Recreation & Sports Foundations & Grantmakers
1,190 grantmakers focused on recreation & sports reported grants on their latest 990s. The 198 that made at least 5 grants gave $279.1M. The largest by giving are United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee, Energy Outreach Colorado and Sugar Bowl. 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
1,190
reported grants on latest 990
Annual giving
$279.1M
from the 198 with 5+ grants
Typical grant
$14K
median of each funder's average grant
Median annual giving
$25K
per grantmaker
Top 10 funders by annual giving
| # | Funder | Location | Annual giving | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee | Colorado Springs, CO | $85.6M | 57 |
| 2 | Energy Outreach Colorado | Denver, CO | $38.2M | 115 |
| 3 | Sugar Bowl | New Orleans, LA | $12.5M | 9 |
| 4 | PGA Tour First Tee Foundation Inc | Ponte Vedra Beach, FL | $9.4M | 133 |
| 5 | Usta Foundation Incorporated | Purchase, NY | $9.3M | 149 |
| 6 | Charlotte Sports Foundation | Charlotte, NC | $8.3M | 9 |
| 7 | Living Peace Foundation | Santa Barbara, CA | $7.7M | 7 |
| 8 | Golden State Community Foundation | San Francisco, CA | $6.1M | 84 |
| 9 | Fort Mason Center | San Francisco, CA | $5.6M | 9 |
| 10 | Biglife International Inc | Blue Ridge, GA | $5.1M | 9 |
Ranked by grants reported on each funder's latest 990. Only grantmakers with at least 5 grants are ranked; 12 organizations that reported large giving in fewer grants (usually one transfer to an affiliated charity) are left out.
Where these funders are based
- California 122 · $33.8M
- Florida 81 · $13.3M
- Texas 77 · $5.2M
- Pennsylvania 65 · $1.4M
- Colorado 58 · $131.6M
- New York 55 · $16.6M
Source: IRS Form 990 and 990-PF filings, latest available year per organization (most of the largest funders' latest filing: tax year 2025).
Showing all 2,377 foundations and grantmakers
United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee
Colorado Springs, CO
Assets
$623.2M
Grants
57
Total Given
$85.6M
United States Olympic and Paralympic Foundation
Colorado Springs, CO
Assets
$125.2M
Grants
1
Total Given
$65.4M
Pac-12 Conference
San Ramon, CA
Assets
$65.8M
Grants
2
Total Given
$58.5M
Energy Outreach Colorado
Denver, CO
Assets
$50.6M
Grants
115
Total Given
$38.2M
Sun Belt Conference
New Orleans, LA
Assets
$19.6M
Grants
14
Total Given
$24.3M
Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Inc
Houston, TX
Assets
$571.2M
Grants
1
Total Given
$19.8M
Sugar Bowl
New Orleans, LA
Assets
$88.9M
Grants
9
Total Given
$12.5M
Fargo Park District Foundation
Fargo, ND
Assets
$20.8M
Grants
1
Total Given
$12.1M
The United States Olympic and Paralympic Endowment
Colorado Springs, CO
Assets
$702.4M
Grants
1
Total Given
$11.8M
Paul Simons Foundation Inc
Stony Brook, NY
Assets
$109.3M
Grants
1
Total Given
$11.3M
University Athletic Association Inc
Gainesville, FL
Assets
$467.1M
Grants
2
Total Given
$9.9M
Ed Snider Youth Hockey Supporting Organization Inc
Philadelphia, PA
Assets
$193.7M
Grants
2
Total Given
$9.6M
PGA Tour First Tee Foundation Inc
Ponte Vedra Beach, FL
Assets
$125.2M
Grants
133
Total Given
$9.4M
Usta Foundation Incorporated
Purchase, NY
Assets
$26.7M
Grants
149
Total Given
$9.3M
Yosemite Foundation
San Francisco, CA
Assets
$55.7M
Grants
1
Total Given
$9.1M
Charlotte Sports Foundation
Charlotte, NC
Assets
$20.1M
Grants
9
Total Given
$8.3M
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Inc
Edison, NJ
Assets
$20.2M
Grants
13
Total Given
$8.2M
Southeastern Conference
Birmingham, AL
Assets
$351.0M
Grants
16
Total Given
$7.8M
Living Peace Foundation
Santa Barbara, CA
Assets
$2K
Grants
7
Total Given
$7.7M
United States Equestrian Team Foundation Inc
Gladstone, NJ
Assets
$44.4M
Grants
2
Total Given
$7.5M
V3 Sports Inc
Minneapolis, MN
Assets
$22.5M
Grants
1
Total Given
$6.6M
Golden State Community Foundation
San Francisco, CA
Assets
$39.4M
Grants
84
Total Given
$6.1M
Mill Creek Park Foundation
Pittsburgh, PA
Assets
—
Grants
2
Total Given
$5.7M
Fort Mason Center
San Francisco, CA
Assets
$78.1M
Grants
9
Total Given
$5.6M
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 recreation & sports foundations?
By grants reported on their latest 990s, the largest are United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee ($85.6M across 57 grants), Energy Outreach Colorado ($38.2M) and Sugar Bowl ($12.5M). Together the top 10 account for 67% of the $279.1M given by the 198 grantmakers focused on recreation & sports 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 $14K (the median of each grantmaker's average grant). Half of these grantmakers gave less than $25K 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 (122), Florida (81) and Texas (77). 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.