• Pricing
  • About
Sign InSign Up
Free Funder Database

Search hundreds of thousands of foundations. Free.

Giving history, grant amounts, focus areas, geographic priorities, board members, and 990-PF data — for every private foundation that files with the IRS. No subscription required.

Search Foundations Free

No credit card required. Free forever.

Detailed Foundation ProfilesFree

Every foundation profile includes the data you need to evaluate fit before you invest time in an application. All sourced from IRS 990-PF filings and structured for easy research.

  • Total giving, average grant size, and number of grants awarded
  • Complete grant lists with recipient names and amounts
  • Foundation assets, investment income, and expenses
  • Officers, directors, and board members
  • Location, EIN, and filing history

Riverside Community Foundation

Sacramento, CAEIN: 941234567
$42.3M
Total Giving
$65K
Avg Grant
651
Total Grants
Focus Areas
Community DevelopmentEducationEnvironmentHousingEquity
Recent Grants (from 990-PF)
Oregon Environmental Council
Climate advocacy — 2024
$200K
Beyond Toxics
Environmental justice — 2024
$150K
Portland Housing Alliance
Affordable housing — 2024
$175K

Research smarter, not harder

Foundation 990-PF filings tell you more about a funder than any website. Here's what to look for.

Grant Lists

See every grant a foundation awarded, with recipient names and amounts. This shows you what they actually fund — not just what their website says.

Giving Patterns

Average grant size, total giving, and number of grants help you understand if a foundation is the right scale for your ask.

People & Governance

Board members, officers, and key staff. Know who makes funding decisions and whether you have existing connections.

AI Match Analysis
Pro

Strong alignment with your climate resilience work. This foundation has funded 8 similar Pacific Northwest environmental organizations in the past 2 years, with average grants of $175K. Their recent priorities emphasize community-led sustainability initiatives.

Strengths
  • Geographic focus aligns with your service area
  • History of multi-year funding relationships
Considerations
  • !15% acceptance rate — competitive
  • !Requires detailed outcome metrics
Based on 990-PF data + your org profile

AI Funder MatchingPro

Browsing and searching foundation profiles is free. With Pro, AI analyzes your organization's profile against funder priorities, giving history, and eligibility requirements to surface the foundations most likely to fund your work.

  • Match analysis based on mission, geography, and program focus
  • Strengths and considerations for each potential funder
  • Historical giving patterns analyzed to gauge fit

Foundation research shouldn't cost thousands

Most foundation directories charge $1,000 to $2,000+ per year for access to data that comes from public IRS filings. Northstar makes this data free because we believe nonprofits shouldn't have to pay to access public records.

Northstar Toolkit

$0/ month
  • Hundreds of thousands of foundation profiles
  • Full 990-PF grant lists
  • Giving history and financials
  • Grant management tools included
  • Daily grants feed from hundreds of sources

Typical Foundation Directories

$1,000–$2,000+/ year
  • Foundation profiles and search
  • 990-PF data (same IRS source)
  • Giving history and financials
  • —Grant management sold separately
  • —Grants feed sold separately

Pricing reflects publicly listed rates as of 2026. Both Northstar and other directories source foundation data primarily from IRS 990-PF filings.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many foundations are in the database?

Northstar Toolkit includes profiles for hundreds of thousands of private foundations, community foundations, and institutional funders. Every private foundation that files a 990-PF with the IRS is included in our database.

Is the foundation search really free?

Yes. Searching and browsing foundation profiles — including giving history, grant lists, focus areas, and financial data — is completely free. No credit card, no trial period. AI-powered features like funder matching and analysis are available with a Pro subscription.

Where does the foundation data come from?

Foundation data comes primarily from IRS 990-PF filings, which are public records. We process and structure this data to make it searchable and understandable. The funder database is updated quarterly.

Can I see which organizations a foundation has funded?

Yes. Private foundations are required to list every grant they award on their 990-PF filing. Northstar extracts and displays these grant lists, including recipient names and amounts, so you can see exactly who a foundation has funded and for how much.

How do I find foundations that fund my type of work?

You can search by focus area, geographic region, grant size, and more. Browse foundation profiles to see their stated focus areas and review their actual grant history to understand what they fund in practice. With a Pro subscription, AI matching analyzes your organization profile against funder priorities to surface the most aligned foundations.

How is Northstar different from other foundation directories?

Many foundation directories charge hundreds or thousands of dollars per year for access. Northstar Toolkit provides free access to foundation profiles, giving history, and 990-PF grant data — all drawn from IRS filings. Northstar also includes grant management tools, a daily grants feed, and sector news — all free.

Start researching foundations — free

Hundreds of thousands of foundation profiles with giving data, grant lists, and board members. No credit card. No subscription.

Get Started Free
Northstar Toolkit is professional nonprofit software — funder search, grant management, and more — built by a small team that cares about this sector and has a clear view of where it's headed. Most of what we build is free. AI features have real compute costs, so those are paid at reasonable rates.
Subscribe to our newsletter
About
  • About Us
  • Blog
  • Contact
Product
  • Find Funders and Collaborators
  • Grants Feed
  • News & Events
  • Grant Writing
  • Services
  • Documentation
Legal
  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Pricing
  • About
Sign InSign Up