The Tailwind Foundation
The Tailwind Foundation is a private foundation based in San Antonio, Texas. Its 2025 grants went to charitable organizations working in areas including education, health, arts and writing, conservation, and support for veterans.
The Tailwind Foundation at a glance
In short: The Tailwind Foundation gave $863K across 52 grants in 2025 (avg $17K), mostly in Texas. 8% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $863,277
- +23.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 52
- -1.9% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $16,601
- +25.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $2,847,758
- -0.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 8% first-time grantees (4 of 52, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Texas (61% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Tailwind Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 45 Ne Loop 410 265, San Antonio, TX 78216
Phone: (210) 375-0765
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Tailwind Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Harlingen Cisd ($309K). Together the top 10 received $655K.
Grant Size Distribution
231 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 221 grants of 231 (96%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, Texas accounted for 61% of grant dollars, followed by Wyoming at 10%, Wisconsin at 7%, Ohio at 4%, and Hawaii at 3%. The foundation also made grants to organizations in other states.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 52 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Tailwind Foundation open to new grantees?
8%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 52 grantees (8%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $34K; repeat grants $15K. How we count
Medians: $35K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 92% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 63% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 89% 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 (2020–2025). 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 $245K (2020) to $863K (2025). In 2025 it made 52 grants totaling $863K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Harlingen Cisd Harlingen, TX | General Support | $309,484 |
| Baylor College of Medicine Houston, TX | Dept of Dermatology, Allbritton Innovation Fund | $100,000 |
| Write on Door County Fish Creek, WI | Operating funds, olson family memorial council ring, resident fellowship program, memorial bench | $62,500 |
| Garfield Heights Athletic Booster Club Garfield Heights, OH | Football Program | $35,000 |
| Ponder ISD Ponder, TX | General Support | $34,793 |
| Jackson Hole Therapeutic Riding Association Teton Village, WY | General Support | $30,000 |
| Snake River Fund Jackson, WY | General Support | $30,000 |
| New Century Art Guild Elk Horn, IA | General Support | $20,000 |
| Sacred Hearts School Lahaina, HI | General Support | $18,000 |
| Sea Turtle Inc South Padre Island, TX | General Support | $15,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Tailwind Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $2,847,758 | $83,687 | $1,194,469 | $863,277 | 52 | $867,484 | — | $979,842 |
| 2024 | $2,852,628 | $79,333 | $1,009,280 | $699,900 | 53 | $704,107 | — | $837,195 |
| 2023 | $2,878,635 | $72,342 | $817,364 | $615,119 | 44 | $619,224 | — | $703,008 |
| 2022 | $2,861,155 | $70,211 | $636,272 | $530,757 | 41 | $534,595 | — | $620,733 |
| 2021 | $2,880,504 | $65,188 | $524,158 | $471,202 | 41 | $474,602 | $11,782 | $582,381 |
| 2020 | $2,879,236 | $63,045 | $298,233 | $244,741 | 36 | — | $9,103 | $425,789 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Tailwind Foundation reported a distributable amount of $980K for 2025 — 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 2025 grants show support for organizations with varied purposes. Baylor College of Medicine describes its mission as advancing human health through patient care, research, education, and community services. Write On, Door County says it inspires writers and readers through events, workshops, and a residency program. Snake River Fund describes its work as promoting stewardship of and public access to Wyoming’s Snake River watershed.
Other 2025 grantees describe work that includes rescuing and rehabilitating sea turtles (Sea Turtle Inc.), providing opportunities for people born with clefts (Smile Train), and improving the lives of children through compassionate care (Shriners Children’s).
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 52 grants totaling $863,277. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $309,484, with a median of $5,000. The largest grants included $309,484 to Harlingen CISD for general support, $100,000 to Baylor College of Medicine for its Department of Dermatology and Allbritton Innovation Fund, and $62,500 to Write On, Door County for operating funds and named programs.
Other notable 2025 grants included $35,000 to Garfield Heights Athletic Booster Club for its football program; $34,793 to Ponder ISD for general support; and $30,000 each to Jackson Hole Therapeutic Riding Association and Snake River Fund for general support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Warren W. Tichenor, Rhonda E. Tichenor, and Warren W. Tichenor II as directors, and Adriana G. Matouk as secretary.
The Tailwind Foundation's 2025 filing lists 4 officers; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Rhonda E. Tichenor
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Warren W. Tichenor
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Warren W. Tichenor II
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Adriana G. Matouk
Secretary
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
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.
Frequently asked questions about The Tailwind Foundation
How much does The Tailwind Foundation give each year?
The Tailwind Foundation gave $863K across 52 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $700K across 53 grants.
What is The Tailwind Foundation's typical grant size?
The Tailwind Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $16,601, across 52 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Tailwind Foundation that year got $34K on average.
Where does The Tailwind Foundation give grants?
The Tailwind Foundation gives mostly in Texas: 61% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Wyoming (10%) and Wisconsin (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were San Antonio, TX (8 grants), Jackson, WY (5 grants), Boston, MA (3 grants) and Houston, TX (2 grants).
Does The Tailwind Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 96% of The Tailwind Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (50 of 52) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Tailwind Foundation's largest grantees?
The Tailwind Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Harlingen Cisd ($309,484), Baylor College of Medicine ($100,000) and Write on Door County ($62,500), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 55% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Tailwind Foundation?
The Tailwind Foundation reported $2.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $867K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $980K (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 The Tailwind Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations with varied purposes. Baylor College of Medicine describes its mission as advancing human health through patient care, research, education, and community services. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Tailwind Foundation?
The foundation states that it 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 The Tailwind Foundation's EIN?
The Tailwind Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-8630169. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Tailwind Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS April 12, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS October 17, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS April 27, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 4, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 25, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 17, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Tailwind Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-tailwind-foundation-morg_45211c99f507495c8ac4ca985f5fb4d8
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_208630169_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Tailwind Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-tailwind-foundation-morg_45211c99f507495c8ac4ca985f5fb4d8},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 The Tailwind 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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