Private foundations · 990-PF data
Education foundations in the United States
- 39,938
- foundations
- $38.23B
- grants paid, FY2021–FY2025
- 11,285
- say they accept unsolicited
- $5,246
- median grant
Grantlas lists 39,938 private foundations across the United States that fund education, from their 990-PF filings for FY2021–FY2025. Together they paid out $38.23 billion in grants in their latest filing year, and 11,285 of them (28%) say they accept unsolicited requests. The most common home states are California (3,417), New York (3,331) and Texas (3,166).
Top 25 of 39,938 foundations
All 25 foundations below say on their 990-PF that they accept unsolicited requests. Another 11,260 in this list say so too. Ranked by what they paid in grants in their latest filing.
| Funder | Median grant | Grants paid, latest filing | Grant range | Filing year | Fit score & contacts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lilly Endowment IncIndianapolis, IN | $100,000 | $3.86B | $50–$400M | FY2025 | |
| The Robert Wood Johnson FoundationPrinceton, NJ | $40,000 | $622.6M | $125–$12.2M | FY2024 | |
| WK Kellogg FoundationBattle Creek, MI | $100,000 | $303.9M | $50–$5M | FY2024 | |
| The Duke EndowmentCharlotte, NC | $205,535 | $222.5M | $5,000–$21.5M | FY2023 | |
| Robert W Woodruff Foundation IncAtlanta, GA | $1.5M | $190.3M | $75,000–$90M | FY2025 | |
| O'Donnell FoundationDallas, TX | $1M | $187.4M | $10,000–$38.4M | FY2025 | |
| Carnegie Corporation of New YorkNew York, NY | $208,000 | $174.4M | $500–$3M | FY2024 | |
| Fidelity FoundationBoston, MA | $400 | $156.2M | $10–$10M | FY2024 | |
| The William Penn FoundationPhiladelphia, PA | $35,555 | $143.5M | $30–$14.4M | FY2022 | |
| The Ralph C Wilson Jr FoundationDetroit, MI | $100,000 | $141.2M | $81–$10M | FY2024 | |
| Richard King Mellon FoundationLigonier, PA | $220,000 | $116.7M | $2,000–$10M | FY2024 | |
| Wal-Mart FoundationBentonville, AR | $430,000 | $112.2M | $5,000–$8.5M | FY2024 | |
| The Sarofim FoundationHouston, TX | $250,000 | $105.2M | $25,000–$8M | FY2024 | |
| The Rees-Jones FoundationDallas, TX | $75,000 | $103.9M | $1,200–$40M | FY2024 | |
| Harold Alfond FoundationPortland, ME | $250,000 | $102.7M | $150–$28M | FY2024 | |
| Enterprise Holdings FoundationSaint Louis, MO | $3,000 | $100.6M | $3–$101.4M | FY2024 | |
| Jack Joseph & Morton Mandel FoundationCleveland, OH | $15,000 | $91.6M | $50–$19.7M | FY2023 | |
| Joseph B Whitehead FoundationAtlanta, GA | $450,000 | $76.1M | $100,000–$15.9M | FY2025 | |
| The Meinders FoundationOklahoma City, OK | $200,000 | $74.6M | $1,000–$18M | FY2025 | |
| Stanley M Herzog Charitable FoundationSmithville, MO | $6,250 | $68.3M | $1,000–$59.8M | FY2024 | |
| The Ahmanson FoundationBeverly Hills, CA | $50,000 | $65.5M | $2,000–$6.3M | FY2023 | |
| Wayne and Gladys Valley FoundationOakland, CA | $25,000 | $63.1M | $10,000–$20M | FY2024 | |
| Surdna Foundation IncNew York, NY | $90,000 | $56.5M | $500–$4.1M | FY2024 | |
| The Norcliffe FoundationSeattle, WA | $20,000 | $56.5M | $500–$7.1M | FY2024 | |
| The Eugene McDermott FoundationDallas, TX | $50,000 | $55.5M | $5,000–$10M | FY2024 |
- Median grant and grant range come from the grant schedule of the 990-PF. A dash means that foundation filed none, and “one amount” means every grant it filed was for the same figure.
Data from 990-PF filings, FY2021–FY2025. Updated September 20, 2026.