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 “photographers”
Where the money went
Largest: $35,000 to Blue Sky Gallery — support artists working in photography and related media. founded as the oregon center for the photographic arts by a goup of five young photographers in 1975, blue sky quickly est…
John D and Catherine T MacArthur Foundation (Consolidated)Chicago, IL
9 matching grants · $437,891 · through 2024Largest: $20,000 to COLUMBIA COLLEGE CHICAGO — to support student mentoring, an exhibition, and a conversation with photographers wendy ewald (1992) and susan meiselas (1992) alongside researcher and co-author laura wexler
Largest: $49,000 to CARNEGIE INSTITUTECARNEGIE MUSEUM OF ART — acquisition of two photographic works by trevor paglen
Largest: $50,000 to ALL IS WELL PICTURES LLC — for post-production photographic justice, a documentary film that provides a first-hand account of fifty years of asian american activism through the lens of chinese american photo…
Largest: $50,000 to NATIONAL PRESS PHOTOGRAPHERS FOUNDATION (NPPF) — to train police officers, first responders and journalists about the rights and limitations of journalists and citizens to photograph and record matters of public concern.
Largest: $13,000 to OREGON CENTER FOR THE PHOTOGRAPHIC ARTS INC — photographic exhibition
Herb Ritts FoundationBeverly Hills, CA
8 matching grants · $27,000 · through 2023Largest: $5,000 to MUSEUM OF PHOTOGRAPHIC ARTS MOPA (CASH) — unrestricted donation for donee's exempt purpose
The New York Community TrustNew York, NYCharity · may take applications
5 matching grants · $100,000 · through 2024Largest: $30,000 to INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE OF CONSERVATION PHOTOGRAPHERS INC — for general support.
Minnesota Historical SocietySaint Paul, MNCharity · may take applications
4 matching grants · $301,444 · through 2024Largest: $103,888 to NOBLES COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY — legacy grant for the 1960s photographic negatives, upgrades collections management software, and supports the nobles county: a home for immigrants exhibit through improved collecti…
Photographic Society of AmericaOklahoma City, OKCharity · may take applications
3 matching grants · $4.3M · through 2024Largest: $2.5M to PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY OF AMERICA — to promote the arts and sciences of photography
The Miami FoundationMiami, FLCharity · may take applications
4 matching grants · $175,000 · through 2024Largest: $100,000 to WOMEN PHOTOGRAPHERS INTERNATIONAL ARCHIVE — program support
Community Foundation of Tampa BayTampa, FLCharity · may take applications
4 matching grants · $145,200 · through 2024Largest: $55,000 to FLORIDA MUSEUM OF PHOTOGRAPHIC ARTS INC — support of mission
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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 →