Not to be confused with Tides Nexus, a network of nonprofits that includes Tides Network

The Tides Network is a center-left nonprofit founded in 2005 as part of a collection of grantmaking and fiscal sponsorship nonprofits collectively known as the Tides Nexus. The Tides Network serves as a controlling organization to the two largest 501(c)(3) nonprofits in that system: the Tides Foundation and the Tides Center. ¹

Relationship to the Tides Nexus

Also see Tides Nexus

The Tides Network is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit formed in 2005 in San Francisco, California. ² The Tides Network serves as the controlling entity for three more 501(c)(3) nonprofits in the Tides Nexus: the Tides Foundation, the system’s primary pass-through funder; the Tides Center, the system’s fiscal sponsorship nonprofit; and Tides Inc. (TINC). ³

The Tides Network is the central hub of the system of nonprofits operating in its immediate orbit, although in its tax filings the organization excludes the Tides Advocacy Fund, a 501(c)(4) advocacy group with close connections to the Tides Nexus, including at least overlapping one board member (Amanda Keton). As part of this arrangement, the Network typically pays for its related organizations’ salaries and employee expenditures. According to its 2018 IRS Form 990 tax filing, the Tides Network describes its mission as follows: ⁴

Tides Network (the “Network”) is a shared service provider to the other Tides organizations . . . . Tides Network oversees the operations, appoints board members, and provides executive leadership and administrative services for the other Tides organizations. All direct and indirect costs, including management salaries and supporting services of Tides’ central office, are incurred within Tides Network. [The Tides] Network’s specific activities including setting mission and strategy, financial leadership, risk management, communications, administration of human resources, office administration, telephone and telecommunication, and administration of information technology systems and services.

However, the Tides Network also provides occasional “executive, administrative, and consulting services” to center-left nonprofits outside the Tides nexus. In 2018, that included the Governors Climate and Forests Fund and NoVo Foundation. ⁵

According to its Articles of Incorporation (archived here), in the event of its dissolution the Tides Network’s remaining assets are to be distributed to the Tides Foundation, Tides Center, Tides Inc. (TINC), and Tides Two Rivers Fund. ⁶

Leadership

CEO

Kriss Deiglmeier was CEO of the Tides Network from 2014 until late 2019. In 2018, her total compensation was $526,535. ⁷

Deiglmeier was succeeded in late 2019 by Tuti Scott.

Board of Directors

In 2018, the Tides Network’s board of directors included the following individuals: ⁸

• Then-Tides CEO Kriss Deiglmeier (now retired)
• Tuti Scott, Board Chair (now interim Tides CEO)
• Steve Zuckerman, Vice Chair
• Peter Mellen, Board Treasurer
• Suzanne Nossell, Board Secretary
• Cheryl Alston
• Kafi Blumenfield
• Brickson Diamond
• Suzanne DiBianca
• Sid Espinosa
• Michael Fernandez
• Edward Lloyd
• Deepak Puri
• Roslyn Dawson Thompson
• Jacob Weldon
• Jason Wingard

Staff

In 2018, the Tides Network reported the following key staffers and highest-paid employees: ⁹

• Judith Hill: Assistant Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer
• Amanda Keton: Assistant Corporate Secretary
• Jennifer Marie Landig: Assistant Corporate Secretary
• Rahul Young: Chief Operating Officer (through May 2018)
• Jonathan Alexander Sloan: Vice President of Strategic Partnerships and Communications
• Melinda Leung: Director of Tides Center Finance Operations
• Jonathan Mergy: Director of IT
• Joel Bashevkin: Director of Social Ventures
• Pattiann Robinson: Director of Human Resources

Funding

Financial Overview

In 2018, the Tides Network reported total revenues of $22.3 million (of which $21.9 million came from program revenues), total expenditures of $21.5 million (of which $14.3 million was paid in salaries and employee compensation), and net assets of $3.6 million. ¹⁰

In 2017, the Tides Network reported total revenues of $18.5 million (of which $16.2 million came from program revenues), total expenditures of $17.2 million (of which $11.5 million was paid in salaries and employee compensation), and net assets of $2.8 million. ¹¹

In 2016, the Tides Network reported total revenues of $16.2 million (of which $14.8 million came from program revenues), total expenditures of $15.5 million (of which $10.6 million was paid in salaries and employee compensation), and net assets of $1.6 million. ¹²

Funding Model

The Tides Network primarily exists to provide services to other nonprofits in the Tides Nexus. As such, its revenues overwhelmingly come from management fees paid by those Tides groups to the Network, particularly the Tides Foundation, Tides Center, Tides Inc. (TINC), and Tides Two Rivers Fund. ¹³

Financial Documents

The Tides Network’s IRS Form 990 filing:

• 2021 Form 990
• 2020 Form 990
• 2019 Form 990
• 2018 Form 990

The Tides Network’s Articles of Incorporation were filed with the California Secretary of State on August 8, 2005, and are archived here.

1. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Tides Network. 2018. Schedule R (Related Organization). Archived: https://www.influencewatch.org/app/uploads/2020/04/Tides-Network-2018-Form-990.pdf
2. California Secretary of State: Business Search. Search conducted April 29, 2020. https://businesssearch.sos.ca.gov/CBS/Detail
3. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Tides Network. 2018. Schedule R (Related Organization). Archived: https://www.influencewatch.org/app/uploads/2020/04/Tides-Network-2018-Form-990.pdf
4. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Tides Network. 2018. Part III (Statement of Program Service Accomplishments). Archived: https://www.influencewatch.org/app/uploads/2020/04/Tides-Network-2018-Form-990.pdf
5. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Tides Network. 2018. Part VI: Supplemental Information for Part IV, Section A, Line 16. Archived: https://www.influencewatch.org/app/uploads/2020/04/Tides-Network-2018-Form-990.pdf

   See PDF page 20.

6. Articles of Incorporation: Tides Network. Filed August 2005. Accessed April 29, 2020. Archived: https://www.influencewatch.org/app/uploads/2020/04/Tides-Network-Articles-of-Incorporation.pdf
7. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Tides Network. 2018. Part VII (Officers, Directors, Trustees, etc.). Archived: https://www.influencewatch.org/app/uploads/2020/04/Tides-Network-2018-Form-990.pdf
8. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Tides Network. 2018. Part VII (Officers, Directors, Trustees, etc.). Archived: https://www.influencewatch.org/app/uploads/2020/04/Tides-Network-2018-Form-990.pdf
9. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Tides Network. 2018. Part VII (Officers, Directors, Trustees, etc.). Archived: https://www.influencewatch.org/app/uploads/2020/04/Tides-Network-2018-Form-990.pdf
10. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Tides Network. 2018. Part I. Lines 9, 12, 15, 18, 22. Archived: https://www.influencewatch.org/app/uploads/2020/04/Tides-Network-2018-Form-990.pdf
11. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Tides Network. 2017. Part I. Lines 9, 12, 15, 18, 22
12. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Tides Network. 2016. Part I. Lines 9, 12, 15, 18, 22
13. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Tides Network. 2018. Schedule R. Part V (Transactions with Related Organizations).