1. Summary
We recommend 7 funders for the next 12 months: 3 regional or statewide public grantmakers, 2 community foundations and 2 private foundations. We set out to find 10 to 15. Seven passed every check. The biggest filter: 133 of the 250 strongest candidates state that they accept no unsolicited requests. Our screening of each funder's own past grants removed others. Section 7 explains.
If you apply to all seven and each award came in at the low end of its range, the total would be about $81,000. The ranges top out near $265,000. Neither number is a forecast. These grants are competitive.
The most important point: two of your best-matched funders have deadlines between now and December 1. They are the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation's Prana Fund (October 14, for the schools program) and the Virginia Environmental Endowment (December 1). The Virginia Environmental Endowment has already funded water-quality monitoring on the Rivanna River, in your service area ($52,500).
At a glance
| Funders recommended | 7 (3 regional or statewide public grantmakers · 2 community foundations · 2 private foundations) |
| Typical grant range across the list | $2,000 to $150,000 |
| Realistic 12-month opportunity if you apply to all | about $81,000 (sum of the low ends) to about $265,000 (sum of the high ends). Competitive; not a forecast |
| Deadlines in the next 90 days | 2 (CACF Prana Fund, Virginia Environmental Endowment) |
| Invite-only funders to cultivate | 3 (Section 6) |
2. How these funders were chosen
- Where the data comes from. We started with every private foundation in Virginia, Maryland and DC with assets of $1 million or more, the community foundations in those places, 127 environment-focused private foundations nationwide, and 14 regional and national grantmakers we added by hand, mostly public charities that a foundation search misses. That came to 2,047 grantmakers. We read each one's most recent IRS Form 990-PF or 990 (tax years ending 2024 to early 2026). Those filings list every grant the funder actually paid: recipient, city, amount and purpose.
- Field match. We kept funders with a real record of grants to watershed, conservation and environmental-education groups. 756 had at least one such grant and 502 had a strong record. The strongest 250 formed the candidate pool.
- Filters. We removed funders that:
- state on their tax return that they do not accept unsolicited requests (133 of the 250);
- give too little, or give almost nothing in Virginia;
- fund only individuals;
- fall outside our screening of each funder's stated purposes and the grants it has paid.
- Fit score (0 to 100). Mission match (40), geography (20), grant size against your ask (20) and openness to applicants (20). The score ranks the list. It does not make the decision.
- Human verification. We checked 23 candidates on their own websites, or on their tax filings where they have no website, for current guidelines, deadlines, geographic limits and contacts. 16 were dropped at this stage. The reasons were: out of area or out of scope (8), a program that has ended or has no open application (3), invitation only (1), outside our screening criteria (3), and no grants made to charities (1). Appendix A lists each one, except those outside our screening criteria.
3. Your funders
Fit: ●●● strong · ●● possible · ● stretch. Deadline confidence: V = verified current-cycle date on the funder's site (for funders that post a standing annual schedule without a year, V means that schedule is on the site today) · E = expected (last cycle's date, not yet re-posted) · R = rolling / no deadline · 990 = from the tax filing only; confirm with the funder.
| # | Funder (type, location) | Typical grant for you | Fit and why | Next deadline | How to apply | Link | Relationship notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virginia Environmental Endowment (public grantmaker, Richmond) | $20,000–$50,000 (Oct 2025 round averaged about $26,565 a grant) | ●●● 87: 34 environment grants, 90% of dollars in Virginia; Rivanna Conservation Alliance $52,500 for monitoring the Rivanna | Dec 1, 2026 (V); then Jun 15, 2027 | Proposal as a Word document to [email protected] | Virginia Program | Does not fund land purchases |
| 2 | Charlottesville Area Community Foundation (community foundation, Charlottesville) | $7,000–$15,000 (program caps) | ●●● 73: covers all your counties; environment grants include Ivy Creek Foundation $38,000 and Rivanna Conservation Alliance $49,800 | Prana Fund Oct 14, 2026 (V); Bama Works about Feb 2027 (E) | Grantee portal; talk to the grants staff first | Open opportunities | Several small named funds, each with its own purpose |
| 3 | National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund (public grantmaker, Washington DC) | $25,000–$150,000 (planning and technical-assistance grants go up to $150,000) | ●● 69: Rivanna Conservation Alliance $500,798 to "restore Rivanna River banks & urban forest"; buffers are a named priority | Small Watershed Grants about Apr 2027 (E) (2026 due Apr 2) | Easygrants online proposal | Small Watershed Grants 2026 RFP | Large and competitive; equipment purchases generally not eligible |
| 4 | Chesapeake Bay Trust, Youth Environmental Education program (public grantmaker, Annapolis MD) | $5,000–$10,000 (program caps by track) | ●● 73: this program covers the Virginia part of the watershed; Virginia education grants include Amherst County Public Schools $7,200 | About Jul 2027 (E) (2026 due Jul 9) | Online application | Youth EE program | For the schools program only |
| 5 | Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge (community foundation, Staunton) | about $10,000 (median of its 3 environment grants: $9,250–$37,500) | ●● 64: serves Nelson County; Nature Foundation at Wintergreen $37,500 | Opens Dec 1, 2026 (E); due early Feb 2027 (E) | SmarterSelect portal | Community Grants Program | Nelson County work only |
| 6 | Appalachian Stewardship Foundation (private foundation, Elkins WV) | $12,000–$25,000 (its 9 grants ran $12,000–$50,000) | ●● 82: funds "stream and fishery restoration" and gives Virginia preference; Allegheny Blue Ridge Alliance (Monterey, VA) $20,000 | Expression of interest Feb 1, 2027 (V); Jul 1 | Online expression of interest, then an invited application | Grants | Confirm that your counties count as "Appalachian-based" first |
| 7 | LEAW Family Foundation (private foundation, Scottsville) | $2,000–$4,000 (median of its 9 environment grants: $3,000) | ●● 71: based in Albemarle County; gives to Charlottesville groups; Rockfish Wildlife Sanctuary $4,000 | None stated (990) | "Informal letter with budget" (990) | ProPublica | No website; general-purpose gifts |
Funder profiles
1. Virginia Environmental Endowment (VEE)
Why it fits: It gives almost only to Virginia environmental work: 34 of its 37 grants in the year to March 2025 were environmental, and 90% of its dollars stayed in Virginia. The grants include Rivanna Conservation Alliance $52,500 for "water quality monitoring in the Rivanna River", Blue Ridge PRISM (Crozet) $25,000, and several public-school environmental-education grants ($10,000–$25,000).
Typical award: $20,000–$50,000 for you. The homepage reports 23 Virginia Program grants totaling $611,005 in October 2025 (about $26,565 each). Total annual giving: $2,612,482 (year ending March 2025) · Assets: $32,376,826
Guidelines (verified 19 Sep 2026): Virginia Program priorities include "Improve local rivers and protect water quality throughout Virginia", "Restoration of the Chesapeake Bay" and "Advance environmental literacy and public awareness". "The Endowment does not provide grant funds for land purchases." The application form (April 2026) adds more: no "general support, overhead, indirect costs, capital projects, ... building construction or renovation, endowments, or lawsuits"; "a minimum 1:1 match", and volunteer hours and other soft money do not count toward it; and applicants "may not apply to the Virginia Program more than once a year, absent prior approval from VEE". The homepage says that in April 2025 VEE decided to consider general operating requests from organizations affected by federal grant cancellations and reductions.
How to apply: Proposal as a Word document to [email protected], using the revised form on the program page. Contact: [email protected]; P.O. Box 790, Richmond, VA 23218-0790.
Deadlines: "5 p.m. (ET) on June 15 for the June round and December 1 for the December round" (V, standing dates). Next: December 1, 2026.
Watch-outs: VEE's separate James River Water Quality Improvement Program has a "$100,000 annually" minimum request and excludes general support and capital projects. It is too large for this year, but keep it in mind for a multi-year buffer partnership.
Sources: Virginia Program · VEE homepage · IRS filing: 990 XML, year ending March 2025 · ProPublica
2. Charlottesville Area Community Foundation (CACF)
Why it fits: It serves "the City of Charlottesville and the Counties of Albemarle, Buckingham, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa, Nelson, and Orange", which covers your whole service area. Its 2024 grants include Rivanna Conservation Alliance $49,800 (environmental-education RiverFest and general purposes), Ivy Creek Foundation $38,000 (nature education), Wild Virginia $30,500 and Rockfish Wildlife Sanctuary $46,300. Many of its grants come from donor-advised funds, so these amounts overstate what the competitive funds give.
Typical award: $7,000–$15,000 through the competitive funds below · Total grants paid: $28,712,491 (2024, including donor-advised grants) · Assets: $292,325,553
Guidelines (verified 19 Sep 2026):
- Prana Fund: "projects that integrate environmental education and the visual arts through hands-on educational opportunities for children"; Charlottesville and Albemarle only; up to $15,000; due October 14, 2026.
- Bama Works Fund: includes environmental protection; up to $10,000; two rounds a year (2026 deadlines: February 15 and August 13), and an organization may apply once every 12 months.
- Eco-Living Fund: "steering people's daily life habits toward zero-footprint or net-positive impact"; up to $7,000; due September 30, 2026. It is a weaker fit, and the deadline falls before this plan starts.
How to apply: Through the CACF grantee portal. Contact: [email protected].
Deadlines: Prana Fund Oct 14, 2026 (V) · Bama Works about Feb 15, 2027 (E), with a second round about Aug 2027 · Eco-Living about Sep 2027 (E).
Watch-outs: The Prana Fund wants an arts element (its eligibility text says "visual or performing arts") and mainly serves children "who have traditionally experienced limited access to the arts and outdoors." Build both into the schools program, or skip this fund.
Sources: Open opportunities · IRS filing: 990 XML, 2024 · ProPublica
3. National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF): Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund
Why it fits: Its Small Watershed Grants fund "voluntary, community-based efforts" in the Bay watershed, and riparian restoration is a listed priority ("forested buffers...to an expected minimum width of 35 feet"). Its latest filing shows $500,798 to the Rivanna Conservation Alliance ("restore Rivanna River banks & urban forest"), $140,665 to the Piedmont Environmental Council ("restore riparian buffers in VA watersheds"), and smaller Virginia grants of $25,000–$50,000 (Northern Shenandoah Valley Regional Commission $25,000, "protect water quality at Shenandoah watershed"; City of Manassas $50,000, "plan for Manassas watershed water quality").
Typical award: $25,000–$150,000 for you through the planning and technical-assistance tier, which goes "up to $150,000". Implementation grants run "$150,000-750,000". Total grants: $464,535,453 (year ending September 2025, all programs nationwide).
Guidelines (verified 19 Sep 2026): Nonprofits are eligible. "Non-federal matching funds are encouraged but not required." Ineligible: equipment purchases (with exceptions), political advocacy, lobbying and litigation.
How to apply: Easygrants (easygrants.nfwf.org). Contacts: the program staff and Easygrants helpdesk listed on the RFP page.
Deadlines: The 2026 proposals were due April 2, 2026 (applicant webinar February 2), with awards expected in September 2026. The 2027 request for proposals is not posted yet: expect a webinar in early 2027 and proposals due around April 2027 (E).
Watch-outs: This is the largest and most competitive funder on the list. A planning grant (buffer site prioritization and landowner outreach design) is the realistic first ask for a $700,000 organization. It needs a strong partner list, for example the local soil and water conservation district.
Sources: Stewardship Fund · 2026 RFP · IRS filing: 990 XML, year ending Sep 2025 · ProPublica
4. Chesapeake Bay Trust: Youth Environmental Education Grant Program
Why it fits: Many of the Trust's programs are for Maryland. This one covers "the Chesapeake Bay watershed portions of D.C., Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia" and funds student investigations of local environmental issues (the "Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience" model), which fits your schools program. Its Virginia education grants include Amherst County Public Schools $7,200, Patriot High School (Prince William County) $9,000 and the Virginia Association for Environmental Education $19,992.
Typical award: $5,000–$10,000 (Track 1 out-of-school and Track 2 outdoor classroom up to $10,000; Tracks 3 and 4 up to $5,000) · Total grants: $25,280,091 (year ending June 2025, all programs).
Guidelines (verified 19 Sep 2026): Covers "field trips, fieldwork, transportation, substitute fees, and supplies". "Match is required in some cases and encouraged in others."
How to apply: Online application system. Contact: the program officer listed on the program page.
Deadlines: The 2026 deadline was July 9, 2026 and the program is now closed. Expect about July 2027 (E).
Watch-outs: It covers the schools program only. The page lists "supplies" as fundable; ask the program officer whether student monitoring kits qualify.
Sources: Program page · IRS filing: 990 XML, year ending Jun 2025 · ProPublica
5. Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge
Why it fits: It serves "Staunton and Waynesboro, and the counties of Augusta, Highland and Nelson." Your Nelson County buffer and monitoring work qualifies. The environmental grants in its 2024 filing were The Nature Foundation at Wintergreen (Roseland, Nelson County) $37,500, Valley Conservation Council $10,000 and Friends of the Shenandoah River $9,250.
Typical award: about $10,000. The award size is not published; the figure is the median of those 3 grants. Total grants paid: $2,164,717 (2024) · Assets: $48,995,920
Guidelines (verified 19 Sep 2026): 501(c)(3) organizations serving the five localities. "The Foundation does not provide grants for deficit reduction or endowments."
How to apply: SmarterSelect portal. Contact: the Director of Nonprofit Relations listed on the program page.
Deadlines: The last cycle opened December 1, 2025 and closed "February 02, 2026 at 11:59 P.M." Expect it to open about Dec 1, 2026 and close in early February 2027 (E).
Watch-outs: Budget and report only your Nelson County work.
Sources: Community Grants Program · IRS filing: 990 XML, 2024 · ProPublica
6. Appalachian Stewardship Foundation
Why it fits: Its grant program was created to address "greenhouse gases, and stream and fishery restoration" in Appalachia. It funds stream restoration and public outreach and education, and "projects and programs benefiting Virginia and West Virginia will be given preference." Its 2024 grants include Allegheny Blue Ridge Alliance (Monterey, VA) $20,000, Radford University $12,000 ("Restoring Appalachia") and WV Rivers Coalition $25,000.
Typical award: $12,000–$25,000 for you (its 9 grants ranged from $12,000 to $50,000) · Total annual giving: $262,000 (2024) · Assets: $2,310,407
Guidelines (verified 19 Sep 2026): "While all Appalachian-based projects will be considered for funding, projects and programs benefiting Virginia and West Virginia will be given preference." The page lists no counties.
How to apply: Online expression of interest; full applications are "from those applicants invited to submit by ASF." Contact: the Executive Director, via the foundation's website.
Deadlines: Expressions of interest due "February 1st" and "July 1st"; invited full applications due April 1 and September 1 (V, standing schedule; "subject to change").
Watch-outs: Before writing, email to ask whether Blue Ridge counties east of the Shenandoah Valley count as Appalachian-based. Pitch buffer or stream work in Nelson or Greene, the most mountainous parts of your area.
Sources: Grants · Grant cycle schedule · IRS filing: 990-PF XML, 2024 · ProPublica
7. LEAW Family Foundation
Why it fits: It is a small family foundation in Scottsville, Albemarle County. About 60% of its 2024 giving (49 grants) stayed in Virginia, mostly with Charlottesville-area nonprofits at $2,000–$4,000 each. Its environmental grants include Rockfish Wildlife Sanctuary $4,000, Wildlife Center of Virginia $4,000 and Piedmont Environmental Council $2,000.
Typical award: $2,000–$4,000 (median of its 9 environment grants: $3,000) · Total annual giving: $146,750 (2024) · Assets: $3,266,461
Guidelines (990 only, unverified): "INFORMAL LETTER WITH BUDGET"; deadlines "NONE"; "NO GRANTS ARE GIVEN TO INDIVIDUALS." Every grant purpose reads "general purpose of donee", so an unrestricted request fits its pattern.
How to apply: A one-page letter with your budget, mailed to the foundation's address on its 990. Contact: the foundation's president, as listed on the 990.
Deadlines: None stated (990). We suggest November 2026, a light month in your calendar.
Watch-outs: There is no website, so everything here comes from the tax filing.
Sources: IRS filing: 990-PF XML, 2024 · ProPublica
Public funding outside this list
- Federal: We searched Grants.gov on 19 September 2026 for "watershed", "riparian", "stream restoration", "water quality monitoring", "environmental education" and "chesapeake bay". One open opportunity touches your region: the National Park Service's Exploring and Enhancing Outdoor and Heritage Tourism in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed (P27AS00032, $10,000–$50,000, due November 4, 2026). It is about tourism, and applicants "must be a non-federal Chesapeake Gateways Network member". It does not fit your current needs. Opportunity page. Most federal Chesapeake money reaches groups your size through NFWF (funder 3).
- Virginia's Chesapeake Bay Restoration Fund (revenue from the Bay license plate, advised by a General Assembly committee) funds environmental education and restoration by nonprofits in the watershed. We could not confirm a current deadline on the Division of Legislative Services page on 19 September 2026. Ask DLS in October whether a cycle is open.
4. Your 12-month grant calendar
| Month | Funder / program | What's due | Date | Confidence | Start prep by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2026 | CACF Prana Fund | Application (schools program with an art component) | Oct 14, 2026 | V | now |
| Nov 2026 | LEAW Family Foundation | Informal letter with budget (general support) | no deadline | 990 | Nov 2 |
| Dec 2026 | Virginia Environmental Endowment | Proposal (buffer planting and care, or the monitoring program; a project with a 1:1 cash match, not equipment) | Dec 1, 2026 | V | Oct 20 |
| Feb 2027 | Appalachian Stewardship Foundation | Expression of interest (Nelson or Greene stream and buffer work) | Feb 1, 2027 | V | Jan 11 |
| Feb 2027 | Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge | Community grant (Nelson County work) | early Feb 2027 (2026: Feb 2) | E | Dec 22 |
| Feb 2027 | CACF Bama Works Fund | Application | about Feb 15, 2027 (2026: Feb 15; second round Aug 13) | E | Jan 4 |
| Apr 2027 | NFWF Small Watershed Grants | Proposal, planning and technical-assistance tier | about Apr 2027 (2026: Apr 2) | E | Feb 19; attend the winter webinar |
| Apr 2027 | Appalachian Stewardship Foundation | Full application, if invited | Apr 1, 2027 | V | on invitation |
| Jun 2027 | Virginia Environmental Endowment | Alternative round, only if you did not apply in December. VEE takes one Virginia Program application a year, and a declined proposal cannot be resubmitted without its approval | Jun 15, 2027 | V | May 4 |
| Jul 2027 | Chesapeake Bay Trust Youth EE | Application (schools program) | about Jul 2027 (2026: Jul 9) | E | May 27 |
| Sep 2027 | CACF Eco-Living Fund (optional); roadmap refresh | Application | about Sep 2027 (2026: Sep 30) | E | Aug 19 |
That is 8 applications plus one optional, within your capacity of 8 to 10. The LEAW letter is set in November because it is the lightest month.
Month-1 setup tasks (October 2026): register in the CACF grantee portal; create an NFWF Easygrants account; update the board list, the current-year budget, the latest audit or Form 990, and the IRS determination letter; gather 2025–26 monitoring data, photos of buffer sites and landowner agreements; get price quotes for the monitoring equipment; ask the local soil and water conservation district for a partnership letter for the NFWF planning grant.
5. First three to pursue
- Charlottesville Area Community Foundation, Prana Fund. It is your home community foundation, and the Prana Fund is built for hands-on environmental education for children. Ask: up to $15,000 for the schools program, with a visual-arts component. First action: email [email protected] by September 25 to confirm fit and request the Prana Fund access code; submit by October 14, 2026.
- Virginia Environmental Endowment. Its money stays in Virginia and it funded Rivanna monitoring at $52,500. Its form rules out general support, indirect costs and capital projects and asks for a 1:1 cash match, so ask for a defined project: $20,000–$50,000 for buffer planting and care or the monitoring program, with the match already in hand. You get one application a year, so make it this one. First action: download the revised application form and start the draft by October 20; email it to [email protected] by December 1, 2026.
- Appalachian Stewardship Foundation. It funds stream and fishery restoration, gives Virginia projects preference, and its grants ($12,000 to $50,000) suit a stream-side buffer project. Ask: $12,000–$25,000 for buffer or stream work in Nelson or Greene County. First action: email the foundation by October 30 to ask whether your counties count as Appalachian-based; if they do, start the expression of interest by January 11 and submit by February 1, 2027.
6. Funders to cultivate (invite-only)
These foundations have funded organizations like yours, but they state that they give only to organizations they choose. Don't send them unsolicited applications. Share this list with your board: a personal introduction is the only route in.
| Funder | Location | Evidence of fit | Route in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patagonia.org | Ventura, CA | $13.2M in grants (year ending April 2025), with purposes given as "to support environmental projects", including Southern Environmental Law Center (Charlottesville) $50,000 and Foodshed Capital (Charlottesville) $15,000. The 990-PF checks the "preselected only" box | Board and staff connections; officers are listed on the 990-PF |
| Adiuvans Foundation | Charlottesville, VA | Appalachian Voices (Charlottesville) $45,000; Virginia Energy Efficiency Council $75,000 (2024). A climate and energy focus, so a partial fit | Local introduction; directors are listed on the 990-PF |
| REI Cooperative Action Fund | Sumner, WA | Outdoor-access grants nationwide. "Invitations to apply for funding are by invitation only"; it runs a recommendation form for groups that serve historically excluded communities | Staff via the recommendation form |
7. Limits of this roadmap (please read)
- Why 7 and not 10 to 15. Of the 250 strongest candidates, 133 accept no unsolicited requests, and our screening of each funder's stated purposes and past grants removed others; our hand checks removed three more. We chose to deliver 7 funders that meet every test rather than pad the list. This list is not exhaustive. Funders outside our screening criteria may still suit you, and nothing here stops you applying to them yourself.
- Deadlines and guidelines change. Deadlines marked E or 990 are not confirmed for the coming cycle. Several funders post a standing schedule with no year; we marked those V, but they can change. Check each funder's website before you start an application, and again before you submit.
- Tax-return data lags. The filings used for the seven funders cover tax years ending between December 2024 and September 2025. A funder's priorities, staff or budget may have changed since.
- Fit is not a prediction. Grants are competitive. The typical-grant ranges describe past giving, not what you will receive.
- Coverage. The research covers funders that file electronically with the IRS and list their grants publicly. Public charities do not itemize grants of $5,000 or less on their filings. Corporate giving programs that do not use a foundation, individual donors, and government contracts are mostly out of scope.
- This report is research, not legal or tax advice, and does not guarantee funding.
Appendix A: Decision log
Dropped at website or filing verification
| Funder | Decision | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Helen M. Clabough Charitable Foundation | Out of area | 990: "restricted to ... the North Carolina High Country, the Upper Deschutes Watershed and Central Oregon." |
| U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities | Program ended | Its Healthy Watersheds Consortium "concluded fall 2022." |
| REI Cooperative Action Fund | Invitation only | Moved to the watchlist. |
| Arbor Day Foundation | No open program found | Its Virginia grants are urban-forestry awards; no open application for a watershed group was found. |
| Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay | No open program found | Its grants are subawards to research and program partners. |
| Chase Foundation of Virginia (Charlottesville) | Not a fit | Its "environment" grants go to energy-policy groups (CO2 Coalition, Institute for Energy Research). |
| Felburn Foundation | Out of pattern | Land trusts, mostly in Florida; one Virginia grant, to The Nature Conservancy. |
| Proteus Foundation | Out of pattern | Environmental grants are in Pennsylvania; none in Virginia. |
| Black Dog Foundation; Virginia S. Warner Foundation; Appreciation of Earth and Animal Foundation | Not selected | Fauquier and Loudoun giving to large organizations; no Charlottesville-area environmental grants. |
| Knapp Foundation | Not a fit | 990: "grants only for wildlife conservation and wildlife sanctuary education programs and equipment." Two such grants a year. |
| Nelson County Community Fund | Not selected | It files a 990-EZ, so there is no grant list to check, and no cycle is posted. Worth a direct inquiry for Nelson County work. |
| VEE James River Water Quality Improvement Program | Too large for now | "$100,000 annually" minimum request. |
Appendix B: Method and sources
IRS Exempt Organizations Business Master File (VA, MD, DC and national region files); IRS Form 990 and 990-PF e-file XML via the IRS e-file index and the GivingTuesday 990 data lake; ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer; Grants.gov (keyless search API) and Simpler.Grants.gov; funders' own websites, all accessed 19 September 2026. Scoring and screening: Short List Grants' own scripts, followed by a final verification pass on every listed funder.