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 “alternative”
Where the money went
Largest: $50,000 to ARAB ALTERNATIVES FORUM FOR SOCIAL STUDIES — to support the production of evidence based research, networking and policy formulation on alternative economies in the mena region
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…
Largest: $1.6M to OREGON HEALTH & SCIENCE UNIVERSITY — to fund the state medicaid alternative reimbursement and purchasing test for high cost drugs (smart-d) and support the development of value-based alternative drug purchasing models…
Largest: $266,000 to TIDES FOUNDATION — a la defensa - supporting health-promoting alternatives to incarceration: to support health-promoting alternatives to incarceration through public education, community empowerment …
Largest: $447,000 to THINK OF US — support fwsg finance analysis across systems, alternative permanency option and equity strategy
Largest: $500,000 to INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS ASSOCIATES — to map and research current global and african derisking practices and propose alternative approaches to development
Largest: $200,000 to REDUCETARIAN FOUNDATION INC — pilot fellowship program for farm animal welfare, meat reduction & alternative proteins
The Chicago Community TrustChicago, ILCharity · may take applications
24 matching grants · $16.2M · through 2023Largest: $101,250 to Good Food Institute — general operating support. support for key research and analyses to advance sustainable, humane alternatives to commodity meat.
Largest: $50,000 to GRID ALTERNATIVES - MANTECA — provided low-income homeowners in the city of manteca with roof repairs to make them solar ready for the installation of 10 solar electric systems.
Tides FoundationSan Francisco, CACharity · may take applications
26 matching grants · $1.4M · through 2024Largest: $270,000 to GRID ALTERNATIVES — sustainable environment
Largest: $300,000 to GRID ALTERNATIVES — program/operating support
Largest: $700,247 to MDRC — 77010 expanding the creating moves to opportunity housing-mobility program to test alternative models in chicago/cook county, milwaukee, and st. louis
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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 →