Tom & Helen Tonkin Foundation
The Tom & Helen Tonkin Foundation is a private foundation based in Saint Louis, Missouri. Its stated purpose is to benefit organizations operated exclusively for charitable, educational, and religious purposes, primarily for the benefit of Wyoming youth, with special attention to Casper youth ages 6–21 affected by illness, injury, or poverty.
Tom & Helen Tonkin Foundation at a glance
In short: Tom & Helen Tonkin Foundation gave $127K across 10 grants in 2025 (avg $13K), mostly in Wyoming. 70% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $126,900
- -27.9% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 10
- +42.9% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $12,690
- -49.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $12,000
- Total assets
- $2,647,737
- -0.7% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 70% first-time grantees (7 of 10, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Wyoming (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Tom & Helen Tonkin 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. Grants are administered through the foundation trustees, Wells Fargo Bank.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 505 Mac H0006-092, Saint Louis, MO 63166
Phone: (888) 730-4933
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Tom & Helen Tonkin Foundation
Who Tom & Helen Tonkin Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Wyoming Independent Living ($40K). Together the top 10 received $127K.
Grant Size Distribution
34 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 29 grants of 34 (85%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars reported for 2025 went to organizations in Wyoming. The foundation’s stated purpose directs benefits primarily to Wyoming youth, with special attention to youth in Casper.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Tom & Helen Tonkin Foundation open to new grantees?
70%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 7 of 10 grantees (70%) were first-time recipients. With only 10 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 10 points. First grants averaged $10K; repeat grants $20K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $15K repeat.
- 30% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 29% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 78% 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 $127K (2025) to $179K (2022). In 2025 it made 10 grants totaling $127K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Wyoming Independent Living Casper, WY | General Operating | $39,900 |
| Unaccompanied Students Initiative Cheyenne, WY | General Operating | $18,000 |
| Oxbow Center Worland, WY | General Operating | $15,000 |
| Sue Jorgensen Library Foundation Casper, WY | General Operating | $15,000 |
| Journey Elementary School Casper, WY | General Operating | $14,000 |
| YMCA of Natrona County Casper, WY | General Operating | $10,000 |
| Natrona County Public Library Foundation Casper, WY | General Operating | $5,000 |
| Jasons Friends Foundation Inc Casper, WY | General Operating | $5,000 |
| Kelly Walsh Last Blast Casper, WY | General Operating | $4,000 |
| Mountain Road Christian Academy Casper, WY | General Operating | $1,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $2,647,737 | $169,837 | $189,966 | $126,900 | 10 | $140,326 | $123,589 | $178,978 |
| 2024 | $2,665,784 | $210,448 | $236,610 | $176,000 | 7 | $188,790 | $163,497 | $165,419 |
| 2023 | $2,692,753 | $126,734 | $233,745 | $178,187 | 5 | $189,904 | $83,008 | $157,534 |
| 2022 | $2,800,142 | $128,538 | $245,076 | $179,305 | 8 | $193,673 | $83,045 | $179,287 |
| 2021 | $2,917,557 | $194,584 | $209,422 | $152,000 | 4 | — | $152,627 | $181,143 |
| 2020 | $2,931,792 | $129,663 | $187,068 | $130,278 | 12 | — | $83,203 | $165,858 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Tom & Helen Tonkin Foundation reported a distributable amount of $179K 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
The foundation’s stated purpose centers on charitable, educational, and religious organizations serving Wyoming youth, particularly young people in Casper who are affected by illness, injury, or poverty.
Its 2025 grantees illustrate the range of organizations it supports. Wyoming Independent Living describes its mission as expanding opportunities for people with disabilities to live independently across Wyoming. Unaccompanied Students Initiative says it provides safe, stable housing and support intended to help unaccompanied students graduate high school. Jason’s Friends Foundation describes providing non-medical financial assistance, advocacy, and encouragement to Wyoming families whose children are battling certain cancers or tumors. The Natrona County Public Library Foundation says it supports the Natrona County Public Library.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 10 grants totaling $126,900. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $39,900, with a median of $12,000. All listed grants were for general operating support.
The largest grants were $39,900 to Wyoming Independent Living, $18,000 to Unaccompanied Students Initiative, and $15,000 each to Oxbow Center and Sue Jorgensen Library Foundation. Other recipients included Journey Elementary School ($14,000), YMCA of Natrona County ($10,000), Natrona County Public Library Foundation ($5,000), Jason’s Friends Foundation ($5,000), an individual recipient Last Blast ($4,000), and Mountain Road Christian Academy ($1,000).
The foundation’s grant program description says trustees award 5–15 grants of $2,000–$50,000 annually.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Wells Fargo Bank N.A. is listed as trustee on the 2025 filing.
Tom & Helen Tonkin Foundation's only listed officer is Wells Fargo Bank N A, Trustee on every filing since 2022 (compensated).
Officers on the 2025 filing
Wells Fargo Bank N A
Trustee
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
$48K (2022) → $47K (2025)
Former officers (1)
- Former: Wells Fargo Bank (2020–2021) — Trustee
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $47K, to Wells Fargo Bank N a (Trustee).
Frequently asked questions about Tom & Helen Tonkin Foundation
How much does Tom & Helen Tonkin Foundation give each year?
Tom & Helen Tonkin Foundation gave $127K across 10 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $176K across 7 grants.
What is Tom & Helen Tonkin Foundation's typical grant size?
Tom & Helen Tonkin Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $12,000, and its average grant was $12,690, across 10 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Tom & Helen Tonkin Foundation that year got $10K on average.
Where does Tom & Helen Tonkin Foundation give grants?
Tom & Helen Tonkin Foundation gives mostly in Wyoming: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Casper, WY (8 grants).
Does Tom & Helen Tonkin Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Tom & Helen Tonkin Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (10 of 10) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Tom & Helen Tonkin Foundation's largest grantees?
Tom & Helen Tonkin Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Wyoming Independent Living ($39,900), Unaccompanied Students Initiative ($18,000) and Oxbow Center ($15,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 57% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Tom & Helen Tonkin Foundation?
Tom & Helen Tonkin Foundation reported $2.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $140K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $179K (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 Tom & Helen Tonkin Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated purpose centers on charitable, educational, and religious organizations serving Wyoming youth, particularly young people in Casper who are affected by illness, injury, or poverty. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Tom & Helen Tonkin 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 Tom & Helen Tonkin Foundation's EIN?
Tom & Helen Tonkin Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 83-6002200. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Tom & Helen Tonkin 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 2020–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Tom & Helen Tonkin Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/tom-and-helen-tonkin-foundation-morg_1a0d6e269bab437daf4a7e985e578ee8
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_836002200_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Tom \& Helen Tonkin Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/tom-and-helen-tonkin-foundation-morg_1a0d6e269bab437daf4a7e985e578ee8},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-20. 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 Tom & Helen Tonkin 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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