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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 “whale”

Where the money went

1.0×
Gary E Milgard Family Foundation - Mark → Center for Whale Research: $900K across 5 grants, latest 2024The Chicago Community Trust → College of the Atlantic: $560K across 3 grants, latest 20221772 Foundation Inc → Waterfront Historic Area League (Whale): $483K across 5 grants, latest 2023The Volgenau Foundation → New England Aquarium: $430K across 3 grants, latest 2024National Fish and Wildlife Foundation → Smelts Sea Mammal Education Learning Technology Society: $374K across 1 grant, latest 2023Dola Hamilton Stemberg Charitable → Old Dartmouth Historical Society (the New Bedford Whaling Museum): $275K across 4 grants, latest 2024Charles G Wright Endowment for Humanity → Center for Coastal Studies: $260K across 3 grants, latest 2024Island Foundation Inc → New England Aquarium: $210K across 6 grants, latest 2024The Makana Aloha Foundation → Whale Trust: $110K across 7 grants, latest 2024The Croll Foundation → New Bedford Whaling Museum: $86K across 8 grants, latest 2023Geoinge Foundation → Pacific Whale Foundation: $40K across 4 grants, latest 2025The Carney Family Charitable Foundation → New Bedford Whaling Museum: $40K across 4 grants, latest 2024The Volgenau Foundation → National Marine Sanctuary Foundation: $425K across 2 grants, latest 2023National Fish and Wildlife Foundation → Blue Ocean Gear LLC: $367K across 1 grant, latest 2023The Chicago Community Trust → New England Aquarium Corporation: $262K across 3 grants, latest 2022Gary E Milgard Family Foundation - Mark → Orca Network: $248K across 3 grants, latest 2023Island Foundation Inc → New Bedford Whaling Museum: $163K across 6 grants, latest 2024Charles G Wright Endowment for Humanity → International Fund for Animal Welfare: $150K across 3 grants, latest 2024The Carney Family Charitable Foundation → Whale: $15K across 3 grants, latest 20241772 Foundation Inc → Whale - Waterfront Historic Area League: $15K across 1 grant, latest 2024National Fish and Wildlife Foundation → Desert Star Systems LLC: $241K across 1 grant, latest 2023The Volgenau Foundation → California Marine Sanctuary Foundation: $220K across 3 grants, latest 2024Charles G Wright Endowment for Humanity → Center for Coastal Studie: $100K across 1 grant, latest 2025Island Foundation Inc → Regents of the University of California: $54K across 3 grants, latest 2024Gary E Milgard Family Foundation - Mark → Dam Sense: $35K across 1 grant, latest 2021National Fish and Wildlife Foundation → The Whale Museum: $205K across 3 grants, latest 2023National Fish and Wildlife Foundation → Washington Maritime Blue: $204K across 2 grants, latest 2023National Fish and Wildlife Foundation → Delresearch LLC: $173K across 1 grant, latest 2023National Fish and Wildlife Foundation → Friends of Skagit Beaches: $122K across 2 grants, latest 2023National Fish and Wildlife Foundation → Sr3 Sealife Response Rehabilitation and Research: $81K across 1 grant, latest 2023National Fish and Wildlife Foundation → Mid Sound Fisheries Enhancement Group: $77K across 1 grant, latest 2023National Fish and Wildlife Foundation → Sr3 Sealife Response Rehab and Research: $68K across 2 grants, latest 2022National Fish and Wildlife Foundation → Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society: $68K across 2 grants, latest 2022National Fish and Wildlife Foundation → Restore America's Estuaries: $59K across 1 grant, latest 2021National Fish and Wildlife Foundation → Whale and Dolphin Conservation Inc: $58K across 1 grant, latest 2023Charles G Wright Endowment for Humanity → International Fund for Animal Welfa: $50K across 1 grant, latest 2025Charles G Wright Endowment for Humanity → Whale Trust: $46K across 2 grants, latest 2025National Fish and Wildlife Foundation → Killer Whale Tales: $43K across 1 grant, latest 2023National Fish and Wildlife Foundation → Sub Sea Sonics: $39K across 1 grant, latest 2023Island Foundation Inc → Whale and Dolphin Conservation Inc: $39K across 3 grants, latest 2024Island Foundation Inc → Instituto De Conservacion De Ballenas (Icb) Argentina: $35K across 3 grants, latest 2024National Fish and Wildlife Foundation → Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries: $31K across 1 grant, latest 2023Island Foundation Inc → Waterfront Historic Area League (Whale): $30K across 2 grants, latest 2023National Fish and Wildlife Foundation → Mid-Atlantic Launch Servi: $27K across 1 grant, latest 2023National Fish and Wildlife Foundation → Environmental Science Associates: $25K across 1 grant, latest 2022National Fish and Wildlife Foundation → Nmfs Northwest Fisheries Science Center: $23K across 1 grant, latest 2021National Fish and Wildlife Foundation → Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation: $23K across 1 grant, latest 2023National Fish and Wildlife Foundation → Earthsightful Solutions: $18K across 1 grant, latest 2023Island Foundation Inc → Associated Scientists at Woods Hole: $15K across 3 grants, latest 2024National Fish and Wildlife Foundation → John Keene Excavation: $11K across 1 grant, latest 2023National Fish and Wildlife Foundation → North Gulf Oceanic Society: $10K across 1 grant, latest 2023Gary E Milgard Family Foundation - Mark → Killer Whale Tales: $10K across 1 grant, latest 2023National Fish and Wildlife Foundation → The Whaling Museum Society: $10K across 1 grant, latest 2022National Fish and Wildlife Foundation → Harry Doughty and Son Ex: $9K across 1 grant, latest 2023National Fish and Wildlife Foundation → Sustainable Fisheries Partnership: $6K across 1 grant, latest 2023National Fish and Wildlife Foundation: $2.4M on this topic. Open the funder.National Fish and Wildlife Fo…$2.4MGary E Milgard Family Foundation - Mark: $1.2M on this topic. Open the funder.Gary E Milgard Family Foundat…$1.2MThe Volgenau Foundation: $1.1M on this topic. Open the funder.The Volgenau Foundation$1.1MThe Chicago Community Trust: $822K on this topic. Open the funder.The Chicago Community Trust$822KCharles G Wright Endowment for Humanity: $605K on this topic. Open the funder.Charles G Wright Endowment fo…$605KIsland Foundation Inc: $546K on this topic. Open the funder.Island Foundation Inc$546K1772 Foundation Inc: $498K on this topic. Open the funder.1772 Foundation Inc$498KDola Hamilton Stemberg Charitable: $275K on this topic. Open the funder.Dola Hamilton Stemberg Charit…$275KThe Makana Aloha Foundation: $110K on this topic. Open the funder.The Makana Aloha Foundation$110KThe Croll Foundation: $86K on this topic. Open the funder.The Croll Foundation$86KThe Carney Family Charitable Foundation: $55K on this topic. Open the funder.The Carney Family Charitable…$55KGeoinge Foundation: $40K on this topic. Open the funder.Geoinge Foundation$40KCenter for Whale Research: received $900K on this topicCenter for Whale Research$900KNew England Aquarium: received $640K on this topicNew England Aquarium$640KCollege of the Atlantic: received $560K on this topicCollege of the Atlantic$560KWaterfront Historic Area League (Whale): received $513K on this topicWaterfront Historic Area League…$513KNational Marine Sanctuary Foundation: received $425K on this topicNational Marine Sanctuary Found…$425KSmelts Sea Mammal Education Learning Technology Society: received $374K on this topicSmelts Sea Mammal Education Lea…$374KBlue Ocean Gear LLC: received $367K on this topicBlue Ocean Gear LLC$367KNew Bedford Whaling Museum: received $289K on this topicNew Bedford Whaling Museum$289KOld Dartmouth Historical Society (the New Bedford Whaling Museum): received $275K on this topicOld Dartmouth Historical Societ…$275KNew England Aquarium Corporation: received $262K on this topicNew England Aquarium Corporation$262KCenter for Coastal Studies: received $260K on this topicCenter for Coastal Studies$260KOrca Network: received $248K on this topicOrca Network$248KDesert Star Systems LLC: received $241K on this topicDesert Star Systems LLC$241KCalifornia Marine Sanctuary Foundation: received $220K on this topicCalifornia Marine Sanctuary Fou…$220KThe Whale Museum: received $205K on this topicThe Whale Museum$205KWashington Maritime Blue: received $204K on this topicWashington Maritime Blue$204KDelresearch LLC: received $173K on this topicDelresearch LLC$173KWhale Trust: received $156K on this topicWhale Trust$156KInternational Fund for Animal Welfare: received $150K on this topicInternational Fund for Animal W…$150KFriends of Skagit Beaches: received $122K on this topicFriends of Skagit Beaches$122KCenter for Coastal Studie: received $100K on this topicCenter for Coastal Studie$100KWhale and Dolphin Conservation Inc: received $97K on this topicWhale and Dolphin Conservation…$97KSr3 Sealife Response Rehabilitation and Research: received $81K on this topicSr3 Sealife Response Rehabilita…$81KMid Sound Fisheries Enhancement Group: received $77K on this topicMid Sound Fisheries Enhancement…$77KSr3 Sealife Response Rehab and Research: received $68K on this topicSr3 Sealife Response Rehab and…$68KWhale and Dolphin Conservation Society: received $68K on this topicWhale and Dolphin Conservation…$68KRestore America's Estuaries: received $59K on this topicRestore America's Estuaries$59KRegents of the University of California: received $54K on this topicRegents of the University of Ca…$54KKiller Whale Tales: received $53K on this topicKiller Whale Tales$53KInternational Fund for Animal Welfa: received $50K on this topicInternational Fund for Animal W…$50KPacific Whale Foundation: received $40K on this topicPacific Whale Foundation$40KSub Sea Sonics: received $39K on this topicSub Sea Sonics$39KDam Sense: received $35K on this topicDam Sense$35KInstituto De Conservacion De Ballenas (Icb) Argentina: received $35K on this topicInstituto De Conservacion De Ba…$35KMassachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries: received $31K on this topicMassachusetts Division of Marin…$31KMid-Atlantic Launch Servi: received $27K on this topicMid-Atlantic Launch Servi$27KEnvironmental Science Associates: received $25K on this topicEnvironmental Science Associates$25KNmfs Northwest Fisheries Science Center: received $23K on this topicNmfs Northwest Fisheries Scienc…$23KCommercial Fisheries Research Foundation: received $23K on this topicCommercial Fisheries Research F…$23KEarthsightful Solutions: received $18K on this topicEarthsightful Solutions$18KWhale: received $15K on this topicWhale$15KWhale - Waterfront Historic Area League: received $15K on this topicWhale - Waterfront Historic Are…$15KAssociated Scientists at Woods Hole: received $15K on this topicAssociated Scientists at Woods…$15KJohn Keene Excavation: received $11K on this topicJohn Keene Excavation$11KNorth Gulf Oceanic Society: received $10K on this topicNorth Gulf Oceanic Society$10KThe Whaling Museum Society: received $10K on this topicThe Whaling Museum Society$10KHarry Doughty and Son Ex: received $9K on this topicHarry Doughty and Son Ex$9KSustainable Fisheries Partnership: received $6K on this topicSustainable Fisheries Partnersh…$6K
12 funders, 48 recipients, grants matching “whale” 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.

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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 →