Alvin & Ruth Thiem Charitable Foundation
The Alvin & Ruth Thiem Charitable Foundation is a private foundation based in Penfield, New York. Its 2025 filing says grants are generally provided for education and educational pursuits, as well as other requests with a long-term impact on community quality of life.
Alvin & Ruth Thiem Charitable Foundation at a glance
In short: Alvin & Ruth Thiem Charitable Foundation gave $464K across 16 grants in 2025 (avg $29K), mostly in New York. 0% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $463,500
- -8.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 16
- -5.9% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $28,969
- -2.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $11,000
- Total assets
- $5,606,069
- +13.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 0% first-time grantees (0 of 15, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- New York (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Alvin & Ruth Thiem Charitable Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation’s filing says there is no particular form or content required, but requests must be on the requester’s letterhead and include 501(c)(3) or equivalent information. The board reviews requests as submitted. The filing states there are no stated award restrictions, while noting that grants are generally provided for education and educational pursuits and other requests with a long-term impact on community quality of life.
- Contact
Application contact: Thiem Charitable Foundation
Mailing address: 88 Wheelock Road, Penfield, NY 14526
Phone: (585) 232-6697
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Alvin & Ruth Thiem Charitable Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Monroe Community College ($95K). Together the top 10 received $365K.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($60,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
87 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 67 grants of 87 (77%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars reported for 2025 went to recipients in New York. The listed recipients include organizations in Rochester and nearby communities.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 16 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Alvin & Ruth Thiem Charitable Foundation open to new grantees?
0%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 0 of 15 grantees (0%) were first-time recipients. With only 15 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. How we count
- 100% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−17%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 140% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $464K (2025) to $559K (2021). In 2025 it made 16 grants totaling $464K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Monroe Community College Rochester, NY | Scholarships | $95,000 |
| Nazareth College Rochester, NY | Scholarships | $90,000 |
| 1 individual scholarship Recipients not named | — | $60,000 |
| Univ of Rochester - Nursing Program Rochester, NY | Unrestricted Grant for Nursing Program | $56,000 |
| Flaum Eye Inst at University of Roc Rochester, NY | Unrestricted Grant | $40,000 |
| Roberts Wesleyan College Rochester, NY | Scholarships | $25,000 |
| Golisano Children's Hospital Rochester, NY | Unrestricted Grant | $17,000 |
| Humane Society at Lollypop Farm Fairport, NY | Unrestricted Grant | $12,000 |
| Aquinas Institute Rochester, NY | Unrestricted Grant | $10,000 |
| WXXI Public Broadcasting Rochester, NY | Unrestricted Grant | $10,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $5,606,069 | $873,444 | $471,472 | $463,500 | 16 | $468,269 | $870,241 | $334,392 |
| 2024 | $4,952,778 | $664,259 | $515,388 | $504,000 | 17 | $510,215 | $659,086 | $313,748 |
| 2023 | $4,704,800 | $376,265 | $536,138 | $525,850 | 18 | $532,075 | $372,202 | $287,570 |
| 2022 | $4,866,459 | $399,562 | $565,174 | $556,025 | 18 | $561,607 | $395,995 | $304,788 |
| 2021 | $5,041,295 | $666,324 | $569,949 | $559,000 | 18 | $567,199 | $663,574 | $341,909 |
| 2020 | $4,948,920 | $319,925 | $522,153 | $515,500 | 19 | — | $317,517 | $298,556 |
| 2019 | $5,151,440 | $400,162 | $479,549 | $469,500 | 18 | — | $396,422 | $303,986 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Alvin & Ruth Thiem Charitable Foundation reported a distributable amount of $334K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation does not state a mission in the information provided. Its filing describes education and educational pursuits, and community quality of life, as general considerations for grantmaking. In 2025, grants included scholarships and support for nursing, eye care, a children’s hospital, animal welfare, public broadcasting, and other organizations.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 16 grants totaling $463,500. Grant amounts ranged from $7,000 to $95,000, with a median of $11,000. The largest awards included $95,000 to Monroe Community College and $90,000 to Nazareth College, both for scholarships; $60,000 to an individual recipient for scholarships; and $56,000 to the University of Rochester nursing program as an unrestricted grant. Other reported grants included $40,000 to the Flaum Eye Institute at the University of Rochester, $25,000 to Roberts Wesleyan College for scholarships, and $17,000 to Golisano Children’s Hospital as an unrestricted grant.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Richard O’Connor, Esq. as president; Don O’Neill as treasurer; and Joan K lafehn as secretary. Board members listed are Stephen R. Kornienko, Barbara Quinn, Carol Payment, and David G. Connors.
Alvin & Ruth Thiem Charitable Foundation is led by Richard O'Connor Esq., President on every filing since 2019; 1 of 7 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Richard O'Connor Esq.
President
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
$5K (2019) → $3K (2025)
Carol Payment
Board Member
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Don O' Neill
Treasurer
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Joan Klafehn
Secretary
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Barbara Quinn
Board Member
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Stephen R. Kornienko
Board Member
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
David G. Connors
Board Member
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Robert H. Quinn Jr. (2019–2020) — Board Member
- Former: Edward Riley Esq. (2019) — Board Memeber
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $3K, to Richard O'Connor ESQ (President).
Frequently asked questions about Alvin & Ruth Thiem Charitable Foundation
How much does Alvin & Ruth Thiem Charitable Foundation give each year?
Alvin & Ruth Thiem Charitable Foundation gave $464K across 16 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $504K across 17 grants.
What is Alvin & Ruth Thiem Charitable Foundation's typical grant size?
Alvin & Ruth Thiem Charitable Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $11,000, and its average grant was $28,969, across 16 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Alvin & Ruth Thiem Charitable Foundation give grants?
Alvin & Ruth Thiem Charitable Foundation gives mostly in New York: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Rochester, NY (13 grants).
Does Alvin & Ruth Thiem Charitable Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 75% of Alvin & Ruth Thiem Charitable Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (12 of 16) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Scholarships" (4 grants).
Who are Alvin & Ruth Thiem Charitable Foundation's largest grantees?
Alvin & Ruth Thiem Charitable Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Monroe Community College ($95,000), Nazareth College ($90,000) and Univ of Rochester - Nursing Program ($56,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($60,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 52% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Alvin & Ruth Thiem Charitable Foundation?
Alvin & Ruth Thiem Charitable Foundation reported $5.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $468K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $334K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Alvin & Ruth Thiem Charitable Foundation fund?
The foundation does not state a mission in the information provided. Its filing describes education and educational pursuits, and community quality of life, as general considerations for grantmaking. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Alvin & Ruth Thiem Charitable Foundation?
The foundation’s filing says there is no particular form or content required, but requests must be on the requester’s letterhead and include 501(c)(3) or equivalent information. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Alvin & Ruth Thiem Charitable Foundation's EIN?
Alvin & Ruth Thiem Charitable Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 16-1419723. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 14, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 7, 2026)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS June 1, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 14, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 16, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 12, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 13, 2024)
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