The Burdick-thorne Foundation

Foundation · Grantmaker KALAMAZOO, MI EIN: 38-2904527

The Burdick-Thorne Foundation is a private family foundation established in 1990 and based in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit grantmaking organization with a focus on supporting higher education, the arts, social services, and natural resource preservation and enhancement.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$9.2M

+1.5% YoY

Annual Giving

$499K

+13.2% YoY

Grant Count

+14.1% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$7K

-0.8% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Burdick-thorne Foundation reported a distributable amount of $603K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation's mission centers on giving for:

Higher education
The arts
Social services
Natural resource preservation and enhancement

Grantmaking

The foundation made 65 grants in 2023, with typical award amounts ranging from $500 to $50,000.

Grant Types

including operating supportscholarships for private lessons and ensemblesyouth concertsand visiting artist funds

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation primarily funds organizations in Michigan and California.

Grant Distribution by State

Michigan $1.4M (99%)

California $12K (1%)

States

California Michigan

Cities

AugustaBattle CreekComptonDetroitGalesburgHickory CornersKalamazooLansingMattawanPortageSaugatuckSpringfield

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of Fiscal Year 2023:

Total Assets: $9,053,099 to $11,677,085
Total Giving: $440,500 to $442,877
Total Revenues: $442,877
Total Expenses: $556,497
Number of Employees: 0

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$9,188,469	$9,053,099	$9,166,719
Revenue	$770,920	$442,877	$299,655
Expenses	$635,550	$556,497	$637,027
Qualifying Distributions	$596,396	$528,113	$587,410
Net Investment Income	$739,440	$411,146	$270,186
Distributable Amount	$602,546	$550,744	$569,926

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 2024

Grant Size Distribution

250 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra ($25,000), Bronson Health Foundation ($15,000), Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo ($11,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
ARTS COUNCIL OF GREATER KALAMAZOO KALAMAZOO, MI	OPERATING SUPPORT	$11,000
KALAMAZOO CHORAL ARTS KALAMAZOO, MI	OPERATING SUPPORT	$4,000
BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF GREATER KALAMAZOO KALAMAZOO, MI	OPERATING SUPPORT	$5,000
COMMUNITY HEALING CENTERS KALAMAZOO, MI	OPERATING SUPPORT	$4,000
CRESCENDO ACADEMY OF MUSIC KALAMAZOO, MI	SCHOLARSHIPS	$3,000
FAMILY & CHILDREN SERVICES KALAMAZOO, MI	OPERATING SUPPORT	$11,000
FOCUS HOPE DETROIT, MI	OPERATING SUPPORT	$1,000
FONTANA CHAMBER ARTS KALAMAZOO, MI	EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM	$10,500
GRYPHON PLACE PORTAGE, MI	BUILDING CONNECTION CAPITAL CAMPAIGN	$5,000
CENTRICA CARE NAVIGATORS KALAMAZOO, MI	OPERATING SUPPORT	$5,000

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Loyal A Eldridge — Secretary (as of 2023)

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
JAMES C MELVIN	PRESIDENT/TRUSTEE	1	—
LOYAL A ELDRIDGE III	VICE PRES/SECRETARY/TRUSTEE	1	—
BETSY V THORNE	TRUSTEE	1	—
ANDREA M THORNE	TRUSTEE	1	—
BRADLEY E WELLER	VICE PRES/TREASURER/TRUSTEE	1	—

Frequently Asked Questions

What does The Burdick-thorne Foundation fund?

The foundation's mission centers on giving for: • Higher education • The arts • Social services • Natural resource preservation and enhancement

How do I apply for a grant from The Burdick-thorne Foundation?

The foundation made 65 grants in 2023, with typical award amounts ranging from $500 to $50,000. **Recent Grant Examples (2023):** • Kalamazoo College: $40,000 (Brighter Light Capital Campaign) • Milestone Senior Services: $25,000 (New Home New Hope Campaign) • Western Michigan University Foundation: $25,000 (Music Outreach Program) • Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra: Recipient of grant funding The foundation supports various grant types including operating support, scholarships for private lessons …

Where does The Burdick-thorne Foundation make grants?

The foundation primarily funds organizations in Michigan and California.

What size grants does The Burdick-thorne Foundation award?

In 2024, The Burdick-thorne Foundation awarded 73 grants totaling $499K — an average of about $7K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is The Burdick-thorne Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Burdick-thorne Foundation reported a distributable amount of $603K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.