Spirit in Action
Spirit in Action is a private foundation based in Santa Cruz, California. It supports grassroots organizations and individuals working toward self-sufficiency and sustainable futures, with its website describing its work as supporting transformational grassroots change in Eastern Africa.
Spirit in Action at a glance
In short: Spirit in Action gave $141K across 36 grants in 2025 (avg $4K). 34% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $140,874
- -6.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 36
- -16.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $3,913
- +12.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $3,400
- Total assets
- $922,791
- -9.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 34% first-time grantees (10 of 29, 2025)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Spirit in Action
- Invitation Only
-
The website describes an invitation-only process. The 2024 filing lists Tanya Cothran as the contact for written requests and says additional information may be requested.
- Review Cycle
- No deadline is stated in the 2024 filing.
- Deadline
- No deadline is stated in the 2024 filing.
- Contact
Application contact: Tanya Cothran
Mailing address: PO Box 3384, Santa Cruz, CA 95063
Phone: (831) 706-2742
Email: tanya@spiritinaction.org
Website: https://spiritinaction.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Spirit in Action funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Flaming Chalice International ($13K). Together the top 10 received $79K.
Grant Size Distribution
212 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 212 grants of 212 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Spirit in Action describes its community grant work as focused on Eastern Africa and lists Kenya, Malawi, Uganda, Burundi, and Rwanda among the countries where it connects donations to local work. Its Small Business Fund page identifies Uganda, Kenya, and Malawi. The Small Business Fund FAQ says the program has supported businesses in Kenya, Malawi, DR Congo, Rwanda, Nigeria, Uganda, India, and the Philippines.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Is Spirit in Action open to new grantees?
34%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 10 of 29 grantees (34%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $4K; repeat grants $5K. How we count
Medians: $4K first-time, $4K repeat.
- 52% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+10%). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $77K (2020) to $150K (2024). In 2025 it made 36 grants totaling $141K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Flaming Chalice International | Office Support and Youth Entrepreneurship Program. | $13,153 |
| Cap AIDS Uganda | Support for eighty 7th grade students from vulnerable families in rural uganda, and support for the cap-aids uganda office | $11,790 |
| Apdei | Office support and organic garden program for school children and families | $10,300 |
| Ubuntu Community-Based Organization | Empower 80 young mothers with skills in hairdressing, beauty and nail art. | $7,060 |
| Empowering Communities as Actors for Transforming Societies (E-Cats) | Office support, rent, and hosting listening circle peacebuilding workshops | $7,000 |
| Adolescent Psychosocial Support and Resource Centre (Apsarc) | Support for salaries and office rent, and running mental health and livelihood development programs | $6,500 |
| Reach Girls | Support for office support and office equiptment, and running vocational training programs for young women | $6,500 |
| Kiserem Epilepsy Foundation | To hold a specialized medical camp for people with epilepsy in kenya, designed to provide free diagnosis, treatment, and education to individuals in underserved areas. | $4,300 |
| Teri Farm | Beekeeping on Organic Farm | $4,300 |
| Manyamula Comsip Cooperative | Administrative support for savings and loans cooperative and oil processing machine | $4,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Spirit in Action?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $922,791 | $130,416 | $223,786 | $140,874 | 36 | $217,592 | $19,103 |
| 2024 | $1,016,161 | $188,230 | $233,326 | $149,971 | 43 | $227,366 | $15,336 |
| 2023 | $1,061,257 | $194,015 | $230,733 | $146,397 | 49 | $224,161 | $13,156 |
| 2022 | $1,097,975 | $192,089 | $196,585 | $128,459 | 39 | $186,961 | $23,101 |
| 2021 | $1,102,471 | $384,126 | $215,191 | $146,868 | 45 | — | $19,279 |
| 2020 | $933,536 | $452,988 | $141,878 | $76,794 | 36 | — | $22,416 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
Spirit in Action’s mission is to fulfill God’s promise of abundant life for all by supporting people as they build self-sufficient, sustainable futures for themselves, their families, and their communities.
Its community grants support grassroots organizations and community groups. The foundation describes partners working on issues including poverty and inequality, local development, and financial stability. Examples from its 2025 grants include youth entrepreneurship, education, vocational training, mental health and livelihood programs, sustainable agriculture, and access to justice. Its Small Business Fund provides microgrants to help groups start or expand businesses.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, Spirit in Action reported 36 grants totaling $140,874. Grants ranged from $255 to $13,153, with a median grant of $3,400.
Among the largest reported grants were $13,153 to Flaming Chalice International for office support and a youth entrepreneurship program; $11,790 to CAP AIDS Uganda to support 80 seventh-grade students from vulnerable families in rural Uganda and the organization’s office; and $10,300 to APDEI for office support and an organic garden program for schoolchildren and families. Other reported grants included $7,060 to Ubuntu Community-Based Organization for skills training for young mothers, $7,000 to E-CATS for office support and peacebuilding workshops, and $6,500 each to APSARC and Reach Girls for organizational and program support.
The website says Spirit in Action works with organizations by invitation only and does not fund unsolicited requests. Its 2024 filing, however, says giving is not restricted to preselected organizations. The filing says requests should be made in writing, with additional information requested as needed; awards are limited to organizations and individuals in developing countries.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Tanya Cothran as executive director. Listed officers and directors are Kathleen King, president; Diane Bush, vice president; Terry Silverthorn, secretary/treasurer; and directors Becky Sutherland, Danny Thomas, Greg Coleman, Tawanda Mutasah, and Amber Picou.
Spirit in Action is led by Tanya Cothran, Executive Director on every filing since 2020; 1 of 9 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Tanya Cothran
Executive Director
On filings since 2020
30 hrs/week
$37K (2020) → $45K (2025)
Kathleen King
President
Secretary → President, 2021
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Becky Sutherland
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Danny Thomas
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Greg Coleman
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tawanda Mutasah
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Amber Picou
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Diane Bush
Vice President
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Terry Silverthorn
Secretary & Treasurer
Treasurer → Secretary & Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (8)
- Former: Johnann Johnson (2020–2024) — Director
- Former: Amber Picou Broadnax (2024) — Director
- Former: Ruthann Wessman (2020–2023) — Secretary
- Former: Amber Picou-Broadnax (2023) — Director
- Former: Daniel Lewis (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Diana Halpenny (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Wendy Silverthorn (2020–2022) — Secretary
- Former: Margaret Arner (2020) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $45K, to Tanya Cothran (Executive Director).
Frequently asked questions about Spirit in Action
How much does Spirit in Action give each year?
Spirit in Action gave $141K across 36 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $150K across 43 grants.
What is Spirit in Action's typical grant size?
Spirit in Action's median grant in 2025 was $3,400, and its average grant was $3,913, across 36 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Spirit in Action that year got $4K on average.
Does Spirit in Action give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 36 grants with a stated purpose on Spirit in Action's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are Spirit in Action's largest grantees?
Spirit in Action's largest 2025 grantees include Flaming Chalice International ($13,153), Cap AIDS Uganda ($11,790) and Apdei ($10,300), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 25% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Spirit in Action?
Spirit in Action reported $923K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Its revenue that year was $130K.
What does Spirit in Action fund?
Spirit in Action’s mission is to fulfill God’s promise of abundant life for all by supporting people as they build self-sufficient, sustainable futures for themselves, their families, and their communities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Spirit in Action?
The website describes an invitation-only process. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
Where does Spirit in Action make grants?
Spirit in Action describes its community grant work as focused on Eastern Africa and lists Kenya, Malawi, Uganda, Burundi, and Rwanda among the countries where it connects donations to local work. Its Small Business Fund page identifies Uganda, Kenya, and Malawi.
What is Spirit in Action's EIN?
Spirit in Action's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 93-1207351. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
Live grants for the work Spirit in Action funds
Human Services Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Spirit in Action's focus areas in our free grants database
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Figures come from Spirit in Action's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
Spirit in Action down — hundreds of funders to go?