Tomlinson Foundation
At a glance
This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.
Key takeaways
- The foundation makes contributions only to organisations it has preselected and does not accept unsolicited requests, and the filing gives no public application steps, so an unsolicited request should not be sent and the realistic route is an existing connection.
- Its recorded grants cover youth-serving, community, housing and education organisations and some facility projects, so a small charity working in one of those areas may fit, though no geographic focus is stated.
- Most of its grants fall between $50,000 and $500,000, with a median of $150,000; that band is typical rather than a ceiling, since its largest grant was $600,000, so a request in the low hundreds of thousands is plausible once a relationship is in place.
- Repeat giving is strong: 86% of its grant dollars in the latest filing went to organisations it had funded in earlier filings, so a new organisation should expect to compete with established grantees for a place.
Overview
Tomlinson Foundation is a US private foundation based in La Jolla, 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
The foundation’s recorded grants have gone to a mix of youth organisations and community providers, including boys’ and girls’ clubs, a foster-youth organisation and YMCAs, alongside a housing sanctuary, a charter-school network and a church. Most grants were recorded as general support. Other recorded purposes included construction of a vocational centre and an aquatics centre. Its grants thus cover recurring support for youth-serving, community, housing and education-related organisations, as well as some facility projects. The record describes a varied set of recipients and purposes rather than a single type of organisation or project.
Geographic Focus
No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in California and Idaho.
How to apply
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organisations and does not accept unsolicited requests; the filing gives no public application steps.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 86% 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 21 grants to organisations were $150,000 or less.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
- The largest single recipient received 26% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 86% of grant dollars went to organisations Tomlinson Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 8 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $225k (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- TERI Campus of Life · Construction of vocational center$500,0002024 tax year
- YMCA · General support$300,0002024 tax year
- Interfaith Sanctuary Housing · General support$250,0002024 tax year
- Boys & Girls Club of Ada County · General support$250,0002024 tax year
- Villa Esperanza Services · General support$200,0002024 tax year
- Just in Time for Foster Youth · General support$150,0002024 tax year
- BLUUM (Idaho Charter School Network) · General support$83,3332024 tax year
- Treasure Valley Family YMCA · Aquatics center$50,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Steve Totten — Vice President & Treasurer
- Mark W Lindsay — Vice President & Secretary
- Lynora S Brown — President
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $3,752,784 | $1,643,334 | $66,052,284 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $1,026,805 | $843,333 | $70,660,031 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $2,101,709 | $1,783,333 | $90,733,690 | 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
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At a glance
Applying to Tomlinson Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- La Jolla, CA
Applying to Tomlinson Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- La Jolla, CA