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 “investigative”
Where the money went
Largest: $600,000 to COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY — math+x investigator
John D and Catherine T MacArthur Foundation (Consolidated)Chicago, IL
114 matching grants · $33.8M · through 2024Largest: $50,000 to Global Investigative Journalism Network Inc — to support the attendance of nigerian investigative journalists at the 2023 global investigative journalism conference (gijc) in gothenburg, sweden
The McKnight Endowment Fund for NeuroscienceMinneapolis, MN
123 matching grants · $9.7M · through 2024Largest: $100,000 to Carnegie Mellon University — investigating circuits and mechanisms that support long-lasting recovery of movement in dopamine depleted mice. principal investigator: aryn gittis, ph.d.
Largest: $1.6M to PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE — to support postdoctoral fellows at the black hole initiative, a unique interdisciplinary center bringing together investigators from astronomy, physics, mathematics, and philosophy…
Largest: $1.2M to BOSTON CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL — investigator award research grant
Largest: $133,333 to EQUIPO ARGENTINO DE ANTROPOLOGIA FORENSE — core support for families of the disappeared in their rights to truth, justice, and independent investigations through forensic investigations, public policy advocacy, and training…
Our RescueSalt Lake City, UTCharity · may take applications
92 matching grants · $1.1M · through 2025Largest: $50,486 to Mississippi State University — training and capacity building and investigative software support
Conquer Cancer Foundation of theAlexandria, VACharity · may take applications
67 matching grants · $18.0M · through 2024Largest: $1.7M to DANA-FARBER CANCER INSTITUTE — young investigator award, career development award, advanced clinical research award
Rheumatology Research FoundationAtlanta, GACharity · may take applications
56 matching grants · $7.0M · through 2024Largest: $250,000 to Mayo Clinic — investigator award - clinical
Largest: $250,000 to Center for Investigative Reporting — 78068 supporting the center for investigative repo
Largest: $250,000 to CORNELL UNIVERSITY — pershing square sohn prize for young investigators in cancer research
Largest: $312,601 to NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES — to conduct a study on the handling of deaths in custody by the medicolegal death investigation system in the united states and study-related concerns with medical death investigati…
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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 →