Tides Center

In 1976, Tides was founded by Drummond Pike, one of the original social entrepreneurs; and over the years the organization has evolved from a great idea to one of the top 100 social sector organizations in the United States. Tides Foundation was started out of a need to facilitate the giving of philanthropists who were concerned with building a better future for individuals and communities all over the world. In the late '70's, Tides Foundation founded a Projects Program that nurtured new nonprofit activities and the program became legally incorporated as Tides Center in 1996.

Through the 1980s, Tides grew slowly as we defined our role as a values based infrastructure service for progressive nonprofit work. The 1990’s was a time of exponential growth for Tides. We opened the Thoreau Center for Sustainability - a twelve building complex in San Francisco's Presidio National Park dedicated to nonprofits concerned about social and environmental sustainability; and in 1999, we founded Groundspring.org to facilitate online giving to progressive groups. In the new millennium, our real estate endeavors evolved into a program called Tides Shared Spaces which creates, operates and promotes sustainable workspace for nonprofits.

To date, Tides has managed project and grantmaking activities totaling more than $2 billion. We have fiscally sponsored more than 800 nonprofit projects, and we are proud to have helped launch a number of important organizations such as Conservation International, Environmental Working Group, the Garden Conservancy, The Story of Stuff, and the League of Young Voters Education Fund. Our growth is a testament to the joint commitment among our partners and staff to supporting positive social change.

Why "Tides?"

There are a number of reasons why the word "tides" is an appropriate metaphor for our work. Tides are a clean, efficient and sustainable source of energy. Tides connect us around the world. And tides are constantly changing the landscape around us. The "Tides" name comes from a Bay Area independent bookstore that once served as a meeting place for readers, writers and activists. While honoring the progressive community which founded Tides, the name also suggests the remarkable power derived from people and ideas coming together at the right time, in the right place.