Grant Thornton Foundation
The Grant Thornton Foundation is a corporate foundation based in Chicago, Illinois, established in 2007. It operates as a 501(c)(3) private grantmaking foundation with tax-exempt status granted in November 2007. The foundation's primary focus is on supporting educational institutions and organizations working toward racial justice and equality.
Financial Overview
From 2023 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$330K
-8.3% YoY
Annual Giving
$430K
-10.3% YoY
Grant Count
10
-33.3% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$43K
+34.5% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Grant Thornton Foundation reported a distributable amount of $9K for 2023 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation supports organizations involved with higher education. Its primary funding interests include:
- Educational institutional support
- General support to nonprofit organizations
- Promoting racial justice and equality
- Scholarship support
Grantmaking
In fiscal year 2023, the foundation made 10 grants to various organizations. Notable recent grants include:
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation is based in Chicago, Illinois, with a primary address at 171 N Clark Street, Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60601.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Fiscal Year 2023 (ending July 2023):
- Total Revenues: $418,368
- Total Expenses: $448,038
- Total Assets: $329,545
- Total Liabilities: $1,000
- Number of Employees: 0
The foundation's expenses exceeded revenues in 2023, with expenses of $448,038 against revenues of $418,368.
| Metric | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $329,545 | $359,215 | $696,333 |
| Revenue | $418,368 | $154,557 | $109,297 |
| Expenses | $448,038 | $491,675 | $295,712 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $448,038 | $491,675 | — |
| Net Investment Income | — | — | — |
| Distributable Amount | $9,254 | $22,626 | $35,134 |
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 2023
Grant Size Distribution
134 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2023 grants, the largest include Southern Poverty Law Center ($100,000), Thurgood Marshall College Fund ($100,000), Digs With Dignity ($63,411).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER MONTGOMERY, AL | PROMOTING RACIAL JUSTICE AND EQUALITY | $100,000 |
| THURGOOD MARSHALL COLLEGE FUND WASHINGTON, DC | PROMOTING RACIAL JUSTICE AND EQUALITY | $100,000 |
| DIGS WITH DIGNITY CHICAGO, IL | GENERAL SUPPORT | $63,411 |
| UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS URBANA, IL | EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT | $40,000 |
| APPALACHIAN STATE UNIVERSITY BOONE, NC | EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT | $35,000 |
| FAIR OPPORTUNITY PROJECT MADISON, WI | GENERAL SUPPORT | $30,025 |
| MASSCPAS EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION WOBURN, MA | SCHOLARSHIP SUPPORT | $25,000 |
| WOMEN IN TRAINING MONTGOMERY, AL | GENERAL SUPPORT | $20,225 |
| BARUCH COLLEGE NEW YORK, NY | EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT | $11,000 |
| MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY BALTIMORE, MD | EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT | $5,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Compensation Overview
From 2023 IRS filing
From 2023 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| MIKE MONAHAN | DIRECTOR / CHAIRMAN | 1 | — |
| RASHADA WHITEHEAD | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| SETH SIEGEL | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| DANILSA LOPEZ | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| MUHAMMAD BHAYAT | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| KEVIN ZUBOR | DIRECTOR / TREASURER | 1 | — |
| NEETA D'SILVA | NON-DIRECTOR SECRETARY | 1 | — |
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Grant Thornton Foundation fund?
The foundation supports organizations involved with higher education. Its primary funding interests include: • Educational institutional support • General support to nonprofit organizations • Promoting racial justice and equality • Scholarship support
How do I apply for a grant from Grant Thornton Foundation?
In fiscal year 2023, the foundation made 10 grants to various organizations. Notable recent grants include: • Southern Poverty Law Center: $100,000 (Promoting Racial Justice and Equality) • Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF): $100,000 (Promoting Racial Justice and Equality) • Digs with Dignity Corporation: $63,411 (General Support) Total grants, contributions, and related revenues increased significantly from $154,557 in fiscal year 2022 to $418,368 in fiscal year 2023, representing a 170.7%…
Where does Grant Thornton Foundation make grants?
The foundation is based in Chicago, Illinois, with a primary address at 171 N Clark Street, Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60601.
What size grants does Grant Thornton Foundation award?
In 2023, Grant Thornton Foundation awarded 10 grants totaling $430K — an average of about $43K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is Grant Thornton Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2023, Grant Thornton Foundation reported a distributable amount of $9K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Grant Thornton Foundation's EIN?
Grant Thornton Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 30-0438415. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2023.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Grant Thornton Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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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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