Free Candid Foundation Directory Online Access at U.S. Public Libraries

What is Candid Foundation Directory Online (and why does library access matter)?

Foundation Directory Online (FDO), maintained by Candid since the 2019 merger of the Foundation Center and GuideStar, is the leading database of U.S. private foundation grant-making activity. As of 2026, FDO covers more than 250,000 grant-makers and 18 million grants — including private foundations, public charities with grant-making programmes, corporate giving programmes, and federal grants extracted from USA Spending data.

FDO comes in two flavours. FDO Free (free to all users) provides limited search of the most recent year of grant data. FDO Professional (the paid subscription tier) provides full historical data, advanced search, prospect tracking, and export functionality. FDO Professional retails for $1,995 per year for a single-user subscription as of 2026.

Most nonprofits, fiscal sponsors, and foundation grant-seekers cannot afford the FDO Professional subscription. The Funding Information Network (FIN), administered by Candid, is the workaround. FIN partner libraries — typically large public library systems and academic libraries — provide free in-person access to FDO Professional for any walk-in patron.

The FIN model is one of the most generous public-private partnerships in U.S. library service: Candid donates the FDO Professional subscription, and the partner library provides the desk space and computer. As of 2024, the FIN network includes more than 460 partner libraries across all 50 states, DC, Puerto Rico, and U.S. territories.

Funding Information Network libraries by region (verified May 2026)

The full FIN library directory is at candid.org/find-us. The following list highlights major FIN libraries in U.S. cities, accurate as of our May 4, 2026 review. Schedules change; confirm hours via the library's events calendar before visiting.

Northeast

• New York Public Library, Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library (455 Fifth Ave, NYC). FDO Professional plus dedicated nonprofit research librarians. The 'NYPL Center for Nonprofit Resources' is one of the most comprehensive in the country.
• Brooklyn Public Library Central Library, Brooklyn Collection (10 Grand Army Plaza). FDO Professional access plus local Brooklyn philanthropy resources.
• Boston Public Library, Copley Central (700 Boylston St). FDO Professional access at the Government Documents Department.
• Free Library of Philadelphia, Parkway Central (1901 Vine St). FDO Professional plus Pennsylvania-specific philanthropy resources.
• Enoch Pratt Free Library, Central (400 Cathedral St, Baltimore). FDO Professional in the Maryland Department.
• DC Public Library, MLK Memorial (901 G St NW). FDO Professional in the Washingtoniana Division.

Midwest

• Chicago Public Library, Harold Washington (400 S State St). FDO Professional access at the Government Publications Department.
• Cleveland Public Library, Main Library (325 Superior Ave NE). FDO Professional plus Northeast Ohio philanthropy resources.
• Detroit Public Library, Main Library (5201 Woodward Ave). FDO Professional at the Burton Historical Collection.
• Indianapolis Public Library, Central Library (40 East St Clair St). FDO Professional plus the Indiana Philanthropy Alliance partnership.
• Columbus Metropolitan Library, Main Library (96 S Grant Ave). FDO Professional access in the Reference Department.
• Hennepin County Library, Minneapolis Central (300 Nicollet Mall). FDO Professional access on the second floor.

South

• Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System, Central Library (One Margaret Mitchell Square). FDO Professional plus Georgia philanthropy resources.
• Houston Public Library, Jesse H. Jones Building (500 McKinney St). FDO Professional access at the Central reference desk.
• Dallas Public Library, J. Erik Jonsson Central (1515 Young St). FDO Professional access on the seventh floor.
• Memphis Public Libraries, Benjamin L. Hooks Central (3030 Poplar Ave). FDO Professional access at the Memphis & Shelby County Room.
• Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, Main Library (310 N Tryon St). FDO Professional access at the Carolina Room.
• Miami-Dade Public Library System, Main Library (101 W Flagler St). FDO Professional access on the second floor.

West

• Los Angeles Public Library, Central Library (630 W Fifth St). FDO Professional access in the Business and Economics Department.
• San Francisco Public Library, Main Library (100 Larkin St). FDO Professional access in the Business, Science and Technology Center.
• Phoenix Public Library, Burton Barr Central (1221 N Central Ave). FDO Professional access at the College Depot floor.
• Seattle Public Library, Central Library (1000 4th Ave). FDO Professional access at the Mixing Chamber on Level 5.
• Denver Public Library, Central Library (10 W 14th Ave). FDO Professional access in the Reference Department.
• Multnomah County Library, Central Library (801 SW 10th Ave, Portland). FDO Professional access in the Reference Department.

Pacific and Mountain

• Las Vegas-Clark County Library District, Sahara West Library (9600 W Sahara Ave). FDO Professional access in the Career Connection Center.
• Salt Lake City Public Library, Main Library (210 East 400 South). FDO Professional access at the Information Desk.
• Honolulu Public Library, Main (478 S King St). FDO Professional access in the General Reference Department.

How to search FDO Professional effectively (a librarian's quick guide)

FDO Professional has the largest grant database in the U.S., but the search interface intimidates first-time users. Here is the workflow most experienced grant-writers and library reference librarians use.

Step 1: Define your funding need narrowly

Before opening the search, write down: (a) your subject area (literacy, arts, environment, etc.) using one of FDO's controlled vocabulary terms; (b) your geographic focus (city, state, region — funders often restrict to specific geographies); (c) your target grant size; (d) your population served (children, seniors, immigrants, etc.).

Step 2: Use the Power Search interface

Power Search lets you combine 'About Funder' criteria (subjects funded, geographic scope, grant size range) with 'About Recipient' criteria (your nonprofit's profile). Most useful filters:

• Subjects. Select your primary subject (e.g., 'Arts and Culture > Literary Arts' or 'Education > Higher Education').
• Geographic Focus. Funders' giving area, e.g., 'New York City', 'United States', 'California'.
• Type of Support. 'General Operating Support', 'Project Support', 'Capital Campaign', 'Equipment Funding'.
• Grant Size. Set min and max grant amounts; most foundations give grants of $5,000-$100,000, with a few giving over $1M.
• Recipient Type. 'Public Library', 'Educational Institution', 'Community Organisation'.

Step 3: Save your prospects

FDO Professional lets you save up to 100 funder prospects in a custom list. Library access typically does not preserve your saved list between sessions (you do not have a personal account on the library subscription), so export to CSV or print before you leave.

Step 4: Read the funder profile carefully

Each funder profile includes the foundation's Form 990-PF tax filings — required IRS disclosures of grants made, board members, financial position. The 990-PF tells you the foundation's actual giving patterns (versus what they say on their website, which may be aspirational). Look for: average grant size, geographic concentration of past grants, and which organisations they have funded multiple times (a sign of long-term support).

Other free grant databases at libraries

FDO is the gold standard, but several other databases are also typically available at FIN libraries.

• Grants.gov. The official U.S. federal grant database; free to all users. Most public library reference desks help patrons navigate the registration and submission process.
• USA Spending. Free database of all federal contracts, grants, and direct payments. Good for understanding what federal money has flowed to your area or to similar organisations.
• The Foundation Center's GrantSpace. Free training resources at grantspace.org including webinars, sample proposals, and budget templates. Available at any FIN library and online.
• State and regional grantmaker databases. Many states have their own foundation databases (e.g., the Council of Michigan Foundations, the Donors Forum of Chicago, the Northern California Grantmakers directory). FIN libraries typically subscribe to or recommend these regional resources.
• Pivot (formerly COS). Academic-focused grant database covering federal, foundation, and international funding. FIN libraries with strong academic ties (e.g., Boston Public Library) often subscribe.