Tortuga Charitable Foundation

Private foundation · EIN 51-0245279 · since 1980tortugafoundation.org·Alaska, Arizona, Australia, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon…·Updated 13 October 2026

At a glance

$8.5M

Annual giving, 2025 tax year

From the Form 990-PF filing

$25,000 to $100k

Grant range

From grants in the 990-PF filings

$75,000

Typical grant (median)

113 grants in the latest filing

Invitation only

Unsolicited applications are not accepted

This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.

Key takeaways

The foundation funds land and water conservation, climate and clean energy, and regenerative agriculture, and it does not fund lobbying, so an organisation whose work sits outside those themes, or is mainly lobbying, is unlikely to fit.
The filing describes its application method as by invitation only and says it does not accept unsolicited requests, but its contact form takes a brief description of an organisation or project, so a short note is the realistic first step.
Most grants fall between $25,000 and $100,000 and half are $75,000 or less, so a modest request in that range suits it, though its largest grant was $370,000.
Its stated approach favours general support and building organisations' capacity, so a request framed that way matches what it says it does.
Because 82% of grant dollars went to organisations it had already funded, existing relationships appear to carry much of its giving, but new organisations can still send a note.

Overview

Tortuga Charitable Foundation is a US private foundation based in Princeton, NJ.

What they fund

Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2025, TY2024, TY2023) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.

Priority Areas

Tortuga Charitable Foundation supports organisations working on land and water conservation, climate and clean energy, and regenerative agriculture. Its Land and Water Conservation programme seeks to protect and restore land, freshwater, wildlife and biodiversity, with a main focus on the Western United States, including Alaska. Its Climate and Energy programme focuses on stopping fossil fuel buildout and promoting clean energy solutions. Its Regenerative Agriculture programme promotes practices that contribute to soil health, healthy food, a clean environment and thriving farmers. The foundation seeks to build organisations' capacity, balance funding smaller locally-focused groups with established organisations serving the broader field, provide general support grants whenever possible, and bet on leaders.

Themes

Land and water conservation
Climate and clean energy
Regenerative agriculture

Geographic Focus

Priority: Western United States. From its grants, not stated by the foundation: United States; Australia.

What They Don't Fund

Lobbying activities

How to apply

Those wishing to tell the foundation about their work can use its contact form to submit a brief description of their organisation or project.

Application success factors

Repeat giving: In its TY2025 filing, 82% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2023 or TY2024 filing.
Grant size: Across its TY2023, TY2024 and TY2025 filings, half of its 336 grants to organisations were $75,000 or less.

What the foundation says:

It seeks to balance funding smaller locally-focused groups with established organisations serving the broader field.
It provides general support grants whenever possible.
It bets on leaders and values strong leaders who can run with a vision.
It aims to build capacity of organisations in the field.

Where grants go

From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2023–2025.

Grant dollars by state

District of Columbia20%

New York19%

California6%

Alaska6%

Virginia6%

Washington5%

6 other states: 18%

Outside the US or with no state on the filing: 20%

The largest single recipient received 3% of grant dollars to organisations.
In tax year 2025, 82% of grant dollars went to organisations Tortuga Charitable Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
<1% of grant dollars went directly to organisations outside the US (Australia).
15% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.

Grants

113 grants in the latest filing analysed · median $75,000

How much do they typically give?

Share of 113 grants in tax year 2025 by size

$5k–$10k1%

$10k–$25k8%

$25k–$50k12%

$50k–$100k49%

$100k–$250k29%

$250k–$500k1%

Median $75,000 (tax year 2025)

The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:

Rockefeller Family Fund · Charitable
$300,0002025 tax year
Environmental Integrity Project · Charitable
$200,0002025 tax year
Resources Legacy Fund · Charitable
$200,0002025 tax year
Spiral House Park · Charitable
$175,0002025 tax year
Nature Conservancy · Charitable
$165,0002025 tax year
Bennington College Corporation · Charitable
$165,0002025 tax year
Planned Parenthood Federation of America · Charitable
$150,0002025 tax year
Land Trust Alliance · Charitable
$125,0002025 tax year

Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.

Officers and directors

Karen Harris — Executive Director
Philip Livingston — Trustee
Robert Livingston — Trustee
Patricia Livingston — Secretary, Trustee
Mildred Livingston — President
Donna Colon — Treasurer

From the latest Form 990-PF filing

3 years of tax filings

Year	Total expenses	Grants paid	Assets	Filing document
2023 tax year	$9,619,699	$7,762,816	$153,490,178	Filing for 2023 tax year
2024 tax year	$10,246,590	$8,081,500	$171,603,433	Filing for 2024 tax year
2025 tax year	$11,135,035	$8,515,500	$171,906,674	Filing for 2025 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.