Workforce Development Foundations & Grantmakers
1,253 grantmakers in this list reported grants on their latest 990s. The 471 that made at least 5 grants gave $6.4B. The largest by giving are The Ford Foundation, Good Ventures Foundation and Catholic Charities Diocese of Fort Worth. 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
1,253
reported grants on latest 990
Annual giving
$6.4B
from the 471 with 5+ grants
Typical grant
$48K
median of each funder's average grant
Median annual giving
$212K
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 | Good Ventures Foundation | Palo Alto, CA | $306.7M | 565 |
| 3 | Catholic Charities Diocese of Fort Worth | Fort Worth, TX | $226.0M | 20 |
| 4 | The New York Community Trust | New York, NY | $193.8M | 2,748 |
| 5 | Laura and John Arnold Foundation | Houston, TX | $193.3M | 789 |
| 6 | Corporation for Public Broadcasting | Washington, DC | $175.8M | 555 |
| 7 | Mother Cabrini Health Foundation Inc | New York, NY | $172.6M | 601 |
| 8 | Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago | Chicago, IL | $166.6M | 896 |
| 9 | Michael & Susan Dell Foundation | Austin, TX | $164.6M | 835 |
| 10 | Alamo Workforce Development Inc | San Antonio, TX | $163.1M | 10 |
Ranked by grants reported on each funder's latest 990. Only grantmakers with at least 5 grants are ranked; 1 organization that reported large giving in fewer grants (usually one transfer to an affiliated charity) is left out.
Most common focus areas
- Employment 358 · 73%
- Education 54 · 11%
- Human Services 19 · 4%
- Community Improvement & Capacity Building 11 · 2%
- Arts, Culture & Humanities 9 · 2%
- Health 7 · 1%
Share of grantmakers with a program NTEE code (44% carry any NTEE code); general grantmaking foundations (NTEE T) are not counted.
Where these funders are based
- California 133 · $725.1M
- New York 115 · $1.7B
- Illinois 78 · $412.3M
- Pennsylvania 74 · $426.0M
- Texas 57 · $931.5M
- Wisconsin 47 · $133.3M
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 1,409 foundations and grantmakers
The Ford Foundation
New York, NY
Assets
$17.5B
Grants
4,007
Total Given
$844.7M
Good Ventures Foundation
Palo Alto, CA
Assets
$10.1B
Grants
565
Total Given
$306.7M
Jobsohio Beverage System
Columbus, OH
Assets
$1.1B
Grants
1
Total Given
$255.0M
Catholic Charities Diocese of Fort Worth
Fort Worth, TX
Assets
$76.9M
Grants
20
Total Given
$226.0M
The New York Community Trust
New York, NY
Assets
$3.5B
Grants
2,748
Total Given
$193.8M
Laura and John Arnold Foundation
Houston, TX
Assets
$4.8B
Grants
789
Total Given
$193.3M
Corporation for Public Broadcasting
Washington, DC
Assets
—
Grants
555
Total Given
$175.8M
Mother Cabrini Health Foundation Inc
New York, NY
Assets
$3.9B
Grants
601
Total Given
$172.6M
Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago
Chicago, IL
Assets
$1.1B
Grants
896
Total Given
$166.6M
Michael & Susan Dell Foundation
Austin, TX
Assets
$7.8B
Grants
835
Total Given
$164.6M
Alamo Workforce Development Inc
San Antonio, TX
Assets
$34.3M
Grants
10
Total Given
$163.1M
Community Food Bank Of New Jersey Inc
Hillside, NJ
Assets
$125.2M
Grants
705
Total Given
$151.0M
The William Penn Foundation
Philadelphia, PA
Assets
$3.4B
Grants
1,027
Total Given
$148.8M
Delivering Good Inc
New York, NY
Assets
$3.2M
Grants
131
Total Given
$132.4M
Santa Barbara Foundation
Santa Barbara, CA
Assets
$503.6M
Grants
447
Total Given
$107.7M
Robert R McCormick Foundation
Chicago, IL
Assets
$1.8B
Grants
255
Total Given
$106.1M
The Rees-Jones Foundation
Dallas, TX
Assets
$666.1M
Grants
177
Total Given
$103.9M
Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation
Kansas City, MO
Assets
$2.5B
Grants
364
Total Given
$95.0M
The San Diego Foundation
San Diego, CA
Assets
$1.7B
Grants
1,158
Total Given
$94.3M
Community Foundation of New Jersey
Morristown, NJ
Assets
$1.0B
Grants
1,321
Total Given
$93.8M
Alfred P Sloan Foundation
New York, NY
Assets
$2.2B
Grants
522
Total Given
$89.0M
The Heinz Endowments
Pittsburgh, PA
Assets
$2.2B
Grants
550
Total Given
$85.4M
Philabundance
Philadelphia, PA
Assets
$41.6M
Grants
359
Total Given
$85.3M
United Way for Southeastern Michigan
Detroit, MI
Assets
$59.9M
Grants
360
Total Given
$81.1M
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 Ford Foundation ($844.7M across 4,007 grants), Good Ventures Foundation ($306.7M) and Catholic Charities Diocese of Fort Worth ($226.0M). Together the top 10 account for 41% of the $6.4B given by the 471 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 $48K (the median of each grantmaker's average grant). Half of these grantmakers gave less than $212K 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 (133), New York (115) and Illinois (78). 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.