Who funds National Geographic Society?
125 private foundations reported grants to National Geographic Society in Washington, District of Columbia totaling $68.9 million across 133 grants in tax years 2023 to 2025. The largest funder was Lilly Endowment Inc, with $57.0 million.
From the funders' IRS Form 990-PF filings.
- Foundation funders125
- Grants reported133
- Total received$68.9 million
- Funders taking applications20
Funders of National Geographic Society that accept applications
If your organization does similar work, these foundations are prospects: they already fund work like National Geographic Society's and say in their IRS filings that they accept applications.
- Lilly Endowment Inc
- John Templeton Foundation
- The Keith Campbell Foundation for the Environment Inc
- Conrad N Hilton Foundation
- Jacarlene Foundation
- The Shared Earth Foundation
- Inasmuch Foundation
- Ud Dorothy J Chadwick 061157
- The Henry Luce Foundation Inc
- The Greater Montana Foundation
- Mitchell R O for Charities
- Bernard and Anne Spitzer Charitable Trust
- The Norcliffe Foundation
- Surendra and Karen Gupta Arc Foundation
- Chowdary Family Foundation
Foundations that fund National Geographic Society
| Foundation | Purpose given | Grants | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lilly Endowment Inc | Archives preservation | 1 | $57.0 million |
| The Bloomberg Family Foundation Inc | To protect the ocean | 1 | $2.4 million |
| The Brendan & Helen Bechtel Foundation | To support the base camp project fund and the base camp maintenance fund | 3 | $2.1 million |
| Allen Family Philanthropies | To support the slingshot challenge | 1 | $1.8 million |
| The Look and See Foundation | Pristine Seas Fund | 1 | $1.7 million |
| Gordon E and Betty I Moore Foundation | To support a pilot study for the urban exploration project, aimed at improving our understanding of animal behavior in human-modified landscapes. | 3 | $681,246 |
| John Templeton Foundation | National geographic society storytelling project | 1 | $600,000 |
| The Keith Campbell Foundation for the Environment Inc | Pristine seas | 1 | $500,000 |
| Conrad N Hilton Foundation | To support local storytellers (videographers, photographers, and authors) to elevate the voices of those with lived experiences around the challenges and innovative solutions emerging in the water sector within ethiopia, ghana, uganda and globally | 1 | $415,000 |
| Farlight Foundation F/K/A I See A Foundation | To support the organization's mission | 2 | $210,000 |
| Philip Stephenson Foundation | National geographic pristine seas program | 1 | $200,000 |
| Jacarlene Foundation | 2025 grant award fbo wildpath project | 1 | $200,000 |
| The Shared Earth Foundation | Support for the organization's program to protect and conserve african wild dogs in zimbabwe as well as support for the forthcoming book photoark, portraits of animals threatened, endangered or extinct in the wild. . | 1 | $150,000 |
| Inasmuch Foundation | Base camp capital campaign ($100,00) | 2 | $133,334 |
| JS Charitable Trust | Unrestricted | 1 | $79,500 |
| Hale Family Foundation Inc | General | 1 | $60,000 |
| The Wallack Family Foundation Inc | To further the exempt purpose of the organization | 1 | $51,437 |
| Trebek Family Foundation | Hubbard Council - EDUCATIONAL purposes | 1 | $50,000 |
| Francis Noz Heritage Fund | To provide general support | 1 | $50,000 |
| Mark & Virginia Rometty Foundation | General charitable purposes | 1 | $50,000 |
| Ud Dorothy J Chadwick 061157 | Unrestricted general | 1 | $40,000 |
| The Henry Luce Foundation Inc | Support for photographer exchange and community engagement | 1 | $30,000 |
| Jim Thompson Foundation | Environment protection | 1 | $25,000 |
| Delaney Charitable Foundation | Unrestricted general operations | 1 | $25,000 |
| Gorski Family Foundation | General operations | 1 | $25,000 |
| The Keith and Cecilia Terasaki Family Foundation | Support national geographic society priorities | 1 | $25,000 |
| Andreas Family Foundation Inc | National geographic society priorities | 1 | $25,000 |
| The Greater Montana Foundation | Support for the production of the film "the grizzly among us" focused on grizzly bears in montana and the issues surrounding them. | 1 | $25,000 |
| Howard P Colhoun Family Foundation Inc | For the exempt function of the organization | 1 | $20,000 |
| Tonkinson Foundation Inc | Education, Conservation & Culture | 1 | $20,000 |
| Mitchell R O for Charities | General operating | 1 | $14,772 |
| Brown Harry Rowatt Trust | General operating | 1 | $12,000 |
| Adelaide M and Charles B Link Fdn | For conservation and | 1 | $11,464 |
| The Edouard Foundation Inc | Pristine seas program | 1 | $10,000 |
| The Wolstencroft Family Foundation | For general charitable purposes | 1 | $10,000 |
| Knott Family Foundation | Ref joanne gong and azu nwaybogu | 1 | $10,000 |
| The Barnwood Foundation | General contribution | 1 | $10,000 |
| The Julian A and Lois G Brodsky Foundation | To help fund the operating budgets of the charitable organizations. | 1 | $10,000 |
| Inmaat Foundation | Gibbon guardian | 1 | $10,000 |
| The Almeleh Family Foundation | General supportgeneral supportgeneral support | 1 | $10,000 |
| Graber Family Foundation | Contributions for unrestricted purposes | 1 | $6,000 |
| Bernard and Anne Spitzer Charitable Trust | General purpose | 1 | $5,000 |
| The Snyder Family Fund | General & Unrestricted | 1 | $5,000 |
| Ruggles Family Foundation | General purpose | 1 | $5,000 |
| Barry S & Evelyn Strauch Foundation Inc | To fund organization's programs - undesignated gifts | 1 | $5,000 |
| The DN Batten Foundation | To provide financial support | 1 | $5,000 |
| The Norcliffe Foundation | 2025 contributing membership gift | 1 | $5,000 |
| Lu Huang Charitable Foundation Inc | General | 1 | $5,000 |
| The Mary Curtis Horowitz Foundation | Environmental funding | 1 | $3,000 |
| The EMSS Foundation Inc | General purposes | 1 | $2,500 |
| Yvonne & Michael Marsh Family Foundation | To fund the recipient's operating budget | 2 | $2,500 |
| The McLean Family Foundation | General & Unrestricted | 1 | $2,500 |
| KLM Foundation | General | 1 | $2,500 |
| The McMunn Family Foundation | General operating support | 1 | $2,000 |
| Imperfect Family Foundation | Increase and diffuse geographic knowledge and use the power of science, exploration, education and storytelling to illuminate and protect the wonder of the world. | 1 | $2,000 |
| Surendra and Karen Gupta Arc Foundation | To provide support for use the power of science, exploration, education, and storytelling to illuminate and protect the wonder of our world. | 1 | $2,000 |
| The Krause Family Foundation | Donation | 1 | $2,000 |
| Litow Family Foundation | Financial support | 1 | $2,000 |
| Thomas A & Mary S James Foundation | Charities use in their programs | 1 | $2,000 |
| A Frederick Banfield Charitable Trust | To support organization's research and conservation projects around the world | 1 | $2,000 |
| Verne G and Judith A Istock Foundation | Charitable assistance | 1 | $1,500 |
| Harold & Joan Feinbloom Family Foundation | Support of environmental protection | 1 | $1,500 |
| Stevenson Family Charitable Trust | Charitable contribution in line with mission | 1 | $1,100 |
| Diane & Michael Canney Foundation | Increase and difuse geographic knowledge and use the power of science, exploration, education and storytelling to iluminate and protect the wonder of the world | 1 | $1,000 |
| Chowdary Family Foundation | Unrestricted | 1 | $1,000 |
| The Barry S Sternlicht Foundation | National Geographic Society Annual drive | 1 | $1,000 |
| Derek Wang Family Foundation | Using the power of science, exploration, education, and storytelling to illuminate and protect the wonder of our world. | 1 | $1,000 |
| Richard D Hannan Family Foundation Fifth | Project/program support | 1 | $1,000 |
| Snyder Family Foundation | General support | 1 | $1,000 |
| Rucker Family Charitable Trust | General | 1 | $1,000 |
| The Maddrey Foundation | To support general operations of the organization | 1 | $1,000 |
| The Katharina & Joseph Schober Foundation Inc | General | 1 | $1,000 |
| Indira and Om Singla Family Foundation | General use | 1 | $1,000 |
| The Coleman Family Foundation | Unrestricted gift | 1 | $1,000 |
| Lillian Lincoln Foundation | Education | 1 | $1,000 |
| The Bianchi Family Foundation | General support | 1 | $1,000 |
| Argonaut Charitable Foundation | Qualified charitable exempt purpose | 1 | $1,000 |
| Robert & Nancy Brooks Foundation Inc | charitable/educational | 1 | $750 |
| The Childers-Lackland Family Foundation | Charitable purposes | 1 | $750 |
| Amazonsmile Foundation | General support | 1 | $732 |
| Suleyman D Celimli Foundation | Promote science, exploration and education | 1 | $500 |
| Triple T Foundation | General purposes | 1 | $500 |
| The Simms Family Foundation | General | 1 | $500 |
| Christina Heroy Foundation | Operating support | 1 | $500 |
| The Nesburn Family Foundation | Support | 1 | $500 |
| The Double-R Foundation | To support explorers and protect our world | 1 | $400 |
| The Gerald & Linda Marsden Foundation | Unrestricted | 1 | $379 |
| The Paula and William Bernstein Family Foundation | Cultural arts | 1 | $350 |
| Dr Lloyd and Kay Chapman Charitable Trust | World Conservation | 1 | $300 |
| Shell USA Company Foundation | 260 | 1 | $260 |
| Sally Goldman Foundation Inc | support wildlife | 1 | $258 |
| Goelet Family Foundation | Program support | 1 | $250 |
| The Richard C and Melanie F Lundquist Family Foundation | Increase knowledge through science, exploration, education and storytelling | 1 | $250 |
| Texas Instruments Foundation | Donations to colleges, universities and other organizations under "matching gifts program." | 1 | $235 |
| The Granoff Family Foundation | Charitable organization | 1 | $200 |
| Arthur J Bellinzoni Foundation | unrestricted | 1 | $200 |
| The Kellam Foundation Inc | Wildlife conservation | 1 | $200 |
| High Five Foundation II | General purposes | 2 | $200 |
| David Gotterer Charitable Trust | educational | 1 | $150 |
| Arthur J Gallagher Foundation | General exempt purpose | 1 | $150 |
Using this list
A foundation that already gives to National Geographic Society gives in its field and region, so the list doubles as a prospect list for similar organizations in Washington. Open a foundation to see its application rules, typical grant and every other grant it paid.
Questions people ask
Who funds National Geographic Society?
Lilly Endowment Inc, The Bloomberg Family Foundation Inc, The Brendan & Helen Bechtel Foundation, Allen Family Philanthropies and The Look and See Foundation, and 120 more, according to their IRS Form 990-PF filings.
How much does National Geographic Society get from foundations?
$68.9 million in 133 reported grants from 125 private foundations in tax years 2023 to 2025. Government grants and gifts from individuals are not included.
Which of these funders accept applications?
Lilly Endowment Inc, John Templeton Foundation, The Keith Campbell Foundation for the Environment Inc, Conrad N Hilton Foundation and Jacarlene Foundation say in their filings that they accept applications.