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 all 208,551 foundations and grantmakers
Gates Foundation Trust
Kirkland, WA
Assets
$77.6B
Grants
1
Total Given
$8.1B
Gates Foundation
Seattle, WA
Assets
$78.7B
Grants
4,974
Total Given
$6.3B
National Philanthropic Trust
Jenkintown, PA
Assets
$56.1B
Grants
22,258
Total Given
$6.0B
Feeding America
Chicago, IL
Assets
$572.5M
Grants
234
Total Given
$4.8B
Sanofi Cares North America Formerly the Sanofi Foundation for N America
Morristown, NJ
Assets
—
Grants
1
Total Given
$4.1B
Lilly Endowment Inc
Indianapolis, IN
Assets
$105.9B
Grants
2,285
Total Given
$3.9B
Genentech Patient Foundation
South San Francisco, CA
Assets
$424.1M
Grants
1
Total Given
$3.5B
Silicon Valley Community Foundation
Mountain View, CA
Assets
$12.3B
Grants
3,576
Total Given
$3.2B
Novartis Patient Assistance
East Hanover, NJ
Assets
$382.9M
Grants
1
Total Given
$3.1B
Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program
Southeastern, PA
Assets
$22.2B
Grants
24,269
Total Given
$3.0B
GS Donor Advised Philanthropy Fund for Wealth Management Inc
New York, NY
Assets
$12.7B
Grants
7,424
Total Given
$3.0B
Bristol-Myers Squibb Patient Assistance
Princeton, NJ
Assets
$230.7M
Grants
1
Total Given
$2.7B
Natl Christian Charitable Fdn Inc
Alpharetta, GA
Assets
$6.1B
Grants
16,327
Total Given
$2.6B
Boehringer Ingelheim Cares Foundation Inc
Ridgefield, CT
Assets
$303.0M
Grants
1
Total Given
$2.0B
Gothic Corporation
Durham, NC
Assets
$9.0B
Grants
1
Total Given
$2.0B
Merck Patient Assistance Program Inc
Rahway, NJ
Assets
$26.4M
Grants
1
Total Given
$1.9B
American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities Inc
Memphis, TN
Assets
$10.9B
Grants
1
Total Given
$1.9B
NYU Langone Hospitals
New York, NY
Assets
$13.1B
Grants
6
Total Given
$1.8B
Mayo Clinic Group Return
Rochester, MN
Assets
$17.9B
Grants
293
Total Given
$1.7B
Pfizer Patient Assistance Foundation Inc
New York, NY
Assets
$9.4M
Grants
45
Total Given
$1.5B
The Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation
Omaha, NE
Assets
$2.7B
Grants
417
Total Given
$1.5B
Bayer US Patient Assistance Foundation
Whippany, NJ
Assets
$401.4M
Grants
1
Total Given
$1.4B
Mass General Brigham Incorporated & Affiliates Group Return
Somerville, MA
Assets
$32.2B
Grants
164
Total Given
$1.4B
The Big Ten Conference Inc
Rosemont, IL
Assets
$280.7M
Grants
18
Total Given
$1.4B
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.