About Inside Philanthropy

Inside Philanthropy is an independent media and research company that provides reporting, funder intelligence, and prospect research tools to nonprofit organizations and philanthropists. 

Since 2014, our team of reporters and researchers has tracked thousands of foundations and major donors, decoding their strategies, spotlighting their latest moves and mapping the trends reshaping philanthropy.

Our Mission

Inside Philanthropy pulls back the curtain on big money and bold giving. We report on who’s funding what — and why — and show nonprofits how to tap into those dollars.

What We Do

• Inside Philanthropy conducts independent reporting and analysis on foundations, major donors and sector trends — explaining what’s happening in philanthropy and why it matters.
• Grant Finder, IP’s prospect research tool, helps subscribers build a qualified prospect list of aligned foundations and major donors using strategic funding intelligence beyond 990 data. Grant Finder delivers analyst-written funder intelligence to help nonprofits identify and evaluate prospective funders. 
• The Learn Center provides introductory and in-depth resources for nonprofit professionals to learn more about philanthropy.
• Donor Advisory Center advises philanthropists with tips on giving, primers on different donor strategies, and how-to briefs that demystify giving.
• Inside Philanthropy Fundraising Intelligence provides custom funder research and consulting to help nonprofits sharpen strategy and win support.

Who We Serve

Inside Philanthropy serves thousands of organizations, fundraising businesses, and individuals that subscribe, including universities and colleges, grantmaking foundations, nonprofits of all sizes, consulting firms, media outlets, and charitable donors.

How We’re Different

Inside Philanthropy focuses on providing actionable insights into how philanthropy really works. Our independent reporting offers critical, in-depth coverage of giving trends and the dynamics of power in the philanthropic world, while our funding intelligence supports smarter prospecting to drive successful long-term fundraising strategies.

How We’re Funded

Inside Philanthropy is an independent, for–profit media business. Our work is supported by reader subscriptions, with limited revenue from advertising, sponsored content and consulting services for grantseeking nonprofits. We do not accept funding from the foundations and donors we cover, nor do we have any outside investors. The people and institutions we report on cannot influence coverage or shape our editorial standards.

Our independence is central to our mission — and to the trust of our readers.

Our Principles

We believe the resources of philanthropy should be accessible to all, not just to those with the right connections. We aim to explain the world of giving in a way that anyone can understand and support nonprofits of all sizes in their fundraising efforts. 

We believe that philanthropy should maximize its contribution to the common good by operating as effectively as possible. While we often write about smart and creative funders, we also raise tough questions about their strategies and impact. 

We are committed to bringing greater transparency and accountability to philanthropy. Charitable giving is a form of power that demands scrutiny in a healthy democracy. 

Our Founder

David Callahan is the Founder and Editor of Inside Philanthropy. He has written extensively on trends in philanthropy, as well as American culture, public policy and business. David is the author of eight widely reviewed books on domestic and international issues, which include “The Givers: Wealth, Power, and Philanthropy in a New Gilded Age.” David is also the Founder and Editor of Inside Political Money. Read more about David.

The IP Team

Inside Philanthropy is produced by a team of reporters, editors, and researchers. Editorial leadership is:

• David Callahan, Founder & Editor
• Philip Rojc, Senior Editor, News and Features
• Renata Redford, Director of Research & Content Strategy

Meet the full IP team and explore our contributors. Interested in contributing? See our guest post guidelines.

Editorial Standards

Inside Philanthropy publishes reporting, analysis, and opinion on philanthropy with a commitment to accuracy, fairness, and transparency. Our work follows a defined editorial process that governs reporting, sourcing, fact-checking, corrections, labeling news vs opinion, and conflict of interest disclosures. We correct errors promptly and add notes for substantial updates.

Grant Finder Methodology

Grant Finder is Inside Philanthropy’s prospect research tool for members, delivering concise, actionable funding intelligence on key funders and trends to support smarter fundraising decisions. Our Ph.D.-level researchers build and regularly update funder profiles using 990 tax filings, Candid data, public records, media reporting, and deep web research, sometimes supported by AI-assisted analysis.

Grant Finder isn’t an application portal or manager. It equips members with verified insights to inform their outreach and fundraising strategies.

Contacts

Sponsored Content & Ads

Inside Philanthropy works with partner organizations to showcase their work through sponsored articles, dedicated emails, and newsletter and website banner ads. Learn more.

Sponsored content will always be framed with a label “Sponsored Content”. Advertisement banners will have a border with the “Advertisement” label. Partner newsletters are noted in the footer section indicating the partner name and website link, with unsubscribe options for partner messages.

Inside Philanthropy does not accept sponsored content or other advertising from grantmaking foundations or major individual donors.