Tarbell Family Foundation
The Tarbell Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Wilmington, Delaware. In 2024, it awarded grants to organizations including schools, cultural and arts organizations, a community organization, and groups working in areas such as children’s well-being and land conservation.
Tarbell Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Tarbell Family Foundation gave $732K across 139 grants in 2024 (avg $5K), mostly in California. 17% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $731,500
- +5.7% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 139
- +0.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $5,263
- +5.7% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $2,000
- Total assets
- $12,524,139
- -0.5% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 17% first-time grantees (21 of 127, 2024)
- Primary geography
- California (60% 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 Tarbell Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: Foundation Source 501 Silverside Rd, Wilmington, DE 19809-1377
Phone: (800) 839-1754
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Tarbell Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Stoneleigh-Burnham School ($85K across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $357K.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($1,500), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
714 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 708 grants of 714 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 60% of grant dollars went to recipients in California, 15% to Oregon, 15% to Massachusetts, 4% to Washington, D.C., and 2% to Pennsylvania. Examples of 2024 recipients include organizations in California, Oregon, and Massachusetts.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 139 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Tarbell Family Foundation open to new grantees?
17%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 21 of 127 grantees (17%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $6K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $2K repeat.
- 76% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−9%). 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 $692K (2023) to $899K (2022). In 2024 it made 139 grants totaling $732K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Stoneleigh-Burnham School Greenfield, MA | Fulfillment of Spring 2024 | $50,000 |
| Middle East Childrens Alliance Berkeley, CA | General & Unrestricted | $40,000 |
| Watershed Research and Training Center Hayfork, CA | Coaching and mentoring with live fire; support continued growth and development of WRTC's fire program; continued training of WRTC's fire staff including Wilderness First Responder certification | $37,000 |
| Stoneleigh-Burnham School Greenfield, MA | General & Unrestricted | $35,000 |
| Shawl-Anderson Modern Dance Center Oakland, CA | General & Unrestricted | $29,000 |
| East Bay German International School Emeryville, CA | General & Unrestricted | $27,000 |
| Caspar Community Caspar, CA | General & Unrestricted | $25,000 |
| Historical Sites Society of Arcata Incorporated Arcata, CA | General & Unrestricted | $25,000 |
| Portland State University Foundation Portland, OR | support of the Middle East Studies center | $25,000 |
| Protestant Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Cali Berkeley, CA | General & Unrestricted | $20,000 |
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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 | $12,524,139 | $869,251 | $934,902 | $731,500 | 139 | $804,106 | $737,974 | $870,084 |
| 2023 | $12,589,790 | $875,899 | $892,698 | $692,000 | 139 | $759,121 | $746,278 | $762,224 |
| 2022 | $12,606,589 | $633,818 | $1,105,809 | $899,000 | 160 | $973,777 | $501,496 | $807,834 |
| 2021 | $13,077,580 | $2,841,897 | $1,042,634 | $800,000 | 153 | $858,296 | $2,667,323 | $897,139 |
| 2020 | $11,278,317 | $854,901 | $890,219 | $717,000 | 123 | — | $734,059 | $790,051 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Tarbell Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $870K 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
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for a range of organizations and purposes. For example, Stoneleigh-Burnham School describes itself as an academic community fostering an international perspective and encouraging girls’ intellectual curiosity and ethical leadership. Middle East Children’s Alliance says it works for the rights and well-being of children in the Middle East and supports projects benefiting children. Shawl-Anderson Modern Dance Center describes its work as building an inclusive community for movers and providing dance education and support for artists.
Other 2024 recipients include East Bay German International School, which says it prepares students to become creative world citizens through multilingual education; Caspar Community, which says it provides a community center and educational and charitable programs; and Willamette University, which says it connects liberal education to professional practice. Grant purposes also included coaching and training for the Watershed Research and Training Center’s fire program and support for the Middle East Studies center at Portland State University.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 139 grants totaling $731,500. Grants ranged from $500 to $50,000, with a median grant of $2,000. Notable grants included $50,000 and $35,000 to Stoneleigh-Burnham School, $40,000 to Middle East Children’s Alliance, $37,000 to the Watershed Research and Training Center, and $29,000 to Shawl-Anderson Modern Dance Center.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Patricia T Leiser, James Tarbell, and Harry Tarbell III as trustees.
Tarbell Family Foundation's 2024 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Harry Tarbell III
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
James Tarbell
Trustee
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Patricia T Leiser
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 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 Tarbell Family Foundation
How much does Tarbell Family Foundation give each year?
Tarbell Family Foundation gave $732K across 139 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $692K across 139 grants.
What is Tarbell Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Tarbell Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $2,000, and its average grant was $5,263, across 139 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Tarbell Family Foundation that year got $3K on average.
Where does Tarbell Family Foundation give grants?
Tarbell Family Foundation gives mostly in California: 60% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Oregon (15%) and Massachusetts (15%). The most frequent recipient cities were Fort Bragg, CA (14 grants), Berkeley, CA (11 grants), Washington, DC (8 grants) and San Francisco, CA (8 grants).
Does Tarbell Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 65% of Tarbell Family Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (90 of 139) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Tarbell Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Tarbell Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Stoneleigh-Burnham School ($85,000 across 2 grants), Middle East Childrens Alliance ($45,000 across 2 grants) and Shawl-Anderson Modern Dance Center ($38,000 across 4 grants), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($1,500), which are not listed by name. Together they received 23% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Tarbell Family Foundation?
Tarbell Family Foundation reported $12.5M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $804K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $870K (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 Tarbell Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for a range of organizations and purposes. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Tarbell Family Foundation?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Tarbell Family Foundation's EIN?
Tarbell Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 93-1104762. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Tarbell Family Foundation 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). Tarbell Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/tarbell-family-foundation-morg_2a95268e8f2147d9a8b5554650f3f8e0
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_931104762_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Tarbell Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/tarbell-family-foundation-morg_2a95268e8f2147d9a8b5554650f3f8e0},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. 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 Tarbell Family Foundation'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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