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 “mines”
Where the money went
Largest: $200,000 to MININGWATCH CA — for the find-an-independent-mining-expert database (faime) pilot project, a shared tool for organizations and communities affected by mining worldwide.
Largest: $338,961 to UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY — autonomous underground mining systems to improve safety - intelligent coal mining
Largest: $550,000 to COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES — to examine the role of refineries and mining-refining integration for the production of nickel and cobalt in the united states
True North FoundationGrass Valley, CA
17 matching grants · $3.2M · through 2024Largest: $961,087 to ALASKA CONSERVATION FOUNDATION — mining network
Largest: $70,000 to UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY — to support a study that mines critical information and about the effect of wildfires by monitoring trends in burn severity.
Gemological Institute of AmericaCarlsbad, CACharity · may take applications
10 matching grants · $1.2M · through 2024Largest: $93,224 to MERCURY FREE MINING INC — support education of artisanal miners in gem mining communities
Largest: $25,000 to DALHOUSIE UNIVERSITY — environmental - impact assessment research on mining impacts in canada and alaska
Largest: $75,000 to COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES FOUNDATION — needs based scholarships
Conservation X LabsWashington, DCCharity · may take applications
12 matching grants · $536,002 · through 2024Largest: $90,000 to ENGINEERING FOR CHANGE LLC — accelerating innovation for artisanal and small-scale mining
Largest: $977,449 to JANE GOODALL INSTITUTE FOR WILDLIFE RESEARCH EDUCATION & CONSERVATION — support for the implementation of the conservation action plan (cap) for great apes in the eastern drc, strengthening responses to mining, disease, tenure, management, and governan…
Largest: $25,000 to COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES — scholarship program
Largest: $16,850 to Colorado School of Mines — scholarships for edward perea (8,100), jesus lazo ortiz (2,500), miah lipford (5,000), and michael sowards (1,250)
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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 →