Funding by state · CA
Grantmaking in California
13,747 grantmakers are based in California. Together they granted $29B across the 2022 and 2023 filings, the 2nd most of any state, and kept 62% of it in California. Funding here stays close to home, the 37th most in-state of any state.
California's 177,974 nonprofits, by cause, size and age ↓- 13,747
- grantmakers
- $29B
- granted, FY2022 and FY2023
- $364
- given per resident, per year
- 62%
- stays in-state
The short version
- 13,747 grantmakers are based in California, granting $29B across the FY2022 and FY2023 IRS filings, the 2nd most of any state.
- 62% of grant dollars from California funders stayed in California; the rest went to organizations in other states.
- California's grantmakers give $364 a year for every resident of the state.
- California is a net exporter of grant money, sending $233M more to other states than its organizations draw in from them.
- Grant money reaching California organizations goes to environment at 2.03× the national rate.
- California has 177,974 organizations registered with the IRS as 501(c)(3)s, 45 for every 10,000 residents; 91% of its public charities that report revenue or file the e-Postcard take in under $1 million a year.
Where California sits among the states
Each dot is a state, sized by its grant dollars. California is in green.
Given per resident, per year
Share that stays in-state
Net flow with other states
California and the other states
California's foundations send $233M more to other states than its organizations draw from them. Switch direction to see who it funds and who funds it.
Donor-advised funds, related-party transfers and regrants through intermediaries are left out, so these ties show where the state's own grantmakers reach.
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 in from elsewhere
Out-of-state funders sending the most money to organizations in California.
What draws money in California, against the country
Each cause by how much of the grant money reaching California's organizations it takes, relative to the national rate. Right of the line is overweight, left underweight. California is most overweight on environment, at 2.03× the national rate. Dot size is the cause's share.
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.
Find funders by cause in California
Who funds each cause in California, with the largest funders and how to reach them.
The nonprofit sector · CA
California's nonprofits
California has 177,974 organizations registered with the IRS as 501(c)(3)s: 164,112 public charities, 33,547 of them congregations, and 13,862 private foundations. 91% of the public charities that report revenue or file the e-Postcard take in under $1 million a year, and together they report 2% of the sector's revenue. The largest 1% report 80%.
- 177,974
- registered 501(c)(3)s
- 45
- per 10,000 residents
- $463B
- charity revenue, latest returns
- 27%
- file a full Form 990 or 990-EZ
Registered 501(c)(3)s per 10,000 residents
Each dot is a state, sized by its number of 501(c)(3)s. California is in green.
What they do, by count and by money
Religion is the largest group by number, 25% of California's public charities and 1% of their revenue. Health is 6% of the charities and 60% of the revenue.
- 25%1%
- 11%13%
- 10%8%
- 8%2%
- 6%60%
- 6%0.5%
- 3%0.6%
- 3%0.5%
- 3%Philanthropy3%
- 3%0.6%
- 2%1%
- 2%0.5%
- 2%0.9%
- 2%1.0%
- 1%0.3%
- 1%0.6%
- 3%Everything else2%
- 10%Not classified5%
The thin mark on the left is the national share of charities in the same cause.
Many small, a few very large
Public charities by the revenue on their latest return. Each band is drawn twice: by its share of the charities on top, and by its share of the revenue underneath.
- Under $50k
67% of charities · under 0.1% of revenue - $50k to $250k
15% of charities · 0.5% of revenue - $250k to $1M
8% of charities · 1% of revenue - $1M to $10M
7% of charities · 6% of revenue - $10M to $100M
2% of charities · 15% of revenue - $100M and up
0.3% of charities · 77% of revenue
What the IRS sees
Only charities filing a Form 990 or 990-EZ report their finances. Financial figures about nonprofits, here and in any study built on 990s, describe 27% of California's public charities.
- 27% file a Form 990 or 990-EZ
44,512 charities · 26% nationally - 52% file only the e-Postcard (990-N)
84,909 charities · 54% nationally - 21% file no return of their own (mostly congregations)
34,691 charities · 20% nationally
How new they are
Half of California's public charities were recognized by the IRS in 2014 or later, and 34% since 2020 (32% nationally). The register lists only organizations still recognized, so the older decades count survivors.
The line across each bar is the national share for that decade. The 2020s are a partial decade.
California's largest charities
By total revenue on each one's latest return. A health system files as several organizations, so one system can appear more than once.
How they are doing
Financial health of the charities that file full returns, against every state.
FY2023 returns from 47,884 California charities filing a Form 990 or 990-EZ and spending $50k or more; cash figures are from the 33,352 full 990 filers among them. The national health report.
Counts, causes, revenue and recognition dates are from the IRS Exempt Organizations Business Master File, which records recognitions through May 2026. A charity is placed by its mailing address. Causes are NTEE major groups, with health's sub-groups folded in; a congregation the IRS has given no NTEE code counts under religion. Revenue is each organization's own latest return, summed, so payments between related organizations are counted on both sides.
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 2nd 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 The William & Flora Hewlett Foundation and Sergey Brin Family Foundation. Out-of-state funders also reach in, led by Gates Foundation. Grant money reaching California favors environment above the national rate, so funders active there are worth approaching.
- How many nonprofits are there in California?
- 177,974 organizations in California are registered with the IRS as 501(c)(3)s: 164,112 public charities, 33,547 of them congregations, and 13,862 private foundations. Only 27% of the public charities file a full Form 990 or 990-EZ; 52% file only the e-Postcard, for organizations normally taking in $50,000 or less, and the rest, mostly congregations, file no return of their own. The count is from the IRS Exempt Organizations Business Master File.
- 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. Grants only: payments into and out of donor-advised fund sponsors, transfers to related organizations, regrants through intermediaries, non-philanthropic payments and grants to individuals are left out. In-state share is among grants whose recipient state is known; ties with other states and the net flow count only grants placed at both ends. Residents are Census ACS 5-year estimates (2019 to 2023). Source: IRS Form 990 downloads.