Where Is The Most Funding? Grant Funding Across The U.S.

In this Instrumentl Insights Report, we've looked at grant funding distribution across the U.S. using Instrumentl's database— the most comprehensive database of grant opportunities (check out our CEO's recent post ??)

This report reveals that grant funding concentrates on the coasts and leaves interior states with less.

This is great news if you're in California or New York, but not great if you're in the Midwest.

Curious to see how your home state compares? Let's look at what the data shows.

Note - To see the full report, find your state's YoY trend in grant funding on our website .

Grant Funding in the U.S. - Is Your State Leading or Lagging?

Below is a chart showing the concentration of grant award funding in 2022.

The Top 5 US States by Grant Funding

The Top 5 US Counties by Grant Funding

Understanding state-level trends is important, but county-level data reveals even more targeted opportunities.

For grant professionals, understanding where the money flows—both at the state and county level—is crucial for refining your grant-seeking strategy.

However, simply knowing where the money is isn’t enough; you need to craft a compelling proposal that resonates with the specific priorities of the funders in these regions.?

Jacob B Chase , CEO of Chase Consulting Solutions , emphasizes the importance of a tailored approach, especially in highly competitive or well-funded markets:

“Always tailor the proposal! Align your language with the funder’s goals and values to show that you understand their priorities.”

Whether you’re targeting a sliver of the $33.7 billion in California or the $18.7 billion in New Jersey, a one-size-fits-all approach won’t work.

Your proposals need to reflect a deep understanding of the local funding landscape and demonstrate how your nonprofit’s mission aligns with the funder’s objectives.

As Veronica Kulon, GPC, MNM , Grant Writer and Nonprofit Consultant, advises:

“Grants are highly competitive, with many organizations competing for the same funds. Tailor applications to highlight your organization’s unique strengths, seek ways to stand out, and clearly articulate the specific impact your project or program will have.”

Grant Funding Growth or Decline

Let’s look at how each state's year-over-year grant funding has changed between 2021 and 2022.

States With Significant Funding Growth From 2021 to 2022

Identifying states with rapid growth in grant funding can reveal emerging opportunities for nonprofits looking to expand their reach.?

The following states experienced the highest year-over-year (YoY) growth in total award amounts from 2021 to 2022:

The rapid growth in grant funding across these five states presents unique opportunities for nonprofits, but success requires a strategic approach.

As Teresa Huff, ACNP , a Nonprofit Grant Strategist, points out:

“Nonprofits often don’t do enough due diligence. It’s essential to understand the funder’s priorities and tailor your approach to align with their goals.”

Thorough research and alignment with funder expectations is crucial when targeting states with rapid growth.?

Additionally, Julie Starr, BA, MPS , Owner of Write Epic Grants, emphasizes this same importance:

“Funders want to see a clear connection between your proposal and their priorities, along with a demonstrated ability to deliver results.”

Which States Are Losing Grant Funding the Most?

While some states are experiencing significant growth in grant funding, others are seeing a decline.

Below are the states with the largest decreases in grant funding from 2021 to 2022.

Even if your state is seeing a decline in grant funding, it doesn’t mean you should give up.

Instead, we need to adapt.

Here’s some great advice from Julie Starr:

“I have noticed that many nonprofits forget that grant funders are people. Even competitive grants have real people evaluating them. We should never forget to speak directly to them, infusing our passion into every sentence.”

When the competition is fierce, injecting passion into your proposal’s narrative , clearly articulating your mission and impact, and demonstrating how your organization aligns with the funder’s goals can make a difference.?

Which States Have the Largest Average Grant Size?

Individual grant sizes vary widely by state.?

Here’s a comparison of the states offering the highest average grant sizes, highlighting where larger funding opportunities are available.

The states offering the largest average grants present significant opportunities, but competition is often fierce.?

In highly competitive grant processes, you want to make sure that your proposal really stands out above all the others. This means it’s innovative, compelling, and free from errors.?

Lauren Wiskerson, Fundraising Executive, shares how she does this:

“To make a grant stand out…highlight the innovation and uniqueness of your approach. Funders are on the lookout for projects that propose novel solutions to existing problems or tackle social issues in innovating ways. Detailing what makes your work exceptional involves showcasing specific aspects of your program that are not only different, but also more effective or efficient than conventional methods.”?

Which States Have the Most Grants Available?

Grant experts should also focus on states with the highest number of grant opportunities, as more available grants can increase the chances of securing funding—even if individual grant sizes are smaller.

There's a clear correlation between the number of grants available and the total funding awarded. See the chart at the top for the top states.

Comparing the average grant size with the number of grants awarded is interesting.

You can see in the graph below which state has the largest average award size and the highest number of awards.?

How To Find Relevant Grant Funding in Your State

Finding the right grants for your nonprofit can be challenging, but Instrumentl makes it easier by matching you with relevant opportunities tailored to your cause and location.?

• Access Instrumentl’s comprehensive grants database and filter grants by your location, type of funder, and giving category.
• Manage your entire grant pipeline by tracking your progress and setting reminders for deadlines to hit your funding goals.

Griffin Botts has shared a great walk through of how he's using Instrumentl to find grants for his local Kentuckian nonprofit.

Jan Spackman , Director of Grants at Sleep in Heavenly Peace , shares her experience using Instrumentl :

“We’ve been using Instrumentl for just over a year. We brought in about $2 million last year, which was up a million over the year before.”

Appendix: State Grant Funding (2021-2022)

Check out our full report to see the total funding in your state (and all others) between 2021 and 2022 with a YoY funding trend.

Methodology

To provide a comprehensive view of the grant funding landscape across the United States, we analyzed data from Instrumentl’s extensive database of grant funding opportunities. Our focus was on year-over-year (YoY) trends between 2021 and 2022, highlighting significant changes in total funding amounts across different states.

Data Sources:

The data includes information from a wide variety of funders, ensuring a diverse and representative sample. The funder types covered in this analysis include, federal, private, community or state, corporate, and associations. This broad inclusion of funder types allows us to offer a holistic picture of the US grant funding landscape.

Analyzing the Location of Funding:

To determine the geographical distribution of funding, we based our analysis on the home state of the funders, as recorded in the Instrumentl database. It’s important to note that this introduces a limitation: while funders may be located in one state, they often award grants to organizations in other states. As a result, the funding totals presented for each state reflect where funders are headquartered rather than the exact location of the nonprofit recipients. This means that some states may appear to have higher or lower funding levels depending on the presence of large funders in that state.

Year-Over-Year Comparisons:

We tracked grant funding changes by comparing the total amount of funding awarded by each state’s funders in 2021 versus 2022. This YoY comparison allows us to highlight the states that are experiencing growth or decline in their grant funding landscape. For each state, we also calculated the percentage change in funding during this period to better understand the funding dynamics and trends.