The Tu Foundation
At a glance
This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.
Key takeaways
- The filing says contributions go only to preselected organisations and that unsolicited requests are not accepted, so a small charity should not send a cold application, and any approach would need a route the filing does not describe.
- Its giving covers education and research, arts and music, public media, wildlife conservation and more, with education and research the largest by value, so check that your work sits in one of these areas first.
- Half of its 33 grants to organisations were $100,000 or less and the median was $100,000, and about 8 in 10 fall between $10,000 and $2,000,000, so a request near $100,000 sits at the centre of its giving, though that band is typical rather than a ceiling because its largest grant was about $13,000,000.
- Repeat grantees received 30% of grant dollars in its most recent filing, which describes past giving rather than a test for newcomers.
- No geographic focus is stated, and the filing shows grants mainly in California and Ohio, which is not a rule on who may apply; the filing gives no timing information, so no deadline can be stated.
Overview
The Tu Foundation is a US private foundation based in Fountain Valley, CA.
What they fund
Profile based on the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) only: no website or other web source for the foundation was found. Every statement is checked against the filings. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
Across the filed grants, the largest stated purpose by value is education and research. Other recorded purposes include arts and music, public media and public news, education, wildlife conservation, religion, humanitarian aid, health and youth activity. Recipient organisations include education and research charities, university foundations, arts and music organisations, public-media and journalism bodies, and wildlife-conservation organisations. The filings also record grants for other charitable purposes. The only filed application information says contributions are made to preselected charitable organisations and unsolicited requests are not accepted; it does not say how organisations are selected.
Geographic Focus
No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in California and Ohio.
How to apply
The filing says contributions are made only to preselected charitable organisations and unsolicited requests are not accepted; it does not describe how organisations are selected or approached.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 30% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 or TY2023 filing.
- Grant size: Across its TY2022, TY2023 and TY2024 filings, half of its 33 grants to organisations were $100,000 or less.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
2 other states: <1%
- The largest single recipient received 47% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 30% of grant dollars went to organisations The Tu Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- 47% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 11 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $119k (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- American Endowment Foundation · Contribution to daf for 501(c)(3) purposes - not taken as qualified distribution$13,224,8152024 tax year
- Global Gifted Foundation · Support for education and research$4,683,0622024 tax year
- Uc-Irvine Foundation · Support for education and research$800,0002024 tax year
- Pacific Symphony · Support for the arts - music$350,0002024 tax year
- Southern California Public Radio · Support for public media$250,0002024 tax year
- Operation Mobilization · Support for religion$119,0622024 tax year
- Brighter Ukraine Foundation · Support for the humanitarian aid$100,0002024 tax year
- Western Iowa Journalism Foundation · Support for the arts - public news$100,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Albert Kong — Director
- Jonathan Tu — Director
- John Tu — Chairman
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $10,652,057 | $4,642,300 | $25,135,161 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $1,895,593 | $3,967,500 | $28,795,747 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $3,395,950 | $6,455,124 | $10,127,307 | Filing for 2024 tax year |
Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.
Sources
🎯 You've done the research. Now write an application they can't refuse.
Hinchilla combines funder's specific priorities with your organisation's past successful grants and AI analysis of what reviewers want to see.
Data privacy and security by default
Your organisation's past successful grants and experience
AI analysis of what reviewers want to see
A compelling draft application in 10 minutes instead of 10 hours
Spotted something that needs correcting? Let us know
At a glance
Applying to The Tu Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Fountain Valley, CA
Applying to The Tu Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Fountain Valley, CA