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New private foundations since late 2023
Between October 2023 and August 2026 the IRS approved 10,093 private grantmaking foundations that still have no Form 990-PF on public record. A search of past grants can't find them, because they don't have any yet.
Published 2026-10-14 · figures queried 2026-10-14 from the IRS list of tax-exempt organizations (as released in September 2026) and IRS 990-PF e-file data
What we counted
The IRS list of tax-exempt organizations gives each private foundation a foundation code and a ruling date. We counted organizations with code 04, the private non-operating foundation, which is the kind that makes grants to other organizations. We kept the ones ruled on or after October 1, 2023, and dropped any that already have a 990-PF in our IRS data.
That leaves 10,093. If you also count operating foundations (codes 02 and 03) and the foundations from the same period that have already filed, the number is 20,844. The smaller figure is the useful one for prospecting: these are grantmakers you won't find any other way.
| Ruled in | Foundations |
|---|---|
| 2023 (October to December only) | 239 |
| 2024 | 3,004 |
| 2025 | 3,427 |
| 2026 (January to August) | 3,423 |
| Total | 10,093 |
2023 is small because most foundations ruled that year have filed since and dropped out of the count. August 2026 is the latest month on the IRS list and may be incomplete.
Where they are
By the foundation's address. Larger states lead, as you'd expect. California alone has more than 1,100.
| State | Foundations |
|---|---|
| California | 1,148 |
| Texas | 931 |
| Florida | 919 |
| New York | 508 |
| Georgia | 389 |
| New Jersey | 359 |
| Ohio | 344 |
| Illinois | 343 |
| North Carolina | 294 |
| Pennsylvania | 285 |
What they say they fund
The IRS assigns each organization a National Taxonomy of Exempt Entities (NTEE) code. For a foundation it describes the foundation's own stated purpose, which may be broad. The largest group is coded as general philanthropy, meaning no single field.
| Field (NTEE letter) | Foundations |
|---|---|
| Philanthropy and grantmaking (T) | 2,273 |
| Education (B) | 1,358 |
| Human services (P) | 1,073 |
| Recreation and sports (N) | 962 |
| Arts and culture (A) | 703 |
| Religion (X) | 570 |
| Youth development (O) | 457 |
146 have no NTEE code. Smaller groups are not shown.
Most start filing within two years
Of the 6,443 grantmaking foundations the IRS ruled in calendar 2023, 5,783 (90%) now have a 990-PF in our data. So a new foundation is usually only invisible for a year or two. The ones on this list are the ones you can reach before everyone else can see them.
Assets are mostly blank. 8,977 of the 10,093 (89%) show no assets on the IRS list, 753 show under $100,000, and 157 show $1 million or more. A blank usually means nothing has been reported yet, not that the foundation is empty.
How to approach a new foundation
- Confirm it exists and is in good standing. Look it up in the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search.
- Work out who is behind it. The name and address are often enough. A foundation named for a family, at the address of a family business or a law firm, tells you who to ask about. Your board may already know them.
- Don't send a full proposal. A new foundation rarely has guidelines, a deadline or staff. A short letter or an introduction through someone who knows the family is the usual first step.
- Prefer ones near you, in your field. Filter by your state and by an NTEE group that matches your work. Philanthropy-coded foundations are worth a look too, since that code often just means "general."
- Check back after the first 990-PF. A 990-PF is due by the 15th day of the fifth month after the foundation's tax year ends. Once it is public, you can see who the foundation actually funded and how much.
Limits of these numbers
- "No 990-PF" means none in the IRS e-file data we have loaded. The IRS releases filings a year or more after they are filed, so some of these foundations have filed and we can't see it yet.
- The count changes whenever a new batch of filings is released. Figures here are as of 2026-10-14.
- Location is the foundation's mailing address, which is not always where it gives.
Frequently asked
How many new private foundations are there?
As of October 14, 2026, FundMesa counts 10,093 private grantmaking foundations (IRS foundation code 04) that the IRS approved on or after October 1, 2023 and that have not yet filed a Form 990-PF in the IRS data we hold. If you count every type of private foundation, including operating foundations and ones that have already filed, the figure for the same period is 20,844.
Why don’t new foundations show up in grant databases?
Most funder databases are built from Form 990-PF filings, which list the grants a foundation paid. A foundation approved in the last year or two often has not filed its first 990-PF yet, and the IRS releases filings to the public a year or more after they are filed. Until then there is no giving history to search.
How do I find out who runs a new foundation?
Start with the name and address on the IRS list. Many new foundations carry a family or company name and share an address with a family office, law firm or business. Confirm its status in the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Once it files a 990-PF, the return lists its officers, directors and trustees.
Do new foundations have to give money away?
A private non-operating foundation is generally required to pay out about 5% of the value of its investment assets each year, so a foundation with real assets will need to make grants. Many new foundations hold little at first; 89% of the ones counted here show no assets on the IRS list yet, though that is often because they have not reported any.
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 lists these foundations separately from funders with a giving history, with the date each was approved. Follow one and it becomes a full funder profile when its first 990-PF is loaded. For the rest of the search, see how to find foundation grants for a small nonprofit.