Plinth

Funding by state · CA

Grantmaking in California

13,673 grantmakers are based in California. Together they granted $74.3B across the 2022 and 2023 filings, the 1st most of any state, and kept 44% of it in California. Roughly half stays, half leaves.

13,673
grantmakers
$74.3B
granted
44%
stays in-state

The short version

$33B stays in-stateCaliforniaGRANTMAKING$26Bimported from funders elsewhere$42Bexported to orgs elsewhere
California is a net exporter of grant money, $16B more leaves than arrives.

Largest funders based in California

Grantmakers headquartered in California, sized by total grants made. Pick one for its dossier.

Organizations in California that draw the most

The nonprofits in California that received the most grant money.

Biggest funders reaching into California from elsewhere

Out-of-state funders sending the most money to organizations in California.

What California funds, against the country

Each cause by how much of California's grant money it draws relative to the national rate. To the right of the line is overweight, to the left underweight. California is most overweight on environment, at 1.59× the national rate. Dot size is the cause's share of the state.

0.25×0.5×nationalEducation22% · 1.06×Philanthropy18% · 1×Health13% · 0.79×Human services8% · 1.02×Arts and culture7% · 1.36×Environment5% · 1.59×

Where the money goes by org size

Grant dollars to organizations in California, by the recipient's size, against the national average (the marker). California sends a larger share to $10M to $100M organizations than the country as a whole, and less to $100M and up.

Under $100k1% vs 1% national
$100k to $1M5% vs 6% national
$1M to $10M21% vs 21% national
$10M to $100M33% vs 28% national
$100M and up40% vs 44% national

Find funders by cause in California

Who funds each cause in California, with the largest funders and how to reach them.

Questions and answers

What does it mean for grant money to stay in-state?
It is the share of grants made by funders based in California that reached organizations also located in California, rather than organizations in other states. A high share means local funders mostly back local causes; a low one means the money largely leaves.
Is California a major grantmaking state?
California ranks 1st of the 52 states and territories by grant dollars from resident funders. The largest grantmaking states are California and New York; the most outward, where money mostly leaves, are domiciles like Delaware.
How can a nonprofit find funders in California?
Start with the largest grantmakers based in California, currently Donor Advised Charitable Giving Inc and Silicon Valley Community Foundation. Out-of-state funders also reach in, led by Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund. California funds environment above the national rate, so funders active there are worth approaching.
How recent is this California grant data?
It is read from IRS Form 990 and 990-PF e-file filings for fiscal years 2022 and 2023, the two years with complete coverage. US charity filings lag 12 to 24 months, so this is the most recent complete picture.

More from the funding graph

Read from IRS Form 990 and 990-PF e-file XML for fiscal years 2022 and 2023. A funder is placed by the state on its most recent filing. In-state share counts grant dollars whose recipient is also in California, among recipients resolved by EIN. Source: IRS Form 990 downloads.