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 “photography”
Where the money went
Largest: $35,000 to Houston Center for Photography — support artists working in photography. houston center for photography is an organization dedicated to the art of photography. starting in 1981 as a small visual artists' organizat…
The Chicago Community TrustChicago, ILCharity · may take applications
13 matching grants · $1.8M · through 2023Largest: $67,000 to Columbia College Chicago — support for museum of contemporary photography: darkroom benefit (no tickets or tangible benefits), support for the museum of contemporary photography, support for museum of contem…
Largest: $25,000 to SAVANNAH COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN INC — william talbott hillman endowed photography scholarship at scad
Largest: $750,000 to SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION — to support research and conservation of the african american photography collection
Largest: $1.5M to MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS BOSTON — acquisitions for photography
Largest: $20,000 to ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO — of this amount, $10,000 is to support the black dog fund of the photography and media department (supporting departmental photography exhibitions), and $10,000 is to support the pr…
Largest: $350,000 to Baltimore Museum of Art — bma prints, drawings, and photography center - part 2
Largest: $67,000 to ART AND PHOTOGRAPHY FOUNDATION — for the museum of art and photography's exhibitions, public programming and community platform to increase representation of marginalized women in the art world and shift social no…
Largest: $29,600 to HELEN LOUISE ALLEN TEXTILE COLLECTION - UW-MADISON — art donation: roland freeman photography & folk art collection
Largest: $15,000 to THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO — support photography associates
Largest: $15,000 to JOHN & MABLE RINGLING MUSEUM OF ART FOUNDATION — photography acquisitions fund
Largest: $50,000 to SILVER EYE CENTER FOR PHOTOGRAPHY — to support the new silver eye education center and programming for three years (2022-2024)
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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 →