Nonprofit Funding Database: How to Find Grants That Match Your Mission

The Three Types of Funding Databases

Not all grant databases are the same. They fall into three categories, and understanding the difference saves you from searching the wrong one:

1. Government grant databases (Grants.gov, SAM.gov, state portals) list active federal and state funding opportunities with deadlines and application instructions.
2. Foundation directories (Candid, Foundation Directory Online) catalog private foundations with profiles, giving interests, and contact information.
3. 990-based intelligence platforms (GrantFound) analyze actual IRS filings to show you which foundations gave money to which nonprofits, how much, and when.

Most nonprofits need a combination. Government databases for federal and state grants. A foundation directory or 990 platform for private foundation funding. The mistake is trying to use one database for everything.

Government Grant Databases (Free)

Grants.gov

The official US government portal for federal grant opportunities. Every federal agency posts their funding opportunities here. You can search by category, agency, or eligibility and apply directly through the platform.

• Covers all federal grant programs
• Free to search and apply
• Email alerts for new opportunities in your area
• Does not include state, local, or private foundation grants

SAM.gov

The System for Award Management is where you register your nonprofit to receive federal funding. You need a SAM registration (formerly DUNS number) before applying to most federal grants. Also lists contract opportunities.

State Grant Portals

Many states have their own grant databases. California has grants.ca.gov, New York has grantsgateway.ny.gov, and Texas uses eGrants. Search for "[your state] grant portal" to find yours.

Foundation Directories

Candid (Foundation Directory Online)

The largest and most established directory of private foundations. Candid was formed when Foundation Center merged with GuideStar in 2019. Their database includes over 140,000 foundation profiles with giving interests, financial data, and sometimes application guidelines.

• Subscription starts at $39.95/month
• Free access at many public libraries (check yours!)
• Profiles are often self-reported and may be outdated
• Good for finding foundations, less useful for seeing their actual giving patterns

The Library Trick

Here is something most nonprofits do not know: hundreds of public and university libraries provide free access to Candid's Foundation Directory Online. Before paying for a subscription, check if your local library is a Candid Funding Information Network partner. You can search the database for free from the library or sometimes from home with your library card.

990-Based Intelligence: A Different Approach

Every private foundation in the US files a Form 990-PF with the IRS annually. These filings are public records and contain a goldmine of data:

• Every grant the foundation made that year
• The recipient organization, amount, and purpose
• The foundation's total assets and giving budget
• Officer and trustee names

The challenge is that raw 990 data is extremely tedious to work with. The IRS provides bulk XML files, but parsing them requires technical skills. This is where 990-based platforms come in.

How GrantFound Uses 990 Data

GrantFound processes IRS 990-PF filings at scale and lets you search them in a way that traditional directories cannot match. Instead of searching by keyword (which misses foundations that describe their work differently), you search by peer:

1. Find a nonprofit similar to yours
2. See which foundations funded them
3. Discover those foundations also fund other organizations in your space
4. Build a targeted prospect list based on actual giving history

This peer-based method surfaces foundations you would never find by browsing a directory, because many small and mid-size foundations do not have public websites or detailed Candid profiles. Their 990 filings are the only public record of their giving.

Do Nonprofits Have Public Financials?

Yes. Both nonprofits (501(c)(3) organizations) and private foundations must file annual returns with the IRS, and these filings are public records. Nonprofits file Form 990 or 990-EZ, while private foundations file Form 990-PF.

You can find these filings on the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search tool, on GuideStar (now part of Candid), or through platforms like GrantFound that make the data searchable. This transparency is by design: it is the trade-off organizations make for tax-exempt status.

Building Your Research Stack

Here is a practical approach that covers all the bases without spending a fortune:

For Federal and State Grants

• Register on SAM.gov (required for federal grants)
• Set up email alerts on Grants.gov for your NTEE codes
• Check your state's grant portal monthly

For Private Foundation Grants

• Use GrantFound to find foundations that funded organizations like yours (free)
• Visit your library for free Candid access to research foundation profiles and application guidelines
• Read the 990 filings guide to learn how to read foundation tax returns directly

For Corporate and Individual Donors

• Check major employers in your area for corporate giving programs
• Look at community foundations (they often have local grant programs)
• Use donor screening tools only if you already have a donor base to screen

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Searching only by keyword. Foundations describe their giving in many different ways. A foundation that funds "youth development" might be a perfect fit for your after-school program, but you would never find them searching for "after-school grants."
• Ignoring small foundations. There are over 90,000 private foundations in the US. Most give away less than $1M per year, and most do not have websites. Their 990 filings are the only way to find them.
• Applying to everything. A targeted list of 20 well-matched foundations will outperform 100 random applications every time.
• Paying for databases you do not need. Start with free tools. Most nonprofits can build a solid prospect list without spending anything.