Free Tools for Researching Private Foundations

Private Foundations

Private foundations are 501(c)(3) nonprofits established to support a charitable purpose. Typically, they derive most of their revenue from one source, like a family or corporation, and most award grants to other nonprofits. Each private foundation is different, with its own mission and funding priorities.

As with any type of grantmaker, you should always thoroughly research a private foundation before approaching them for funding. Look for funders who have a track record of supporting the subject area and geographic region your organization serves.

Check to see if the private foundation has a website. Usually, this is where you’ll find the most up-to-date information. If a private foundation has a website, be sure to read through it closely. You should also check to see if the funder has a social media presence on platforms like Facebook or LinkedIn.

Screen captures of the Nicholson Foundation's website, LinkedIn page, and Twitter account.

Unfortunately, most private foundations don’t have websites, making researching them a bit more complicated. Luckily for researchers, the IRS strictly regulates private foundations. Each year they must file a Form 990-PF to report their charitable giving and other financials. These tax forms contain a wealth of information about the foundation and their giving priorities.

Form 990-PFs

Form 990-PFs are freely available online. You can access them directly from the IRS’s website using their Tax Exempt Organization Search tool. Form 990-PFs are also found on other websites including:

“Demystifying the 990-PF“, an article from Candid, discusses the Form 990-PF in more detail and points out key sections where you can find valuable information.

First page, top section of Tyler Foundation Form 990- PF

Grantmaker Databases

Reading through tax documents can be time consuming. Thankfully, there are online tools created to make this process faster and easier. Some of these tools are accessible for free, including:

Grantmakers.io

Grantmakers.io pulls data from electronically filed Form 990-PFs submitted to the IRS by private foundations. The information is organized into easy-to-read profiles for each private foundation. You can search profiles by Employee Identification Number (EIN), name, location, and trustee name.

Using the Grant Search, you can filter listings of over 4 million grants given by U.S. private foundations in the past. Grant listings include information about the grant recipient, funding foundation, award amount, award year, and a brief description of the grant’s purpose.

Foundation Directory – Professional

As a community location with Candid, the New Jersey State Library provides free on-site access to the Foundation Directory – Professional database.

You can use Foundation Directory to research private foundations based on their past grant awards. Foundation Directory – Professional contains over 240,000 grantmaker profiles with helpful information about a foundation’s giving limitations, application instructions, and funding interests. Information in this database comes from Form 990s and various other sources, including from funders who directly report their giving to Candid.

Visit the New Jersey State Library to research with Foundation Directory – Professional. Just come in or schedule a one-on-one tutorial with our staff. Contact Leigh Clark, lclark@njstatelib.org, to schedule an appointment.

Not local to Trenton? There are many other community locations that provide access to Foundation Directory for free.

Request for Proposals (RFPs)

Private foundations do not have to issue request for proposals (RFPs) and many do not. However, some private foundations do advertise when they’re accepting applications or proposals for specific grant programs. There are many websites and online tools that compile active RFPs, some of which are free, including:

Internet Searches

Even if a private foundation doesn’t have a website or social media presence, performing a targeted internet search, using a search engine like Google, can generate some useful information. This can be a great way to supplement information missing from Form-990PFs.

A funder’s name often appears on other nonprofits’ annual reports and websites when being recognized as a donor. You may also find news articles and press releases containing detailed information about grants awarded by the foundation.