Women's Foundations & Grantmakers
648 grantmakers in this list reported grants on their latest 990s. The 280 that made at least 5 grants gave $4.3B. The largest by giving are The Ford Foundation, The William & Flora Hewlett Foundation and Freedom Together 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
648
reported grants on latest 990
Annual giving
$4.3B
from the 280 with 5+ grants
Typical grant
$43K
median of each funder's average grant
Median annual giving
$241K
per grantmaker
Top 10 funders by annual giving
| # | Funder | Location | Annual giving | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Ford Foundation | New York, NY | $844.7M | 4,007 |
| 2 | The William & Flora Hewlett Foundation | Menlo Park, CA | $625.0M | 2,001 |
| 3 | Freedom Together Foundation | New York, NY | $470.0M | 595 |
| 4 | American Heart Association Inc | Dallas, TX | $198.2M | 833 |
| 5 | UPMC Group | Pittsburgh, PA | $189.8M | 395 |
| 6 | World Vision Inc | Federal Way, WA | $157.4M | 410 |
| 7 | Orange County Community Foundation | Irvine, CA | $120.4M | 975 |
| 8 | The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee Inc | Nashville, TN | $107.1M | 2,450 |
| 9 | The San Diego Foundation | San Diego, CA | $94.3M | 1,158 |
| 10 | The Heinz Endowments | Pittsburgh, PA | $85.4M | 550 |
Ranked by grants reported on each funder's latest 990. Only grantmakers with at least 5 grants are ranked.
Most common focus areas
- Human Services 34 · 17%
- Community Improvement & Capacity Building 26 · 13%
- Youth Development 23 · 12%
- Health 20 · 10%
- Civil Rights, Social Action & Advocacy 16 · 8%
- Education 16 · 8%
Share of grantmakers with a program NTEE code (41% carry any NTEE code); general grantmaking foundations (NTEE T) are not counted.
Where these funders are based
- California 103 · $1.2B
- New York 73 · $1.6B
- Texas 43 · $311.5M
- Florida 40 · $48.7M
- Illinois 29 · $36.3M
- Pennsylvania 27 · $371.7M
Source: IRS Form 990 and 990-PF filings, latest available year per organization (most of the largest funders' latest filing: tax year 2024).
Showing all 686 foundations and grantmakers
The Ford Foundation
New York, NY
Assets
$17.5B
Grants
4,007
Total Given
$844.7M
The William & Flora Hewlett Foundation
Menlo Park, CA
Assets
$14.2B
Grants
2,001
Total Given
$625.0M
Freedom Together Foundation
New York, NY
Assets
$3.4B
Grants
595
Total Given
$470.0M
Tides Foundation
San Francisco, CA
Assets
$534.5M
Grants
2,110
Total Given
$394.3M
Kaiser Foundation Hospitals
Oakland, CA
Assets
$87.4B
Grants
1,122
Total Given
$225.4M
American Heart Association Inc
Dallas, TX
Assets
$2.0B
Grants
833
Total Given
$198.2M
UPMC Group
Pittsburgh, PA
Assets
$14.5B
Grants
395
Total Given
$189.8M
World Vision Inc
Federal Way, WA
Assets
$515.3M
Grants
410
Total Given
$157.4M
Community Food Bank Of New Jersey Inc
Hillside, NJ
Assets
$125.2M
Grants
705
Total Given
$151.0M
Orange County Community Foundation
Irvine, CA
Assets
$743.6M
Grants
975
Total Given
$120.4M
Hopewell Fund
Washington, DC
Assets
$172.9M
Grants
256
Total Given
$112.3M
The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee Inc
Nashville, TN
Assets
$832.0M
Grants
2,450
Total Given
$107.1M
The San Diego Foundation
San Diego, CA
Assets
$1.7B
Grants
1,158
Total Given
$94.3M
The Heinz Endowments
Pittsburgh, PA
Assets
$2.2B
Grants
550
Total Given
$85.4M
St David's Foundation
Austin, TX
Assets
$2.0B
Grants
145
Total Given
$85.1M
The University of Cincinnati Foundation
Cincinnati, OH
Assets
$970.9M
Grants
1
Total Given
$83.3M
The Breast Cancer Research Foundation Inc
New York, NY
Assets
$220.5M
Grants
76
Total Given
$61.1M
Seminole Boosters Inc
Tallahassee, FL
Assets
$219.4M
Grants
6
Total Given
$58.3M
Community Partners
Los Angeles, CA
Assets
$85.9M
Grants
565
Total Given
$57.5M
Tides Center
San Francisco, CA
Assets
$297.4M
Grants
461
Total Given
$55.3M
International Rescue Committee INC
New York, NY
Assets
$697.0M
Grants
77
Total Given
$55.0M
Skoll Fund
Mountain View, CA
Assets
$945.8M
Grants
147
Total Given
$51.7M
The Henry Luce Foundation Inc
New York, NY
Assets
$1.1B
Grants
652
Total Given
$49.3M
The Skoll Foundation
Palo Alto, CA
Assets
$846.9M
Grants
157
Total Given
$44.9M
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 The Ford Foundation ($844.7M across 4,007 grants), The William & Flora Hewlett Foundation ($625.0M) and Freedom Together Foundation ($470.0M). Together the top 10 account for 67% of the $4.3B given by the 280 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 $43K (the median of each grantmaker's average grant). Half of these grantmakers gave less than $241K 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 (103), New York (73) and Texas (43). 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.