Rows of old wooden school desks in an empty classroom

Cause EducationAll States35,431 funders

Foundations that fund education

35,431 private foundations with a return in the last two years gave $12.9 billion to education organizations in 124,646 grants. The median grant was $8,000, and 8,769 of these foundations accept applications.

Foundations with a return in the last two years, each by its latest return (tax years 2023 to 2025), read from the IRS e-file on Nov 11, 2026. Returns reach the IRS 5 to 18 months after the year they describe.

Ranked by giving to education

Top 50

Grants in each foundation’s latest return to organizations whose IRS category is education.

  1. Lilly Endowment IncIndianapolis, IN · tax year 2025 341 grants Accepts applications $1,293,193,640 to education
  2. Gates FoundationSeattle, WA · tax year 2024 588 grants Accepts applications $579,676,859 to education
  3. Knight FoundationBeaverton, OR · tax year 2024 1 grant Preselected only $182,000,000 to education
  4. Walton Family Foundation IncBentonville, AR · tax year 2024 221 grants Preselected only $170,464,281 to education
  5. The Duke EndowmentCharlotte, NC · tax year 2024 131 grants Accepts applications $127,821,657 to education
  6. Sergey Brin Family FoundationSan Francisco, CA · tax year 2024 27 grants Preselected only $125,511,517 to education
  7. Gerson Bakar FoundationSan Francisco, CA · tax year 2024 5 grants Preselected only $114,381,000 to education
  8. The Bloomberg Family Foundation IncNew York, NY · tax year 2024 28 grants Preselected only $113,157,000 to education
  9. Clark Charitable Foundation Inc DBA A James & Alice B Clark FoundationChevy Chase, MD · tax year 2024 38 grants Preselected only $87,583,799 to education
  10. Shelby Cullom Davis Charitable Fund IncWilmington, DE · tax year 2024 44 grants Preselected only $84,084,361 to education
  11. O'Donnell FoundationDallas, TX · tax year 2025 7 grants Accepts applications $81,550,000 to education
  12. The Simons Foundation IncNew York, NY · tax year 2024 438 grants Preselected only $76,256,380 to education
  13. The Robert Wood Johnson FoundationPrinceton, NJ · tax year 2024 366 grants Accepts applications $75,805,410 to education
  14. The Marianthi Foundation IncNew York, NY · tax year 2024 3 grants Preselected only $75,097,746 to education
  15. The Pindaros Foundation IncNew York, NY · tax year 2024 5 grants Preselected only $69,891,079 to education
  16. The Andrew W Mellon FoundationNew York, NY · tax year 2024 120 grants Accepts applications $69,220,122 to education
  17. Charles Koch Charitable FundArlington, VA · tax year 2024 1 grant Preselected only $63,000,000 to education
  18. The T Boone Pickens FoundationFlower Mound, TX · tax year 2024 1 grant Preselected only $60,860,000 to education
  19. The Peter and Carmen Lucia Buck Foundation IncNew York, NY · tax year 2024 51 grants Preselected only $60,151,500 to education
  20. Ewing Marion Kauffman FoundationKansas City, MO · tax year 2024 89 grants Accepts applications $59,064,594 to education
  21. Harold Alfond FoundationPortland, ME · tax year 2024 10 grants Accepts applications $57,382,316 to education
  22. Chan Zuckerberg Initiative FoundationPalo Alto, CA · tax year 2024 17 grants Preselected only $54,143,664 to education
  23. Carnegie Corporation of New YorkNew York, NY · tax year 2024 170 grants Accepts applications $54,081,411 to education
  24. The Eric and Wendy Schmidt Fund for Strategic InnovationPalo Alto, CA · tax year 2024 54 grants Preselected only $53,528,182 to education
  25. Indian Paintbrush FoundationWashington, DC · tax year 2024 3 grants Preselected only $52,500,000 to education
  26. Esther and Harold Mertz FoundationSioux Falls, SD · tax year 2024 1 grant Accepts applications $52,143,750 to education
  27. Husco FoundationMilwaukee, WI · tax year 2025 3 grants Accepts applications $51,652,500 to education
  28. The Thomas and Stacey Siebel FoundationRedwood City, CA · tax year 2024 2 grants Preselected only $50,320,000 to education
  29. Laura and John Arnold FoundationHouston, TX · tax year 2024 193 grants Preselected only $48,888,614 to education
  30. Freedom Together FoundationNew York, NY · tax year 2024 65 grants Preselected only $48,112,500 to education
  31. The William & Flora Hewlett FoundationMenlo Park, CA · tax year 2024 214 grants Accepts applications $46,952,075 to education
  32. The Ford FoundationNew York, NY · tax year 2024 292 grants Accepts applications $44,970,115 to education
  33. James S and Paula H Crown Family FoundatChicago, IL · tax year 2024 1 grant Preselected only $42,611,684 to education
  34. Tosa FoundationPortola Valley, CA · tax year 2024 7 grants Preselected only $41,840,000 to education
  35. Charles Koch FoundationArlington, VA · tax year 2024 45 grants Accepts applications $40,079,663 to education
  36. Gordon E and Betty I Moore FoundationPalo Alto, CA · tax year 2024 158 grants Preselected only $39,338,007 to education
  37. Fidelity FoundationBoston, MA · tax year 2024 2,399 grants Accepts applications $38,725,975 to education
  38. Foundation to Promote Open SocietyNew York, NY · tax year 2024 43 grants Preselected only $37,055,609 to education
  39. The Samuel Roberts Noble FoundationArdmore, OK · tax year 2024 24 grants Accepts applications $36,928,656 to education
  40. Crankstart FoundationSan Jose, CA · tax year 2024 74 grants Preselected only $36,803,333 to education
  41. WK Kellogg FoundationBattle Creek, MI · tax year 2024 190 grants Accepts applications $34,897,833 to education
  42. Resnick FoundationLos Angeles, CA · tax year 2024 22 grants Preselected only $34,453,250 to education
  43. Wayne and Gladys Valley FoundationOakland, CA · tax year 2024 12 grants Accepts applications $33,786,675 to education
  44. John D and Catherine T MacArthur FoundationChicago, IL · tax year 2024 93 grants Preselected only $32,574,835 to education
  45. The Robert D and Patricia E Kern Family Foundation IncWaukesha, WI · tax year 2024 63 grants Preselected only $31,906,373 to education
  46. Xie FoundationSunnyvale, CA · tax year 2024 4 grants Preselected only $31,858,248 to education
  47. The Sarofim FoundationHouston, TX · tax year 2024 15 grants Accepts applications $31,700,000 to education
  48. Wm Keck FoundationLos Angeles, CA · tax year 2024 51 grants Accepts applications $30,508,513 to education
  49. John Templeton FoundationWest Conshohocken, PA · tax year 2024 86 grants Accepts applications $30,116,213 to education
  50. John S and James L Knight FoundationMiami, FL · tax year 2024 90 grants Accepts applications $29,855,297 to education

Open to applications

25 foundations

The return gives an application contact and does not check the preselected-only box.

  1. Lilly Endowment IncIndianapolis, IN · tax year 2025 341 grants Accepts applications $1,293,193,640 to education
  2. Gates FoundationSeattle, WA · tax year 2024 588 grants Accepts applications $579,676,859 to education
  3. The Duke EndowmentCharlotte, NC · tax year 2024 131 grants Accepts applications $127,821,657 to education
  4. O'Donnell FoundationDallas, TX · tax year 2025 7 grants Accepts applications $81,550,000 to education
  5. The Robert Wood Johnson FoundationPrinceton, NJ · tax year 2024 366 grants Accepts applications $75,805,410 to education
  6. The Andrew W Mellon FoundationNew York, NY · tax year 2024 120 grants Accepts applications $69,220,122 to education
  7. Ewing Marion Kauffman FoundationKansas City, MO · tax year 2024 89 grants Accepts applications $59,064,594 to education
  8. Harold Alfond FoundationPortland, ME · tax year 2024 10 grants Accepts applications $57,382,316 to education
  9. Carnegie Corporation of New YorkNew York, NY · tax year 2024 170 grants Accepts applications $54,081,411 to education
  10. Esther and Harold Mertz FoundationSioux Falls, SD · tax year 2024 1 grant Accepts applications $52,143,750 to education
  11. Husco FoundationMilwaukee, WI · tax year 2025 3 grants Accepts applications $51,652,500 to education
  12. The William & Flora Hewlett FoundationMenlo Park, CA · tax year 2024 214 grants Accepts applications $46,952,075 to education
  13. The Ford FoundationNew York, NY · tax year 2024 292 grants Accepts applications $44,970,115 to education
  14. Charles Koch FoundationArlington, VA · tax year 2024 45 grants Accepts applications $40,079,663 to education
  15. Fidelity FoundationBoston, MA · tax year 2024 2,399 grants Accepts applications $38,725,975 to education
  16. The Samuel Roberts Noble FoundationArdmore, OK · tax year 2024 24 grants Accepts applications $36,928,656 to education
  17. WK Kellogg FoundationBattle Creek, MI · tax year 2024 190 grants Accepts applications $34,897,833 to education
  18. Wayne and Gladys Valley FoundationOakland, CA · tax year 2024 12 grants Accepts applications $33,786,675 to education
  19. The Sarofim FoundationHouston, TX · tax year 2024 15 grants Accepts applications $31,700,000 to education
  20. Wm Keck FoundationLos Angeles, CA · tax year 2024 51 grants Accepts applications $30,508,513 to education
  21. John Templeton FoundationWest Conshohocken, PA · tax year 2024 86 grants Accepts applications $30,116,213 to education
  22. John S and James L Knight FoundationMiami, FL · tax year 2024 90 grants Accepts applications $29,855,297 to education
  23. The Sunderland FoundationOverland Park, KS · tax year 2025 4 grants Accepts applications $27,846,057 to education
  24. Orland Bethel Family FoundationPort St Lucie, FL · tax year 2025 4 grants Accepts applications $27,708,700 to education
  25. Alfred P Sloan FoundationNew York, NY · tax year 2024 168 grants Accepts applications $26,492,848 to education

By State

Where the funders are based