The Billie and Gillis Thomas Family Foundation is a private family foundation established in 1997 and based in Dallas, Texas. The foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) organization with no employees and focuses on philanthropic grantmaking to selected charitable organizations.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$15.0M
+0.2% YoY
Annual Giving
$878K
+24.2% YoY
Grant Count
27
+12.5% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$33K
+10.4% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Billie and Gillis Thomas Family reported a distributable amount of $789K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation primarily funds:
- General operating support for selected charitable organizations
- Tuition scholarships for students, including named scholarship recipients (Naomi Bwalya, Mattie Benningfield, and Emily Sotomayor)
- Education and special education initiatives
- Community services and social support programs
Grantmaking
The foundation generally makes contributions to only preselected charitable organizations and maintains a scholarship program.
Grant Range
$25,000
How to Apply
**
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily supports organizations in Texas, District of Columbia, and California, which account for 96% of all grants. Grantmaking reaches organizations across five states, with a strong emphasis on Texas-based nonprofits.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of 2024:
- Total Assets: $15,008,731
- Total Revenues: $1,076,397
- Total Expenses: $991,871
- Annual Income: $4.6 million (reported)
Asset Growth: Total assets have grown from $11.5 million in 2011 to $15 million in 2024.
Governance: The foundation is governed by 4 officers and trustees.
Tax Information:
- EIN: 75-2721588
- IRS Ruling Year: 1997
- Contributions are tax-deductible
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $15,008,731 | $14,984,988 | $15,506,601 |
| Revenue | $1,076,397 | $219,825 | $1,149,775 |
| Expenses | $991,871 | $808,734 | $964,704 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $889,669 | $715,291 | $897,525 |
| Net Investment Income | $974,195 | $453,617 | $1,082,596 |
| Distributable Amount | $789,397 | $738,304 | $765,185 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
117 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include The Crystal Charity Ball ($100,000), Sm Wright Foundation ($100,000), North Texas Food Bank ($50,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| ASAS NTX DALLAS, TX | TO FUND GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT | $20,000 |
| ASSISTANCE LEAGUE OF DALLAS DALLAS, TX | TO FUND CHEERS FOR CHILDREN SUPPORT | $15,000 |
| UNIVERSITY OF SAN DIEGO SAN DIEGO, CA | TUITION FOR MATTIE BENNINGFIELD | $26,465 |
| THE CRYSTAL CHARITY BALL DALLAS, TX | TO FUND GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT | $100,000 |
| DALLAS ACADEMY DALLAS, TX | TO FUND TUITION SCHOLARSHIPS SUPPORT | $35,000 |
| AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY DALLAS, TX | TO FUND GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT | $10,000 |
| JUNE SHELTON SCHOOL & EVAL CENTER DALLAS, TX | TUITION FOR ARWEN PENA | $39,900 |
| BONTON FARMS DALLAS, TX | TO FUND GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT | $20,000 |
| TRINITY CHRISTIAN ACADEMY FOUNDATIO ADDISON, TX | TO FUND TUITION SCHOLARSHIPS SUPPORT | $31,690 |
| JUNE SHELTON SCHOOL & EVAL CENTER DALLAS, TX | TUITION FOR NOLAN MERCER | $29,175 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Gillis Thomas - Principal Officer
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ROBYN T CONLON | PRESIDENT | 1 | — |
| DONALD T CONLON | VICE PRESIDE | 1 | — |
| WILLIAM K CONLON | SECRETARY | 1 | — |
| JOSHUA WAKEMAN | TREASURER | 1 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
In the 2018-19 school year, the foundation provided $30,000 in scholarship grants to Dallas Academy, supporting 45 tuition assistance scholarships for students with learning differences. These scholarships enabled families who could not otherwise afford tuition to access the school's specialized educational programs.
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Billie and Gillis Thomas Family fund?
The foundation primarily funds: • **General operating support** for selected charitable organizations • **Tuition scholarships** for students, including named scholarship recipients (Naomi Bwalya, Mattie Benningfield, and Emily Sotomayor) • **Education and special education initiatives** • **Community services and social support programs**
How do I apply for a grant from Billie and Gillis Thomas Family?
**Grant Activity:** • Made 22 grants in 2024 • Historical grantmaking: 92 grants totaling $3.3 million from 2020-2024 • Median grant size: $25,000 • Grant range: $2,000 to $200,000 • Average award: $36,000 • Annual distribution: Between $707,000 and $1.8 million (2020-2023), with highest activity in 2022 at $1.8 million across 44 grants **Recent Grants (2024):** • Crystal Charity Ball: $100,000 (General Operating Support) • SM Wright Foundation: $100,000 (General Operating Support) • West Dalla…
Where does Billie and Gillis Thomas Family make grants?
The foundation primarily supports organizations in Texas, District of Columbia, and California, which account for 96% of all grants. Grantmaking reaches organizations across five states, with a strong emphasis on Texas-based nonprofits.
What size grants does Billie and Gillis Thomas Family award?
In 2024, Billie and Gillis Thomas Family awarded 27 grants totaling $878K — an average of about $33K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is Billie and Gillis Thomas Family required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Billie and Gillis Thomas Family reported a distributable amount of $789K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Billie and Gillis Thomas Family's EIN?
Billie and Gillis Thomas Family's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 75-2721588. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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