Tinker Family Foundation
Tinker Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Wilmington, Delaware. Its 2024 filing reports grants to charitable organizations in five states, including organizations working in areas such as communication access, youth opportunity, food access, conservation, and health.
Tinker Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Tinker Family Foundation gave $50K across 10 grants in 2024 (avg $5K), mostly in California. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $49,500
- +37.1% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 10
- +42.9% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $4,950
- -4.0% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $4,500
- Total assets
- $1,012,291
- +8.2% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- California (62% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Tinker Family 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: 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 Tinker Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Speller Freedom Foundation ($11K). Together the top 10 received $50K.
Grant Size Distribution
30 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 30 grants of 30 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 grants went to organizations in California (62% of grant dollars), Arizona (10%), Illinois (10%), Massachusetts (10%), and Nevada (8%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
Cities
How Tinker Family Foundation gives
- 60% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 41% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 108% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (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 $17K (2022) to $50K (2024). In 2024 it made 10 grants totaling $50K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Speller Freedom Foundation Oceanside, CA | General & Unrestricted | $11,000 |
| Assistance League of Diablo Valley Walnut Creek, CA | General & Unrestricted | $5,000 |
| Fathers in the Field Phoenix, AZ | General & Unrestricted | $5,000 |
| Feeding America Chicago, IL | General & Unrestricted | $5,000 |
| Year up Inc Boston, MA | General & Unrestricted | $5,000 |
| Martis Camp Community Foundation Truckee, CA | General & Unrestricted | $4,000 |
| Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Inc El Segundo, CA | General & Unrestricted | $4,000 |
| Save Mount Diablo Walnut Creek, CA | General & Unrestricted | $4,000 |
| The Parasol Tahoe Community Foundation Inc Incline VLG, NV | General & Unrestricted | $4,000 |
| Tahoe Fund Tahoe City, CA | General & Unrestricted | $2,500 |
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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 | $1,012,291 | $139,635 | $63,139 | $49,500 | 10 | $57,200 | $34,096 | $52,924 |
| 2023 | $935,795 | $130,940 | $48,348 | $36,100 | 7 | $43,650 | $26,418 | $44,096 |
| 2022 | $853,203 | $119,159 | $27,960 | $16,500 | 6 | $23,635 | $15,034 | $39,276 |
| 2021 | $762,004 | $136,392 | $45,801 | $35,000 | 6 | $41,693 | $12,444 | $37,918 |
| 2020 | $671,413 | $133,552 | $33,593 | $25,000 | 1 | — | $11,055 | $28,658 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Tinker Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $53K 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 grants include support for organizations with varied missions. For example, Spellers Freedom Foundation says it works to provide nonspeakers access to communication through scholarships, education, and advocacy. Year Up says its mission is to help young adults gain skills, experience, and support for careers and higher education. Feeding America describes its mission as advancing equitable access to nutritious food.
Other 2024 grantees describe missions that include improving the lives of at-risk children and families (Assistance League of Diablo Valley), mentoring boys through outdoor activities (Fathers in the Field), preserving Mount Diablo and its surrounding areas (Save Mount Diablo), and improving the lives of people affected by pancreatic cancer (Pancreatic Cancer Action Network).
Grantmaking
The foundation reported 10 grants totaling $49,500 in 2024. Grants ranged from $2,500 to $11,000, with a median of $4,500. All 10 grants were listed for general and unrestricted purposes.
The largest award was $11,000 to Spellers Freedom Foundation. Other notable grants were $5,000 each to Assistance League of Diablo Valley, Fathers in the Field, Feeding America, and Year Up; and $4,000 each to Martis Camp Community Foundation, Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, Save Mount Diablo, and The Parasol Tahoe Community Foundation.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Douglas E Tinker as president, director, and treasurer; Jeffrey P Tinker as vice president and secretary; and Ryan W Tinker as vice president.
Tinker Family Foundation is led by Douglas E Tinker, President, Director & Treasurer on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Douglas E Tinker
President, Director & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jeffrey P Tinker
Vice President & Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ryan W Tinker
Vice President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Marilee W Tinker (2020) — Secretary
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 Tinker Family Foundation
How much does Tinker Family Foundation give each year?
Tinker Family Foundation gave $50K across 10 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $36K across 7 grants.
What is Tinker Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Tinker Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $4,500, and its average grant was $4,950, across 10 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Tinker Family Foundation give grants?
Tinker Family Foundation gives mostly in California: 62% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Arizona (10%) and Illinois (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Walnut Creek, CA (2 grants).
Does Tinker Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Tinker Family Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (10 of 10) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Tinker Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Tinker Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Speller Freedom Foundation ($11,000), Assistance League of Diablo Valley ($5,000) and Fathers in the Field ($5,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 42% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Tinker Family Foundation?
Tinker Family Foundation reported $1.0M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $57K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $53K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Tinker Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its grants include support for organizations with varied missions. For example, Spellers Freedom Foundation says it works to provide nonspeakers access to communication through scholarships, education, and advocacy. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Tinker Family 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 Tinker Family Foundation's EIN?
Tinker Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 47-3320544. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Tinker 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
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS October 20, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS April 4, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS August 8, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS July 31, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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