Best Private Foundations (2026)

The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation is a New York-based, not-for-profit grantmaking institution dedicated to improving the welfare of all through the advancement of scientific knowledge. Established in 1934 by GM leader Alfred P. Sloan Jr., it makes grants in science, technology, economics, STEM higher education, and public understanding of science. Its programs include the Sloan Research Fellowships for early-career scientists.

The Annie E. Casey Foundation is a Baltimore-based private philanthropy dedicated to building better futures for disadvantaged children in the United States. Its mission is to foster public policies, human-service reforms, and community supports that meet the needs of vulnerable children and families. It is known for national grantmaking, data and policy research, and a highly selective, largely invitation-only grants process.

Arnold Ventures is a Houston-based philanthropy founded by John and Laura Arnold that invests in evidence-based solutions to maximize opportunity and minimize injustice. It supports research on the root causes of America's most persistent problems across criminal justice, health, higher education, infrastructure, and public finance. Note: Arnold Ventures is structured as an LLC, not a traditional private foundation.

The Barr Foundation's mission is to invest in human, natural, and creative potential, serving as thoughtful stewards and catalysts. Based in Boston, it partners with nonprofits, foundations, and public and civic leaders to elevate arts and creative expression, advance equitable climate solutions, and enable all students to actualize their potential. It focuses regionally in New England and selectively engages nationally.

Bloomberg Philanthropies encompasses all of founder Michael R. Bloomberg's charitable giving and is headquartered in New York City. Its mission is ensuring better, longer lives for the greatest number of people, investing in 700 cities and 150 countries. It focuses on creating lasting change in five key areas: the arts, education, environment, government innovation, and public health.

The Bush Foundation, established in 1953 by Archibald and Edyth Bush in St. Paul, Minnesota, aims to inspire and support creative problem solving to make its region better for everyone. It invests in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and the 23 Native nations within that geography. It uses a power-sharing model where community partners design grant programs, evaluate applicants, and regrant dollars.

Carnegie Corporation of New York was created by Andrew Carnegie in 1911 to promote the advancement and diffusion of knowledge and understanding. It seeks to carry out Carnegie's vision of philanthropy doing 'real and permanent good in this world.' Its programs are education, democracy, international peace and security, and higher education and research in Africa.

The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI), founded in 2015 by Dr. Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg, is a philanthropy leveraging technology to help solve challenges including eradicating disease, improving education, and reforming the criminal justice system. Across its focus areas of science, education, and justice & opportunity, it pairs engineering with grantmaking, impact investing, and policy work. Note: CZI is structured as an LLC, not a traditional private foundation.

The Charles Stewart Mott Foundation is a Flint, Michigan private foundation established in 1926 by automotive pioneer Charles Stewart Mott. It supports organizations in its hometown of Flint and communities around the world to promote a just, equitable, and sustainable society. Under its 2026-2035 strategic plan it grants through four programs: Flint Area, Youth Engagement, Environment, and Civil Society.

The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, established in 1944 by hotel entrepreneur Conrad Hilton, aims to improve the lives of individuals living in poverty and experiencing disadvantage worldwide. Its mission, drawn from Hilton's will, is to 'relieve the suffering, the distressed, and the destitute.' It invests in seven initiatives including Catholic Sisters, refugees, safe water, foster and opportunity youth, early childhood development, and homelessness.

The David and Lucile Packard Foundation is a Los Altos, California private foundation created in 1964 by HP co-founder David Packard and his wife Lucile. Its mission is to improve the lives of children, enable the creative pursuit of science, advance reproductive health, and conserve and restore the earth's natural systems. It is one of the largest US philanthropies, making national and international grants.

The Doris Duke Foundation's mission is to improve the quality of people's lives through grants supporting the performing arts, environmental conservation, medical research, and child well-being. It also preserves the cultural and environmental legacy of Doris Duke's properties. Established in 1996, it makes national grants and operates Shangri La, Duke Farms, and Rough Point museums.

The Edna McConnell Clark Foundation is a New York-based institution focused on providing opportunities for low-income youth ages 9-24 in the United States. It makes large, long-term investments, often with other funders, in programs with proven outcomes and growth potential. It is spending down its approximately $1 billion endowment over a decade, accelerating grants to effective nonprofits.

The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, based in Kansas City, Missouri, was established in the mid-1960s by entrepreneur Ewing Marion Kauffman. Its vision is to foster a society of economically independent individuals who are engaged citizens contributing to their communities. It focuses grantmaking on advancing entrepreneurship and improving the education of children and youth.

Founded in 1936, the Ford Foundation is a New York-based global philanthropy working to disrupt inequality in all its forms. Its mission is to reduce poverty and injustice, strengthen democratic values, promote international cooperation, and advance human achievement. It makes grants through its headquarters and regional offices supporting programs in more than 50 countries.

The Gates Foundation is one of the world's largest private foundations, established in 2000 and headquartered in Seattle, Washington. It funds work in global health, global development, and US education, guided by the belief that every life has equal value. In May 2025 it committed to giving away $200 billion by 2045, when it intends to shut down permanently.

The Getty Foundation is the grantmaking arm of the J. Paul Getty Trust, based in Los Angeles, and awards grants for the understanding and preservation of the visual arts. Most funding flows through initiatives targeting particular issues or regions, carried out in collaboration with the other Getty programs. It supports individuals and institutions locally and throughout the world.

The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation was established in September 2000 by Intel co-founder Gordon E. Moore and his wife Betty to create positive outcomes for future generations. Based in Palo Alto, it funds outcome-based grants to achieve significant and measurable results. Grantmaking concentrates in three program areas: environmental conservation, science, and the San Francisco Bay Area.

The Heising-Simons Foundation is a Los Altos, California family foundation established in 2007 by Liz Simons and Mark Heising. It works to advance sustainable solutions in climate and clean energy, enable groundbreaking science research, enhance the education of the youngest learners, and support human rights. Grantmaking is mainly US-focused, and it does not accept unsolicited proposals.

The Henry Luce Foundation, established in 1936 by Time Inc. co-founder Henry R. Luce, seeks to deepen knowledge and understanding in pursuit of a more democratic and just world. Based in New York City, it makes grants and runs leadership programs in American art, Asia, religion and theology, democracy and public trust, indigenous knowledge, and women in STEM. All programs accept unsolicited inquiries through its online portal.

The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation is a Menlo Park, California private foundation established in 1966 by HP co-founder William Redington Hewlett and his wife Flora. It invests in creative thinkers and problem solvers working to ensure everyone has a meaningful opportunity to thrive. Grantmaking spans education, environment, economy and society, gender equity, performing arts, racial justice, and US democracy.

The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) is a nonprofit research organization and philanthropy whose mission is to advance the discovery and sharing of scientific knowledge to benefit all. It employs outstanding scientists, provides research and education grants, and follows a 'people, not projects' ethos of generously supporting talented investigators. It operates the Janelia Research Campus and science education programs including BioInteractive. Note: HHMI is classified as a medical research public charity, not a traditional private foundation.

The Joyce Foundation is a private, nonpartisan Chicago philanthropy established in 1948 by Beatrice Joyce Kean. It invests in public policies and strategies to advance racial equity and economic mobility for the next generation in the Great Lakes region. It supports policy research, development, and advocacy in culture, democracy, education and economic mobility, environment, gun violence prevention and justice reform, and journalism.

The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation is a Miami-based national foundation investing in journalism, the arts, and the success of cities where the Knight brothers once published newspapers. Its mission is to foster informed and engaged communities, which it believes are essential for a healthy democracy. It funds 26 US communities and supports journalism and the arts nationally, including through periodic open calls.

Lumina Foundation is an Indianapolis-based independent private foundation dedicated to expanding access to and success in education beyond high school. It works with partners toward a goal of 75 percent of Americans holding a degree, workforce certificate, or other high-quality credential beyond high school by 2040. It funds research, innovation, and policy efforts to close attainment gaps for underserved groups.

The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation is a Chicago-based private foundation supporting creative people, effective institutions, and influential networks building a more just, verdant, and peaceful world. Its grantmaking targets climate change, criminal justice, nonprofit journalism, and Chicago, alongside impact investments in roughly 117 countries. It is best known for the MacArthur Fellows Program, the annual 'genius grants.'

The McKnight Foundation is a Minnesota-based foundation established in 1953 by 3M leader William L. McKnight and his wife Maude. It seeks to improve quality of life through grantmaking, coalition building, and policy reform, prioritizing communities, collaboration, and systems change. Its programs include climate and energy, arts and culture, neuroscience, housing and community development, and food systems.

The Mellon Foundation, founded in 1969 and headquartered in New York City, is the largest US funder of the arts, culture, and humanities. Its mission is to build just communities enriched by meaning and empowered by critical thinking, where ideas and imagination can thrive. It makes grants in four core program areas: arts and culture, higher learning, public knowledge, and humanities in place.

The NoVo Foundation is a New York-based private foundation established by Peter and Jennifer Buffett. Its mission is to foster a transformation from a world of domination and exploitation to one of collaboration and partnership. It funds initiatives advancing adolescent girls' rights, ending violence against girls and women, social and emotional learning, local living economies, and Indigenous communities.

The Open Society Foundations work to build vibrant and inclusive democracies whose governments are accountable to their people. Founded by George Soros, they give thousands of grants every year to groups and individuals in over 120 countries. They also engage in strategic human rights litigation and impact investing while incubating new ideas and engaging directly with governments and policymakers.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, based in Princeton, New Jersey, is the nation's largest philanthropy devoted solely to health. It works to improve the health and health care of all Americans, investing in research, policies, and practices that build a national Culture of Health. Its grantmaking centers on health systems, healthy communities, healthy children and families, and leadership for better health.

The Rockefeller Brothers Fund advances social change that contributes to a more just, sustainable, and peaceful world. Founded in 1940 by the sons of John D. Rockefeller Jr., its grantmaking is organized around democratic practice, sustainable development, and peacebuilding, plus arts and culture in New York City. It concentrates pivotal-place work in New York City, Southern China, Central America, and the Western Balkans.

The Simons Foundation, established in 1994 by Jim and Marilyn Simons in New York City, advances the frontiers of research in mathematics and the basic sciences. It makes grants to individual researchers and projects in mathematics and physical sciences, life sciences, and autism and neuroscience research. In 2016 it launched the Flatiron Institute, its in-house computational science research division.

The Spencer Foundation is a Chicago-based independent foundation and the only national foundation focused exclusively on supporting education research. Founded in 1962 by Lyle M. Spencer, it funds rigorous, innovative studies, fellowships, and field-building initiatives on education in the United States and internationally. Since 1971 it has awarded more than $500 million.

The Surdna Foundation, founded in 1917 by John Emory Andrus, seeks to foster sustainable communities in the United States guided by principles of social justice. Its mission is to advance social and racial justice through grants in inclusive economies, sustainable environments, and thriving cultures. It is governed by a board that includes fifth-generation Andrus family members.

The California Endowment is California's largest private health foundation, established in 1996 through the conversion of Blue Cross of California. Its mission is to expand access to affordable, quality health care for underserved individuals and communities and promote fundamental improvements in the health status of all Californians. It funds health systems, inclusive community development, justice reinvestment, power infrastructure, and schools.

The James Irvine Foundation is a private, nonprofit grantmaking foundation dedicated to expanding opportunity for the people of California. Established in 1937, it is one of the largest foundations focused exclusively on California. Its strategy centers on economic advancement for low-income workers through better careers, fair work, priority communities, and just prosperity initiatives.

The Kresge Foundation is a Troy, Michigan private foundation established in 1924 by Sebastian S. Kresge to promote human progress. It builds pathways to equity and opportunity for low-income people in America's cities, seeking to dismantle structural and systemic barriers. It invests more than $160 million annually through grants, loans, and other investment tools.

Founded in 1913 by John D. Rockefeller, The Rockefeller Foundation's mission is to promote the well-being of humanity throughout the world. Its updated mission centers on advancing opportunity and reversing the climate crisis. It works at the intersection of health, food, power, and economic opportunity through initiatives, accelerators, and collaborations with partners worldwide.

The Wallace Foundation is an independent national philanthropy based in New York City whose mission is to foster equity and improvements in learning and enrichment for young people, and in the arts for everyone. It works nationally with a focus on the arts, K-12 education leadership, and youth development. It develops and shares research-based knowledge to improve practice and policy, and rarely funds unsolicited proposals.

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation, based in Battle Creek, Michigan, supports children, families, and communities as they create conditions that propel vulnerable children to achieve success. It focuses grantmaking on education, health, food, and workforce systems, with racial equity woven through everything it does. It concentrates giving in priority places including Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico, New Orleans, and parts of Mexico and Haiti.

The W.M. Keck Foundation, based in Los Angeles, was established in 1954 in the name of Superior Oil Company founder William M. Keck. Its mission is to provide far-reaching benefits to humanity through imaginative grants supporting scientific discoveries and new technologies. It funds high-risk, high-impact research in medical research and science and engineering, undergraduate education, and a Southern California program.

The Walton Family Foundation is a family-led foundation founded by Walmart founders Sam and Helen Walton. Its mission is to tackle tough social and environmental problems with urgency and a long-term approach to create access to opportunity for people and communities. It works in three areas: improving K-12 education, protecting rivers and oceans, and investing in its home region of Northwest Arkansas and the Arkansas-Mississippi Delta.

The Weingart Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation advancing racial, social, and economic justice in Southern California. Founded in 1951 by Ben and Stella Weingart, it has provided over $1 billion in grants and loans across the region. It partners with communities by strengthening organizations focused on critical services and building power in communities of color.

The William Penn Foundation, founded in 1945 by Otto and Phoebe Haas, is committed to expanding access to resources and opportunities that promote a more vital and just city and region for all. It funds programs in the Philadelphia region in arts and culture, children and families, democracy and civic initiatives, environment and public space, and workforce training and services.

The William T. Grant Foundation supports research to improve the lives of young people ages 5-25 in the United States. It funds empirical studies in two focus areas: reducing inequality in youth outcomes and improving the use of research evidence in policy and practice. Most funding goes through open competitions including major research grants and career-development awards.