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, Twitter, or LinkedIn.

Unfortunately, most private foundations don’t have websites, making researching them a bit more complicated. Luckily for researchers, private foundations are strictly regulated by the IRS. 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:

Candid 990 Finder
ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer
GuideStar Basic (free registration required)

“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.

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 can be accessed for free, including:

Grantmakers.io

Grantmakers.io pulls data from electronically filed Form 990-PFs submitted to the IRS by private foundations. This 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 Online (FDO) Essential

As a Funding Information Network (FIN) member with Candid, the New Jersey State Library is offering free remote access to the FDO Essential database through the end of 2021.

You can use FDO Essential to research private foundations based on their past grant awards. FDO Essential contains over 100,000 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.

Get access to NJSL’s FDO Essential account by submitting a request form. Tutorial videos on how to search FDO Essential can be found on our Funding Information Center webpage.

The New Jersey State Library also provides on-site access to FDO Professional, a more robust version of FDO Essential. Currently, due to COVID-19 restrictions, we are closed for on-site research. If you find you need specific information from FDO Professional, like recipient profiles or grant details, we can retrieve these records for you. Please contact Leigh Clark, at lclark@njstatelib.org, for further assistance.

Request for Proposals (RFPs)

Private foundations are not required 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 will often appear 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.