Foundations & Grantmakers in Virginia
4,085 grantmakers in Virginia reported grants on their latest 990s. The 1,681 that made at least 5 grants gave $4.7B. The largest by giving are Charities Aid Foundation America, National Community Pharmacists and Stand Together C4 Fund. 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.
Looking for open funding opportunities instead? Browse Virginia grants
Foundation giving in Virginia at a glance
Active grantmakers
4,085
reported grants on latest 990
Annual giving
$4.7B
from the 1,681 with 5+ grants
Typical grant
$19K
median of each funder's average grant
Median annual giving
$79K
per grantmaker
Top 10 foundations in Virginia by annual giving
| # | Funder | City | Annual giving | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charities Aid Foundation America | Alexandria | $556.0M | 14,494 |
| 2 | National Community Pharmacists | Alexandria | $517.7M | 6 |
| 3 | Stand Together C4 Fund | Arlington | $294.1M | 9 |
| 4 | Donors Trust Inc | Alexandria | $282.1M | 919 |
| 5 | US Committee for Refugees | Arlington | $195.9M | 142 |
| 6 | Virginia Tech Foundation Inc | Blacksburg | $121.2M | 5 |
| 7 | Article IV | Arlington | $69.5M | 49 |
| 8 | The Nature Conservancy | Arlington | $67.8M | 671 |
| 9 | Red Gates Foundation | Richmond | $67.3M | 33 |
| 10 | Charles Koch Foundation | Arlington | $64.1M | 93 |
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 259 · 24%
- Human Services 115 · 11%
- Health 94 · 9%
- Community Improvement & Capacity Building 69 · 7%
- Arts, Culture & Humanities 67 · 6%
- Environment & Animals 60 · 6%
Share of grantmakers with a program NTEE code (45% carry any NTEE code); general grantmaking foundations (NTEE T) are not counted.
Community foundations in Virginia
- The Community Foundation Inc $61.8M · 917 grants
- Hampton Roads Community Foundation $31.1M · 329 grants
- Charlottesville Area Community $27.9M · 437 grants
- The Community Foundation of Harrisonburg $9.4M · 204 grants
- The Community Foundation for Northern $7.1M · 218 grants
- Community Foundation for Loudoun $4.2M · 112 grants
- Arlington Community Foundation $3.0M · 114 grants
- Community Foundation $2.8M · 84 grants
Showing the largest 8 of 22 with at least 10 grants.
Source: IRS Form 990 and 990-PF filings, latest available year per organization (most of the largest funders' latest filing: tax year 2025).
Most open to new grantees in Virginia
Foundations based in Virginia whose latest grant list had the largest share of organizations they had not funded in any earlier year on file.
| # | Funder | First-time grantees | Grantees | Avg first grant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ellucian Foundation | 82% (31) | 38 in 2025 | $15K |
| 2 | Weissberg Foundation | 78% (82) | 105 in 2024 | $76K |
| 3 | Tegna Foundation Inc | 74% (59) | 80 in 2024 | $6K |
| 4 | Moore's Charitable Foundation | 73% (38) | 52 in 2024 | $7K |
| 5 | American Bird Conservancy | 70% (45) | 64 in 2024 | $33K |
| 6 | Skewes Family Foundation | 67% (24) | 36 in 2025 | $10K |
| 7 | Hilton Global Foundation | 66% (21) | 32 in 2024 | $146K |
| 8 | Marion Park Lewis Foundation | 65% (34) | 52 in 2025 | $4K |
| 9 | Scott Cares Foundation | 65% (35) | 54 in 2025 | $1K |
| 10 | Virginia Innovation Partnership | 65% (40) | 62 in 2025 | $57K |
Estimate from itemized IRS Form 990 and 990-PF grant lists. Only foundations with at least 20 grants in each of the last three years (and 20 distinct grantees in the latest), a filing from the last 2 years, and first grants averaging at least $1K are ranked; grants to individuals are left out, and recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed grantee can look new. How we calculate this.
Showing all 5,002 foundations and grantmakers in Virginia
Charities Aid Foundation America
Alexandria, VA
Assets
$485.8M
Grants
14,494
Total Given
$556.0M
National Community Pharmacists
Alexandria, VA
Assets
$56.0M
Grants
6
Total Given
$517.7M
Stand Together C4 Fund
Arlington, VA
Assets
$362.9M
Grants
9
Total Given
$294.1M
Donors Trust Inc
Alexandria, VA
Assets
$1.4B
Grants
919
Total Given
$282.1M
US Committee for Refugees
Arlington, VA
Assets
$136.5M
Grants
142
Total Given
$195.9M
Virginia Tech Foundation Inc
Blacksburg, VA
Assets
$3.1B
Grants
5
Total Given
$121.2M
Stand Together Foundation
Arlington, VA
Assets
$223.4M
Grants
1
Total Given
$93.3M
University of Virginia Alumni
Charlottesville, VA
Assets
$673.6M
Grants
1
Total Given
$84.2M
Medical College of VA Foundation
Richmond, VA
Assets
$1.1B
Grants
1
Total Given
$73.5M
Article IV
Arlington, VA
Assets
—
Grants
49
Total Given
$69.5M
The Nature Conservancy
Arlington, VA
Assets
$10.1B
Grants
671
Total Given
$67.8M
Red Gates Foundation
Richmond, VA
Assets
$1.5B
Grants
33
Total Given
$67.3M
Charles Koch Foundation
Arlington, VA
Assets
$758.9M
Grants
93
Total Given
$64.1M
Sentara Health
Virginia Beach, VA
Assets
$7.2B
Grants
325
Total Given
$63.8M
Charles Koch Charitable Fund
Arlington, VA
Assets
$79.3M
Grants
1
Total Given
$63.0M
The Community Foundation Inc
Richmond, VA
Assets
$852.4M
Grants
917
Total Given
$61.8M
George Mason University Foundation Inc
Fairfax, VA
Assets
$554.3M
Grants
10
Total Given
$61.6M
Public Interest Registry
Reston, VA
Assets
$71.4M
Grants
10
Total Given
$61.2M
Virginia Early Childhood Foundation
Henrico, VA
Assets
$17.5M
Grants
9
Total Given
$57.9M
University of Virginia Physicians Group
Charlottesville, VA
Assets
$513.2M
Grants
3
Total Given
$56.1M
Commonwealth Foundation for Cancer
Richmond, VA
Assets
$50.9M
Grants
8
Total Given
$55.9M
Sentara Hospitals
Virginia Beach, VA
Assets
$2.7B
Grants
7
Total Given
$54.9M
The George Washington University
Ashburn, VA
Assets
$5.5B
Grants
191
Total Given
$54.1M
William & Mary Foundation
Williamsburg, VA
Assets
$1.5B
Grants
28
Total Given
$52.7M
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
Questions about foundations in Virginia
What are the largest foundations in Virginia?
By grants reported on their latest 990s, the largest are Charities Aid Foundation America ($556.0M across 14,494 grants), National Community Pharmacists ($517.7M) and Stand Together C4 Fund ($294.1M). Together the top 10 account for 47% of the $4.7B given by the 1,681 grantmakers in Virginia 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 foundation grant in Virginia?
The typical grant is about $19K (the median of each grantmaker's average grant). Half of these grantmakers gave less than $79K 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.
Are there community foundations in Virginia?
Yes. We found 22 community foundations in Virginia with grant activity. The largest by giving are The Community Foundation Inc, Hampton Roads Community Foundation and Charlottesville Area Community. Community foundations pool gifts from many local donors and usually run open grant rounds for nonprofits in their area, which makes them a good first stop for local funding.
How do I find Virginia foundations that 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 in Virginia 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.