54 private foundations reported research & science grants in District of Columbia on their IRS Form 990-PF filings for tax years 2023–2025. Historical giving records — not an open application portal.
Themes are derived from the free-text purpose each foundation wrote on its own Part XV filing, so a grant is classified by what the funder said it was for. Grants paid directly to named individuals are excluded from recipient counts and tables.
Across tax years 2023–2025, 54 private foundations reported 129 grants for research & science totaling $61,738,767 to 93 organizations in District of Columbia. The most-funded District of Columbia communities were Washington. Breakthrough Prize Foundation reported the most research & science giving — $23,180,827 across 9 grants. The median grant was $103,000.
Foundation filings are a record of past giving. The UseGrants eligibility check matches you to federal and state opportunities accepting applications today.
| Foundation | Grants | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Breakthrough Prize Foundation | 9 | $23,180,827 |
| Peter G Peterson Foundation | 19 | $19,896,750 |
| The Patrick J Mcgovern Foundation Inc | 5 | $4,000,000 |
| John S and James L Knight Foundation | 6 | $3,475,000 |
| Carnegie Corporation of NEW York | 8 | $1,753,465 |
| The Henry Luce Foundation Inc | 11 | $1,520,000 |
| The Rockefeller Foundation | 4 | $1,400,000 |
| Clark Charitable Foundation Inc DBA a James & Alice B Clark Foundation | 2 | $1,030,000 |
| The Bloomberg Family Foundation Inc | 1 | $1,000,000 |
| Freedom Together Foundation | 2 | $750,000 |
| Annie E Casey Foundation Inc | 5 | $530,000 |
| Carroll Petrie Foundation | 2 | $400,000 |
| Recipient | Grants | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Milky WAY Research Foundation | 8 | $21,780,827 |
| Nuclear Threat Initiative Inc | 2 | $3,750,000 |
| National Academy of Sciences | 2 | $1,650,000 |
| World Resources Institute | 2 | $1,525,000 |
| Bipartisan Policy Center Inc | 3 | $1,495,000 |
| Brookings Institution | 4 | $1,245,000 |
| American Immigration Council | 1 | $1,000,000 |
| American National RED Cross | 1 | $1,000,000 |
| Economic Policy Institute | 1 | $1,000,000 |
| Open Markets Institute | 1 | $800,000 |
| R Street Institute | 1 | $800,000 |
| Georgetown University | 3 | $757,556 |
| Center for Democracy and Technology | 1 | $700,000 |
| Urban Institute | 2 | $690,000 |
| Lawfare Institute | 1 | $625,000 |
54 private foundations reported research & science grants in District of Columbia on their IRS Form 990-PF filings, totaling $61,738,767. The largest by reported dollars were Breakthrough Prize Foundation, Peter G Peterson Foundation, The Patrick J Mcgovern Foundation Inc. These are historical filings, not open application portals — check each foundation's own guidelines before approaching them.
93 distinct organizations appear as recipients in District of Columbia, led by Milky WAY Research Foundation, Nuclear Threat Initiative Inc, National Academy of Sciences. Grants paid directly to named individuals are excluded from these figures.
The median reported research & science grant in District of Columbia was $103,000, and the largest single reported grant was $6,555,978. Amounts are as reported by the filing foundation for a historical tax year.
The UseGrants feed tracks federal and state opportunities that are open today, each with the eligibility explained in plain English.
Source: public IRS Form 990-PF Part XV filings (tax years 2023–2025). Theme classification is derived from the funder’s own purpose text and is a summary, not a legal categorization. UseGrants is an independent aggregator, not affiliated with any foundation listed.
