Rural Community Foundations & Grantmakers
1,425 grantmakers in this list reported grants on their latest 990s. The 501 that made at least 5 grants gave $3.4B. The largest by giving are Freedom Together Foundation, The Leona M and Harry B Helmsley and Good Ventures 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
1,425
reported grants on latest 990
Annual giving
$3.4B
from the 501 with 5+ grants
Typical grant
$20K
median of each funder's average grant
Median annual giving
$80K
per grantmaker
Top 10 funders by annual giving
| # | Funder | Location | Annual giving | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Freedom Together Foundation | New York, NY | $470.0M | 595 |
| 2 | The Leona M and Harry B Helmsley | New York, NY | $440.9M | 570 |
| 3 | Good Ventures Foundation | Palo Alto, CA | $306.7M | 565 |
| 4 | WK Kellogg Foundation | Battle Creek, MI | $303.9M | 1,818 |
| 5 | Convoy of Hope | Springfield, MO | $234.0M | 236 |
| 6 | Corporation for Public Broadcasting | Washington, DC | $175.8M | 555 |
| 7 | Builders Vision Foundation | Chicago, IL | $96.8M | 390 |
| 8 | St David's Foundation | Austin, TX | $85.1M | 145 |
| 9 | Three Square | Las Vegas, NV | $73.3M | 121 |
| 10 | The Nature Conservancy | Arlington, VA | $67.8M | 671 |
Ranked by grants reported on each funder's latest 990. Only grantmakers with at least 5 grants are ranked; 4 organizations that reported large giving in fewer grants (usually one transfer to an affiliated charity) are left out.
Most common focus areas
- Food, Agriculture & Nutrition 406 · 74%
- Community Improvement & Capacity Building 28 · 5%
- Environment & Animals 25 · 5%
- Education 20 · 4%
- Youth Development 19 · 3%
- International, Foreign Affairs & National Security 15 · 3%
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 150 · $645.5M
- Texas 125 · $120.1M
- New York 87 · $1.0B
- Illinois 72 · $118.6M
- Florida 63 · $7.9M
- Pennsylvania 48 · $7.2M
Source: IRS Form 990 and 990-PF filings, latest available year per organization (most of the largest funders' latest filing: tax year 2025).
Showing 501 grantmakers with 5+ grants on their latest 990, most giving first
Freedom Together Foundation
New York, NY
Assets
$3.4B
Grants
595
Total Given
$470.0M
The Leona M and Harry B Helmsley
New York, NY
Assets
$7.1B
Grants
570
Total Given
$440.9M
Good Ventures Foundation
Palo Alto, CA
Assets
$10.1B
Grants
565
Total Given
$306.7M
WK Kellogg Foundation
Battle Creek, MI
Assets
$481.0M
Grants
1,818
Total Given
$303.9M
Convoy of Hope
Springfield, MO
Assets
$258.1M
Grants
236
Total Given
$234.0M
Corporation for Public Broadcasting
Washington, DC
Assets
—
Grants
555
Total Given
$175.8M
Builders Vision Foundation
Chicago, IL
Assets
$1.7B
Grants
390
Total Given
$96.8M
St David's Foundation
Austin, TX
Assets
$2.0B
Grants
145
Total Given
$85.1M
Three Square
Las Vegas, NV
Assets
$178.1M
Grants
121
Total Given
$73.3M
The Nature Conservancy
Arlington, VA
Assets
$10.1B
Grants
671
Total Given
$67.8M
Grantham Foundation for the Protection
Boston, MA
Assets
$613.2M
Grants
83
Total Given
$67.0M
Humane World for Animals Inc
Washington, DC
Assets
$543.2M
Grants
209
Total Given
$51.2M
Table to Table Inc
Saddle Brook, NJ
Assets
$12.8M
Grants
141
Total Given
$50.1M
RSF Social Finance Inc
San Francisco, CA
Assets
$108.4M
Grants
457
Total Given
$48.2M
The Skoll Foundation
Palo Alto, CA
Assets
$846.9M
Grants
157
Total Given
$44.9M
PepsiCo Foundation Inc
Purchase, NY
Assets
$113.0M
Grants
57
Total Given
$37.6M
Multiplier
San Francisco, CA
Assets
$63.4M
Grants
83
Total Given
$35.8M
Focusing Philanthropy Inc
Santa Monica, CA
Assets
$14.5M
Grants
20
Total Given
$35.8M
Navigation Charitable Fund
Berkeley, CA
Assets
$1.3B
Grants
9
Total Given
$35.1M
The Jeremy and Hannelore Grantham Environmental Trust
Boston, MA
Assets
$467.7M
Grants
24
Total Given
$34.9M
North Carolina Community Foundation Inc
Raleigh, NC
Assets
$569.1M
Grants
732
Total Given
$30.6M
Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research
Washington, DC
Assets
$295.2M
Grants
28
Total Given
$25.7M
Food in Need of Distribution Inc
Indio, CA
Assets
$45.9M
Grants
84
Total Given
$24.9M
Banner Health Foundation
Phoenix, AZ
Assets
$186.9M
Grants
5
Total Given
$24.2M
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 Freedom Together Foundation ($470.0M across 595 grants), The Leona M and Harry B Helmsley ($440.9M) and Good Ventures Foundation ($306.7M). Together the top 10 account for 66% of the $3.4B given by the 501 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 $20K (the median of each grantmaker's average grant). Half of these grantmakers gave less than $80K 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 (150), Texas (125) and New York (87). 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.