Though some foundations give nationally or internationally, most foundations give within their own local area. Often, it may not be where a foundation is located, but where they give, that is important. For resources on finding funders based on where they give to, please see our Knowledge Base article How do I find foundation grants for my nonprofit? Whether you are conducting prospect research, or are just interested in foundations in your area, the following resources allow you to identify foundations by where they are located:

• The Foundation Directory Online allows you to perform online searches on current grantmakers. Use your state as a term in the "Grantmaker State" field. The Foundation Directory Online is available for free access at all Center libraries and in hundreds of our Cooperating Collections nationwide.
• You might also check the Community Foundation Locator, sponsored and maintained by the Council on Foundations, to see whether there is a community foundation serving your local area.

We also offer these free online resources:

• Foundation Finder: Search by name, city, state, ZIP, or EIN to get contact details and links to recent 990s.
• Foundations Respond to the Economic Crisis: Click on a state, then continue drilling down by county, city, ZIP, or Congressional district to see grant recipients and details, which include links to basic funder profiles.
• Requests for Proposals (RFPs): Announcements of funding opportunities. Also available as an RSS feed or free weekly e-newsletter.

More articles on finding funders»