Rural Community Foundations & Grantmakers
1,388 grantmakers in this list reported grants on their latest 990s. The 479 that made at least 5 grants gave $3.0B. 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
1,388
reported grants on latest 990
Annual giving
$3.0B
from the 479 with 5+ grants
Typical grant
$20K
median of each funder's average grant
Median annual giving
$75K
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 | Corporation for Public Broadcasting | Washington, DC | $175.8M | 555 |
| 6 | Builders Vision Foundation | Chicago, IL | $96.8M | 390 |
| 7 | St David's Foundation | Austin, TX | $85.1M | 145 |
| 8 | Three Square | Las Vegas, NV | $73.3M | 121 |
| 9 | The Nature Conservancy | Arlington, VA | $67.8M | 671 |
| 10 | Humane World for Animals Inc | Washington, DC | $51.2M | 209 |
Ranked by grants reported on each funder's latest 990. Only grantmakers with at least 5 grants are ranked; 8 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 24 · 4%
- Education 20 · 4%
- Youth Development 19 · 3%
- International, Foreign Affairs & National Security 14 · 3%
Share of grantmakers with a program NTEE code (48% carry any NTEE code); general grantmaking foundations (NTEE T) are not counted.
Where these funders are based
- California 144 · $571.8M
- Texas 122 · $118.5M
- New York 84 · $1.0B
- Illinois 72 · $119.4M
- Florida 63 · $7.3M
- 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 all 1,710 foundations and grantmakers
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
Greater Chicago Food Depository
Chicago, IL
Assets
$216.0M
Grants
677
Total Given
$191.2M
Food Bank of Central & Eastern NC Inc
Raleigh, NC
Assets
$106.4M
Grants
784
Total Given
$190.0M
Corporation for Public Broadcasting
Washington, DC
Assets
—
Grants
555
Total Given
$175.8M
Sharing Excess
Philadelphia, PA
Assets
$3.6M
Grants
1
Total Given
$173.1M
Northern Illinois Food Bank
Geneva, IL
Assets
$76.0M
Grants
362
Total Given
$154.1M
Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina Inc
Charlotte, NC
Assets
$75.5M
Grants
1
Total Given
$140.9M
Windward Fund
Washington, DC
Assets
$432.7M
Grants
458
Total Given
$137.7M
Second Harvest of Silicon Valley
San Jose, CA
Assets
$320.8M
Grants
236
Total Given
$132.8M
Central Pennsylvania Food Bank
Harrisburg, PA
Assets
$40.1M
Grants
705
Total Given
$112.1M
Harvesters - the Community Food Network
Kansas City, MO
Assets
$69.9M
Grants
4
Total Given
$110.7M
Builders Vision Foundation
Chicago, IL
Assets
$1.7B
Grants
390
Total Given
$96.8M
Central California Food Bank
Fresno, CA
Assets
$59.6M
Grants
549
Total Given
$96.6M
Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma Inc
Oklahoma City, OK
Assets
$36.4M
Grants
32
Total Given
$91.3M
Philabundance
Philadelphia, PA
Assets
$41.6M
Grants
359
Total Given
$85.3M
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
Montana State University Foundation Inc
Bozeman, MT
Assets
$529.1M
Grants
1
Total Given
$73.1M
The Nature Conservancy
Arlington, VA
Assets
$10.1B
Grants
671
Total Given
$67.8M
Central Texas Food Bank Inc
Austin, TX
Assets
$123.3M
Grants
4
Total Given
$67.4M
Food Bank of Eastern Michigan
Flint, MI
Assets
$39.7M
Grants
1
Total Given
$63.9M
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 69% of the $3.0B given by the 479 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 $75K 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 (144), Texas (122) and New York (84). 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.