Foundations That Fund Youth Programs
4,343 grantmakers in this list reported grants on their latest 990s. The 1,626 that made at least 5 grants gave $15.0B. The largest by giving are Lilly Endowment Inc, The Ford 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
4,343
reported grants on latest 990
Annual giving
$15.0B
from the 1,626 with 5+ grants
Typical grant
$27K
median of each funder's average grant
Median annual giving
$112K
per grantmaker
Top 10 funders by annual giving
| # | Funder | Location | Annual giving | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lilly Endowment Inc | Indianapolis, IN | $3.9B | 2,285 |
| 2 | The Ford Foundation | New York, NY | $844.7M | 4,007 |
| 3 | Freedom Together Foundation | New York, NY | $470.0M | 595 |
| 4 | Feed the Children Inc | Oklahoma City, OK | $343.7M | 487 |
| 5 | WK Kellogg Foundation | Battle Creek, MI | $303.9M | 1,818 |
| 6 | Central Florida Behavioral Health Network Inc | Tampa, FL | $293.6M | 85 |
| 7 | Conrad N Hilton Foundation | Westlake Village, CA | $287.7M | 1,339 |
| 8 | Columbus Foundation | Columbus, OH | $242.7M | 1,747 |
| 9 | The Arthur M Blank Family Foundation | Atlanta, GA | $212.1M | 586 |
| 10 | The Oregon Community Foundation | Portland, OR | $171.4M | 2,149 |
Ranked by grants reported on each funder's latest 990. Only grantmakers with at least 5 grants are ranked; 2 organizations that reported large giving in fewer grants (usually one transfer to an affiliated charity) are left out.
Most common focus areas
- Youth Development 742 · 53%
- Human Services 203 · 15%
- Education 161 · 12%
- Arts, Culture & Humanities 44 · 3%
- Recreation & Sports 36 · 3%
- Crime & Legal Related 32 · 2%
Share of grantmakers with a program NTEE code (43% carry any NTEE code); general grantmaking foundations (NTEE T) are not counted.
Where these funders are based
- California 537 · $1.4B
- Texas 310 · $403.4M
- Florida 300 · $909.0M
- New York 278 · $1.9B
- Pennsylvania 188 · $452.3M
- Illinois 187 · $352.4M
Source: IRS Form 990 and 990-PF filings, latest available year per organization (most of the largest funders' latest filing: tax year 2024).
Showing 1,626 grantmakers with 5+ grants on their latest 990, most giving first
Lilly Endowment Inc
Indianapolis, IN
Assets
$105.9B
Grants
2,285
Total Given
$3.9B
The Ford Foundation
New York, NY
Assets
$17.5B
Grants
4,007
Total Given
$844.7M
Freedom Together Foundation
New York, NY
Assets
$3.4B
Grants
595
Total Given
$470.0M
Feed the Children Inc
Oklahoma City, OK
Assets
$133.3M
Grants
487
Total Given
$343.7M
WK Kellogg Foundation
Battle Creek, MI
Assets
$481.0M
Grants
1,818
Total Given
$303.9M
Central Florida Behavioral Health Network Inc
Tampa, FL
Assets
$45.0M
Grants
85
Total Given
$293.6M
Conrad N Hilton Foundation
Westlake Village, CA
Assets
$7.4B
Grants
1,339
Total Given
$287.7M
Columbus Foundation
Columbus, OH
Assets
$2.8B
Grants
1,747
Total Given
$242.7M
The Arthur M Blank Family Foundation
Atlanta, GA
Assets
$466.3M
Grants
586
Total Given
$212.1M
The Oregon Community Foundation
Portland, OR
Assets
$3.3B
Grants
2,149
Total Given
$171.4M
Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago
Chicago, IL
Assets
$1.1B
Grants
896
Total Given
$166.6M
Charles Stewart Mott Foundation
Flint, MI
Assets
$3.8B
Grants
834
Total Given
$166.4M
Early Learning Coalition of Broward County Inc
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Assets
$15.9M
Grants
636
Total Given
$152.2M
Valhalla Foundation
Woodside, CA
Assets
$527.1M
Grants
80
Total Given
$131.7M
The Denver Foundation
Denver, CO
Assets
$1.3B
Grants
1,184
Total Given
$131.7M
Boys & Girls Clubs of America
Atlanta, GA
Assets
$95.2M
Grants
797
Total Given
$120.5M
Orange County Community Foundation
Irvine, CA
Assets
$743.6M
Grants
975
Total Given
$120.4M
Greater Washington Community Foundation
Washington, DC
Assets
$518.3M
Grants
1,417
Total Given
$116.9M
M J Murdock Charitable Trust
Vancouver, WA
Assets
$2.0B
Grants
797
Total Given
$116.6M
Americares Foundation Inc
Stamford, CT
Assets
$372.5M
Grants
635
Total Given
$113.3M
Santa Barbara Foundation
Santa Barbara, CA
Assets
$503.6M
Grants
447
Total Given
$107.7M
Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation
St. Paul, MN
Assets
$1.7B
Grants
1,473
Total Given
$107.2M
The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee Inc
Nashville, TN
Assets
$832.0M
Grants
2,450
Total Given
$107.1M
Windgate Charitable Foundation Inc
Little Rock, AR
Assets
$421.0M
Grants
341
Total Given
$105.6M
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 Lilly Endowment Inc ($3.9B across 2,285 grants), The Ford Foundation ($844.7M) and Freedom Together Foundation ($470.0M). Together the top 10 account for 47% of the $15.0B given by the 1,626 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 $27K (the median of each grantmaker's average grant). Half of these grantmakers gave less than $112K 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 (537), Texas (310) and Florida (300). 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.