Tortuga Charitable Foundation
Tortuga Charitable Foundation is a private foundation based in Princeton, New Jersey. It makes grants to preselected charitable organizations; its 2025 grants included organizations working on environmental protection, conservation, reproductive health, and other charitable activities.
Tortuga Charitable Foundation at a glance
In short: Tortuga Charitable Foundation gave $8.5M across 113 grants in 2025 (avg $75K), top state New York. 14% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $8,515,500
- +5.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 113
- -4.2% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $75,358
- +10.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $75,000
- Total assets
- $112,070,327
- +4.8% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 14% first-time grantees (15 of 109, 2025)
- Primary geography
- New York (20% 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 Tortuga Charitable 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: C/O 791 Alexander Road, Princeton, NJ 08540
Phone: (206) 972-1303
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Tortuga Charitable Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Rockefeller Family Fund Inc ($300K). Together the top 10 received $1.9M.
Grant Size Distribution
543 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $50–100K range: 298 grants of 543 (55%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 grant dollars were distributed among recipients in multiple states and Washington, DC. The largest reported shares went to New York (20%), DC (19%), California (9%), Washington (5%), and Alaska (4%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 113 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Tortuga Charitable Foundation open to new grantees?
14%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 15 of 109 grantees (14%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $83K; repeat grants $77K. How we count
Medians: $75K first-time, $75K repeat.
- 85% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+12%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 111% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). 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 $6.3M (2020) to $8.5M (2025). In 2025 it made 113 grants totaling $8.5M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Rockefeller Family Fund Inc New York, NY | Charitable | $300,000 |
| Resources Legacy Fund Sacramento, CA | Charitable | $200,000 |
| Environmental Integrity Project Washington, DC | Charitable | $200,000 |
| Spiral House Park Saugerties, NY | Charitable | $175,000 |
| Nature Conservancy New Haven, CT | Charitable | $165,000 |
| Bennington College Corporation Bennington, VT | Charitable | $165,000 |
| Planned Parenthood Federation of Am New York, NY | Charitable | $150,000 |
| Abortion Care Network Washington, DC | Charitable | $125,000 |
| Climate and Clean Energy Equity Fun Washington, DC | Charitable | $125,000 |
| Earthjustice San Francisco, CA | Charitable | $125,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Tortuga Charitable 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 | $112,070,327 | $16,219,821 | $11,135,035 | $8,515,500 | 113 | $9,158,170 | $14,843,004 | $8,261,357 |
| 2024 | $106,959,890 | $21,850,328 | $10,246,590 | $8,081,500 | 118 | $8,692,483 | $20,436,145 | $8,080,583 |
| 2023 | $95,280,018 | $5,184,548 | $9,619,699 | $7,762,816 | 105 | $8,349,495 | $4,132,379 | $6,757,291 |
| 2022 | $99,747,901 | $-652,466 | $9,801,503 | $7,608,500 | 107 | $8,017,176 | — | $6,812,831 |
| 2021 | $110,168,381 | $33,186,414 | $9,656,033 | $7,376,250 | 100 | $7,734,014 | $21,722,990 | $8,881,192 |
| 2020 | $86,638,000 | $59,928,775 | $7,811,245 | $6,347,500 | 79 | — | $9,086,310 | $5,497,337 |
| 2019 | $35,729,471 | $8,740,027 | $7,624,105 | $6,811,300 | 60 | — | $8,361,861 | $3,333,555 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Tortuga Charitable Foundation reported a distributable amount of $8.3M 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 grants show support for a range of charitable organizations. For example, Environmental Integrity Project describes its work as research and public education on environmental protection and natural-resource preservation. Earthjustice says it uses law and partnerships to protect health and wildlife, advance clean energy, and combat climate change. Planned Parenthood Federation of America and Abortion Care Network also received grants in 2025.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 113 grants totaling $8,515,500. Grant amounts ranged from $5,000 to $300,000, with a median of $75,000. Notable grants included $300,000 to Rockefeller Family Fund Inc.; $200,000 each to Resources Legacy Fund and Environmental Integrity Project; $175,000 to Spiral House Park; and $165,000 each to Nature Conservancy and Bennington College Corporation.
Other listed 2025 grants included $150,000 to Planned Parenthood Federation of America and $125,000 each to Abortion Care Network, Climate and Clean Energy Equity Fund, Earthjustice, Land Trust Alliance Incorporated, Regenerative Agriculture Foundation, and Trustees for Alaska. The grant purposes listed for these awards were charitable.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Donna Colon as treasurer; Mildred Livingston as president; Patricia Livingston as secretary and trustee; Robert Livingston and Philip Livingston as trustees; and Karen Harris as executive director.
Tortuga Charitable Foundation is led by Karen Harris, Executive Director on every filing since 2022; 1 of 6 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Karen Harris
Executive Director
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$288K (2022) → $356K (2025)
Mildred Livingston
President
President → President & Trustee, 2020
President & Trustee → President, 2024
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Patricia Livingston
Sec'y & Trustee
Sec'y → Sec'y & Trustee, 2020
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Philip Livingston
Trustee
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Robert Livingston
Trustee
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Donna M. Colon
Treasurer
On filings since 2021
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
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 $356K, to Karen Harris (Exec. Director).
Frequently asked questions about Tortuga Charitable Foundation
How much does Tortuga Charitable Foundation give each year?
Tortuga Charitable Foundation gave $8.5M across 113 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $8.1M across 118 grants.
What is Tortuga Charitable Foundation's typical grant size?
Tortuga Charitable Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $75,000, and its average grant was $75,358, across 113 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Tortuga Charitable Foundation that year got $83K on average.
Where does Tortuga Charitable Foundation give grants?
Tortuga Charitable Foundation's top state is New York, with 20% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were District of Columbia (19%) and California (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (17 grants), New York, NY (9 grants), Seattle, WA (6 grants) and San Francisco, CA (5 grants).
Does Tortuga Charitable Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 113 grants with a stated purpose on Tortuga Charitable Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable" (113 grants).
Who are Tortuga Charitable Foundation's largest grantees?
Tortuga Charitable Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Rockefeller Family Fund Inc ($300,000), Nature Conservancy ($275,000 across 3 grants) and New Venture Fund ($225,000 across 3 grants), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 9% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Tortuga Charitable Foundation?
Tortuga Charitable Foundation reported $112.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $9.2M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $8.3M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Tortuga Charitable Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its grants show support for a range of charitable organizations. For example, Environmental Integrity Project describes its work as research and public education on environmental protection and natural-resource preservation. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Tortuga Charitable 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 Tortuga Charitable Foundation's EIN?
Tortuga Charitable Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 51-0245279. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Tortuga Charitable 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 2024 (received by the IRS March 6, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 5, 2026)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS February 11, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 17, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 14, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS June 13, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS June 7, 2024)
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Tortuga Charitable Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Tortuga Charitable Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/tortuga-charitable-foundation-morg_a3660bdd95d8434981652b137412afa4
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_510245279_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Tortuga Charitable Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/tortuga-charitable-foundation-morg_a3660bdd95d8434981652b137412afa4},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. 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 Tortuga Charitable 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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