Finding Funders Without Paid Databases

Use free public records, such as US tax filings that list each foundation's grants, plus open listings and library networks, to build a funder list without paying a database.

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What You Will End Up With

A written list of possible funders found for free, each with a note on where you found it and what it has funded before. Most of it will come from tax filings that foundations must make public, with extra leads from open grant listings and from local networks. The list keeps foundation gifts and government grants apart, because the rules, forms and reporting differ.

This page uses the United States as its model because its tax filings are public. If you work elsewhere, ask whether your country has a similar public register of charities and what it contains.

Before You Start

  • Pick a handful of funders to look at, and note each one's fiscal year end. That tells you which annual return is the latest.
  • Learn which return each kind of organization files. Organizations with gross receipts under $200,000 and total assets under $500,000 may file the shorter Form 990-EZ. Small organizations with gross receipts normally of $50,000 or less may file the electronic notice (Form 990-N) instead. Larger ones file the standard Form 990. Private foundations file their own variant, Form 990-PF, whatever their size. The IRS can change these thresholds, so check its chart for the year you read.
  • Know that a foundation's annual return is due by the 15th day of the 5th month after the end of its accounting period (May 15 for a calendar-year foundation), and that the filing can be extended, so the newest year may not be out yet.

Steps

  1. Find the forms that matter. Tax-exempt organizations generally file an annual information return or notice. The returns are Form 990, Form 990-EZ and Form 990-PF, and Form 990-N is an annual notice. The private foundation version, Form 990-PF, has the foundation list the grants it actually paid during the year, and those approved for future payment. That list is the gold: it tells you who gets the money, for what, and how much.

  2. Search a free public database of filings. Look for the filings themselves rather than a summary of them, and check the date on each one. Organizations also use the Form 990 to tell the public about their programs, so the filing is worth reading as well as searching. If a site's copy looks out of date, look at the IRS website for current filings.

  3. Read the grant list the way a funder would. For each foundation, note who it funded, the size of the awards and the kind of work. Look for organizations like yours. If you find a match, you have a lead worth research.

    A short illustration: you work on adult literacy in a rural area. A foundation's grant list shows several small awards to local literacy and education groups and one large award to a hospital. The literacy awards are your lead. The hospital award tells you the foundation also funds other things, so it may not be as narrow as it looks. Count how often a funder backs your kind of work, not just whether it has.

  4. Ask the organization itself. A tax-exempt organization must provide a copy of its annual returns for a period of three years to anyone who asks in person or in writing (a request by fax or email counts as written). It generally has 30 days to answer a written request. Failing to provide a copy can bring a penalty of $20 a day, with a maximum of $10,000 for each failure to provide an annual return.

  5. Use open listings and networks for more leads. Candid, a nonprofit information service, lists partner sites in the U.S. and abroad where you can use its fundraising resources at no cost. Use its "Candid near you" map to find the nearest one, and ask whether you can use a paid directory there.

  6. Record every lead. Write down the funder, the source, the year, the kinds of grants and the next step. Mark any that are government grants. A simple sheet works: one row per funder, with columns for the funder, source, filing year, comparable grants, size range, deadline and next step. Add a column for how sure you are that the funder is still active.

  7. Check the filing status. A nonprofit that fails to file required returns or notices for three consecutive years automatically loses its tax-exempt status. A funder that stopped filing may be closed.

Using AI Safely

An assistant can help you read long filings and pull out grant lists. It can also get names and amounts wrong.

  • Check every funder name and grant amount against the filing itself.
  • Do not paste donor names or addresses. A tax-exempt organization is generally not required to disclose its contributors' names or addresses publicly, but this does not apply to private foundations.
  • Ask it to name the form, the year and the page for each fact, then find that page.
  • Treat anything it says about thresholds or deadlines as unverified until you see it in the form's own instructions.

Common Mistakes

Assuming every organization files the same form. Check whether it files the full return, the shorter form or the electronic notice. The shorter versions may carry less detail.

Using old thresholds. The IRS can change which return an organization files, so check the current filing rules.

Missing the deadline gap. A foundation's return is due months after its year ends, and can be extended. The newest year may not be posted yet.

Mixing up foundation gifts and government grants. They come with different rules and reporting, so read each call or notice before you plan your time.

Relying on the list alone. A grant list shows the past. Confirm that a funder is still active and still funds your kind of work before you write.