The Cynthia B Tomlinson Foundation concentrates its modest endowment on a small set of community-focused nonprofits, making repeated, mid-sized contributions to organizations working in education, family support, and youth development. Grants are geographic-leaning (notably Central Oregon and regional community college and family services) and emphasize direct program or contribution support rather than broad capacity-building. The foundation appears to favor established local partners it funds multiple times rather than one-off or highly diversified giving.
Concentrated giving: relatively few, mid-sized gifts split evenly among a small number of repeat grantees (each grantee received multiple grants of similar size), indicating preference for sustained relationships over one-off, widely distributed small grants.
The Cynthia B Tomlinson Foundation’s giving is anchored by repeated contributions to Central Oregon institutions, especially community college support and family services in Bend. Across the recent grants list, the same organizations reappear in consecutive years, showing a pattern of steady support rather than one-time funding. One of the clearest examples is Central Oregon Community College Foundation, which received $15,000 in both 2023 and 2024. Family support also appears consistently: Mountain Star Family Relief Nursury in Bend received $15,000 in both years, and Saving Grace in Bend was funded at $15,000 in 2023 and again in 2024. The foundation also supports youth-oriented and outdoor-adventure programming through the John Austin Cheley Foundation in Denver, which was awarded $15,000 in each of the two years on file. The overall picture is a small foundation with a narrow set of recurring partners and a preference for direct contributions. Its grants are clustered around education, early-childhood family services, youth development, and local community service organizations, with several recipients appearing more than once in the record.
Education is one of the foundation’s clearest funding themes. Central Oregon Community College Foundation received $15,000 in 2023 and $15,000 in 2024, indicating continued support for college-related work in Bend. Family support is another recurring area. Mountain Star Family Relief Nursury in Bend received $15,000 in each of the two years on file, while Saving Grace in Bend was also supported with $15,000 in both 2023 and 2024. The foundation also funds youth development beyond Oregon. John Austin Cheley Foundation in Denver received $15,000 in 2023 and again in 2024, and that same pattern suggests sustained backing for youth-focused programming. Smaller contributions also reached Doug Foster Foundation in Portland, which received $3,000 in both 2023 and 2024.
Typical grant size sits in a fairly tight band: the 25th percentile is $10,000, the median is $13,500, and the 75th percentile is $15,000. That spread matches a pattern of mid-sized, contribution-style grants rather than very large awards. The foundation also shows repeat giving. Multiple recipients appear in both 2023 and 2024, including Central Oregon Community College Foundation, Mountain Star Family Relief Nursury, Saving Grace, John Austin Cheley Foundation, Los Charros Foundation, Benaroya Research Institute at VM, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, and Doug Foster Foundation. It does not fund individuals or program-related investments.
$101K
$1.3M
$226K
$121K
Most grants fall between $10K and $15K, with a median of $14K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$14K
75th Percentile
$15K
About 13% of grants go to recipients in OR.
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Notable grantees: Saving Grace, Central Oregon Community College Foundation, Mountain Star Family Relief Nursery, John Austin Cheley Foundation
Grants are concentrated in the United States, with all 16 recent grants going to U.S. recipients. Bend, Oregon appears repeatedly, including several grants to organizations there. Portland, Oregon and Denver, Colorado also show up more than once, while Tucson, Arizona, Seattle, Washington, and New York, New York each appear in the record. The foundation gives most often in Oregon, and 12% of grants go to recipients in Washington.
The recent grants point to education, family support, youth development, and local community service. Examples include Central Oregon Community College Foundation in education, Mountain Star Family Relief Nursury and Saving Grace in family support, and John Austin Cheley Foundation in youth-oriented work.
The grant-size distribution is concentrated in the mid-sized range. The 25th percentile is $10,000, the median is $13,500, and the 75th percentile is $15,000.
Yes. Several recipients appear in both 2023 and 2024, including Central Oregon Community College Foundation, Mountain Star Family Relief Nursury, Saving Grace, John Austin Cheley Foundation, Los Charros Foundation, Benaroya Research Institute at VM, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, and Doug Foster Foundation.
Oregon is the top state by grant count. Bend appears repeatedly in the recent grants list, along with Portland, and Washington recipients account for 12% of grants.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mountain Star Family Relief Nursury | Bend, OR | $16,000 | 2026 | Contribution |
| John Austin Cheley Foundation | Denver, CO | $16,000 | 2026 | Contribution |
| Saving Grace | Bend, OR | $16,000 | 2026 | Contribution |
| Central Oregon Community College Foundation | Bend, OR | $16,000 | 2026 | Contribution |
| Los Charros Foundation | Tucson, AZ | $13,000 | 2026 | Contribution |
| Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation | New York, NY | $10,000 | 2026 | Contribution |
| Benaroya Research Institute at VM | Seattle, WA | $10,000 | 2026 | Contribution |
| Gales Creek Camp Foundation | Tigard, OR | $4,000 | 2026 | Contribution |
| Mountain Star Family Relief Nursury | Bend, OR | $16,000 | 2025 | Contribution |
| Central Oregon Community College Foundation | Bend, OR | $16,000 | 2025 | Contribution |
| John Austin Cheley Foundation | Denver, CO | $16,000 | 2025 | Contribution |
| Saving Grace | Bend, OR | $16,000 | 2025 | Contribution |
| Los Charros Foundation | Tucson, AZ | $13,000 | 2025 | Contribution |
| Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation | New York, NY | $10,000 | 2025 | Contribution |
| Benaroya Research Institute at VM | Seattle, WA | $10,000 | 2025 | Contribution |
| Doug Foster Foundation | Portland, OR | $4,000 | 2025 | Contribution |
| Saving Grace | Bend, OR | $15,000 | 2024 | Contribution |
| Central Oregon Community College Foundation | Bend, OR | $15,000 | 2024 | Contribution |
| John Austin Cheley Foundation | Denver, CO | $15,000 | 2024 | Contribution |
| Mountain Star Family Relief Nursury | Bend, OR | $15,000 | 2024 | Contribution |
| Los Charros Foundation | Tucson, AZ | $12,000 | 2024 | Contribution |
| Benaroya Research Institute at VM | Seattle, WA | $10,000 | 2024 | Contribution |
| Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation | New York, NY | $10,000 | 2024 | Contribution |
| Doug Foster Foundation | Portland, OR | $3,000 | 2024 | Contribution |
| Central Oregon Community College Foundation | Bend, OR | $15,000 | 2023 | Contribution |
| Saving Grace | Bend, OR | $15,000 | 2023 | Contribution |
| Mountain Star Family Relief Nursury | Bend, OR | $15,000 | 2023 | Contribution |
| John Austin Cheley Foundation | Denver, CO | $15,000 | 2023 | Contribution |
| Los Charros Foundation | Tucson, AZ | $12,000 | 2023 | Contribution |
| Benaroya Research Institute at VM | Seattle, WA | $10,000 | 2023 | Contribution |
| Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation | New York, NY | $10,000 | 2023 | Contribution |
| Doug Foster Foundation | Portland, OR | $3,000 | 2023 | Contribution |
Mountain Star Family Relief Nursury
$16,000Contribution
Saving Grace
$16,000Contribution
Los Charros Foundation
$13,000Contribution
Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
$10,000Contribution
Saving Grace
$16,000Contribution
Los Charros Foundation
$13,000Contribution
Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
$10,000Contribution
Doug Foster Foundation
$4,000Contribution
Saving Grace
$15,000Contribution
Los Charros Foundation
$12,000Contribution
Doug Foster Foundation
$3,000Contribution
Saving Grace
$15,000Contribution
Los Charros Foundation
$12,000Contribution
Doug Foster Foundation
$3,000Contribution