“Tawingo Fund trusted us in our very early stages when most partners could not. You believed in our vision and walked alongside us, holding our hand, watching our baby steps. Today, we are no longer babies, we are up and running. You found us when our budget was around $200,000 but now it is over a million USD. Thank you for the connections and for being our voice out there. Wandikweza is a 100% local organization and we could not have been where we are today if it was not for your support, advocating for us, being our voice. ” Mercy Chikhosi Kafotokoza, Founder, Wandikweza
Our Mission
Tawingo Fund makes grants to small- and medium-size charitable organizations serving people in developing countries. We support charitable organizations that have strong leadership and efficient operations and that provide hands-on services that make a long-term difference in the lives of those they serve.
OUR TEAM
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Mollie Van Horn
I spent a decade working at Year Up, a national job training program, and witnessed first-hand the transformative power of opportunity. Whether it’s through providing children with disabilities with the healthcare or equipment they need to be able to go to school or providing job training to young adults, I believe in the power of connections. At Tawingo Fund, I focus on organizations in healthcare, disability care, and job training. My special interests are connecting people to opportunity and existing grantees to one another.
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Jenny Hong
Having a master’s degree in business, I believe numbers speak volumes and love to dig into business plans and the financial statements behind them. I’m a strong believer in the old adage about teaching people to fish rather than giving them one. Microfinance, job training, impact investing, and income generation are my special interests.
OUR STORY
Tawingo was founded in 2016 by an individual who viewed charity as an obligation not a choice. When he had the good fortune to come into substantial wealth, he saw it as an opportunity to make a significant commitment to giving, and the Tawingo Fund was born. His first step was to appoint Jenny Hong and Mollie Van Horn as Co-Executive Directors to set the Fund’s direction and seek out charitable organizations that fit our criteria.
Many people ask what the name “Tawingo” refers to. Tawingo was a resort in Canada (now a summer camp) that our founder visited each summer as a child, a place that brought him many happy memories.