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Foundations that fund nonprofits in Indiana
In the IRS filings in CivicVane's data (tax years 2021–2025), 6,597 grantmakers listed 63,055 grants totaling $7.5 billion to 21,791 organizations in Indiana. 6,016 of them are private foundations reporting on Form 990-PF and 581 are grantmaking public charities, such as community foundations, reporting on Form 990 Schedule I. 1,190 are based in Indiana; the rest give in from other states.
The median grant to a Indiana organization was $7,150. Marion County received the most grants (16,089, from 2,568 funders), followed by Allen County (6,211) and St. Joseph County (4,426). Matching grant purposes and recipient names to cause areas, the most common were education & literacy (8,070 grants), children & youth (6,913 grants) and arts & culture (2,984 grants).
Lilly Endowment Inc (Indianapolis, IN) funded the most different Indiana organizations: 1,228, through 3,635 grants with a typical size of $50,000.
The 15 grantmakers that funded the most Indiana organizations
Ranked by the number of different Indiana organizations each funded in its filings for tax years 2021–2025. Typical grant = median of those grants. Donor-advised fund sponsors, workplace-giving and matching-gift programs are left out.
| # | Funder | Grants to IN organizations | Organizations funded | Typical grant | Most recent tax year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lilly Endowment Inc Indianapolis, IN · EIN 35-0868122 | 3,635 | 1,228 | $50,000 | 2025 | IRS Form 990-PF |
| 2 | The Indianapolis Foundation Inc Indianapolis, IN · EIN 45-4618430 | 388 | 388 | $40,500 | 2024 | IRS Form 990 Schedule I |
| 3 | Central Indiana Community Foundation Inc Indianapolis, IN · EIN 35-1793680 | 383 | 382 | $26,645 | 2024 | IRS Form 990 Schedule I |
| 4 | Nicholas H Noyes Jr Memorial Foundation Carmel, IN · EIN 35-1003699 | 795 | 336 | $10,000 | 2025 | IRS Form 990-PF |
| 5 | The James Foundation Inc Auburn, IN · EIN 45-2195649 | 492 | 326 | $1,000 | 2025 | IRS Form 990-PF |
| 6 | Nisource Charitable Foundation Columbus, OH · EIN 51-0324200 | 461 | 324 | $2,975 | 2024 | IRS Form 990-PF |
| 7 | Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne Inc Fort Wayne, IN · EIN 35-1119450 | 463 | 303 | $20,000 | 2025 | IRS Form 990 Schedule I |
| 8 | Community Foundation of Elkhart County Inc Elkhart, IN · EIN 31-1255886 | 450 | 292 | $27,667 | 2024 | IRS Form 990 Schedule I |
| 9 | Community Foundation Alliance Inc Evansville, IN · EIN 35-1830262 | 399 | 285 | $13,370 | 2024 | IRS Form 990 Schedule I |
| 10 | Centerpoint Energy Foundation Inc Houston, TX · EIN 35-1950691 Gives only to preselected organizations, per its 990-PF | 375 | 267 | $10,000 | 2025 | IRS Form 990-PF |
| 11 | John W Anderson Foundation Valparaiso, IN · EIN 35-6070695 | 577 | 225 | $15,000 | 2025 | IRS Form 990-PF |
| 12 | Eugene & Marilyn Glick Foundation Indianapolis, IN · EIN 35-1549707 | 432 | 219 | $2,500 | 2024 | IRS Form 990-PF |
| 13 | The Brave Heart Foundation Inc Fishers, IN · EIN 27-0720856 Gives only to preselected organizations, per its 990-PF | 275 | 217 | $5,000 | 2024 | IRS Form 990-PF |
| 14 | Enterprise Holdings Foundation Saint Louis, MO · EIN 43-1262762 | 313 | 208 | $3,000 | 2023 | IRS Form 990-PF |
| 15 | Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust Indianapolis, IN · EIN 35-6644088 | 356 | 193 | $15,000 | 2024 | IRS Form 990-PF |
Counties with the most grants
| County | Grants | Funders | Total listed | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marion County | 16,089 | 2,568 | $3.9 billion | Top 5 funders |
| Allen County | 6,211 | 564 | $239.6 million | Top 5 funders |
| St. Joseph County | 4,426 | 1,104 | $445.2 million | Top 5 funders |
| Vanderburgh County | 2,496 | 297 | $127.7 million | Top 5 funders |
| Hamilton County | 2,139 | 669 | $129.0 million | Top 5 funders |
| Tippecanoe County | 1,851 | 603 | $255.6 million | Top 5 funders |
| Vigo County | 1,704 | 276 | $85.5 million | Top 5 funders |
| Monroe County | 1,622 | 545 | $138.7 million | Top 5 funders |
| Lake County | 1,298 | 299 | $91.9 million | Top 5 funders |
| Delaware County | 1,082 | 229 | $93.0 million | Top 5 funders |
County = where the recipient's ZIP code is.
Cause areas
Grants whose purpose or recipient name, as filed, contains keywords for each cause area. A grant can match more than one, and many grants (such as "general support") match none.
| Cause area | Grants matched | |
|---|---|---|
| Education & literacy | 8,070 | Top 5 funders |
| Children & youth | 6,913 | Top 5 funders |
| Arts & culture | 2,984 | Top 5 funders |
| Health & mental health | 2,973 | Top 5 funders |
| Food & hunger | 1,783 | Top 5 funders |
| Environment & conservation | 1,612 | Top 5 funders |
| Animal welfare | 1,347 | Top 5 funders |
| Basic needs & anti-poverty | 1,302 | Top 5 funders |
| Housing & homelessness | 1,061 | Top 5 funders |
| Older adults | 461 | Top 5 funders |
| Disability | 391 | Top 5 funders |
| Jobs & workforce | 279 | Top 5 funders |
| Immigrants & refugees | 122 | Top 5 funders |
Want the funders that fit your organization? Grant Prospect Report, $149
Tell us your mission, county and budget. You get at least 20 ranked funders that give in your service area, ranked by fit with your mission and budget, with each one's contact, deadlines and application rules as filed with the IRS, plus matching federal opportunities from Grants.gov. PDF by email within 2 business days of payment and a complete order form.
Order a Prospect Report for Indiana ($149) See a full sampleSource: grant lists on IRS Form 990-PF (private foundations) and Form 990 Schedule I (grantmaking public charities) from the IRS e-file releases of 2024 to 2026, tax years 2021–2025, one filing per funder and tax year. Filings are often one to two years old, and a past grant doesn't mean a funder will accept your application or fund you. CivicVane is not affiliated with any funder listed.