Russ Thomas Scholarship Fund
The Russ Thomas Scholarship Fund is a private foundation based in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Its 2025 filing reports grants to individual recipients for private scholarships.
Russ Thomas Scholarship Fund at a glance
In short: Russ Thomas Scholarship Fund gave $103K across 19 grants in 2025 (avg $5K), mostly in Michigan. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $102,500
- +0.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 19
- -9.5% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $5,395
- +11.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $1,084,092
- +9.3% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Michigan (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Russ Thomas Scholarship Fund
- How to Apply
-
The 2023 filing says to submit a written request to John Thomas. It lists no deadlines and no award restrictions.
- Contact
Application contact: John Thomas
Mailing address: 3707 W Maple Suite 113, Bloomfield, MI 48301
Phone: (313) 216-4050
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Russ Thomas Scholarship Fund funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Grant Size Distribution
98 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 98 grants of 98 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars reported for 2025 went to recipients in Michigan.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 19 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Russ Thomas Scholarship Fund gives
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+19%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 216% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $83K (2021) to $103K (2025). In 2025 it made 19 grants totaling $103K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 19 individual scholarships Recipients not named | — | $102,500 |
Ready to take the next step with Russ Thomas Scholarship Fund?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1,084,092 | $119,611 | $128,130 | $102,500 | 19 | $102,500 | $31,267 | $47,428 |
| 2024 | $992,167 | $105,696 | $124,947 | $102,000 | 21 | $102,000 | $27,898 | $44,522 |
| 2023 | $832,061 | $109,669 | $121,110 | $100,500 | 21 | $100,500 | $27,433 | $40,652 |
| 2022 | $830,739 | $117,948 | $100,690 | $86,000 | 18 | $86,000 | $42,836 | $44,511 |
| 2021 | $1,000,978 | $98,339 | $89,716 | $82,500 | 19 | — | $37,289 | $47,567 |
| 2020 | $951,694 | $80,666 | $120,532 | $85,750 | 18 | — | $22,985 | $45,004 |
| 2019 | $885,225 | $91,858 | $112,175 | $93,500 | 19 | — | $26,219 | $42,310 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Russ Thomas Scholarship Fund reported a distributable amount of $47K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement is provided. The 2025 grants are identified as private scholarship grants.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the fund reported 19 grants totaling $102,500. Grant amounts ranged from $2,000 to $11,500, with a median of $5,000. The largest reported grant was $11,500; the remaining largest grants were to individual recipients for private scholarships, in amounts from $5,000 to $7,500.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists John Thomas Jr. and James Thomas as trustees.
Russ Thomas Scholarship Fund's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
James Thomas
Trustee
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
John Thomas Jr.
Trustee
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 Russ Thomas Scholarship Fund
How much does Russ Thomas Scholarship Fund give each year?
Russ Thomas Scholarship Fund gave $103K across 19 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $102K across 21 grants.
What is Russ Thomas Scholarship Fund's typical grant size?
Russ Thomas Scholarship Fund's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $5,395, across 19 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Russ Thomas Scholarship Fund give grants?
Russ Thomas Scholarship Fund gives mostly in Michigan: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there.
Does Russ Thomas Scholarship Fund give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 19 grants with a stated purpose on Russ Thomas Scholarship Fund's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Private Scholarship Grant" (19 grants).
How large is Russ Thomas Scholarship Fund?
Russ Thomas Scholarship Fund reported $1.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $103K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $47K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Russ Thomas Scholarship Fund fund?
No mission statement is provided. The 2025 grants are identified as private scholarship grants. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Russ Thomas Scholarship Fund?
The 2023 filing says to submit a written request to John Thomas. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Russ Thomas Scholarship Fund's EIN?
Russ Thomas Scholarship Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 38-2984958. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS January 30, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS February 3, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS February 28, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS February 20, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS February 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS March 24, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 7, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
Other open foundation grants in Michigan
Michigan Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Russ Thomas Scholarship Fund's focus areas in our free grants database
Similar Funders
Similar funders in Michigan
WK Kellogg Foundation
Battle Creek, MI
The W.K. Kellogg Foundation funds work to help children, families, and communities thrive, including early education, health equity, food systems, family economic well-being, and racial equity. In 2025, its grants ranged from $50 to nearly $5 million, with a median of $100,000; it funds across the United States, with long-term commitments in several states and communities, as well as parts of Mexico and Haiti. It accepts unsolicited proposals online at any time.
Assets
$481.0M
Grants
1,818
Total Given
$303.9M
Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan
Detroit, MI
The Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan funds nonprofits working in economic opportunity, health equity, youth and education, arts and culture, and public space and the environment across seven southeast Michigan counties. Its 2024 grants had a median of $25,000, though awards varied widely; organizations begin with a brief proposal, and selected applicants are invited to submit a full application.
Assets
$1.2B
Grants
938
Total Given
$105.1M
Charles Stewart Mott Foundation
Flint, MI
The Charles Stewart Mott Foundation funds nonprofits working in civil society, youth engagement, environmental sustainability, and Flint-area community development, in Flint and communities around the world. Its 2024 grants had a median of $55,000, though awards ranged widely; it does not accept unsolicited funding requests and supports preselected organizations.
Assets
$3.8B
Grants
834
Total Given
$166.4M
The Kresge Foundation
Troy, MI
The Kresge Foundation funds nonprofit operations, projects, and planning across arts and culture, education, environment, health, human services, and community development, with a focus on equity and opportunity in U.S. cities—especially Detroit, Memphis, New Orleans, and Fresno. Its 2024 grants ranged from $150 to $5 million, with a median of $140,000. Program teams most often invite applicants, though some programs issue open calls or RFPs; unsolicited requests are not described as generally accepted.
Assets
$4.0B
Grants
800
Total Given
$170.0M
DTE Energy Foundation
Detroit, MI
DTE Energy Foundation funds community transformation, human needs, economic development, education, employment, and environmental initiatives, primarily in Michigan. Its 2024 grants had a median of about $10,000, though amounts ranged from $100 to $1.2 million. Its general application process is invitation-only, but it has offered open calls for specific Michigan programs.
Assets
$129.1M
Grants
442
Total Given
$15.8M
The Skillman Foundation
Detroit, MI
The Skillman Foundation funds Detroit organizations working on education systems change, youth development, and community services that support Detroit youth. Its 2024 grants had a median of $10,000 and ranged from $50 to $500,000; it generally proactively invites partnership applications, though it welcomes connections from organizations and currently accepts applications to its $2,500–$10,000 President’s Discretionary Fund.
Assets
$418.5M
Grants
416
Total Given
$17.8M
More similar funders
More Funders in Michigan
The filing figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0. About GrantGraph Open
Figures come from Russ Thomas Scholarship Fund'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.
Russ Thomas Scholarship Fund down — hundreds of funders to go?