Foundations That Fund Small Nonprofits
178,750 grantmakers in this list reported grants on their latest 990s. The largest by giving are Gates Foundation, Lilly Endowment Inc and Silicon Valley Community 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
178,750
reported grants on latest 990
Median annual giving
$75K
per grantmaker
Top 10 funders by annual giving
| # | Funder | Location | Annual giving | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gates Foundation | Seattle, WA | $6.3B | 4,974 |
| 2 | Lilly Endowment Inc | Indianapolis, IN | $3.9B | 2,285 |
| 3 | Silicon Valley Community Foundation | Mountain View, CA | $3.2B | 3,576 |
| 4 | The Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation | Omaha, NE | $1.5B | 417 |
| 5 | The Chicago Community Trust | Chicago, IL | $1.2B | 4,316 |
| 6 | The Bloomberg Family Foundation Inc | New York, NY | $1.0B | 203 |
| 7 | The Ford Foundation | New York, NY | $844.7M | 4,007 |
| 8 | Sergey Brin Family Foundation | San Francisco, CA | $698.9M | 170 |
| 9 | The William & Flora Hewlett Foundation | Menlo Park, CA | $625.0M | 2,001 |
| 10 | The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation | Princeton, NJ | $622.6M | 3,093 |
Ranked by grants reported on each funder's latest 990. Only grantmakers with at least 5 grants are ranked; 16 organizations that reported large giving in fewer grants (usually one transfer to an affiliated charity) are left out.
Source: IRS Form 990 and 990-PF filings, latest available year per organization (most of the largest funders' latest filing: tax year 2024). Totals are omitted for lists this large; the table covers the top funders.
Showing 68,849 grantmakers with 5+ grants on their latest 990, most giving first
Gates Foundation
Seattle, WA
Assets
$78.7B
Grants
4,974
Total Given
$6.3B
Lilly Endowment Inc
Indianapolis, IN
Assets
$105.9B
Grants
2,285
Total Given
$3.9B
Silicon Valley Community Foundation
Mountain View, CA
Assets
$12.3B
Grants
3,576
Total Given
$3.2B
The Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation
Omaha, NE
Assets
$2.7B
Grants
417
Total Given
$1.5B
The Chicago Community Trust
Chicago, IL
Assets
$7.1B
Grants
4,316
Total Given
$1.2B
The Bloomberg Family Foundation Inc
New York, NY
Assets
$12.1B
Grants
203
Total Given
$1.0B
The Ford Foundation
New York, NY
Assets
$17.5B
Grants
4,007
Total Given
$844.7M
Sergey Brin Family Foundation
San Francisco, CA
Assets
$4.3B
Grants
170
Total Given
$698.9M
The William & Flora Hewlett Foundation
Menlo Park, CA
Assets
$14.2B
Grants
2,001
Total Given
$625.0M
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Princeton, NJ
Assets
$13.4B
Grants
3,093
Total Given
$622.6M
Foundation for the Carolinas
Charlotte, NC
Assets
$3.9B
Grants
1,605
Total Given
$609.1M
Walton Family Foundation Inc
Bentonville, AR
Assets
$6.1B
Grants
1,020
Total Given
$562.3M
The Andrew W Mellon Foundation
New York, NY
Assets
$7.8B
Grants
848
Total Given
$555.0M
Legal Services Corporation
Washington, DC
Assets
$208.1M
Grants
132
Total Given
$544.9M
UCLA Foundation
Los Angeles, CA
Assets
$6.3B
Grants
82
Total Given
$536.7M
Cornelia T Bailey Charitable Trust
West Palm Beach, FL
Assets
—
Grants
108
Total Given
$489.0M
Pivotal Philanthropies Foundation
Redmond, WA
Assets
$7.4B
Grants
132
Total Given
$484.7M
Blue Meridian Partners Inc
New York, NY
Assets
$2.4B
Grants
99
Total Given
$484.2M
Foundation to Promote Open Society
New York, NY
Assets
$10.8B
Grants
738
Total Given
$481.5M
Musk Foundation
Austin, TX
Assets
$463.0M
Grants
55
Total Given
$474.3M
Service Credit Union
Portsmouth, NH
Assets
—
Grants
15
Total Given
$473.2M
Freedom Together Foundation
New York, NY
Assets
$3.4B
Grants
595
Total Given
$470.0M
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
Washington, DC
Assets
$3.6B
Grants
1,286
Total Given
$464.4M
The Leona M and Harry B Helmsley
New York, NY
Assets
$7.1B
Grants
570
Total Given
$440.9M
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 Gates Foundation ($6.3B across 4,974 grants), Lilly Endowment Inc ($3.9B) and Silicon Valley Community Foundation ($3.2B). Organizations that reported large giving in fewer grants, usually a single transfer to an affiliated charity, are left out of the ranking.
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.