George and Louise Thornton Charitable Foundation
GEORGE AND LOUISE THORNTON CHARITABLE is based in Loveland, Colorado, and files as a Form 990-PF (a private foundation). Its 2024 filing reports 23 grants totaling $60,000 to charitable organizations.
George and Louise Thornton Charitable Foundation at a glance
In short: George and Louise Thornton Charitable Foundation gave $60K across 23 grants in 2024 (avg $3K), mostly in Colorado. 30% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $60,000
- +20.0% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 23
- +35.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $2,609
- -11.3% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $2,000
- Total assets
- $906,843
- +2.2% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 30% first-time grantees (7 of 23, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Colorado (66% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to George and Louise Thornton Charitable Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 1081, Loveland, CO 80539
Phone: (970) 290-3391
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who George and Louise Thornton Charitable Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Front Range Christian Church ($11K). Together the top 10 received $44K.
Grant Size Distribution
108 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 108 grants of 108 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, Colorado organizations received 66% of grant dollars. Maryland received 12%, Texas 8%, Kansas 3%, and Ohio 3%. The 2024 grants also included awards to organizations in Indiana and Tennessee.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 23 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is George and Louise Thornton Charitable Foundation open to new grantees?
30%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 7 of 23 grantees (30%) were first-time recipients. With only 23 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 4 points. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $2K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $2K repeat.
- 61% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 33% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 135% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $45K (2021) to $60K (2024). In 2024 it made 23 grants totaling $60K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Front Range Christian Church Castle Rock, CO | Education fund, benevolence fund, building fund, special needs room | $11,000 |
| Open Stage Theatre Company Fort Collins, CO | Student and Educators Night, Endowment Fund | $6,000 |
| Bynum School Midland, TX | General Fund | $4,500 |
| Poudre High School Fort Collins, CO | Ged Assistance and Ib Digital Theatre | $4,000 |
| Great Falls Foundation Potomac, MD | General Fund | $4,000 |
| CSU Theatre Endowment Fort Collins, CO | General Fund | $4,000 |
| Loveland High School Loveland, CO | Teacher Support | $4,000 |
| Wounded Warrior Project Topeka, KS | General Fund | $2,000 |
| Siop Foundation Toledo, OH | Scholarship Fund | $2,000 |
| Horsetooth Swim Fort Collins, CO | General Fund | $2,000 |
Ready to take the next step with George and Louise Thornton Charitable Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $906,843 | $139,217 | $120,117 | $60,000 | 23 | $60,000 | $72,044 | $44,328 |
| 2023 | $887,743 | $69,490 | $60,888 | $50,000 | 17 | $50,000 | $48,643 | $45,079 |
| 2022 | $879,115 | $-7,311 | $69,833 | $60,000 | 22 | $60,000 | $25,861 | $48,764 |
| 2021 | $956,259 | $49,294 | $58,791 | $45,000 | 20 | $45,000 | $29,671 | $49,690 |
| 2020 | $965,756 | $83,390 | $58,399 | $51,000 | 26 | — | $72,271 | $47,777 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, George and Louise Thornton Charitable Foundation reported a distributable amount of $44K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants include support for schools, a theatre company and university theatre endowment, a scholarship fund, and other charitable organizations.
Among the grantees, Bynum School says it provides personalized educational, behavioral, and vocational programs for people of all ages with special needs. Team River Runner says it provides veterans and their families opportunities for health, healing, community, purpose, and new challenges through adventure and adaptive paddle sports. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital describes its mission as advancing cures and prevention for pediatric catastrophic diseases through research and treatment.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 23 grants totaling $60,000. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $11,000, with a median of $2,000. Larger awards included $11,000 to Front Range Christian Church for its education, benevolence, building, and special needs room funds; $6,000 to Open Stage Theatre Company for its student and educators night and endowment fund; and $4,500 to Bynum School for its general fund.
Other grants included $4,000 each to Poudre High School for GED assistance and IB digital theatre, Great Falls Foundation for its general fund, CSU Theatre Endowment for its general fund, and Loveland High School for teacher support. The foundation also gave $2,000 to Wounded Warrior Project for its general fund, $2,000 to SIOP Foundation for its scholarship fund, and $1,500 to Team River Runner.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Louise F Thornton as President; George C Thornton, Charles L Thornton, Lara T Tabola, and Toby Tabola as Directors; and Julia T Cherry as Foundation Mgr.
George and Louise Thornton Charitable Foundation is led by Louise F. Thornton, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 6 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Louise F. Thornton
President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Charles L. Thornton
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
George C. Thornton
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lara T. Tabola
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Toby Tabola
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Julia T. Cherry
Foundation Manager
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: James A. Cherry (2020–2023) — Director
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.
Frequently asked questions about George and Louise Thornton Charitable Foundation
How much does George and Louise Thornton Charitable Foundation give each year?
George and Louise Thornton Charitable Foundation gave $60K across 23 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $50K across 17 grants.
What is George and Louise Thornton Charitable Foundation's typical grant size?
George and Louise Thornton Charitable Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $2,000, and its average grant was $2,609, across 23 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from George and Louise Thornton Charitable Foundation that year got $3K on average.
Where does George and Louise Thornton Charitable Foundation give grants?
George and Louise Thornton Charitable Foundation gives mostly in Colorado: 66% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Maryland (13%) and Texas (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Fort Collins, CO (6 grants) and Loveland, CO (3 grants).
Does George and Louise Thornton Charitable Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 52% of George and Louise Thornton Charitable Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (12 of 23) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are George and Louise Thornton Charitable Foundation's largest grantees?
George and Louise Thornton Charitable Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Front Range Christian Church ($11,000), Open Stage Theatre Company ($6,000) and Bynum School ($4,500), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 36% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is George and Louise Thornton Charitable Foundation?
George and Louise Thornton Charitable Foundation reported $907K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $60K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $44K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does George and Louise Thornton Charitable Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants include support for schools, a theatre company and university theatre endowment, a scholarship fund, and other charitable organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from George and Louise Thornton Charitable Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is George and Louise Thornton Charitable Foundation's EIN?
George and Louise Thornton Charitable Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 43-1525102. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does George and Louise Thornton Charitable Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, 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.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 6, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 13, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 12, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 13, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 10, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). George and Louise Thornton Charitable Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 5, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/george-and-louise-thornton-charitable-foundation-morg_53741119fb8a4a9196fba652662b0563
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_431525102_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{George and Louise Thornton Charitable Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/george-and-louise-thornton-charitable-foundation-morg_53741119fb8a4a9196fba652662b0563},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-05. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from George and Louise Thornton Charitable Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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