The Tinker Foundation Inc
The Tinker Foundation is a private, non-operating foundation based in New York, NY that has been supporting development in Latin America for more than sixty years. Founded in 1959 by Edward Larocque Tinker in memory of his wife, father, and grandfather, the foundation works to promote economic and social development across the region by funding civil society organizations, research institutes, universities, and nonprofit entities addressing Latin America's most pressing challenges.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$84.6M
+4.9% YoY
Annual Giving
$2.8M
-11.3% YoY
Grant Count
58
-4.9% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$48K
-6.7% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission: To promote the development of an equitable, sustainable, and productive society in Latin America.
The foundation realizes its mission by providing funding to organizations working to test promising ideas, extend the impact of proven models, and bring together stakeholders to solve problems in new ways. The foundation emphasizes support for organizations within the Latin American region itself.
Primary Program Areas:
- Democratic Governance
- Education
The foundation also supports initiatives in environment, natural resources, science, social sciences, public policy, and international relations.
Grantmaking
The Tinker Foundation operates three primary grantmaking programs:
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation supports work across Latin America, with a particular focus on the Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries of the region. The foundation is one of a small number of private foundations focused on the entire Latin American region.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets: $84,627,722 (as of 2024)
Annual Giving: $2,781,622 (2024)
Revenue: $6,169,442 (as of 2023)
Expenses: $4,696,274 (as of 2023)
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $84,627,722 | $80,646,849 | $76,138,580 |
| Revenue | $6,820,060 | $6,169,442 | $3,193,792 |
| Expenses | $4,681,127 | $4,696,274 | $4,830,908 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $4,278,019 | $4,570,755 | $4,746,165 |
| Net Investment Income | $6,565,847 | $2,768,279 | $2,755,086 |
| Distributable Amount | $4,117,924 | $3,805,765 | $4,013,581 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
250 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
3 open opportunities from The Tinker Foundation Inc
Institutional Grants: Democratic Governance
THE TINKER FOUNDATION INC
Amount
US $50,000 - US $150,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Institutional Grants: Education
THE TINKER FOUNDATION INC
Amount
US $50,000 - US $100,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Institutional Grants: Sustainable Resource Management
THE TINKER FOUNDATION INC
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Caroline Kronley – President (compensation: $283,815 as of 2023)
- Dr. Shannon O'Neil – Chairman (as of June 2023)
- Meg Cushing – Associate Director
The foundation was originally created by Edward Larocque Tinker (1881-1968), who held PhDs in literature from the University of Paris and the University of Madrid and devoted his life to exploring Hispanic culture in Latin America. Martha T. Muse served as the foundation's first President and was instrumental in bringing the organization to life.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| DR SHANNON O'NEIL | CHAIRMAN | 0.5 | $4,000 |
| KATHERINE LORENZ | SECRETARY | 0.5 | $4,000 |
| SUSAN SEGAL | TREASURER | 0.5 | — |
| BRADFORD SMITH | DIRECTOR | 0.5 | $4,000 |
| TATIANA MARTINS | DIRECTOR | 0.5 | — |
| ISABEL ANINAT | DIRECTOR | 0.5 | $4,000 |
| EUGENE ZAPATA GARESCHE | DIRECTOR | 0.5 | $4,000 |
| VICENTE LEON | DIRECTOR | 0.5 | $4,000 |
| DR LUIS OGANES | DIRECTOR | 0.5 | — |
| DR ARTURO C PORZECANSKI | DIRECTOR THRU 12/24 | 0.5 | $4,000 |
| JOHN MCINTIRE | DIRECTOR AS OF 03/24 | 0.5 | $2,000 |
| CAROLINE KRONLEY | PRESIDENT | 40 | $293,815 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation announced important updates regarding 2025 grantmaking, with notices published in both English and Portuguese.
Important note regarding 2025 grantmaking -The foundation announced the launch of the Tinker Field Research Collaborative, expanding its support for graduate student research in Latin America.
Nota importante sobre as concess\xF5es institucionais de 2025 - Tinker FoundationThe foundation announced new education grantmaking initiatives and continues to operate its 2026 Institutional Grant Cycle for organizations interested in applying for funding.
Important note regarding 2025 grantmaking -Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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