Turner Foundation Inc logo

Turner Foundation Inc

ATLANTA, GA EIN: 58-1924590 Website

Turner Foundation Inc is a private grantmaking foundation established in 1990 and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to environmental conservation and restoration. It was founded by R.E. "Ted" Turner III, the businessman and media entrepreneur who founded CNN and other cable television networks.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$6.8M

+3.5% YoY

Annual Giving

$2.5M

+18.8% YoY

Grant Count

151

+7.1% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$17K

+10.9% YoY

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

Mission Statement: The mission of the Turner Foundation is to protect and restore the natural systems – air, land, and water – on which all life depends.

Guiding Principles:

  • Reflect the entrepreneurial spirit of the Founder and Chairman Ted Turner by willingness to be bold and take risks towards priorities
  • Leverage partnerships to maximize impact, including partnerships with other foundations and collaborations between nonprofit organizations, communities, businesses, and government
  • Break down silos between issue areas and prioritize initiatives with cross-cutting benefits, with particular focus on city leadership and agriculture initiatives
  • Maintain a diverse "tool box" of approaches to philanthropy

Primary Focus Areas:

  • Conserving land to protect and restore wildlife diversity
  • Catalyzing the transition to a clean energy future
  • Protecting and restoring water resources for people and nature

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

Grant Distribution by State

35states
+27 more states

Cities

AlbanyAlbuquerqueAlexandriaAndalusiaAndersonAnnapolisAnsleyArlingtonArroyo SecoArvadaAshevilleAthensAtlantaBala CynwydBarabooBararooBassettBaton RougeBellevueBemidji

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Most Recent Financial Data (2023):

  • Revenue: $2,963,717
  • Expenses: $2,780,000
  • Total Assets: $6,520,000
  • Total Liabilities: $618,000

Prior Year Data (2020):

  • Revenue: $2,770,411
  • Expenses: $1,948,820
  • Assets: $4,235,517

Staffing: The foundation employs 3 staff members.

Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$858K$2M$3M$3M20202021202220232024
Metric202420232022
Total Assets$6,750,322$6,521,097$5,988,013
Revenue$3,121,578$2,963,717$2,580,672
Expenses$2,959,742$2,778,885$2,677,513
Qualifying Distributions$2,962,515$2,515,458$2,291,427
Net Investment Income$210,003$108,240$15,528
Distributable Amount$278,403$257,377$1,101,901

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$805K$2M$2M$3M85 grants20200 grants2021123 grants2022141 grants2023151 grants2024

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

LIMA PUBLIC SCHOOLS$65KBIRDS GEORGIA$53KMONTANA WILDERNESS ASSOC…$50KLONGLEAF ALLIANCE$50KCENTER FOR LARGE LANDSCA…$50KCENTER FOR LARGE LANDSCA…$50KGATEWAY CONSERVATION ALL…$47KGREENING YOUTH FOUNDATIO…$38KKEARNEY AREA COMMUNITY F…$34KGALLATIN VALLEY LAND TRUST$30K

Grant Size Distribution

200 grants across all recorded years

185<$50K15$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

No grants recorded for .

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Ted Turner - Founder and Chairman

The foundation maintains a small staff structure with directors and associate directors managing programs and grantmaking activities.

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

TROY ETTELPRESIDENT/EXEC. DIR.$188K

From 2024 filing

NameTitleHoursCompensation
RE TURNER IIICHAIRMAN1
J RUTHERFORD SEYDEL IISECRETARY1
LAURA LEE TURNER SEYDELDIRECTOR1
ROBERT EDWARD TURNER IVDIRECTOR1
RHETT LEE TURNERDIRECTOR1
REED BEAUREGARD TURNERDIRECTOR1
SARA JEAN TURNER GARLINGTONDIRECTOR1
JOHN R SEYDEL IIIDIRECTOR1
FLORENCE VASSER SEYDELDIRECTOR1
LAURA ELIZABETH SEYDELDIRECTOR1
TROY ETTELPRESIDENT/EXEC. DIR.40$187,691
CHRISTINE HUNGTREASURER2
ANNA EASON GARLINGTONDIRECTOR1

Contact Information

Related Funders

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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.

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