporation
Rahway, NJ
Assets
$337.9M
Grants
74
Total Given
$29.1M
Tipping Point Community
San Francisco, CA
Assets
$86.6M
Grants
108
Total Given
$26.3M
Mecklenburg Partnership for Children
Charlotte, NC
Assets
$1.4M
Grants
14
Total Given
$24.6M
Path
Seattle, WA
Assets
$416.1M
Grants
43
Total Given
$22.8M
Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts
Springfield, MA
Assets
$292.1M
Grants
392
Total Given
$22.4M
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 82% of the $5.6B given by the 145 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 $434K 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 (28), Texas (21) and Florida (19). 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.