Tailwinds Charitable Foundation Inc
Tailwinds Charitable Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Great Neck, New York. It supports small- to mid-sized U.S. nonprofits working to improve the lives of children and youth facing social and economic adversity, and also describes protecting the planet for future generations as part of its work.
Tailwinds Charitable Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Tailwinds Charitable Foundation Inc gave $654K across 21 grants in 2024 (avg $31K), mostly in California. 57% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $653,897
- +2.2% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 21
- -12.5% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $31,138
- +16.8% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $12,596,988
- -1.5% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 57% first-time grantees (12 of 21, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- California (65% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Tailwinds Charitable Foundation Inc
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- Invitation Only
-
The foundation makes funding decisions by invitation only and does not accept unsolicited requests. It considers preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 111 Great Neck Road 416, Great Neck, NY 11021
Phone: (909) 844-0859
Website: https://www.tailwindscharitable.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Tailwinds Charitable Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Happy Trails for Kids ($398K). Together the top 10 received $629K.
Grant Size Distribution
120 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 105 grants of 120 (88%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation says it primarily funds in California, Maine, Maryland, Montana, and New York, while remaining flexible about grants outside those areas as needs arise. In 2024, 65% of grant dollars went to California, 15% to Maryland, 8% to New York, 6% to Montana, and 4% to Idaho.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 21 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Tailwinds Charitable Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
57%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 12 of 21 grantees (57%) were first-time recipients. With only 21 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $16K; repeat grants $52K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $4K repeat.
- 33% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 44% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 92% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $203K (2020) to $654K (2024). In 2024 it made 21 grants totaling $654K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Happy Trails for Kids Santa Monica, CA | General Support | $398,000 |
| Players Philanthropy Fund Baltimore, MD | General Support | $100,000 |
| City Harvest New York, NY | General Support | $25,000 |
| International Wildlife Coexistence Network Garden City, ID | General Support | $25,000 |
| Wellness in the Schools New York, NY | General Support | $25,000 |
| Whitefish Community Foundation Whitefish, MT | General Support | $25,000 |
| Predator Healing Project Kalispell, MT | General Support | $11,000 |
| Wags & Walks Los Angeles, CA | General Support | $9,000 |
| Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy Palos Verdes Peninsula, CA | General Support | $6,375 |
| Landmark College South Putney, VT | General Support | $5,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Tailwinds Charitable Foundation Inc?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $12,596,988 | $496,560 | $682,035 | $653,897 | 21 | $670,792 | $485,317 | $730,230 |
| 2023 | $12,782,463 | $364,511 | $707,888 | $640,068 | 24 | $640,068 | $458,682 | $625,002 |
| 2022 | $12,485,536 | $1,668,931 | $539,496 | $516,260 | 27 | $516,260 | $1,645,695 | $592,038 |
| 2021 | $10,129,395 | $207,648 | $471,446 | $454,106 | 27 | $454,106 | $278,232 | — |
| 2020 | $8,845,443 | $7,702,178 | $225,561 | $202,535 | 21 | — | $31,502 | — |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Tailwinds Charitable Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $730K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
Tailwinds describes its work as investing in education, nutrition, and security to help children thrive. Its grantmaking priorities include youth facing social and economic adversity, particularly through education, mentorship, and support.
Its 2024 grantees illustrate a range of supported work. Happy Trails for Kids describes its mission as providing children in foster care with outdoor experiences, mentorship, and a year-round community. Wellness in the Schools says it promotes healthy eating, environmental awareness, and fitness for children in public schools. The Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy describes its mission as preserving land and restoring habitat for education and enjoyment. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not a complete list of the foundation’s focus areas.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 21 grants totaling $653,897. Grants ranged from $500 to $398,000, with a median of $5,000. The largest listed awards were $398,000 to Happy Trails for Kids and $100,000 to Players Philanthropy Fund; both were designated for general support. Other listed general-support grants included $25,000 each to City Harvest, International Wildlife Coexistence Network, Wellness in the Schools, and Whitefish Community Foundation.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Sarah Katherine Dworman as president, Laura Smith Roethe as secretary, and Ross Dworman as treasurer. The foundation’s website says it is driven by Kate and Ross Dworman.
Tailwinds Charitable Foundation Inc is led by Sarah Katherine Dworman, President since 2024 (on filings since 2020); none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Sarah Katherine Dworman
President
Director → President & CEO, 2023
President & CEO → President, 2024
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Laura Smith Roethe
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2023
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ross Dworman
Treasurer
Director → Treasurer, 2023
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Tailwinds Charitable Foundation Inc
How much does Tailwinds Charitable Foundation Inc give each year?
Tailwinds Charitable Foundation Inc gave $654K across 21 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $640K across 24 grants.
What is Tailwinds Charitable Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Tailwinds Charitable Foundation Inc's median grant in 2024 was $5,000, and its average grant was $31,138, across 21 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Tailwinds Charitable Foundation Inc that year got $16K on average.
Where does Tailwinds Charitable Foundation Inc give grants?
Tailwinds Charitable Foundation Inc gives mostly in California: 65% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Maryland (15%) and New York (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (4 grants), Redlands, CA (4 grants) and Los Angeles, CA (2 grants).
Does Tailwinds Charitable Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Tailwinds Charitable Foundation Inc's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (21 of 21) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Tailwinds Charitable Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Tailwinds Charitable Foundation Inc's largest 2024 grantees include Happy Trails for Kids ($398,000), Players Philanthropy Fund ($100,000) and City Harvest ($25,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 80% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Tailwinds Charitable Foundation Inc?
Tailwinds Charitable Foundation Inc reported $12.6M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $671K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $730K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Tailwinds Charitable Foundation Inc fund?
Tailwinds describes its work as investing in education, nutrition, and security to help children thrive. Its grantmaking priorities include youth facing social and economic adversity, particularly through education, mentorship, and support. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Tailwinds Charitable Foundation Inc?
The foundation makes funding decisions by invitation only and does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Tailwinds Charitable Foundation Inc's EIN?
Tailwinds Charitable Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-4201151. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Tailwinds Charitable Foundation Inc accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
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 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Tailwinds Charitable Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/tailwinds-charitable-foundation-inc-morg_2f21965869da4c4eb95e9ac8e6b3678f
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_134201151_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Tailwinds Charitable Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/tailwinds-charitable-foundation-inc-morg_2f21965869da4c4eb95e9ac8e6b3678f},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Tailwinds Charitable Foundation Inc'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.
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