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.
Foundation based inAny state AL AK AZ AR CA CO CT DE DC FL GA HI ID IL IN IA KS KY LA ME MD MA MI MN MS MO MT NE NV NH NJ NM NY NC ND OH OK OR PA RI SC SD TN TX UT VT VA WA WV WI WY PR VI Gave to recipients inAny state AL AK AZ AR CA CO CT DE DC FL GA HI ID IL IN IA KS KY LA ME MD MA MI MN MS MO MT NE NV NH NJ NM NY NC ND OH OK OR PA RI SC SD TN TX UT VT VA WA WV WI WY PR VI Funder typeBoth Private foundations Charities & associations Grants of at leastAny size $10k $50k $100k Active sinceAny year 2023 or later 2024 or later
12 funders with a record of paying for “composing”
Where the money went The Mcknight Foundation → American Composers Forum: $1.8M across 9 grants, latest 2024 Virginia B Toulmin Charitable → Opera America: $1.1M across 22 grants, latest 2023 The Andrew W Mellon Foundation → American Composers Orchestra Inc: $800K across 1 grant, latest 2024 The Elizabeth & Michel Sorel Charitable → American Composer Orchestra: $700K across 2 grants, latest 2024 John D and Catherine T Macarthur Foundation (Consolidated) → Mary Halvorson: $500K across 4 grants, latest 2023 John S and James L Knight Foundation → Miami Dade College Foundation Inc: $465K across 3 grants, latest 2023 The Littlejohn Family Foundation → New York City Ballet: $350K across 4 grants, latest 2025 Jerome Foundation Inc → American Composers Forum: $280K across 2 grants, latest 2024 The Aaron Copland Fund for Music Inc → American Composers Orchestra Inc: $55K across 3 grants, latest 2024 American Academy of Arts and Letters → Sean Shepherd: $50K across 1 grant, latest 2024 The Amphion Foundation Inc → American Composers Forum: $13K across 2 grants, latest 2024 Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation → D-Composed Gives: $13K across 2 grants, latest 2024 The Andrew W Mellon Foundation → Gabriela Lena Frank Creative Academy of Music: $600K across 1 grant, latest 2024 John D and Catherine T Macarthur Foundation (Consolidated) → Cecile Mclorin Salvant: $500K across 4 grants, latest 2023 The Elizabeth & Michel Sorel Charitable → American Composers Forum: $420K across 4 grants, latest 2024 The Mcknight Foundation → Friends of the Minnesota Sinfonia: $245K across 5 grants, latest 2021 Virginia B Toulmin Charitable → National Sawdust: $200K across 1 grant, latest 2022 John S and James L Knight Foundation → American Composers Forum: $175K across 3 grants, latest 2023 Jerome Foundation Inc → The Cedar Cultural Center: $80K across 1 grant, latest 2024 The Aaron Copland Fund for Music Inc → American Composers Forum: $45K across 2 grants, latest 2024 The Littlejohn Family Foundation → Ballet Collective Inc: $40K across 3 grants, latest 2025 American Academy of Arts and Letters → Laura Elise Schwendinger: $35K across 1 grant, latest 2023 Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation → D-Composed: $11K across 4 grants, latest 2022 The Amphion Foundation Inc → American Composers Orchestra Inc: $6K across 1 grant, latest 2024 The Andrew W Mellon Foundation → Chicago Opera Theater: $560K across 2 grants, latest 2024 John D and Catherine T Macarthur Foundation (Consolidated) → Matthew Aucoin: $500K across 4 grants, latest 2023 Virginia B Toulmin Charitable → New Music USA: $150K across 2 grants, latest 2023 Jerome Foundation Inc → Roulette Intermedium: $65K across 1 grant, latest 2024 The Aaron Copland Fund for Music Inc → American Composers Forum: $38K across 2 grants, latest 2022 American Academy of Arts and Letters → American Composers Alliance: $27K across 1 grant, latest 2024 The Mcknight Foundation → Schubert Club Inc: $25K across 1 grant, latest 2020 The Elizabeth & Michel Sorel Charitable → Songfest at Colburn: $20K across 1 grant, latest 2023 The Littlejohn Family Foundation → Balletcollective Inc: $15K across 1 grant, latest 2022 The Amphion Foundation Inc → American Composers Orchestra: $5K across 1 grant, latest 2023 Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation → Chicago Composers Consortium: $5K across 2 grants, latest 2024 The Andrew W Mellon Foundation → Boston Modern Orchestra Project Inc: $500K across 1 grant, latest 2022 John D and Catherine T Macarthur Foundation (Consolidated) → Tyshawn Sorey: $375K across 3 grants, latest 2022 The Andrew W Mellon Foundation → Houston Grand Opera Association Inc: $350K across 1 grant, latest 2022 The Andrew W Mellon Foundation → Composers Now Inc: $300K across 2 grants, latest 2024 John D and Catherine T Macarthur Foundation (Consolidated) → Julia Wolfe: $250K across 2 grants, latest 2021 John D and Catherine T Macarthur Foundation (Consolidated) → Courtney Bryan: $160K across 1 grant, latest 2024 John D and Catherine T Macarthur Foundation (Consolidated) → Ikue Mori: $160K across 1 grant, latest 2024 John D and Catherine T Macarthur Foundation (Consolidated) → Raven Chacon: $160K across 1 grant, latest 2024 John D and Catherine T Macarthur Foundation (Consolidated) → Tomeka Reid: $160K across 1 grant, latest 2023 John D and Catherine T Macarthur Foundation (Consolidated) → Tomeka Reid: $160K across 1 grant, latest 2024 John D and Catherine T Macarthur Foundation (Consolidated) → Ikue Mori: $160K across 1 grant, latest 2023 The Andrew W Mellon Foundation → American Lyric Theater Center Inc: $150K across 1 grant, latest 2024 Virginia B Toulmin Charitable → Luna Composition Lab: $130K across 3 grants, latest 2023 John D and Catherine T Macarthur Foundation (Consolidated) → Mary Halvorson: $125K across 1 grant, latest 2024 John D and Catherine T Macarthur Foundation (Consolidated) → Cecile Mclorin Salvant: $125K across 1 grant, latest 2024 Virginia B Toulmin Charitable → Vail Valley Foundation: $50K across 1 grant, latest 2022 Virginia B Toulmin Charitable → American Composers Orchestra: $50K across 1 grant, latest 2022 Jerome Foundation Inc → M3 Musicians Incdba Mutual Mentorship for Musicians (M): $45K across 1 grant, latest 2024 Jerome Foundation Inc → American Composers Orchestra: $33K across 1 grant, latest 2024 Jerome Foundation Inc → The Jazz Gallery: $30K across 1 grant, latest 2024 Virginia B Toulmin Charitable → Composers Now Inc: $25K across 1 grant, latest 2023 Jerome Foundation Inc → International Contemporary Ensemble: $24K across 1 grant, latest 2024 Jerome Foundation Inc → Zeitgeist: $24K across 1 grant, latest 2024 The Aaron Copland Fund for Music Inc → American Composers Orchestra Inc: $23K across 2 grants, latest 2022 American Academy of Arts and Letters → Aaron Helgeson: $20K across 1 grant, latest 2024 John D and Catherine T Macarthur Foundation (Consolidated) → International Contemporary Ensemble Foundation Inc: $20K across 1 grant, latest 2024 John D and Catherine T Macarthur Foundation (Consolidated) → The Industry Productions Inc: $19K across 1 grant, latest 2024 American Academy of Arts and Letters → Maria Saskia Hamilton: $16K across 1 grant, latest 2022 American Academy of Arts and Letters → Alison Armstrong: $16K across 1 grant, latest 2024 John D and Catherine T Macarthur Foundation (Consolidated): $3.4M on this topic. Open the funder. John D and Catherine T Macart… $3.4M The Andrew W Mellon Foundation: $3.3M on this topic. Open the funder. The Andrew W Mellon Foundation $3.3M The Mcknight Foundation: $2.1M on this topic. Open the funder. The Mcknight Foundation $2.1M Virginia B Toulmin Charitable: $1.7M on this topic. Open the funder. Virginia B Toulmin Charitable $1.7M The Elizabeth & Michel Sorel Charitable: $1.1M on this topic. Open the funder. The Elizabeth & Michel Sorel… $1.1M John S and James L Knight Foundation: $640K on this topic. Open the funder. John S and James L Knight Fou… $640K Jerome Foundation Inc: $580K on this topic. Open the funder. Jerome Foundation Inc $580K The Littlejohn Family Foundation: $405K on this topic. Open the funder. The Littlejohn Family Foundat… $405K American Academy of Arts and Letters: $164K on this topic. Open the funder. American Academy of Arts and… $164K The Aaron Copland Fund for Music Inc: $161K on this topic. Open the funder. The Aaron Copland Fund for Mu… $161K Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation: $28K on this topic. Open the funder. Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley… $28K The Amphion Foundation Inc: $24K on this topic. Open the funder. The Amphion Foundation Inc $24K American Composers Forum: received $2.1M on this topic American Composers Forum $2.1M Opera America: received $1.1M on this topic Opera America $1.1M American Composers Orchestra Inc: received $829K on this topic American Composers Orchestra Inc $829K American Composer Orchestra: received $700K on this topic American Composer Orchestra $700K American Composers Forum: received $645K on this topic American Composers Forum $645K Gabriela Lena Frank Creative Academy of Music: received $600K on this topic Gabriela Lena Frank Creative Ac… $600K Chicago Opera Theater: received $560K on this topic Chicago Opera Theater $560K Mary Halvorson: received $500K on this topic Mary Halvorson $500K Cecile Mclorin Salvant: received $500K on this topic Cecile Mclorin Salvant $500K Matthew Aucoin: received $500K on this topic Matthew Aucoin $500K Boston Modern Orchestra Project Inc: received $500K on this topic Boston Modern Orchestra Project… $500K Miami Dade College Foundation Inc: received $465K on this topic Miami Dade College Foundation I… $465K Tyshawn Sorey: received $375K on this topic Tyshawn Sorey $375K New York City Ballet: received $350K on this topic New York City Ballet $350K Houston Grand Opera Association Inc: received $350K on this topic Houston Grand Opera Association… $350K Composers Now Inc: received $325K on this topic Composers Now Inc $325K Julia Wolfe: received $250K on this topic Julia Wolfe $250K Friends of the Minnesota Sinfonia: received $245K on this topic Friends of the Minnesota Sinfon… $245K National Sawdust: received $200K on this topic National Sawdust $200K Courtney Bryan: received $160K on this topic Courtney Bryan $160K Ikue Mori: received $160K on this topic Ikue Mori $160K Raven Chacon: received $160K on this topic Raven Chacon $160K Tomeka Reid: received $160K on this topic Tomeka Reid $160K Tomeka Reid: received $160K on this topic Tomeka Reid $160K Ikue Mori: received $160K on this topic Ikue Mori $160K New Music USA: received $150K on this topic New Music USA $150K American Lyric Theater Center Inc: received $150K on this topic American Lyric Theater Center I… $150K Luna Composition Lab: received $130K on this topic Luna Composition Lab $130K Mary Halvorson: received $125K on this topic Mary Halvorson $125K Cecile Mclorin Salvant: received $125K on this topic Cecile Mclorin Salvant $125K The Cedar Cultural Center: received $80K on this topic The Cedar Cultural Center $80K Roulette Intermedium: received $65K on this topic Roulette Intermedium $65K American Composers Orchestra Inc: received $55K on this topic American Composers Orchestra Inc $55K American Composers Orchestra: received $55K on this topic American Composers Orchestra $55K Sean Shepherd: received $50K on this topic Sean Shepherd $50K Vail Valley Foundation: received $50K on this topic Vail Valley Foundation $50K M3 Musicians Incdba Mutual Mentorship for Musicians (M): received $45K on this topic M3 Musicians Incdba Mutual Ment… $45K Ballet Collective Inc: received $40K on this topic Ballet Collective Inc $40K Laura Elise Schwendinger: received $35K on this topic Laura Elise Schwendinger $35K American Composers Orchestra: received $33K on this topic American Composers Orchestra $33K The Jazz Gallery: received $30K on this topic The Jazz Gallery $30K American Composers Alliance: received $27K on this topic American Composers Alliance $27K Schubert Club Inc: received $25K on this topic Schubert Club Inc $25K International Contemporary Ensemble: received $24K on this topic International Contemporary Ense… $24K Zeitgeist: received $24K on this topic Zeitgeist $24K Songfest at Colburn: received $20K on this topic Songfest at Colburn $20K Aaron Helgeson: received $20K on this topic Aaron Helgeson $20K International Contemporary Ensemble Foundation Inc: received $20K on this topic International Contemporary Ense… $20K The Industry Productions Inc: received $19K on this topic The Industry Productions Inc $19K Maria Saskia Hamilton: received $16K on this topic Maria Saskia Hamilton $16K Alison Armstrong: received $16K on this topic Alison Armstrong $16K Balletcollective Inc: received $15K on this topic Balletcollective Inc $15K D-Composed Gives: received $13K on this topic D-Composed Gives $13K D-Composed: received $11K on this topic D-Composed $11K Chicago Composers Consortium: received $5K on this topic Chicago Composers Consortium $5K 12 funders, 55 recipients, grants matching “composing” only. Ribbon width is proportional to the total given; each funder has its own colour (smaller funders in gray). Hover a name to isolate its flows, click a funder to open it. Drag to move around; zoom with the buttons, a double-click, or the wheel after clicking the map. Largest: $50,000 to SEAN SHEPHERD — to give a promising composer income which allows him to be free of employment and soley compose.
Full grant history → IRS filings ↗
Largest: $10,640 to THE BIG EARS FESTIVAL — to support a conversation between macarthur fellows, jazz cellist and composer tomeka reid (2022) and electronic music composer and performer ikue mori (2022) as part of the 2024 b…
Full grant history → IRS filings ↗
Largest: $200,000 to NATIONAL SAWDUST — composer fellowships and commissions
Full grant history → IRS filings ↗
Largest: $208,000 to American Composers Forum — for the mcknight artist fellowships for composers and for a visiting composer artists residency program
Full grant history → IRS filings ↗
Largest: $27,500 to American Composers Orchestra Inc — encourage knowledge and appreciation of contemporary american music
Full grant history → IRS filings ↗
Largest: $30,000 to AMERICAN COMPOSERS FORUM — grant for recording assistance to bipoc women composers
Full grant history → IRS filings ↗
Largest: $32,500 to American Composers Orchestra — support for composers in the earshot readings & colaboratory residency program.
Full grant history → IRS filings ↗
Largest: $800,000 to AMERICAN COMPOSERS ORCHESTRA INC — to support modeling social practice within orchestras
Full grant history → IRS filings ↗
Largest: $6,500 to AMERICAN COMPOSERS FORUM — encourage the performance of contemporary concert music
Full grant history → IRS filings ↗
Largest: $100,000 to NEW YORK CITY BALLET — to preserve the ballets, dance aesthetic, and standards of excellence created and established by its founders; and to develop new work that draws on the creative talents of contemp…
Full grant history → IRS filings ↗
Largest: $2,500 to CHICAGO COMPOSERS CONSORTIUM — chicago composers consortium
Full grant history → IRS filings ↗
Largest: $75,000 to AMERICAN COMPOSERS FORUM — to support the digital components of the american composers forums (acf) five-year strategic plan, including a director of digital media, webinar series, and additional resources f…
Full grant history → IRS filings ↗
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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 →
