Tinker Foundation
At a glance
Key takeaways
- Tinker Foundation funds civil society organisations working in Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries of Latin America, through democratic governance and education, so a group whose work sits in those places and themes should consider it.
- Its grants for single programmes are stated as $50,000 to $150,000, but half of its 178 grants to organisations across the filings were $40,000 or less, so a request towards the lower end fits its usual giving.
- In the latest filing, 60% of grant dollars went to organisations it had also funded in earlier filings, so a new applicant should expect a limited field and should start with a letter of inquiry, since only a limited number of applicants are invited to a full proposal.
- Applications are accepted during grant-cycle windows when the forms are available, so check that the forms are open before writing.
- Organisations seeking support for individuals, direct lobbying, fundraising appeals, building work, school tuition or scholarships, higher education, adult education, or after-school centres should not apply, as the foundation does not fund these.
Overview
Tinker Foundation is a US private foundation based in New York, NY.
What they fund
Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The Foundation funds civil society organisations, including nonprofit entities, research institutes and universities, working to address Latin America’s pressing challenges. Its institutional grants support changes to policy and practice through two programme areas: democratic governance and education. In governance, it backs work to strengthen justice systems and access to justice, including institutional improvement, capacity-building, digital innovation and legal empowerment. In education, it prioritises foundational learning recovery and acceleration, particularly early-primary literacy and numeracy, through organisations partnering with school systems, educational leaders and families. Its grants support research, advocacy, experimentation, scaling promising approaches and exchange of knowledge, with an overarching aim of large-scale change. The Foundation encourages comparative and collaborative work and gives emphasis to supporting organisations in the region.
Themes
- Democratic governance
- Education
Geographic Focus
Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries of Latin America.
What They Don't Fund
- Institutional Grants only: Individuals, including individual research; Direct or grassroots lobbying; Annual or other fund-raising appeals; School tuition or scholarships, or child sponsorships; Support for building construction or major equipment purchases; Production costs for film, television, and radio projects; Art museum collections, films, and exhibits; Endowments
- Democratic Governance only: Leadership development; Civic education and citizen participation; Journalism; The functioning of executive and legislative arms of government; Activities related to elections and electoral integrity; Standalone litigation efforts
- Education only: Education for peace and civic education; Environmental education; Informal education; Arts education, physical education, and sports-related interventions; Financial education and education for employment; School nutrition; middle and high school education; higher education; adult education; private (non-state) schools; after school centers; individual schools; a small number of schools without a clear path to scale
How to apply
Applicants submit a letter of inquiry; the Foundation invites a limited number of applicants to submit a full proposal.
Deadlines: Applications are submitted during grant-cycle windows, when the application forms are available.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 60% 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 178 grants to organisations were $40,000 or less.
What the foundation says:
- It prefers institutions actively engaged with a broad array of stakeholders affected by the identified challenge.
- It prioritises civil society organisations founded and based in Latin America, while regional and international organisations with substantial local presence and a track record of collaboration may apply.
- It particularly favours systems-level approaches and work that improves access to justice at meaningful scale.
- It prioritises lower-primary projects where foundational learning strategies can make the biggest difference.
- It invites projects using methodologies with a strong evidence base, or generating relevant evidence on improving learning outcomes.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
6 other states: 6%
Outside the US or with no state on the filing: 63%
- The largest single recipient received 3% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 60% of grant dollars went to organisations Tinker Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- 62% of grant dollars went directly to organisations outside the US (Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Peru).
- 4% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 58 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $40,000 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Natura y Ecosistemas Mexicanos · Navigating implementation challenges in mexico's payments for ecosystem services (pes) programs$130,0002024 tax year
- Centro de Investigaciones y Estudios Superiores en Antropologia Social · A systemic approach to preventing and addressing foundational learning setbacks in mexico and central america$120,0002024 tax year
- Observatorio Nacional Ciudadano · Making alternative justice count$113,0002024 tax year
- Fundacion Crisálida Internacional · Building foundations for success: supporting early and remedial education in guatemala and honduras$109,0002024 tax year
- Grupo de Analisis para el Desarrollo · Math learning made fun: increasing problem-solving skills among vulnerable children in peru$108,0002024 tax year
- Federacao de Orgaos para Assistencia Social e Educacional · Water for what and for whom? safeguarding water as a human right and a common resource in brazil$100,0002024 tax year
- Universidad Marcelino Champagnat · Peer tutoring for accelerated learning recovery in metropolitan lima$100,0002024 tax year
- Global Fund for Children · Educational recovery in central america:supporting the critical role of civil society organizations$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
- Caroline Kronley — President
- John Mcintire — Director As Of 03/24
- Dr Luis Oganes — Director
- Vicente Leon — Director
- Eugene Zapata Garesche — Director
- Isabel Aninat — Director
- Tatiana Martins — Director
- Bradford Smith — Director
- Susan Segal — Treasurer
- Katherine Lorenz — Secretary
- Dr Shannon O'Neil — Chairman
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $4,830,908 | $3,525,901 | $76,138,580 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $4,696,274 | $3,136,778 | $80,646,849 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $4,681,127 | $2,781,622 | $84,627,722 | 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
Registers and filings
Other sources
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At a glance
Applying to Tinker Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
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Contact
- (212) 421-6858
- New York, NY
- tinker.org
Applying to Tinker Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (212) 421-6858
- New York, NY
- tinker.org