The mission of the Tinker Foundation is to promote the development of an equitable, sustainable and productive society in Latin America and to enhance understanding in the U.S. of Latin America and how U.S. policies may impact the region.

Tinker Foundation institutional grants are awarded to organizations and institutions that promote the interchange and exchange of information within the community of those concerned with the affairs of Latin America. Marking 50 years of grant making, the Foundation recently went through a strategic planning process and evaluation of current priorities. As such, the Foundation has newly focused on the following program areas, currently of critical importance in Latin America: Democratic Governance with Growth and Security, Sustainable Resource Management, and Education; and to a lesser extent, we are interested in supporting programs that address U.S. Policy toward Latin America, and Antarctic Policy and Research.

The Foundation's field research grant competition is open to Centers and Institutes of Latin American studies with graduate degree programs at universities in the US. The funds are designated for dispersal to graduate students to enable travel to Latin America, in order for them to foster a more intimate and sophisticated understanding of the region and develop contacts with local scholars and institutions.

The Foundation no longer funds projects or organizations based in Spain or Portugal. Funding for the annual Martha T. Muse Prize for Science and Policy in Antarctica continues and is administered separately.