If you’ve spent any time in philanthropy, you’ve probably noticed a frustrating pattern: the most ambitious, collaborative, and systems-changing work is often the least funded. Networks—those messy, decentralized, relationship-driven ecosystems—are expected to solve complex global problems, yet they rarely fit neatly into traditional grantmaking boxes.

That’s the gap this open Network Funders List begins to address.

Curated by the Fito Network and expanded here through a FindGrant.ai lens, this resource surfaces a critical but often overlooked segment of the funding landscape: foundations and collaboratives that actively invest in networks, movements, and ecosystems, not just individual organizations. These funders understand something many still don’t—lasting change doesn’t happen in silos. It happens through coordinated, trust-based systems of actors working together over time.

For practitioners, intermediaries, and community-driven initiatives, this list is more than a directory—it’s a strategic signal. It reveals who is already thinking differently about power, scale, and impact. And for funders, it offers a mirror: a chance to see where philanthropy is evolving—and where it still needs to catch up.

At FindGrant.ai, we believe the future of funding isn’t just about finding more grants. It’s about finding the right funders for the way change actually happens. This list is a step in that direction.

Network Funders List

An open list of philanthropic supporters for communities and networks. Curated by the team of the Fito Network, open to all for comments and suggestions.

Why an open list of funders?

Although we know of thousands of wonderful networks and community initiatives around the globe, one are highly underfunded – and thus unable to achieve the great impact they envision.  Much of this has to do with the mismatch between current structures that underpin how philanthropy runs and the ways networks actually operate. You can watch a few speaking about this here.

Hopefully, this list will help some networks struggling with access to funding by providing more resources, and also serve as an inspiration for new funders to consider funding more networks, seeing that they have peers who already have depth of knowledge and experience to share on that theme. Read more about how the Fito Network is engaging funders for relational, collaborative change.

Funders who support networks

Note that this is a partial list based on our own knowledge and connections. There are certainly many more who support networks, movements, and ecosystems – and the information below is far from comprehensive – which is why we wanted to open it for others to enrich and expand upon this list!

1. Imaginable Futures is a foundation who is actively exploring a networks-based approach surrounding its investment in education and future for young people
2. Ndncollective and an indigenous-led organization dedicated to building Indigenous power. Through organizing, activism, philanthropy, grantmaking, and capacity-building. 
3. Threshold Foundation catalyst for social and environmental change by seeding hundreds of nascent organizations, and by supporting the inception of multiple donor networks  
4. The Skoll Foundation supports network initiatives directly under their umbrella, as well as convening networks of social entrepreneurs such as Catalyst 2030.
5. Small Foundation has been a pioneer in supporting networks and ecosystems across their work in sub-saharan Africa.
6. The Growald Climate Fund explicitly takes a network leadership approach in its work.
7. The Jacobs Foundation funds networks, and also funds the convening of networks in their efforts to achieve transformational change, primarily in childhood education.
8. The Kauffman Foundation has been a pioneer for supporting community-based work to support thriving entrepreneurship ecosystems across the US
9. The Lankelly Chase Foundation has invested deeply in developing a community-centered model where they directly support community initiatives, while also giving those communities power over how financial decisions are made in the foundation
10. The Mastercard Foundation has invested for several years in their alumni network, and has been working to adopt a network-based approach across the foundation.
11. The Oak Foundation directly funds networks, sometimes with unrestricted grants, and also financially supports the convening of networks they support for collaborative impact.
12. The Old Dart Foundation is actively investing in several networks across their work, including in the health space
13. The Pisces Foundation collaborates with and helps creates purposeful networks to support environmental action
14. Co-Impact is a global philanthropic collaborative supporting locally-rooted coalitions working to achieve impact at scale in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
15. The Porticus Foundation funds both networks and convening of networks in their areas of work. A portion of their funding strategy is actively centered around the importance and impact of funding networks.
16. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has been actively working to support a networks-oriented approach in their equity-focused work across the health sector.
17. The Rockefeller Foundation supports networks, including in their food programs as well as theirR own Bellagio alumni network. They also financed ENGAGE, a publication on how philanthropy can support networks.
18. The Roddenberry Foundation has taken significant efforts to redesign a portion of its investment approach to investing directly in networks through its +1 Globagl Fund
19. The Rotary Charities of Traverse City invests directly in networks and provides services to support and connect those networks, exclusively in their region in the US
20. The Ford Foundation hosts the BUILD initiative, for which supporting networks is a key focus
21. The Visa Foundation has begun investing in networks that support movements and entrepreneurship ecosystems
22. The BMW Foundation’s primary focus is to support connections between its broad network of responsible leaders
23. The Bosch Foundation has invested heavily in supporting its own network of alumni, as well as supporting research and thinking around how philanthropy can invest in alumni networks.
24. The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative has a community-centered approach to some of their investments, across science, education, and community
25. The Wikimedia Foundation explicitly invests in a community-centered approach to decentralize knowledge creation and access around the globe
26. IKEA Foundation interested in investing in  the lives of vulnerable children by enabling their families to create sustainable livelihoods, and fight and cope with climate change
27. Global Fund for Community Foundations: Developing local capabilities and shifting power closer to the people through community philanthropy and durable development. 
28. The Lemelson Foundation supports networks and convenings as part of their work in education in the US and strengthening regional invention ecosystems, within the US, India and Kenya.
29. The LEGO Foundation invests in network-based initiatives that aim to shift the education landscape.
30. The Global Fund for Children invests in community-based organizations around the world to help children and youth reach their full potential and advance their rights.
31. The Urgent Action Fund for Feminist Activism provides fast, flexible support to women, trans and non-binary activists and nurtures thriving frontline feminist movements for a just and equitable world.
32. Global Greengrants Fund supports grassroots-led efforts to protect the planet and the rights of people.
33. Mama Cash supports feminist activists and movements globally, including a new fund called "radical love" that is partially focused on drawing connections between partners.
34. The Swift Foundation supports people who protect the places they live, love, know, and share with all our relations – investing in weaving, solidarity, and community-based approaches.
35. Siemens Stiftung invests in various networks including around STEM education and in the climate space.
36. The Lottery Fund has a community-centered and collaborative approach to many of its investments, primarily focused on the UK.
37. The Agroecology Fund is a multi-donor fund supporting agroecological practices and policies, which links organizations and movements that advance agro ecological solutions locally, regionally and globally.
38. The CLIMA Fund is a funder collaborative that helps funders directly reach grassroots organizations and social movements working at the intersection of climate resilience and human rights. 
39. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation supports global health networks such as the global Joint Learning Network | Accelerating Progress Toward UHC and the regional Strategic Purchasing Africa Resource Centre (SPARC). 
40. The William & Flora Hewlett Foundation has funded networks such as the Partnership for Evidence and Equity in Responsive Social Systems.
41. The SAGE Fund seeks to strengthen human rights accountability of powerful economic actors, partially through investing in movements.
42. The Ontario Trillium Foundation invests in strengthening networks, relational infrastructure and cross-sector collaboratives to create more resident communities in Ontario.
43. World Education Services’ Mariam Assefa Fund focuses on immigrant and newcomer networks in the U.S. and Canada, as well as entrepreneurship ecosystems like Echoing Green, Village Capital, Techstars and others.
44. D-Prize invests in efforts that disseminate technological innovations to underserved communities, including through network-based approaches.
45. Change Elemental’s Karl Mathiasen Equity & Innovation Fund subsidizes networks, organizations, and leaders that could not otherwise afford coaching and consulting engagements – and seeds innovative programs that experiment with ways to advance change in unpredictable times. 
46. Amplify Change invests in networks and coalitions to encourage movement building around reproductive and sexual health across the Global South.
47. Early Childhood Regional Networks Fund supports the growth and development of networks for early childhood development.
48. The Esmee Fairbairn Foundation is actively thinking about networks, and launching a network of grantees
49. The Emergent Fund offers rolling, monthly rapid response and emergent organizing grants for movement and frontline communities responding to urgent and specific unanticipated crises or opportunities to build power.
50. Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation has have recently launched a Prize for Humanity of $1 million 
51. Amplify Girls, a network aiming to amplify voice, work and impact of its membership of 40 community-driven organizations across five countries in East and Southern Africa.
52. Climate Emergency Fund (delivered by Arkbound Foundation) aims to support organizations committed to bringing about systemic change, with a focus on the grassroots.
53. Environmental Funders Network, Rapid Response Fund offers network based funding to address environmental crises or opportunities.
54. The Human Safety Net invests in various networks in education as well as migration across Europe
55. Healthy Food Healthy Planet invests in coalitions and movements in the food sector across Europe
56. Mosaic invests in infrastructure and relationships for movements in the environmental sector, with a focus on the US
57. The Robert Carr Fund supports civil society networks in scaling up access to HIV prevention, treatment, and care.
58. The Argidius Foundation supports several social impact initiatives across LATAM and Africa and is currently funding Red de Impacto LATAM.
59. Lush Charity Pot funds grassroots movements in environment and human rights.
60. The UMI Fund funds youth climate movements. 
61. Democracy Fund has an ecosystem learning network 
62. The Novo Foundation supports holistic and interconnected initiatives, particularly related to bioregions and indigenous communities.
63. The Climate Justice Resilience Fund invests directly in climate networks
64. The Levi Strauss Foundation outfits movements and leaders fighting for a just and abundant world.
65. The Van Tienhoven Foundation invests in community-led initiatives for the protection of natural ecosystems worldwide.
66. The African Human Rights Network has a feminist fund that supports grassroots movements.
67. Womenkind Worldwide funds women’s and feminist movements.
68. The Freedom Fund funds anti-slavery movements.
69. The Veatch Program funds democracy movements in the US
70. The Allianz Foundation funds translocal and systemic change initiatives in civil society, ecology, culture and arts across Europe and the Mediterranean.
71. The V.Kann Rasmussen Foundation takes an inherent systemic approach, with a networks lens, to environmental strategies, including funding incubators, pilot projects, and new infrastructure that has the potential to create sustained impact over time, and supporting convenings of key stakeholders to advance new modalities of collaboration, networks and field-building.
72. https://placestogrow.eu/joint-action-fund
73. https://unboundphilanthropy.org/ 
74. Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice provides core support to grassroots LGBTQI-led groups and networks, enabling marginalized leaders to build movements through participatory grantmaking and collective leadership.
75. Ben & Jerry’s Foundation funds grassroots, constituent-led organizing to build community power and address systemic injustices through leadership by those most impacted.
76. Borealis Philanthropy channels resources through collaborative funds to movements and leaders from marginalized communities, investing in leadership ecosystems and transformative strategies for justice.
77. Bush Foundation builds community-driven systems change by investing in leadership development, inclusive collaboration, and locally led solutions in Native and rural communities.
78. Charles Stewart Mott Foundation strengthens nonprofit infrastructure and networks by funding capacity-building and knowledge-sharing among organizations globally.
79. Children’s Rights Innovation Fund (CRIF) supports youth-led systemic change by funding movements that tackle the root causes of oppression impacting children and young people.
80. FRIDA – The Young Feminist Fund: Strengthens youth-led feminist movements by offering participatory grants and peer networks that foster collective leadership and systems change.
81. Firelight Foundation: Invests in African community-based organizations and learning clusters to drive community-led systems change for children and youth.
82. Foundation for a Just Society (FJS): Funds feminist and LGBTQI movements by providing long-term, partner-led core support that centers leadership development and systemic transformation.
83. Fund for Global Human Rights: Advances systemic change by empowering frontline human rights defenders and civic leaders with flexible, locally-driven support.
84. Global Fund for Women: Builds feminist movement infrastructure by funding women-led organizations using intersectional strategies for collective action and justice.
85. Guerrilla Foundation: Supports radical grassroots movements in Europe by funding bold, activist-led initiatives focused on democracy and systemic transformation.
86. J.W. McConnell Foundation: Strengthens social innovation ecosystems in Canada by supporting convening, capacity-building, and cross-sector collaboration.
87. Marguerite Casey Foundation: Funds community-led movements and leadership development to shift power and build long-term systems change in marginalized communities.
88. Nia Tero: Advances Indigenous-led systemic change by supporting guardianship of land and culture through long-term, trust-based partnerships and fellowships.
89. Open Society Foundations (OSF): Supports civic ecosystems, movement networks, and coalitions globally to strengthen civil society and advance open, inclusive systems.
90. Patagonia Environmental Grants Program: Funds grassroots environmental activists confronting systemic ecological threats and promoting inclusive climate justice movements.
91. Pawanka Fund: Supports Indigenous leadership and global solidarity by funding culturally-rooted, community-driven systems for self-determined development.
92. Purposeful: Funds feminist youth activism and movement-building that centers girls’ agency and collective leadership for social transformation.
93. Robert Sterling Clark Foundation: Invests in cohort-based leadership programs and community networks in NYC that advance racial equity and systemic change.
94. Schusterman Family Philanthropies: Supports leadership networks and community initiatives that develop long-term solutions to systemic challenges in the U.S. and globally.
95. The Christensen Fund: Strengthens Indigenous networks and leadership to protect biocultural diversity and advance community-led systems for resilience.
96. Thousand Currents: Funds grassroots movements in the Global South with long-term, flexible support that fosters collective leadership and systemic change across climate, food, and economic justice.
97. W.K. Kellogg Foundation: Encourages community leadership and network-building to drive equity-focused systems change, especially in the U.S., Latin America, and Africa.
98. Wallace Global Fund: Invests in social movements and infrastructure that advance democracy, human rights, and environmental justice through systemic, intersectional approaches.
99. Schwab Foundation awards collective social innovators, or groups that bring together organisations to solve complex problems that cannot be tackled by individual actors.

Who would you add?

Builders Vision / https://www.buildersvision.com/ Lukas Walton’s venture. We passionately invest in those leading change. The entre­pre­neurs, inno­va­tors, and com­mu­ni­ty lead­ers on the ground make change hap­pen. These bell­weath­ers are at the cen­ter of our vision, and we offer a range of phil­an­thropic and impact-invest­ing tools to seed and scale inno­v­a­tive solu­tions in four key impact areas: Food and Agri­cul­ture, Cli­mate and Ener­gy, Oceans, and Community.

Access - The Foundation for Social Investment - using a systems change lens to reshape the flow of finance to charities and social enterprises in England, building networks and investing in the resilience of organisations that provide social investment to charities and social enterprises and influencing broader actors to support enterprise models and trading activity through network-building.  

Commons Fund https://www.ethosvo.org/tcf-people-central/