Funding search
Find who already funds work like yours.
Private foundations don’t post open calls, so nobody can search them. We read IRS filings instead — 9.6 million grants from 174,053 foundations and grantmaking charities, searchable by what the money was actually for.
12 funders with a record of paying for “creative”
Where the money went
Lilly EndowmentIndianapolis, IN
444 matching grants · $39.9M · through 2025Largest: $733,875 to ARTS COUNCIL OF INDIANAPOLIS INC — creative renewal fellowship program
Largest: $1.5M to (58) NEW VENTURE FUND — arts & creativity: to support culture and creativity powering community change, an initiative of a funder collaborative of barr, kresge, and william penn foundations
Largest: $41,000 to FELLS POINT CREATIVE ALLIANCE INC — creativity and innovation
Largest: $300,775 to CARNEGIE INSTITUTE — to support the creative learning network anchors transition from a covd rapid response resource to a proactive initiative that strengthens the creative learning ecosystem
Largest: $317,122 to THE CENTER FOR CULTURAL POWER — core support for the lgbtqi x creativity summit at world pride 2025 to network lgbti creatives and movement organizations in the us and globally, foster learning, and create visibi…
Largest: $250,000 to COLLEGE FOR CREATIVE STUDIES — to provide general operating funds for design core detroit in support of its mission to position detroit as a global source of creative talent and to strengthen and promote detroit…
Largest: $1.8M to UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA — to support development of an online interactive portal, creative place-based activations, and research on the cultural and historical landscape of freedom colonies
Wheeler ClinicPlainville, CTCharity · may take applications
65 matching grants · $848,984 · through 2024Largest: $53,240 to CT DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS (GARNER CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION CORRIGAN COR — the cross mini-grant is used to start a smart recovery meeting for teens or young adults who use substances, an alternative peer group sober social events and activities for the sa…
The San Francisco FoundationSan Francisco, CACharity · may take applications
44 matching grants · $12.1M · through 2024Largest: $100,000 to CREATIVITY EXPLORED — program - to support bay area creative corps
Largest: $80,000 to ARIZONA THEATRE CO — support for initiative for financial and creative health
Largest: $40,000 to LEAH BROAD — whiting creative nonfiction grant
Lehigh Valley Community FoundationAllentown, PACharity · may take applications
41 matching grants · $2.1M · through 2024Largest: $349,867 to HISTORIC BETHLEHEM MUSEUMS AND SITES — arts, culture, creative economy
This is one keyword. PaperOrbit reads your actual paper and searches on everything in it — population, methods, outcomes — then explains why each funder fits.
Start with one paperSearch by location
Local foundations often favor nearby communities. Enter a ZIP code to see foundations based near you, and where grant money has actually landed in your area.
Source: IRS Form 990-PF Part XV and Form 990 Schedule I, tax years 2019–2025. These are grants already paid, a record of what an organization funds rather than an open call. Private foundations rarely accept unsolicited applications and the route in is usually a program officer; grantmaking charities and associations more often run real application cycles, so check their website. How this data is built, and its limits →