One of the questions I’m asked frequently is where do you find grant opportunities?
Are you running out of grant opportunities? Does it seem like every time you search for grants, you can only find a few opportunities that are a good fit? Here is a startling fact:
Ninety percent of foundations do not have websites.
That means that if you search for grant opportunities in your favorite internet search engine, you're missing out on, well... 90% of the opportunities that are out there. After testing ten different prospect research databases, we recommend Instrumentl, Foundation Directory Online by Candid.org, and GrantStation.
Check Out a Grants Research Database
Grant or prospect research databases give you access to thousands of grant opportunities. Grant research databases became available online in the early 2000s. Today, there are dozens of these databases, but only a few are worth your time and investment.
Criteria Used to Rate Databases
We compared a dozen different databases. To determine the best grant research databases for 2025, we looked at the following criteria:
Number of Hits: How many grantmaker profiles are in the database? Competition is fierce for the best-known grantmakers. Finding funders that are less well-known decreases the competition and increases your likelihood of success.
Limitations by Grant Amount: Some databases do not include grantmakers that give grants under a threshold number, such as $5,000. However, small and rural organizations depend on these smaller grants, so these databases were excluded.
Mapping Feature: The ability to plot where grants were given on a map helps organizations pinpoint the specific locations where funders make grants. Many grantmakers limit their giving to specific geographies, so seeing exactly where grants have been made in the past helps you determine which funders to prioritize. This is particularly important when grantmakers note the state that they give in, but not the specific region.
Email Reminders: The databases send you grant deadline reminders and new opportunities to review. In contrast, remembering to log into the database is less effective.
Grants Management: This allows you to track the grants you have submitted and plan to submit within the database. Some databases even allow you to create task lists and check them off when complete.
The Best Grant Research Databases of 2025
1. Instrumentl - Instrumentl is a relative newcomer to the world of grants research, founded in 2015. We love that you can detail projects you want to be funded and then receive reminders of when grants are due and new prospect ideas to research.
The database has more funders than any other at 388,000 grantmaker profiles. The grants management component is unsurpassed by other companies. The main negative is the price—$299 per month for the standard level.
*Best for grant writers who need ongoing deadline reminders and a tracking system.
2. Foundation Directory Online by Candid - Setting the industry standard, this database now includes over 315,000 grantmaker profiles. It has the best mapping feature, allowing you to pinpoint where a foundation makes grants down to the city, county, or legislative district. This will really save you time! Priced at $219 per month, the user interface is intuitive, and it includes basic grant tracking features, such as saved searches. However, the directory changed the design of their search tool about a decade ago, and the current interface is not as intuitive or useful. Please, bring back the older version!
*Best for mature nonprofits that are ready to dig deeper into grant research.
3. GrantStation - The best quality of GrantStation is its price. You can get a yearlong subscription to the database for $139 with a Spark the Fire Discount code. Otherwise, it is $699 per year. GrantStation now has has over 150,000 grantmaker profiles in the database. While it does not have a mapping feature, it does include a geographic description in the text of the grantmaker's geographic focus that is surprisingly detailed. Spark the Fire members, email us for the discount code.
* Best for nonprofits just getting started with grant research.
Now you know the best grants databases. Many other choices are available, but consider the criteria we used to make your own choice. What databases do you love? How do they compare to our choices? We'd love to hear from you. Use the comments below to share your thoughts.