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Tides Foundation
Tides Foundation reported $368.0 million in revenue and $468.4 million in expenses for calendar year 2024. Of every $100 it spent, $95.04 went to program services, $4.71 to management and general costs and $0.25 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 93.4% of the total. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $861,260 (CEO). Revenue fell 28% between 2019 and 2024. Source: Form 990, 2024.
Where $100 of spending went
Calendar year 2024 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $468MFor context, the median across 1,001 covered philanthropy, voluntarism & grantmaking charities: $91.65 programs, $6.50 management, $1.85 fundraising (medians computed separately, so they may not sum to $100).
Where $100 of revenue came from
Calendar year 2024 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $368MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | 2024 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 95.0% | 90.2% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 4.7% | 6.4% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 0.2% | 1.8% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.00 | $0.02 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 93.4% | 79.9% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 0.5% | 0.0% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $861,260 | $325,675 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 0.18% | 1.56% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 0 | 3 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 12.2 | 56.6 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 9 of 9 | 100.0% |
A median is context, not a target: hospitals, universities, food banks and grantmakers spend in very different ways. What these measures can and can't tell you.
What the money paid for, in its own words
2024 · Form 990, Part III · the three largest programs by expenseTides Foundation makes grants and operates collective action, donor-advised and other grantmaking funds for charitable and educational purposes that help to make the world a better place. Grants are made to eligible domestic and qualified foreign charitable organizations for these philanthropic purposes. Tides Foundation also provides philanthropic support and creates opportunities for learning, increases capacity for mission-aligned activities, and builds community among donors and grantees
Highest reported compensation
2024 · Form 990, Part VII, Section A · roles as filed; names are in the filing, not here| Role | From this org | From related orgs | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CEO Officer, 36.00 hrs/week | $0 | $818,625 | $42,635 | $861,260 |
| TREASURER AND CFO (THRU 9/24) Officer, 15.00 hrs/week | $0 | $570,029 | $45,726 | $615,755 |
| SEC & CHIEF LEGAL & COMP OFFICER Officer, 4.00 hrs/week | $0 | $447,893 | $53,647 | $501,540 |
| INT CFO&TREASURER (10/24 THRU 11/24) Officer, 15.00 hrs/week | $0 | $99,015 | $0 | $99,015 |
| TREASURER AND CFO (AS OF 11/24) Officer, 15.00 hrs/week | $0 | $70,815 | $0 | $70,815 |
0 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Tides Foundation (Part VII, line 2).
6 years of filings
Form 990, Parts I, VII, IX and X · each row is that year's own filing, linkedGovernance answers, as filed
2024 · the organization's own yes/no answers; explanations, if any, are in Schedule O of the filing · what each means- Voting board members, and how many are independent Part VI, lines 1a–1b9 · 9 independent
- Audited financial statements Part XII 2bYes
- Conflict-of-interest policy Part VI 12aYes
- Whistleblower policy Part VI 13Yes
- Document retention policy Part VI 14Yes
- Independent process for top executive pay Part VI 15aNo
- Board given the 990 before filing Part VI 11aNo
- Family or business ties among insiders Part VI 2Yes
- Aware of a significant diversion of assets Part VI 5No
- Excess benefit transaction with an insider Part IV 25aNo
- Loans to or from insiders outstanding Part IV 26No
- Lobbying, or a 501(h) election in effect Part IV 4Yes
- Over $15,000 of professional fundraising services Part IV 18No
- Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bYes
- Employees Part I, line 50
- Volunteers Part I, line 6155
Largest outside contractors
2024 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only| JENNER & BLOCK LLP Legal services | $1,145,656 |
| POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY COACHING AND DIVERSI Manage philanthropy services | $330,000 |
| DEFINE AMERICAN INC Manage philanthropy services | $205,000 |
| GOODWIN SIMON STRATEGIC RESEARCH INC Philanthropy research services | $131,110 |
Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 4 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.
Private foundation grants it received
180 private foundations reported grants to Tides Foundation totaling $132M on their tax year 2023 Form 990-PF returns. See which foundations, on WHOFUNDS.
Source: WHOFUNDS open grant graph, matched from Form 990-PF Part XV.
Correct a figure or respond
Every number above is copied from Tides Foundation's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Tides Foundation, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
Share or embed this breakdown
Of every $100 Tides Foundation spent in 2024, $95.04 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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Similar-sized charities in this cause
- The Community Foundation for Greater AtlantaAtlanta, GA · revenue $363M · programs 91.8% · 2024
- Marin Community FoundationNovato, CA · revenue $375M · programs 96.4% · FY2025
- The San Francisco FoundationSan Francisco, CA · revenue $359M · programs 95.1% · FY2025
- The Independent Charitable Gift FundHudson, OH · revenue $383M · programs 95.3% · 2025
- Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater BostonBoston, MA · revenue $357M · programs 94.8% · FY2025
All philanthropy, voluntarism & grantmaking charities · Largest charities in California
Questions people ask
How much of Tides Foundation's spending goes to programs?
In calendar year 2024, Tides Foundation reported that 95.0% of its $468.4 million in expenses went to program services, 4.7% to management and general and 0.2% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does Tides Foundation pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation Tides Foundation reported for one person in calendar year 2024 was $861,260, for the role of CEO (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does Tides Foundation get its money?
Of $368.0 million in revenue in calendar year 2024, 93.4% came from contributions and grants and 0.5% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is Tides Foundation a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 51-0198509 as a 501(c)(3) organization (publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(a)(vi))), and its records show contributions as tax-deductible. Form 990 filings on record here cover tax years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024. A filing shows what the organization reported; it doesn't by itself show whether a program works.
Sources
- 2024: Form 990 for calendar year 2024, object 202523189349301347 · read the filing · XML
- 2023: Form 990 for calendar year 2023, object 202412739349300401 · read the filing
- 2022: Form 990 for calendar year 2022 (amended), object 202400469349300305 · read the filing
- 2021: Form 990 for calendar year 2021, object 202233189349313898 · read the filing
- 2020: Form 990 for calendar year 2020, object 202133149349300708 · read the filing
- 2019: Form 990 for calendar year 2019, object 202043149349304239 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 51-0198509: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.