Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation
The Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation is a private foundation based in Dallas, Texas. It supports art collection-related projects and scholarship and research in the arts, and focuses its education funding on the rural Southwest, particularly students in the greater Texas Panhandle.
Key facts about Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation
In short: Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation gave $38.5M across 68 grants in 2024 (avg $566K), mostly in Florida. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 46-5446388
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $38,494,849
- Grants made (2024)
- 68
- Average grant
- $566,101
- Median grant
- $15,000
- Total assets
- $1,213,611,607
- Primary geography
- Florida (91% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- Yes
- How to apply
- The foundation accepts unsolicited requests for collections-related grants. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$1.2B
+11.2% YoY
Annual Giving
$38.5M
+4.9% YoY
Grant Count
68
+83.8% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$566K
-42.9% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation reported a distributable amount of $53.1M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
How Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation gives
- 22% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 152% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 85% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s mission is to recognize how arts and education enhance lives and communities and, through its programs, to foster leadership, innovation, and equal opportunity. Its grant programs support projects related to its art collections, including exhibitions, academic programs, convenings, and publications. It also offers fellowships and research and travel awards in Art of the Spanish Americas, as well as conservation support. Its education work includes scholarships and support for initiatives in rural and nonmetro communities.
The foundation welcomes applications for collections-related grants from 501(c)(3) organizations, fiscally sponsored organizations, and university departments. Examples of recipients include Chicago Shakespeare Theater, whose mission is to create theatrical experiences that engage people of all ages and identities; SITE Santa Fe, which describes itself as artist-guided and rooted in New Mexico; and Buffalo Fine Arts Academy, the parent organization of the Buffalo AKG Art Museum and a cultural and educational center. These are recipient organizations’ stated missions, not the foundation’s.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation made 68 grants totaling $38,494,849. Individual grants ranged from $1,000 to $35,100,000, with a median of $15,000. The largest grant was $35,100,000 to Schwab Charitable for general support. Other notable grants included $1,000,000 to Shirley Ryan AbilityLab for general support; $350,000 to Chicago Shakespeare Theater for general support; $250,000 to Sponsors for Educational Opportunity Inc. for general support; and $125,000 to SITE Santa Fe for general support. The $35.1 million grant was substantially larger than the median, so the median provides a different view of typical grant size.
The foundation accepts applications for collections-related grants during Spring, Summer, and Fall cycles. Its website describes a single-stage application that includes a brief proposal and line-item budget; the foundation prefers 12 months’ notice before a project begins. Other grant opportunities are by invitation only. Scholarship awards are for students’ education expenses.
Invitation Only
The foundation accepts unsolicited requests for collections-related grants. Submit an application through the process provided by the foundation; include a line-item budget. Other grant opportunities are by invitation only. The filing lists no award restrictions.
Ready to take the next step with Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
For collections-related grants, the foundation says it is particularly interested in projects based in or serving Arizona, Illinois, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. It funds projects across the United States and abroad; international projects are restricted to Art of the Spanish Americas, with a preference for organizations in South America.
Its education funding focuses on the rural Southwest, especially students in the greater Texas Panhandle. The foundation also describes education grants in New Mexico, Texas, and Oklahoma for organizations and institutions serving young people in nonmetro and rural areas; those grants are by invitation only. In 2024, 91% of grant dollars by recipient state went to Florida, 4% to Illinois, and 1% each to California, New Mexico, and Texas.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 68 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $2.7M (2020) to $38.5M (2024). In 2024 it made 68 grants totaling $38.5M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Schwab Charitable ($35.1M). Together the top 10 received $37.4M.
Organizations only. It also paid 22 grants to individuals ($125,700), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
230 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 158 grants of 230 (69%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Schwab Charitable Orlando, FL | General Support | $35,100,000 |
| Shirley Ryan Abilitylab FKA Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago Chicago, IL | General Support | $1,000,000 |
| Chicago Shakespeare Theater Chicago, IL | General Support | $350,000 |
| Sponsors for Educational Opportunity Inc DBA SEO Scholars San Francisco, CA | General Support | $250,000 |
| Site Santa Fe Sante Fe, NM | General Support | $125,000 |
| Scholarships Dallas, TX | Scholarships | $123,197 |
| Oklahoma State University Foundation Stillwater, OK | General Support | $111,200 |
| Buffalo Fine Arts Academy Buffalo, NY | Publication Grant | $100,000 |
| Golden Apple Foundation Chicago, IL | General Support | $100,000 |
| New Mexico School for the Arts Sante Fe, NM | General Support | $100,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Grants | Grant count |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $38,494,849 | 68 |
| 2023 | $36,707,186 | 37 |
| 2022 | $24,520,874 | 58 |
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $1,213,611,607 | $1,091,595,718 | $921,382,344 |
| Revenue | $151,403,860 | $156,765,718 | $119,174,387 |
| Expenses | $48,370,008 | $44,349,752 | $30,927,373 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $44,906,866 | $38,857,596 | $32,852,021 |
| Net Investment Income | $75,608,821 | $77,862,271 | $50,191,246 |
| Distributable Amount | $53,069,340 | $44,663,638 | $40,837,657 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 12, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 6, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS October 24, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 17, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The foundation’s listed board includes Carl D. Thoma, President; Marilynn J. Thoma, Vice President and Treasurer; Gary S. Hart, Secretary; Margo Thoma; and Mark Thoma. Its staff includes Kathleen Forde, Senior Advisor and Curator at Large; Meagan Robson, Collections Manager; Alli Deri, Thoma Foundation Administrator; Kathleen Richards, Art Spaces Director & Exhibitions Manager; Verónica Muñoz-Nájar, Associate Curator, Art of the Spanish Americas; and Madison Spencer, Communications Coordinator.
Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation is led by Carl D. Thoma, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 5 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Carl D. Thoma
President
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Margo E. Thoma
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mark D. Thoma
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Gary S. Hart
Secretary
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Marilynn J. Thoma
Vice President & Treasurer
Treasurer → Vice President & Treasurer, 2022
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Contact
Application contact: Alyssa Deri
Mailing address: 1925 Cedar Springs Rd 205, Dallas, TX 75201
Phone: (214) 971-7770
Website: https://thomafoundation.org
Frequently asked questions about Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation
How much does Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation give each year?
Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation gave $38.5M across 68 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $36.7M across 37 grants.
What is Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation's typical grant size?
Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $15,000, and its average grant was $566,101, across 68 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation give grants?
Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation gives mostly in Florida: 91% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Dallas, TX (6 grants), Sante Fe, NM (5 grants), Chicago, IL (4 grants) and Fort Worth, TX (3 grants).
Does Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 40% of Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (27 of 68) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Honorarium" (10 grants), "Exhibition Support" (9 grants) and "Publication Grant" (6 grants).
Who are Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation's largest grantees?
Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Schwab Charitable ($35,100,000), Shirley Ryan Abilitylab FKA Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago ($1,000,000) and Chicago Shakespeare Theater ($350,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 22 grants to individuals ($125,700), which are not listed by name. Together they received 95% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation?
Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation reported $1.2B in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $44.9M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $53.1M (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation fund?
The foundation’s mission is to recognize how arts and education enhance lives and communities and, through its programs, to foster leadership, innovation, and equal opportunity. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation?
The foundation accepts unsolicited requests for collections-related grants. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation's EIN?
Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 46-5446388. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
Yes, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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