Grant research
Candid Foundation Directory
Some links on this page are affiliate links. Disclosure
Candid’s Foundation Directory is the reference standard for foundation research: the deepest 990 and grant-history data anywhere, showing who a funder actually gives to. The Essential tier runs about $449 a year. Hundreds of libraries in Candid’s partner network offer it free on-site, and small nonprofits with a Candid transparency seal may qualify for free premium access.
Who it fits
Anyone doing serious foundation due diligence. When a specific funder deserves a full workup before you invest a week in a proposal, this is where the answer lives: grant sizes, grantee types, and multi-year giving patterns straight from the filings.
Pricing
| Route | Price |
|---|---|
| Candid partner library | Free (on-site) |
| Transparency-seal orgs under $1M | Free premium access (check eligibility) |
| Essential | ~$449/yr |
| Professional | ~$1,599/yr for heavy, multi-user research |
Candid has been folding Foundation Directory into its unified search product, so confirm current packaging on their site.
How it compares
Instrumentl is a workflow tool that manages the whole grant program; Candid is the deep reference you consult on individual funders. Many established shops run both. GrantStation is broader and cheaper but much thinner per funder.
Bottom line
Try a partner library session first; it costs nothing and shows you exactly what the paid tiers unlock. When the library trip stops scaling, desk access pays for itself in saved travel alone.
Strengths
- The most authoritative foundation and 990 data set available
- Grant-history detail shows who a funder actually gives to
- Free at hundreds of partner libraries
Other options
- Managing ten or more live applications? Foundation Directory is a reference work with no pipeline, no deadline tracking and no team workflow attached. Read our Instrumentl write-up →
- Paying for an individual subscription? Check your nearest Funding Information Network library first; the same database is free at the desk, and paying several hundred dollars a year for search alone rarely holds up.
- Managing deadlines across a team? Foundation Directory has no pipeline, so the tracking spreadsheet stays yours to maintain. Read our Instrumentl write-up →
Keep comparing
Candid Foundation Directory head to head
Already on Candid Foundation Directory and shopping to replace it? Candid Foundation Directory alternatives covers why shops leave, what to move to, and when staying put is the right call.
We recommend Candid Foundation Directory to shops leaving GrantStation.