Discover 14,462 grantmaking foundations funding higher education programs, with combined annual giving of $47.5B. The median grant size for higher education is $10K.
Foundations
14,462
Total Annual Giving
$47.5B
Total Assets Under Management
$1.4T
Median Grant Size
$10K
States with Funders
55
Total Grants on Record
101,908
Live programs funding higher education that your nonprofit can apply to now.
From Maine Space Grant Consortium
Who can apply: Eligible applicants include faculty/researchers at Maine higher education institutions and nonprofit research institutions. Activities must align with NASA research areas and applicable Maine priorities. Indirect costs are unallowable.
From Maine Space Grant Consortium
Who can apply: Faculty/researchers at Maine higher education institutions and nonprofit research institutions. Cost share in cash and/or in-kind is required; indirect costs are capped at 10% of the federal request.
From King's Daughters and Sons Foundation of Kentucky
Who can apply: Applicants must meet the Foundation’s criteria and funding priorities and submit a completed application package. Projects and organizations must be located primarily in Kentucky or serve Kentuckians. Required materials include the application, cover letter, board list with addresses and business affiliations, IRS Section 501(c)(3) determination letter, most recently filed Form 990 or equivalent financial reports, and optional descriptive literature. Grants are not available to individuals, political entities, primary or secondary schools, annual operating support requests, youth sports leagues, or for several other excluded purposes listed by the Foundation. Hospital operating support is excluded, although capital expansion may be considered. Requests for items purchased before approval are not honored.
From American Association of University Professors
Who can apply: Applicants must propose work or assistance supporting academic freedom through research, publication, or direct assistance to faculty members. Applications may also be considered for the Smith-Kaplan Academic Freedom Fund if applicable under its guidelines.
From American Association of University Professors
Who can apply: Individuals and organizations that support the charitable purposes of the AAUP Foundation. Organizations should set as a standard or goal a commitment to establishing and supporting academic freedom and the quality of higher education in a free and democratic society.
Who can apply: Organizations must be tax-exempt under IRS Code Section 501(c)(3) and not be a private foundation under Section 509(a). The Foundation generally will not fund churches or religious organizations, political parties or politically-aligned organizations, for-profit entities, individual students (direct scholarships), other private foundations, governmental entities, primary or secondary educational institutions, or sports-related organizations. Applicants must demonstrate alignment with the Foundation's mission.
Want every open grant matched to your nonprofit — not just these? Kindora scores your fit and tracks the deadlines for you.
Find My Grant MatchesDeadlines and program details come from public sources and can change. Always confirm on the funder's official site before applying.
| Foundation | Location | Annual Giving | Total Assets | Median Grant | NTEE | Scope |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY | BALTIMORE, MD | $594.1M | $25.3B | $120K | B430 | National |
| President and Fellows of Harvard College | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $273.3M | $79.9B | $86K | B500 | National |
| UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA | LOS ANGELES, CA | $249.4M | $17B | $22K | B430 | Local |
| Emory University | Atlanta, GA | $240.2M | $22.2B | $75K | B430 | National |
| THE TRUSTEES OF COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK | NEW YORK, NY | $208.3M | $26B | $69K | B430 | National |
| AUGUSTA UNIVERSITY RESEARCH INSTITUTE INC | AUGUSTA, GA | $187.9M | $29.5M | $84.4M | B500 | Local |
| Yale University | New Haven, CT | $168.2M | $58.9B | $110K | B430 | National |
| Cornell University | ITHACA, NY | $126.7M | $19.8B | $88K | B430 | National |
| WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY | SAINT LOUIS, MO | $120.7M | $22.3B | $54K | B430 | National |
| TRUSTEES OF BOSTON UNIVERSITY | BOSTON, MA | $109.8M | $9.3B | $110K | B43 | National |
BALTIMORE, MD
$594.1M
$25.3B
$120K
CAMBRIDGE, MA
$273.3M
$79.9B
$86K
LOS ANGELES, CA
$249.4M
$17B
$22K
NEW YORK, NY
$208.3M
$26B
$69K
AUGUSTA, GA
$187.9M
$29.5M
$84.4M
SAINT LOUIS, MO
$120.7M
$22.3B
$54K
BOSTON, MA
$109.8M
$9.3B
$110K
Loading foundations...
Top 15 states by foundation count
| State | Foundations | Total Annual Giving | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 1,292 | $4.7B | View all in New York | |
| Texas | 1,257 | $2.8B | View all in Texas | |
| California | 1,051 | $3.5B | View all in California | |
| Florida | 1,005 | $1.9B | View all in Florida | |
| Pennsylvania | 938 | $1B | View all in Pennsylvania | |
| Illinois | 870 | $2.7B | View all in Illinois | |
| Missouri | 644 | $816M | View all in Missouri | |
| Ohio | 613 | $695.8M | View all in Ohio | |
| Wisconsin | 425 | $518.4M | View all in Wisconsin | |
| Massachusetts | 395 | $1.4B | View all in Massachusetts | |
| Michigan | 395 | $419.3M | View all in Michigan | |
| New Jersey | 394 | $344.4M | View all in New Jersey | |
| North Carolina | 337 | $1.7B | View all in North Carolina | |
| Virginia | 323 | $740.7M | View all in Virginia | |
| Delaware | 311 | $259.4M | View all in Delaware |
$6B in annual giving
$5.2B in annual giving
$10.4B in annual giving
$4.3B in annual giving
$179.1M in annual giving
$1.3B in annual giving
$236.6M in annual giving
$19.9B in annual giving
Median Grant Size
$10K
New Grantee Rate
37%
Accept Unsolicited Proposals
76%
Most Recent Filing Year
2026
The typical Higher Education foundation awards grants of $10K. Approximately 37% of Higher Education foundations actively fund new organizations, and 76% accept unsolicited proposals.
Sign up free to discover which higher education foundations are the best fit for your nonprofit.
Get Started FreeCreate a free Kindora account to unlock AI insights, detailed grant history, similar funders, and personalized matching for 14,462 higher education foundations.