Scholarship Foundations & Grantmakers
4,268 grantmakers in this list reported grants on their latest 990s. The 1,598 that made at least 5 grants gave $5.5B. The largest by giving are The Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, The Andrew W Mellon Foundation and The Schmidt Family 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
4,268
reported grants on latest 990
Annual giving
$5.5B
from the 1,598 with 5+ grants
Typical grant
$10K
median of each funder's average grant
Median annual giving
$44K
per grantmaker
Top 10 funders by annual giving
| # | Funder | Location | Annual giving | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation | Omaha, NE | $1.5B | 417 |
| 2 | The Andrew W Mellon Foundation | New York, NY | $555.0M | 848 |
| 3 | The Schmidt Family Foundation | Palo Alto, CA | $185.4M | 695 |
| 4 | The Greater Cincinnati Foundation | Cincinnati, OH | $184.4M | 1,408 |
| 5 | The Oregon Community Foundation | Portland, OR | $171.4M | 2,149 |
| 6 | Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago | Chicago, IL | $166.6M | 896 |
| 7 | Tulsa Community Foundation | Tulsa, OK | $158.6M | 1,066 |
| 8 | John S and James L Knight Foundation | Miami, FL | $147.7M | 513 |
| 9 | Community Foundation of Greater Memphis Inc | Memphis, TN | $134.3M | 761 |
| 10 | The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee Inc | Nashville, TN | $107.1M | 2,450 |
Ranked by grants reported on each funder's latest 990. Only grantmakers with at least 5 grants are ranked; 3 organizations that reported large giving in fewer grants (usually one transfer to an affiliated charity) are left out.
Most common focus areas
- Education 2,406 · 97%
- Health 15 · 1%
- Human Services 7 · 0%
- Recreation & Sports 5 · 0%
- Arts, Culture & Humanities 5 · 0%
- Crime & Legal Related 4 · 0%
Share of grantmakers with a program NTEE code (59% carry any NTEE code); general grantmaking foundations (NTEE T) are not counted.
Where these funders are based
- California 376 · $401.3M
- Texas 341 · $135.2M
- New York 251 · $824.2M
- Florida 229 · $225.1M
- Pennsylvania 221 · $191.7M
- Illinois 217 · $215.1M
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 4,719 foundations and grantmakers
The Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation
Omaha, NE
Assets
$2.7B
Grants
417
Total Given
$1.5B
The Andrew W Mellon Foundation
New York, NY
Assets
$7.8B
Grants
848
Total Given
$555.0M
University of Wisconsin Foundation
Madison, WI
Assets
$6.3B
Grants
5
Total Given
$548.8M
Indiana University Foundation
Bloomington, IN
Assets
$4.7B
Grants
4
Total Given
$403.6M
The Schmidt Family Foundation
Palo Alto, CA
Assets
$2.0B
Grants
695
Total Given
$185.4M
The Greater Cincinnati Foundation
Cincinnati, OH
Assets
$1.0B
Grants
1,408
Total Given
$184.4M
The Oregon Community Foundation
Portland, OR
Assets
$3.3B
Grants
2,149
Total Given
$171.4M
Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago
Chicago, IL
Assets
$1.1B
Grants
896
Total Given
$166.6M
Tulsa Community Foundation
Tulsa, OK
Assets
$1.1B
Grants
1,066
Total Given
$158.6M
John S and James L Knight Foundation
Miami, FL
Assets
$2.5B
Grants
513
Total Given
$147.7M
Community Foundation of Greater Memphis Inc
Memphis, TN
Assets
$953.1M
Grants
761
Total Given
$134.3M
Northwestern University
Evanston, IL
Assets
$20.8B
Grants
383
Total Given
$133.4M
Rutgers University Foundation
New Brunswick, NJ
Assets
$96.5M
Grants
1
Total Given
$111.6M
Trustees of Boston University
Boston, MA
Assets
$9.3B
Grants
268
Total Given
$109.8M
Mound Farm Holdings Inc
Cedar Rapids, IA
Assets
—
Grants
1
Total Given
$109.3M
The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee Inc
Nashville, TN
Assets
$832.0M
Grants
2,450
Total Given
$107.1M
Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation
Kansas City, MO
Assets
$2.5B
Grants
364
Total Given
$95.0M
University of Maryland College Park Foundation Inc
College Park, MD
Assets
$1.2B
Grants
1
Total Given
$92.4M
Alfred P Sloan Foundation
New York, NY
Assets
$2.2B
Grants
522
Total Given
$89.0M
Washington State University Foundation
Pullman, WA
Assets
$840.7M
Grants
1
Total Given
$85.0M
Montana State University Foundation Inc
Bozeman, MT
Assets
$529.1M
Grants
1
Total Given
$73.1M
University of Louisville Foundation Inc
Louisville, KY
Assets
$1.2B
Grants
2
Total Given
$67.5M
Central Pennsylvania Scholarship Fund
Tyrone, PA
Assets
$77.1M
Grants
436
Total Given
$64.5M
Charles Koch Foundation
Arlington, VA
Assets
$758.9M
Grants
93
Total Given
$64.1M
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
Which funders in this list give the most?
By grants reported on their latest 990s, the largest are The Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation ($1.5B across 417 grants), The Andrew W Mellon Foundation ($555.0M) and The Schmidt Family Foundation ($185.4M). Together the top 10 account for 59% of the $5.5B given by the 1,598 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 $10K (the median of each grantmaker's average grant). Half of these grantmakers gave less than $44K 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 (376), Texas (341) and New York (251). 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.