Tsuha Foundation
The Tsuha Foundation is a private foundation based in Escondido, California, that supports organizations working with low-income people to break the cycle of poverty. It describes its vision as a more equitable world and says it may provide grantees with professional support in addition to funding.
Tsuha Foundation at a glance
In short: Tsuha Foundation gave $693K across 14 grants in 2024 (avg $49K), top state New Mexico. 21% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $692,750
- -16.1% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 14
- -6.7% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $49,482
- -10.1% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $30,000
- Total assets
- $5,954,479
- +12.7% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 21% first-time grantees (3 of 14, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- New Mexico (22% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Tsuha Foundation
- Contact
Website: https://tsuhafoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Tsuha Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Circles USA ($150K). Together the top 10 received $628K.
Grant Size Distribution
93 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 65 grants of 93 (70%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s 2024 grant dollars went to recipients in multiple states. The largest reported state shares were New Mexico (22%), Oregon (18%), Minnesota (12%), Hawaii (10%), and the District of Columbia (9%). These figures describe the 2024 recipient distribution.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 14 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Tsuha Foundation open to new grantees?
21%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 3 of 14 grantees (21%) were first-time recipients. With only 14 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. First grants averaged $25K; repeat grants $56K. How we count
Medians: $30K first-time, $50K repeat.
- 79% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−3%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 200% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 $558K (2020) to $2.6M (2022). In 2024 it made 14 grants totaling $693K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Circles USA Albuquerque, NM | To Support Families in Poverty. | $150,000 |
| Oregon Health & Science University Foundation Portland, OR | To Support Education, Medical Research, and Patient Care. | $127,000 |
| Wallin Education Partners Minneapolis, MN | To support financial aid, advising and access scholars for college. | $80,750 |
| Punahou School Honolulu, HI | To support the academics of youth at the school. | $60,000 |
| Memphis Teacher Residency Memphis, TN | To assist in recruiting, training and supporting effective teachers in a christian context. | $50,000 |
| World Impact Inc Los Angeles, CA | To help train and equip church leaders and workers to serve the urban poor. | $50,000 |
| Baylor University Waco, TX | To Support Baylor University. | $30,000 |
| Life Remodeled Detroit, MI | To support the repurposing of vacant school buildings into one stop hubs of opportunity for entire families to thrive. | $30,000 |
| Ace Foundation Washington, DC | To support asian American and pacific islander businesses and communities. | $25,000 |
| Bread for the World Institute Washington, DC | To assist in analyzing and educating on hunger issues in the U.S. and around the world. | $25,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Tsuha 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $5,954,479 | $2,140,946 | $796,068 | $692,750 | 14 | $717,174 | $1,060,546 | $357,736 |
| 2023 | $5,283,740 | $454,573 | $1,003,447 | $825,500 | 15 | $872,184 | $335,310 | $343,474 |
| 2022 | $5,832,614 | $697,780 | $2,786,564 | $2,644,010 | 22 | $2,677,303 | $588,499 | $410,263 |
| 2021 | $7,921,398 | $695,691 | $794,351 | $716,000 | 21 | $720,058 | $612,688 | $529,821 |
| 2020 | $8,020,055 | $462,809 | $649,833 | $557,950 | 21 | — | $375,729 | $468,396 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Tsuha Foundation reported a distributable amount of $358K 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
The foundation’s mission is to support organizations that come alongside low-income people to break the cycle of poverty. Its stated areas of focus include organizations building social support across income lines, addressing systemic barriers, and reducing poverty in Asian and Asian American communities. It also gives examples such as workforce training, educational opportunities and scholarships for marginalized communities, and teacher-mentoring programs in low-income school districts. The foundation describes its approach as trust-based philanthropy and says it builds long-term relationships with grantees.
Grantees’ own stated missions illustrate the range of funded work. Wallin Education Partners says it supports college and career success for high-potential students from low-income backgrounds through financial aid, holistic support, and partnerships. Life Remodeled says it brings communities and organizations together to revitalize Detroit neighborhoods equitably and sustainably. Memphis Teacher Residency says it recruits, trains, and supports teachers serving students in low-income Memphis neighborhoods within a Christian context. ACE Foundation says it works to improve quality of life for Asian and Pacific Islander Americans through business education and training, research, and community development.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 14 grants totaling $692,750. Grants ranged from $10,000 to $150,000, with a median of $30,000. Among the largest were $150,000 to Circles USA for supporting families in poverty; $127,000 to Oregon Health & Science University Foundation for education, medical research, and patient care; $80,750 to Wallin Education Partners for financial aid, advising, and college access; and $60,000 to Punahou School to support youth academics. Other reported grants included $50,000 each to Memphis Teacher Residency and World Impact, and $30,000 each to Baylor University and Life Remodeled.
The foundation says it is unlikely to fund an unsolicited grant request. It invites organizations that believe they are uniquely positioned within its focus areas and aligned with its values to contact it; it says it will respond individually if it wants to explore a funding opportunity.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Jennifer Pelling as director and president; Sherri Nee as director and secretary; Wallace Tsuha as director; and Tammy Funasaki as director and treasurer.
Tsuha Foundation is led by Jennifer Pelling, Director & President since 2023 (on filings since 2020); none of the 4 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Jennifer Pelling
Director & President
Director & Secretary → Director & President, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Wallace Tsuha
Director
Director & President → Director, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sherri Nee
Director & Secretary
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tammy Funasaki
Director & Treasurer
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Christopher Tsuha (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: David Pelling (2020–2022) — Director & Treasurer
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 Tsuha Foundation
How much does Tsuha Foundation give each year?
Tsuha Foundation gave $693K across 14 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $826K across 15 grants.
What is Tsuha Foundation's typical grant size?
Tsuha Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $30,000, and its average grant was $49,482, across 14 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Tsuha Foundation that year got $25K on average.
Where does Tsuha Foundation give grants?
Tsuha Foundation's top state is New Mexico, with 22% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Oregon (18%) and Minnesota (12%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (3 grants) and Honolulu, HI (2 grants).
Does Tsuha Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 14 grants with a stated purpose on Tsuha Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are Tsuha Foundation's largest grantees?
Tsuha Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Circles USA ($150,000), Oregon Health & Science University Foundation ($127,000) and Wallin Education Partners ($80,750), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 52% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Tsuha Foundation?
Tsuha Foundation reported $6.0M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $717K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $358K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Tsuha Foundation fund?
The foundation’s mission is to support organizations that come alongside low-income people to break the cycle of poverty. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Tsuha Foundation?
Tsuha Foundation has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check tsuhafoundation.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Tsuha Foundation's EIN?
Tsuha Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 46-1547854. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
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 September 2, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS October 5, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS October 27, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 14, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Tsuha Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Tsuha Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/tsuha-foundation-morg_55400afc3d3447938b2984a17ca1e3e0
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_461547854_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Tsuha Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/tsuha-foundation-morg_55400afc3d3447938b2984a17ca1e3e0},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 Tsuha 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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