Towbes Foundation
The Towbes Foundation is a private foundation based in an individual recipient, California, established by Michael and Gail Towbes in 1980. Its stated mission is to strengthen the communities of an individual recipient County through grantmaking with local nonprofits. The foundation now particularly focuses on mental health and well-being, especially for children, youth, and families.
Towbes Foundation at a glance
In short: Towbes Foundation gave $1.5M across 96 grants in 2025 (avg $15K), mostly in California. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,475,000
- +55.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 96
- +3.2% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $15,365
- +50.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $51,363,550
- +1.8% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- California (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.
How to apply to Towbes Foundation
- Contact
Application contact: Towbes Foundation
Mailing address: 33 E Carrillo Street Suite 201, Santa Barbara, CA 93101
Phone: (805) 690-4603
Website: https://towbesfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Towbes Foundation
Who Towbes Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Santa Barbara Foundation ($241K across 6 grants). Together the top 10 received $651K.
Organizations only. It also paid 3 grants to individuals ($34,250), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
360 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 352 grants of 360 (98%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s website says it currently supports local organizations based within an individual recipient County. Its 2025 filing shows that all reported grant dollars went to recipients in California.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 96 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Towbes Foundation gives
- 76% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−5%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 41% 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 (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 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $24K (2023) to $1.6M (2022). In 2025 it made 96 grants totaling $1.5M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Barbara Foundation Santa Barbara, CA | Towbes Foundation Donor Advised Fund | $170,575 |
| Community Partners for Youthwell Santa Barbara, CA | General Operating Support & Wellness Center/Hub | $65,000 |
| Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital Fnd Santa Barbara, CA | Pediatric Resiliency Collaborative (Perc) | $50,000 |
| Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital Fnd Santa Barbara, CA | Mind Thrive Pilot | $50,000 |
| Santa Barbara Foundation Santa Barbara, CA | Recruit, Retain, Rest & Recuperation (4R) Grant Program | $50,000 |
| Uc Santa Barbara Foundation Santa Barbara, CA | EAOP, McEnroe Reading Clinic, AND HEALING SPACE general operating support | $48,250 |
| Santa Barbara Scholarship Foundatio Santa Barbara, CA | Annual Funding-34,000 for Scholarships/6,000 for GOS | $40,000 |
| Channel Islands YMCA Carpinteria, CA | My Home at Lyons House & Runaway Homeless Youth programs | $38,250 |
| Leap Learnengageadvocatepartner Goleta, CA | General Operating Support & Children's Center in Lompoc | $35,000 |
| Santa Barbara Education Foundation Santa Barbara, CA | General operating support & mission scholars college access program | $30,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Towbes 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 | $51,363,550 | $3,236,078 | $2,306,925 | $1,475,000 | 96 | $2,034,972 | $2,971,175 | $4,953,346 |
| 2024 | $50,434,397 | $2,679,780 | $1,660,291 | $951,900 | 93 | $1,372,385 | $2,397,918 | $3,684,279 |
| 2023 | $49,414,908 | $40,632,435 | $1,286,862 | $23,900 | 1 | $426,611 | $1,184,604 | $1,922,417 |
| 2022 | $10,325,099 | $3,957,496 | $4,098,904 | $1,556,750 | 90 | $1,981,555 | $1,791,752 | $561,095 |
| 2021 | $11,175,869 | $7,399,708 | $4,668,753 | $1,208,205 | 80 | — | $1,224,165 | $447,609 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Towbes Foundation reported a distributable amount of $5.0M for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s mission is to strengthen the communities of an individual recipient County. Its website describes three mental health priorities: prevention and early intervention, expanded access to services, and effective treatment. It also describes education funding for childcare and students from early childhood through the transition to college, including basic education, educational equity, and enrichment programs.
The foundation says it supports nonprofit partners and is willing to provide general operating support. Its grants have included organizations working in education, youth services, scholarships, health care, and community programs. For example, the an individual recipient Education Foundation describes its work as supporting programs that enrich students’ academic, artistic, and personal development in the an individual recipient Unified School District. OpenMinds describes its work as providing accessible mental health services to adolescents, families, and young adults in the extended an individual recipient community.
Michael Towbes Legacy and Community Priorities funding are listed as limited and by invitation only. The foundation says it generally does not sponsor individual organizational events, though it may consider larger multi-organization collaboratives with broad community benefit.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 96 grants totaling $1,475,000. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $170,575, with a median of $10,000. The largest reported grant was $170,575 to the Santa Barbara Foundation for the Towbes Foundation Donor Advised Fund. Other grants included $65,000 to Community Partners for Youthwell for general operating support and a wellness center/hub, and two $50,000 grants to an individual recipient Cottage Hospital Foundation for the Pediatric Resiliency Collaborative and Mind Thrive Pilot.
The website lists three regular grant cycles per year—August, December, and April—for education and mental health. The mental health application portal was scheduled to be open from August 1 through August 30, 2026, with applicants encouraged to submit by August 15; those dates have passed. The foundation says it expects application changes during the 2027 fiscal year. Applicants are directed to review eligibility requirements, priority areas, grant cycles, and general guidelines before applying. The 2023 filing refers applicants to an attached Schedule #1 for application materials, deadlines, and award restrictions.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Lynn C. Towbes as President, Robert L. Skinner as Vice President, Patricia MacFarlane as Treasurer, and Patricia Madrigal as Secretary. It also lists Sheridah Gerard, Kiah Jordan, Allison Lewis-Towbes, Amber Ortiz, and Ernesto Paredes as directors, and Kristen Sullivan, Ph.D., as Executive Director.
The foundation’s website’s president letter identifies Carrie Towbes, Ph.D., as having led the foundation as president since her father Michael Towbes passed away in 2017. The 2025 filing lists Lynn C. Towbes as President.
Towbes Foundation is led by Kristen Sullivan PhD, Executive Director on every filing since 2021; 7 of 10 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Kristen Sullivan PhD
Executive Director
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$141K (2021) → $170K (2025)
Lynn C. Towbes
President
On filings since 2021
10 hrs/week
$2K (2021) → $2K (2025)
Allison Lewis-Towbes
Director
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
$2K (2021) → $2K (2025)
Sheridah Gerard
Director
Secretary → Director, 2023
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
$2K (2021) → $2K (2025)
Ernesto Paredes
Director
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
$2K (2025)
Kiah Jordan
Director
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
$2K (2025)
Amber Ortiz
Director
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Robert L. Skinner
Vice President
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
$2K (2021) → $2K (2025)
Patricia Macfarlane
Treasurer
On filings since 2021
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Patricia Madrigal
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2023
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Virginia Salazar (2021–2024) — Director
- Former: Ron Werft (2021–2022) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "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 $170K, to Kristen Sullivan PHD (Executive Dir.). 7 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Towbes Foundation
How much does Towbes Foundation give each year?
Towbes Foundation gave $1.5M across 96 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $952K across 93 grants.
What is Towbes Foundation's typical grant size?
Towbes Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $15,365, across 96 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Towbes Foundation give grants?
Towbes Foundation gives mostly in California: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Santa Barbara, CA (72 grants), Goleta, CA (5 grants), Santa Maria, CA (4 grants) and Carpinteria, CA (3 grants).
Does Towbes Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 54% of Towbes Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (52 of 96) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Towbes Foundation's largest grantees?
Towbes Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Santa Barbara Foundation ($241,325 across 6 grants), Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital Fnd ($100,000 across 2 grants) and Community Partners for Youthwell ($65,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 3 grants to individuals ($34,250), which are not listed by name. Together they received 28% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Towbes Foundation?
Towbes Foundation reported $51.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $2.0M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $5.0M (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 Towbes Foundation fund?
The foundation’s mission is to strengthen the communities of an individual recipient County. Its website describes three mental health priorities: prevention and early intervention, expanded access to services, and effective treatment. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Towbes Foundation?
Towbes Foundation has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check towbesfoundation.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Towbes Foundation's EIN?
Towbes Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 95-3519577. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS January 13, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS February 28, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 8, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS February 22, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS February 26, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
Other open foundation grants in California
California Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Towbes Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
Similar Funders
Funders that support many of the same organizations
Hutton Foundation
Santa Barbara, CA
The Hutton Foundation funds Santa Barbara County nonprofits in arts and culture, civic and community work, education, and health and human services, with priority for programs serving low-income and other underserved people. Its 2024 grants ranged from $1,000 to $100,000, with a median of $10,000; it accepts unsolicited requests through its grant cycles.
Assets
$107.0M
Grants
190
Total Given
$1.9M
Williams-Corbett Foundation
Santa Barbara, CA
The Williams-Corbett Foundation supports California nonprofits working in areas such as mental health, education, housing, food access, and cancer care, with a strong Santa Barbara-area presence. Its 2024 grants ranged from $2,674 to $40,000, with a median of $15,000. It has no grant application form; organizations may submit a request letter by March 15 or September 15.
Assets
$23.4M
Grants
79
Total Given
$1.2M
Santa Barbara Foundation
Santa Barbara, CA
The Santa Barbara Foundation supports a wide range of community needs in Santa Barbara County, including behavioral and physical health, food and shelter, education, conservation, and arts programs. Its 2024 grants had a median amount of $25,000, though individual awards varied widely. It invites applicants to review program opportunities and eligibility requirements and apply through each program’s stated process; whether it accepts unsolicited requests is not stated.
Assets
$503.6M
Grants
447
Total Given
$107.7M
Latkin Charitable Foundation
Eagan, MN
Latkin Charitable Foundation funded organizations addressing human services, health, recovery, food and basic needs, and education, with awards restricted to Santa Barbara County. In 2025, grants ranged from $3,000 to $10,000, with a median of $6,000. It requests a letter describing the organization, its purpose, and how the grant will be used; deadlines are April 1 and October 1.
Assets
$6.2M
Grants
66
Total Given
$430K
June G Outhwaite Charitable Trust
Santa Barbara, CA
The June G Outhwaite Charitable Trust funds 501(c)(3) organizations working in areas such as health care, services for children, older adults and disabled people, animal welfare, conservation, historic preservation, museums and education. It focuses on Santa Barbara County, especially the southern region; 2024 grants ranged from $1,000 to $80,000, with a median of $10,000. Its website describes an application process for eligible organizations, so it accepts applications.
Assets
$15.1M
Grants
55
Total Given
$718K
Mosher Foundation
Santa Barbara, CA
The Mosher Foundation funds specific, measurable programs in education, healthcare, and performing arts, primarily in South Santa Barbara County. Its 2025 grants ranged from $800 to $150,000, with a median of $5,100. It uses an invitation-based process; eligible nonprofits that have not received funding may submit a one-page introductory letter, but the Foundation says it will not review new applications until 2027.
Assets
$33.0M
Grants
78
Total Given
$1.6M
More similar funders
More Funders in California
Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Towbes Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 18, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/towbes-foundation-morg_bc5a3a1b20c74437a152258cc46471fd
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_953519577_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Towbes Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/towbes-foundation-morg_bc5a3a1b20c74437a152258cc46471fd},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-18. 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 Towbes 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.
Towbes Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?