Tisbest Philanthropy
TisBest Philanthropy is a Seattle, Washington-based public charity, formed in 2007, that uses charity gift cards to connect people with causes. Gift recipients choose eligible charities to receive grants, replacing material gifts with charitable giving.
Tisbest Philanthropy at a glance
In short: Tisbest Philanthropy gave $3.8M across 181 grants in 2025 (avg $21K), top state New York. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $3,784,528
- -3.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 181
- -7.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $20,909
- +4.8% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,100
- Total assets
- $2,192,711
- +52.0% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- New York (24% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026.
How to apply to Tisbest Philanthropy
- Contact
Mailing address: 5950 6Th Ave S Ste 111, Seattle, WA 98108
Phone: (206) 501-3005
Website: https://tisbest.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Tisbest Philanthropy funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Airbnb Org Inc ($200K). Together the top 10 received $1.1M.
Grant Size Distribution
877 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 765 grants of 877 (87%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
TisBest’s gift card recipients can choose from U.S. charities. In 2025, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in New York (24%), California (15%), Washington, DC (11%), Massachusetts (9%), and Connecticut (6%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 181 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Tisbest Philanthropy gives
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $416K (2021) to $6.9M (2022). In 2025 it made 181 grants totaling $3.8M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Airbnb Org Inc San Francisco, CA | See Tisbest Mission | $200,000 |
| Alight Minneapolis, MN | See Tisbest Mission | $101,615 |
| Foundation to Combat Anti-Semitism Inc Foxborough, MA | See Tisbest Mission | $100,025 |
| Council on Strategic Risks Washington, DC | See Tisbest Mission | $100,000 |
| Gates Philanthropy Partners Seattle, WA | See Tisbest Mission | $100,000 |
| Just Capital Foundation Inc New York, NY | See Tisbest Mission | $100,000 |
| Micro-Society Inc Philadelphia, PA | See Tisbest Mission | $100,000 |
| New Canaan Community Foundation Inc New Canaan, CT | See Tisbest Mission | $100,000 |
| Verse Video Education Inc Brookline, MA | See Tisbest Mission | $100,000 |
| International Rescue Committee New York, NY | See Tisbest Mission | $74,415 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $2,192,711 | $8,793,056 | $8,449,718 | $3,784,528 | 181 | $67,117 |
| 2024 | $1,442,915 | $9,305,583 | $9,734,144 | $3,912,157 | 196 | $25,919 |
| 2023 | $1,155,772 | $9,661,113 | $10,160,183 | $5,846,719 | 222 | $9,946 |
| 2022 | $1,658,227 | $14,459,218 | $14,260,781 | $6,897,042 | 270 | $3,404 |
| 2021 | $1,169,318 | $11,028,187 | $10,734,354 | $416,046 | 8 | $4,023 |
| 2020 | $627,400 | $3,767,399 | $4,014,285 | $2,043,968 | 141 | $6,072 |
| 2019 | $646,404 | $3,425,817 | $3,577,131 | $1,511,784 | 117 | $6,608 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
TisBest’s mission is to fuel a movement that replaces gifts of stuff with gifts of good and meaningfully connects individuals to important causes. Its charity gift card program lets recipients recommend charities to receive grants.
Among the 2025 grantees, Alight says it works with displaced people to build lives with dignity, connection, and purpose. Micro-Society says it provides children and youth opportunities to learn through their own communities. Gates Philanthropy Partners describes its work as promoting global development, global health, and U.S. education. Just Capital Foundation says it works toward a more just economy, while New Canaan Community Foundation describes local issue leadership and grantmaking. Verse Video Education says it develops educational video and curricular materials in the arts and humanities and beyond. The International Rescue Committee describes responding to humanitarian crises, and the ACLU Foundation describes advancing understanding of civil liberties and civil rights.
Grantmaking
In 2025, TisBest reported 181 grants totaling $3,784,528. Grants ranged from $5,020 to $200,000, with a median of $10,100. The largest grant listed was $200,000 to Airbnb Org Inc. Other notable grants included $101,615 to Alight; $100,025 to Foundation to Combat Anti-Semitism Inc.; and $100,000 each to Council on Strategic Risks, Gates Philanthropy Partners, Just Capital Foundation, Micro-Society, New Canaan Community Foundation, and Verse Video Education.
TisBest’s gift card terms describe purchases as charitable contributions to its donor-advised fund program. Recipients may recommend eligible organizations, but recommendations are subject to TisBest’s approval and it retains final discretion over distributions. Eligible organizations must be IRS-recognized 501(c)(3) organizations and may not be private foundations or Type III supporting organizations. TisBest says it generally distributes funds in the calendar quarter after a card is spent, though timing may vary.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Richard Gold, Kendall Webb, Jim Phillips, and Peter Lindburg as directors, with Jim Phillips identified as chair, and Simeon Cathey as managing director. TisBest’s website identifies Cathey as a co-founder and lists Amy Ray as Product and CX Manager.
Tisbest Philanthropy is led by Jim Phillips, Chair on every filing since 2019; 1 of 5 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Jim Phillips
Chair
On filings since 2019
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Simeon Cathey
Managing Director
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$40K (2021) → $195K (2025)
Kendall Webb
Director
On filings since 2019
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Peter Lindburg
Director
On filings since 2019
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Richard Gold
Director
On filings since 2023
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (3)
- Former: Rich Gold (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Rick Morrow (2019–2020) — Frmr. Mng. Director
- Former: Kyle Lawrence (2020) — Frmr. Mng. Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $195K, to Simeon Cathey (Managing Director).
Frequently asked questions about Tisbest Philanthropy
How much does Tisbest Philanthropy give each year?
Tisbest Philanthropy gave $3.8M across 181 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $3.9M across 196 grants.
What is Tisbest Philanthropy's typical grant size?
Tisbest Philanthropy's median grant in 2025 was $10,100, and its average grant was $20,909, across 181 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990.
Where does Tisbest Philanthropy give grants?
Tisbest Philanthropy's top state is New York, with 24% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were California (15%) and District of Columbia (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (29 grants), Washington, DC (18 grants), San Francisco, CA (5 grants) and Baltimore, MD (5 grants).
Does Tisbest Philanthropy give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 181 grants with a stated purpose on Tisbest Philanthropy's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "See Tisbest Mission" (181 grants).
Who are Tisbest Philanthropy's largest grantees?
Tisbest Philanthropy's largest 2025 grantees include Airbnb Org Inc ($200,000), Alight ($101,615) and Foundation to Combat Anti-Semitism Inc ($100,025), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 11% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Tisbest Philanthropy?
Tisbest Philanthropy reported $2.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $8.8M.
What does Tisbest Philanthropy fund?
TisBest’s mission is to fuel a movement that replaces gifts of stuff with gifts of good and meaningfully connects individuals to important causes. Its charity gift card program lets recipients recommend charities to receive grants. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Tisbest Philanthropy?
Tisbest Philanthropy has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check tisbest.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Tisbest Philanthropy's EIN?
Tisbest Philanthropy's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-8630809. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 15, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 13, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 3, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS June 11, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 25, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 12, 2025)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS January 22, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
Live grants for the work Tisbest Philanthropy funds
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Tisbest Philanthropy funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved November 1, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/tisbest-philanthropy-morg_f4646e5456e244369272640586e00ed5
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_208630809_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Tisbest Philanthropy funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/tisbest-philanthropy-morg_f4646e5456e244369272640586e00ed5},
note = {Accessed 2026-11-01. 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 Tisbest Philanthropy'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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