Environmental Foundations & Grantmakers
3,727 grantmakers in this list reported grants on their latest 990s. The 1,544 that made at least 5 grants gave $16.5B. The largest by giving are The Ford Foundation, The William & Flora Hewlett Foundation and The Robert Wood Johnson 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
3,727
reported grants on latest 990
Annual giving
$16.5B
from the 1,544 with 5+ grants
Typical grant
$25K
median of each funder's average grant
Median annual giving
$105K
per grantmaker
Top 10 funders by annual giving
| # | Funder | Location | Annual giving | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Ford Foundation | New York, NY | $844.7M | 4,007 |
| 2 | The William & Flora Hewlett Foundation | Menlo Park, CA | $625.0M | 2,001 |
| 3 | The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation | Princeton, NJ | $622.6M | 3,093 |
| 4 | Foundation for the Carolinas | Charlotte, NC | $609.1M | 1,605 |
| 5 | Walton Family Foundation Inc | Bentonville, AR | $562.3M | 1,020 |
| 6 | Freedom Together Foundation | New York, NY | $470.0M | 595 |
| 7 | National Fish and Wildlife Foundation | Washington, DC | $464.4M | 1,286 |
| 8 | The Leona M and Harry B Helmsley | New York, NY | $440.9M | 570 |
| 9 | Gordon E and Betty I Moore Foundation | Palo Alto, CA | $403.0M | 920 |
| 10 | John D and Catherine T Macarthur Foundation | Chicago, IL | $356.1M | 1,086 |
Ranked by grants reported on each funder's latest 990. Only grantmakers with at least 5 grants are ranked.
Most common focus areas
- Environment & Animals 1,190 · 90%
- Education 30 · 2%
- Community Improvement & Capacity Building 17 · 1%
- International, Foreign Affairs & National Security 14 · 1%
- Arts, Culture & Humanities 14 · 1%
- Human Services 13 · 1%
Share of grantmakers with a program NTEE code (47% carry any NTEE code); general grantmaking foundations (NTEE T) are not counted.
Where these funders are based
- California 499 · $3.6B
- New York 281 · $3.1B
- Florida 187 · $428.0M
- Texas 184 · $213.1M
- Pennsylvania 175 · $650.9M
- District of Columbia 151 · $972.0M
Source: IRS Form 990 and 990-PF filings, latest available year per organization (most of the largest funders' latest filing: tax year 2024).
Showing 1,544 grantmakers with 5+ grants on their latest 990, most giving first
The Ford Foundation
New York, NY
Assets
$17.5B
Grants
4,007
Total Given
$844.7M
The William & Flora Hewlett Foundation
Menlo Park, CA
Assets
$14.2B
Grants
2,001
Total Given
$625.0M
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Princeton, NJ
Assets
$13.4B
Grants
3,093
Total Given
$622.6M
Foundation for the Carolinas
Charlotte, NC
Assets
$3.9B
Grants
1,605
Total Given
$609.1M
Walton Family Foundation Inc
Bentonville, AR
Assets
$6.1B
Grants
1,020
Total Given
$562.3M
Freedom Together Foundation
New York, NY
Assets
$3.4B
Grants
595
Total Given
$470.0M
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
Washington, DC
Assets
$3.6B
Grants
1,286
Total Given
$464.4M
The Leona M and Harry B Helmsley
New York, NY
Assets
$7.1B
Grants
570
Total Given
$440.9M
Gordon E and Betty I Moore Foundation
Palo Alto, CA
Assets
$11.5B
Grants
920
Total Given
$403.0M
John D and Catherine T Macarthur Foundation
Chicago, IL
Assets
$9.3B
Grants
1,086
Total Given
$356.1M
Sandler Foundation
San Francisco, CA
Assets
$251.7M
Grants
41
Total Given
$353.6M
Direct Relief
Santa Barbara, CA
Assets
$1.3B
Grants
1,367
Total Given
$337.4M
Wellspring Philanthropic Fund Inc
New York, NY
Assets
$134.4M
Grants
1,101
Total Given
$326.0M
WK Kellogg Foundation
Battle Creek, MI
Assets
$481.0M
Grants
1,818
Total Given
$303.9M
The Marcus Foundation Inc
Atlanta, GA
Assets
$366.8M
Grants
221
Total Given
$227.5M
Novo Foundation
Hurley, NY
Assets
$937.8M
Grants
508
Total Given
$214.1M
The Arthur M Blank Family Foundation
Atlanta, GA
Assets
$466.3M
Grants
586
Total Given
$212.1M
The New York Community Trust
New York, NY
Assets
$3.5B
Grants
2,748
Total Given
$193.8M
The Cleveland Foundation
Cleveland, OH
Assets
$3.3B
Grants
1,016
Total Given
$184.2M
Seattle Foundation
Seattle, WA
Assets
$1.4B
Grants
5,379
Total Given
$177.9M
The Oregon Community Foundation
Portland, OR
Assets
$3.3B
Grants
2,149
Total Given
$171.4M
The Kresge Foundation
Troy, MI
Assets
$4.0B
Grants
800
Total Given
$170.0M
Charles Stewart Mott Foundation
Flint, MI
Assets
$3.8B
Grants
834
Total Given
$166.4M
Climate Imperative Foundation
San Francisco, CA
Assets
$109.6M
Grants
96
Total Given
$161.5M
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 Ford Foundation ($844.7M across 4,007 grants), The William & Flora Hewlett Foundation ($625.0M) and The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation ($622.6M). Together the top 10 account for 33% of the $16.5B given by the 1,544 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 $25K (the median of each grantmaker's average grant). Half of these grantmakers gave less than $105K 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 (499), New York (281) and Florida (187). 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.