Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption
The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption is a national, nonprofit public charity established in 1992 and headquartered in Dublin, Ohio. The organization is dedicated to dramatically increasing the number of adoptions of children waiting in North America's foster care systems. Founded by the late Dave Thomas, Wendy's founder who was himself adopted, the Foundation implements evidence-based, results-driven national service programs and builds awareness around foster care adoption.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$117.3M
+9.3% YoY
Annual Giving
$31.4M
+18.4% YoY
Grant Count
135
+0.7% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$233K
+17.6% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission: Dramatically increase the number of adoptions of children waiting in North America's foster care systems.
Vision: Every child will have a permanent home and a loving family.
Core Beliefs:
- Every child deserves a safe, loving and permanent family
- No child should linger in foster care or leave the system without a permanent family
- Every child is adoptable
The Foundation's strategic priorities include actively funding and supporting youth permanency efforts through research-based approaches developed with a racial equity lens. The organization is committed to advancing measurable change toward racial equity within the child welfare system.
Grantmaking
The Foundation's primary grantmaking vehicle is the Wendy's Wonderful Kids program, which provides grants to public and private adoption agencies to hire and train adoption professionals (recruiters) who implement an evidence-based, child-focused recruitment strategy. These recruiters work with children and youth at greatest risk of aging out of foster care without an adoptive family, maintaining smaller caseloads to ensure individualized attention.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Foundation operates across North America, including the United States and Canada, with presence noted in Puerto Rico. The organization works to expand the reach of its national awareness campaigns and signature programs across multiple states and territories.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Fiscal Year 2024 (ending June 2024):
- Total Revenue: $56.1 million
- Total Expenses: $44.6 million
- Total Assets: $107.3 million
- Total Liabilities: $7.05 million
- Number of Employees: 73
The organization maintains a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status since December 1992 and has received a four-star rating with a 99% score based on accountability and finance metrics.
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $117,306,202 | $107,334,376 | $94,085,268 |
| Revenue | $61,621,473 | $56,121,707 | $52,421,388 |
| Expenses | $52,860,914 | $44,555,925 | $40,455,373 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $8,604,925 | $4,290,037 | $3,136,451 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
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 2025
Grant Size Distribution
250 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
From 2025 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| RITA L SORONEN | PRESIDENT & CEO | 40 | $489,694 |
| ROBERT GEEN | CHAIRMAN | 1 | — |
| KRIS KAFFENBARGER | VICE CHAIR | 1 | — |
| DEEPAK AJMANI | VICE CHAIR (EXIT 8/24) | 1 | — |
| MIKE O'MALLEY | SECRETARY | 1 | — |
| RICHARD KRUMHOLZ | TREASURER | 1 | — |
| JULIE BIESZCZAT | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| LAURA BUTRICO | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| RASHEEDA CLARK | TRUSTEE (ENTER 1/25) | 1 | — |
| ERIC DALY | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| PAMELA FARBER | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| JELANI FREEMAN | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| JHONNY MERCADO | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| BLAIR MILLER | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| SCOTT MOESCHBERGER | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| WENDY THOMAS MORSE | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| SEAN NIKLAS | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| M COLEY O'BRIEN | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| CARLOS RIBAS | TRUSTEE (ENTER 1/25) | 1 | — |
| TERRY STIGDON | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| PETE SUERKEN | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| KIRK TANNER | TRUSTEE (ENTER 9/24) | 1 | — |
| MICHAEL WELCH | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| TAMIKA WILLIAMS | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| MIKE ZAK | TRUSTEE (EXIT 12/24) | 1 | — |
| ERIC SPIRES | SVP, CFO | 40 | $204,390 |
| JENNIFER JUSTICE | SVP, STRATEGIC PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT | 40 | $230,848 |
| JILL CRUMBACHER | SVP, MARKETING & DEVELOPMENT | 40 | $228,821 |
| MELINDA HAGGERTY | SVP, GENERAL COUNSEL | 40 | $222,366 |
| DAVID FRISSORA | SVP, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT(EXIT 9/24) | 40 | $153,825 |
| HEATHER MILLER | SVP, HUMAN RESOURCES | 40 | $160,238 |
| JULIANNE NICHOLS | VP, MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS | 40 | $162,379 |
| DEAN BRING | VP, DEVELOPMENT | 40 | $150,331 |
| ANDREA GLASS | VP, PROGRAMS | 40 | $153,803 |
| ANDREA WILLIAMS | VP, TRAINING | 40 | $132,370 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The Foundation has celebrated significant milestones in its work, including marking 500 adoptions from foster care in Kentucky. The organization continues to expand awareness and support for foster care adoption through public service announcements, social media campaigns, articles, events, and sponsorships.
The Foundation awards strategic national grants to support projects ...The Foundation recognizes employers through its Best Adoption-Friendly Workplaces program and develops resources to support families throughout the adoption journey, including guides such as "Finding Forever Families: A Step-by-Step Guide to Adoption" and "Strengthen Your Forever Family: A Step-by-Step Guide to Post-Adoption."
The Foundation awards strategic national grants to support projects ...Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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