Free Grant Databases for Nonprofits

Grant research has two halves. Federal and state government programs are published openly, so they are easy to search for free. Private foundations are harder: there are tens of thousands of them, many have no website, and their priorities are visible mainly through the grants they have already made. The tools below cover both halves.

Federal grants

Grants.gov

Grants.gov is the central listing of discretionary grant opportunities from federal agencies. Searching and reading opportunities requires no account. You can filter by agency, category and eligibility (for example "nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS") and sign up for email notifications. To apply, your organization needs a SAM.gov registration and a Grants.gov account; see the Grants.gov applicant registration page.

SAM.gov Assistance Listings

SAM.gov publishes Assistance Listings (formerly known as the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance, CFDA). Each listing describes a federal program, its purpose, eligibility and the agency that runs it, even when no competition is open. Use it to learn which programs exist and when they typically compete, then watch Grants.gov for the actual notice.

Agency pages

Large agencies such as the U.S. Department of Education, the National Science Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts publish forecasts and program pages that often appear before a notice reaches Grants.gov. Many federal dollars also flow through state agencies as pass-through grants, which leads to the next category.

State and local government grants

Most states publish grant opportunities on agency websites, and some run a central grants portal. Search your state's name with "grant opportunities", and check the state arts council, humanities council, department of education and health department. Cities and counties often post community grants on their own sites. Our state pages also list foundations by state.

Private and community foundations

Candid (free account)

Candid combined its GuideStar nonprofit profiles and Foundation Directory data into a single product, Candid Search, in 2026. A free registered account gives basic search of nonprofit and funder profiles; paid tiers add detailed funder research. Check Candid's site for what the free tier currently includes.

Candid's Funding Information Network

Many public libraries, community foundations and nonprofit resource centers belong to Candid's Funding Information Network and offer free on-site access to Candid's full funder database, often with staff help or classes. Ask your library's reference desk, or use the locator on Candid's website.

IRS data and ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer

Private foundations file Form 990-PF each year, which lists the grants they paid, the recipients and the amounts. This is the most reliable evidence of what a foundation actually funds. ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer lets you search and read 990 filings free and without an account. The IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search confirms an organization's tax-exempt status and also provides copies of filed returns.

A practical method: find three or four organizations similar to yours, look up their 990s or annual reports to see which foundations funded them, then read those foundations' 990-PFs to see who else they fund and how much they typically give.

Community foundations

Community foundations publish their own competitive grant programs and often manage donor-advised funds and smaller field-of-interest funds. They are usually the best first stop for local funding. See our list of community foundations.

Corporate giving

Many companies run foundations or giving programs, usually focused on communities where they have employees or stores. Look for "community", "giving", "foundation" or "corporate responsibility" pages on company websites, and check whether local branches or stores have their own small grant or donation programs.

Free and low-cost newsletters

State nonprofit associations, regional grantmaker associations and some state agencies publish funding newsletters. Federal agencies also offer email updates for specific programs through Grants.gov notifications.

Free versus paid databases

Paid databases mainly save time: they aggregate foundation data, add search filters and send matched alerts. They do not have access to secret grants. If your organization applies to only a handful of funders a year, the free tools above, combined with library access to Candid's full database, are usually enough. If you research for many programs or clients, a subscription may pay for itself in hours saved.

Avoid grant scams

No legitimate database can guarantee you a grant, and federal grants are never awarded in exchange for a fee. The Federal Trade Commission explains how to recognize government grant scams.

A simple research routine

1. Write a one-paragraph description of the project, the location, the population served and the amount needed.
2. Search Grants.gov and your state portals for open government opportunities.
3. Search Candid (free account or library access) for foundations that fund your field in your area.
4. Check each promising foundation's 990-PF for recent grants to organizations like yours.
5. Record each prospect, its deadline and its requirements in a spreadsheet, and review the list monthly.

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