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How to find foundation grants for a small nonprofit
Most private foundations are small, and so are most of their grants. In 2023 the median grant was $5,000. If your budget is modest, that is good news, as long as you look in the right places.
Published 2026-10-14 · figures queried 2026-10-14 from IRS Form 990-PF filings for tax years 2022 to 2025
What the filings show
Every private foundation files a Form 990-PF with the IRS, and the return lists each grant it paid. We looked at 89,202 foundations whose most recent return shows grants to organizations, and at the 1.45 million grants they reported for 2023.
| Grant size | Share of grants |
|---|---|
| Under $5,000 | 48.2% |
| $5,000 to $24,999 | 29.8% |
| $25,000 to $99,999 | 13.5% |
| $100,000 or more | 8.5% |
2023 is the most complete year we have. We left out one filer, the AmazonSmile Foundation, whose 363,675 very small grants would otherwise pull the median down to about $2,000.
Foundations themselves are mostly small too. More than half give less than $100,000 a year.
| Gives per year | Foundations | Typical grant |
|---|---|---|
| Under $100,000 | 49,981 | $4,500 |
| $100,000 to $1 million | 29,557 | $10,000 |
| $1 million to $10 million | 8,269 | $26,500 |
| $10 million or more | 1,268 | $100,000 |
Giving is each foundation's most recent year on file (2023, 2024 or 2025). Typical grant is the median across foundations of each one's median grant.
1. Start close to home
Among foundations with at least ten grants since 2022, the median one sent 58% of its grants to organizations in its own state. 57% of foundations gave most of their grants in-state, and one in five gave 90% or more there.
So the first list to build is foundations in your state that have funded work like yours. They are more likely to know your community, and you are more likely to know someone who knows them.
2. Size the ask to the funder
A foundation that gives under $1 million a year makes a typical grant of about $5,500. One that gives more makes a typical grant of about $32,000. Asking a small family foundation for $50,000 tells them you didn't read their return.
Look at the foundation's individual grants as well as its total. If most of its grants are $2,500 and a few are $50,000, a first request near the middle of its range is more realistic than one at the top.
3. Read the "preselected" checkbox
The 990-PF asks whether the foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. 70,087 of the 89,202 foundations (79%) tick that box. The other 19,115 don't.
A ticked box doesn't mean the door is shut forever. It means a cold application probably won't be read. Those foundations are where board members, donors and peers who already have a relationship matter. An unticked box isn't an invitation either. Check the foundation's website, if it has one, for how to apply.
4. Look at who funds organizations like yours
Pick five to ten nonprofits similar to yours in mission, size and region. Then find the foundations whose 990-PF grant lists include them. A foundation that funded three of your peers is a better lead than one that matches a keyword.
Read the purpose line on those grants too. "General support" and "for the food pantry program" tell you different things about what the foundation will fund.
5. Don't stop at funders with a history
Searching past grants only finds foundations that have filed. About 10,000 private grantmaking foundations approved since late 2023 haven't filed a 990-PF yet. We wrote up where they are and how to approach them.
Limits of these numbers
- 990-PF data lags. The IRS releases returns a year or more after they are filed, so 2024 and 2025 are still incomplete.
- Corporate foundations that match employee gifts report many small grants and pull the medians down a little.
- "Home state" is the foundation's address. A foundation in one state with a mission in another will look like it gives out of state.
- These figures cover private foundations only. Community foundations and other public charities that make grants file a different form and are not included.
Frequently asked
What is a typical foundation grant for a small nonprofit?
In 2023 the median grant from a private foundation to an organization was $5,000, across about 1.45 million grants reported on Form 990-PF. Foundations that give less than $1 million a year have a typical grant of about $5,500. Larger foundations give larger grants, a typical $32,000, but there are far fewer of them.
What does "contributions only to preselected organizations" mean on a 990-PF?
It is a checkbox the foundation ticks to say it does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. 79% of grantmaking foundations tick it. It does not mean the foundation never funds new organizations, but it does mean an application out of the blue is unlikely to be read. Look for a personal connection or an introduction first.
Should a small nonprofit apply to big national foundations?
Usually not first. Most foundations are small and most of their grants stay in their home state: the median foundation sends 58% of its grants there. A local family foundation that gives $5,000 grants is a far more realistic first funder than a national foundation whose typical grant is $100,000.
Where can I see a foundation’s past grants for free?
On its Form 990-PF, which lists each grant it paid: the recipient, the amount and the purpose. The IRS publishes the filings for free, and several free sites display them. Our free grant data sources page lists where to get them.
See free grant data sources for where to get 990-PF filings.
Using this page
You're welcome to cite or link this page. If a figure looks wrong, tell us at hello@fundmesa.com.
FundMesa's Find funding add-on does these steps with the same IRS data: search by what funders gave and where, filter by grant size and the preselected checkbox, and list the funders of organizations like yours.