Public, Societal Benefit Foundations & Grantmakers
920 grantmakers focused on public, societal benefit reported grants on their latest 990s. The 274 that made at least 5 grants gave $959.9M. The largest by giving are Association of the Graduates of the United States Military Academy, Educational Credit Management Corporation and National Endowment for Democracy. 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
920
reported grants on latest 990
Annual giving
$959.9M
from the 274 with 5+ grants
Typical grant
$18K
median of each funder's average grant
Median annual giving
$50K
per grantmaker
Top 10 funders by annual giving
| # | Funder | Location | Annual giving | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Association of the Graduates of the United States Military Academy | West Point, NY | $184.3M | 7 |
| 2 | Educational Credit Management Corporation | Minneapolis, MN | $177.0M | 293 |
| 3 | National Endowment for Democracy | Washington, DC | $118.5M | 65 |
| 4 | NEO Philanthropy Inc | New York, NY | $103.5M | 558 |
| 5 | Breakthrough Energy Foundation | Kirkland, WA | $71.9M | 149 |
| 6 | State Democracy Project | Brooklyn, NY | $46.9M | 26 |
| 7 | Helios Education Foundation | Phoenix, AZ | $19.5M | 78 |
| 8 | College Futures Foundation | Oakland, CA | $16.7M | 181 |
| 9 | Center for Technology and Civic Life | Chicago, IL | $12.4M | 110 |
| 10 | State Leadership Project | Raleigh, NC | $11.3M | 33 |
Ranked by grants reported on each funder's latest 990. Only grantmakers with at least 5 grants are ranked; 7 organizations that reported large giving in fewer grants (usually one transfer to an affiliated charity) are left out.
Where these funders are based
- California 102 · $26.1M
- New York 66 · $353.6M
- District of Columbia 64 · $148.5M
- Florida 52 · $9.4M
- Texas 51 · $22.7M
- Virginia 49 · $12.7M
Source: IRS Form 990 and 990-PF filings, latest available year per organization (most of the largest funders' latest filing: tax year 2024).
Showing all 1,258 foundations and grantmakers
Future Forward USA Action
Washington, DC
Assets
$26.7M
Grants
84
Total Given
$469.3M
Stand Together C4 Fund
Arlington, VA
Assets
$362.9M
Grants
9
Total Given
$294.1M
Association of the Graduates of the United States Military Academy
West Point, NY
Assets
$784.4M
Grants
7
Total Given
$184.3M
Educational Credit Management Corporation
Minneapolis, MN
Assets
$209.1M
Grants
293
Total Given
$177.0M
Fund for Policy Reform Inc
New York, NY
Assets
$841.0M
Grants
3
Total Given
$162.2M
National Endowment for Democracy
Washington, DC
Assets
$165.3M
Grants
65
Total Given
$118.5M
NEO Philanthropy Inc
New York, NY
Assets
$185.6M
Grants
558
Total Given
$103.5M
Stand Together Foundation
Arlington, VA
Assets
$223.4M
Grants
1
Total Given
$93.3M
Consortium for Elections & Political Process Strengthening
Washington, DC
Assets
$2.3M
Grants
3
Total Given
$93.1M
Breakthrough Energy Foundation
Kirkland, WA
Assets
$75.2M
Grants
149
Total Given
$71.9M
State Democracy Project
Brooklyn, NY
Assets
$5.0M
Grants
26
Total Given
$46.9M
Julia Koch Family Foundation
Wichita, KS
Assets
$14.2M
Grants
9
Total Given
$36.7M
Chan Zuckerberg Initiative Advocacy
Palo Alto, CA
Assets
$32.9M
Grants
2
Total Given
$29.1M
Julia Koch Family Philanthropy Fund
Wichita, KS
Assets
$92.0M
Grants
1
Total Given
$22.5M
Helios Education Foundation
Phoenix, AZ
Assets
$879.7M
Grants
78
Total Given
$19.5M
College Futures Foundation
Oakland, CA
Assets
$561.6M
Grants
181
Total Given
$16.7M
Future Now Action
Washington, DC
Assets
$10.9M
Grants
16
Total Given
$15.7M
David Koch Jr Foundation
Wichita, KS
Assets
$9.7M
Grants
4
Total Given
$14.0M
Center for Technology and Civic Life
Chicago, IL
Assets
$86.5M
Grants
110
Total Given
$12.4M
The Donald and Paula Smith Foundation
New York, NY
Assets
$93.2M
Grants
3
Total Given
$12.3M
State Leadership Project
Raleigh, NC
Assets
$3.8M
Grants
33
Total Given
$11.3M
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
Washington, DC
Assets
$172.0M
Grants
148
Total Given
$10.7M
Institute for Responsive Government Inc
Chicago, IL
Assets
$6.4M
Grants
244
Total Given
$10.2M
Texas Guaranteed Student Loan Corporation
Round Rock, TX
Assets
$620.8M
Grants
7
Total Given
$10.1M
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 public, societal benefit foundations?
By grants reported on their latest 990s, the largest are Association of the Graduates of the United States Military Academy ($184.3M across 7 grants), Educational Credit Management Corporation ($177.0M) and National Endowment for Democracy ($118.5M). Together the top 10 account for 79% of the $959.9M given by the 274 grantmakers focused on public, societal benefit 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 $18K (the median of each grantmaker's average grant). Half of these grantmakers gave less than $50K 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 (102), New York (66) and District of Columbia (64). 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.