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A grant database where nonprofits can look up donors.
Get the tools and info you need to secure your funding this year and beyond.
Find the Right Grantmakers
Quality Profiles:
• We feature profiles of thousands of grantmakers in an easy-to-read, narrative format.
• These profiles are updated throughout the year, providing you with the most current information available.
• Our researchers are professional writers who distill the information about each grantmaker, generating the specific information you need to quickly identify the most appropriate funder for your project or program. Learn more about how we create our profiles.
• We note each grantmaker's specific geographic scope, be it national, state, county or city level.
One-Stop Shopping:
• We offer searchable databases for private and government grantmakers throughout the U.S., Canada, and internationally, all under one roof.
• We have one level of Membership which provides you access to the resources and tools on our website.
• Note: Webinars and courses are a la carte and available for purchase.
Saving You Time:
• Your search will only return those grantmakers who are actively engaged, who are accepting inquiries in the coming year, and who make awards to a variety of organizations.
• You will get targeted search results by using our filters for geography, area of interest, type of support, and more.
• Our search filters use robust Search Terms based on the language of the grantmaker.
• You can save your results on your personalized dashboard, where you can prioritize your leads and plan your next steps toward submitting a proposal. You will also receive email alerts when those funder profiles have been updated.
Build a Strong Grants Strategy
Powerful Tools:
• Our growing set of tools are designed to help you analyze and strengthen your grantseeking program.
• Develop a comprehensive grants program by using our guide on building a grants calendar.
• Create a Decision Matrix to help prioritize your grantseeking so that you are most likely to secure the right funding.
Write Winning Grant Proposals
Insightful Tutorials:
• Get the attention of the grantmakers by writing especially effective proposals after reviewing our online tutorials.
• This section will walk you through the entire process of both grants research and writing the grant proposal, including key proven steps to make your proposals successful.
Find foundation funders through complimentary access to Foundation Directory
The information you need to do good.
Find the Right Funders
All eligible small nonprofits (<$1M in revenue) who participate in Candid’s Go for Gold program will receive upgraded access to the best-in-class prospect research tool, Foundation Directory Professional. This tool helps nonprofits identify and connect with over 240,000 U.S. grantmakers, making it easier to uncover new sources of foundation funding.
Find the Right Funders
This dashboard is new and interesting, if scary: To estimate how long nonprofits can survive without government grants, we calculated their “cash runway.” Cash runway estimates how many months a nonprofit receiving government grants could continue operating if those grants stopped but everything else (i.e., expenses and other income) stayed the same. We also calculated how many people work at these nonprofits and therefore could be at risk of losing their jobs.
Candid Labs is our new product development area, where we offer free access to the funder and RFP recommendation tools, the AI LOI writer, an AI chatbot to answer fundraising questions.
This dashboard is new and interesting, if scary: To estimate how long nonprofits can survive without government grants, we calculated their “cash runway.” Cash runway estimates how many months a nonprofit receiving government grants could continue operating if those grants stopped but everything else (i.e., expenses and other income) stayed the same. We also calculated how many people work at these nonprofits and therefore could be at risk of losing their jobs.
Your Trusted Partner For Real AI And Custom Fundraising Solutions
Gain More Insight:
Over the past 30 years, Idealist has supported millions of people in their quest to build a better world, be it through a job, volunteer opportunity, or by working with neighbors to solve a local problem.
Since we merged with VolunteerMatch in 2025, our platform is connecting more individuals with social-impact opportunities than ever before. Learn more about our history, values, and plans for building a better world.
Career Advice
Whether you’re new to the nonprofit sector or a seasoned pro, Idealist's career resources offer advice, tips, and resources for making a positive impact throughout your social-impact career.
Explore blog posts written by our career experts, or discover all of the resources we have to offer.