Inside this Info Center:
- Grants & Nonprofit Info Center
- About the Grants & Nonprofit Info Center
- Grantseeking Basics: Free Library Workshop
- Local Training & Educational Opportunities
- Guide to Using the Grants & Nonprofit Info Center
Grants Databases
Info Guides
Grants Research
- Getting Started
- How to Find Out About Funding
- The Fit-Funding Match
- Local Funders
- Types of Funders
- Grantmaking Public Charities
- Government Grants
- Corporate Philanthropy
- Approaching a Small Foundation
- Grantmaker Types of Support
- Requests for Proposals (RFP)
- Financial Aid & Scholarships
- Grants to Individuals
Grant Proposals
Nonprofit Resources
- Starting a Nonprofit
- Boards & Management
- Consultants
- Fundraising
- Program Evaluation & Outcome Measurement
- Finding a Nonprofit
- 990 Forms
- Giving to Charities
- Professional Associations
- Jobs in the Nonprofit Sector
- Starting a Foundation
The Grants Collection is a Cooperating Collection of the Foundation Center.
Research & Resources
Info Guides - Grants: Grantmaking Public Charities
On this page:
What is the difference between a Grantmaking Public Charity and a Private Foundation?
Public charities generally derive their funding or support primarily from the general public, receiving grants from individuals, government, and private foundations. Private foundations, in contrast, typically draw their funds from a single source, either an individual, a family, or a company. As a result, different regulations and rules of taxation apply to the two types of entities.
Gifts to public charities are commonly eligible for maximum income tax deductibility, whereas those to private foundations are limited in this respect. Furthermore, public charities and private foundations follow different annual IRS reporting requirements, with public charities filing Form 990 and Schedule A, and private foundations filing Form 990-PF.
Read more at the Foundation Center.
How Do I Find Local Grantmaking Public Charities?
Some local grantmaking public charities follows.
- Active 20-30 Women's Club
- Angel Charity for Children
- Catholic Foundation
- Junior League of Tucson
- PRO Neighborhoods
- Women's Foundation of Southern Arizona
- Tucson Conquistadores
- United Way
To identify other local public charities which give grants, pay attention to reports of grant funding that other organizations have received in your community. Track such grant announcements in the local media and in the newsletters and annual reports of organizations similar to yours, or by word of mouth, or at conferences or meetings where you meet others working in your field.
To learn more about local grantmaking public charities, search for newspaper articles about them at the library by using online newspapers and search engines. Ask for assistance with this at the reference desk.
How Do I Find Financial Information for Grantmaking Public Charities?
The Foundation Center explains that all public charities over a certain minimum size file an IRS Form 990, which provides information about a charity's financial data that is accurate and open for public scrutiny (including whether the charity makes grants). For more information about IRS Forms 990 and where to obtain them see the Foundation Center's How can I obtain copies of a public charity's IRS Form 990?