The Jerald & Kay Thomas Foundation
The Jerald & Kay Thomas Foundation is a private foundation based in Lubbock, Texas. Its 2024 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, including organizations working in Christian ministry, food assistance, health, and support for veterans.
The Jerald & Kay Thomas Foundation at a glance
In short: The Jerald & Kay Thomas Foundation gave $8K across 16 grants in 2024 (avg $500), top state Texas. 13% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $8,000
- -3.6% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 16
- +6.7% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $500
- -9.6% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $300
- Total assets
- $137,342
- -2.9% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 13% first-time grantees (2 of 16, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Texas (38% 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 The Jerald & Kay Thomas Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests and says it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations. Its filing says proposals should be submitted in letter format and include the requested amount, purpose of funding, and nonprofit status. It lists no restrictions on awards.
- Review Cycle
- The filing states that proposals should be submitted before the last day of the year.
- Deadline
- The filing states that proposals should be submitted before the last day of the year.
- Contact
Application contact: Jerald Kay Thomas
Mailing address: 9303 Hope Ave, Lubbock, TX 79424
Phone: (806) 790-0223
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Jerald & Kay Thomas Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Samaritan's Purse ($2K). Together the top 10 received $6K.
Grant Size Distribution
85 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 85 grants of 85 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 grant-dollar shares by recipient state were Texas, 38%; North Carolina, 19%; New York, 19%; Georgia, 8%; and Michigan, 6%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 16 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Jerald & Kay Thomas Foundation open to new grantees?
13%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 2 of 16 grantees (13%) were first-time recipients. With only 16 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $300; repeat grants $529. How we count
Medians: $300 first-time, $300 repeat.
- 81% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving fell 22% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 82% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. 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 $8K (2024) to $14K (2020). In 2024 it made 16 grants totaling $8K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Samaritan's Purse Boone, NC | Christian Ministry | $1,500 |
| Tunnels to Tower Staten Island, NY | Wounded Veterans | $1,500 |
| Mercy Ships Garden Valley, TX | Medical Support | $1,000 |
| Wounded Warrior Project San Antonio, TX | Military | $500 |
| Alzheimer's Associaton Chicago, IL | Fighting Alzheimers | $300 |
| American Cancer Society Lubbock, TX | Cancer Research and Awareness | $300 |
| American Heart Association Dallas, TX | Heart Health | $300 |
| American Lung Association Oklahoma City, OK | Lung Health | $300 |
| Meals on Wheels Lubbock, TX | Food for Needy | $300 |
| Our Daily Bread Grand Rapids, MI | Charitable | $300 |
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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 | $137,342 | $8,720 | $12,843 | $8,000 | 16 | $8,000 | $3,877 | $9,704 |
| 2023 | $141,389 | $6,500 | $13,247 | $8,300 | 15 | $8,300 | $1,553 | $4,976 |
| 2022 | $147,982 | $10,409 | $21,653 | $8,100 | 17 | $8,100 | — | $5,790 |
| 2021 | $159,226 | $8,663 | $19,085 | $10,250 | 18 | $7,250 | — | $6,549 |
| 2020 | $169,648 | $4,661 | $51,080 | $14,100 | 19 | — | — | $9,290 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Jerald & Kay Thomas Foundation reported a distributable amount of $10K 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 organizations addressing Christian ministry, food needs, medical support, veterans, and health-related causes.
Among the grantees, Samaritan’s Purse describes its work as providing spiritual and physical aid to people affected by war, poverty, disasters, disease, and famine. Meals on Wheels describes its work as preparing and delivering hot meals to elderly and disabled people five days a week. South Plains Food Bank says it secures, grows, processes, and distributes food to charitable organizations and people in need. The American Heart Association describes its mission as promoting longer, healthier lives.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation gave $8,000 through 16 grants. Grants ranged from $200 to $1,500, with a median grant of $300. Larger awards included $1,500 to Samaritan’s Purse for Christian ministry and $1,500 to Tunnels to Tower for wounded veterans; $1,000 to Mercy Ships for medical support; and $500 to Wounded Warrior Project for military support. Other listed $300 grants included awards to the Alzheimer’s Association, American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, American Lung Association, Meals on Wheels, Our Daily Bread, South Plains Food Bank, and Word for Today.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Jerald Thomas as president and Kay Thomas as secretary.
The Jerald & Kay Thomas Foundation is led by Jerald Thomas, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Jerald Thomas
President
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Kay Thomas
Secretary
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
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 The Jerald & Kay Thomas Foundation
How much does The Jerald & Kay Thomas Foundation give each year?
The Jerald & Kay Thomas Foundation gave $8K across 16 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $8K across 15 grants.
What is The Jerald & Kay Thomas Foundation's typical grant size?
The Jerald & Kay Thomas Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $300, and its average grant was $500, across 16 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Jerald & Kay Thomas Foundation that year got $300 on average.
Where does The Jerald & Kay Thomas Foundation give grants?
The Jerald & Kay Thomas Foundation's top state is Texas, with 38% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were North Carolina (19%) and New York (19%). The most frequent recipient cities were Lubbock, TX (4 grants).
Does The Jerald & Kay Thomas Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 16 grants with a stated purpose on The Jerald & Kay Thomas Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are The Jerald & Kay Thomas Foundation's largest grantees?
The Jerald & Kay Thomas Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Samaritan's Purse ($1,500), Tunnels to Tower ($1,500) and Mercy Ships ($1,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 50% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Jerald & Kay Thomas Foundation?
The Jerald & Kay Thomas Foundation reported $137K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $8K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $10K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does The Jerald & Kay Thomas Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants include support for organizations addressing Christian ministry, food needs, medical support, veterans, and health-related causes. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Jerald & Kay Thomas Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests and says it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Jerald & Kay Thomas Foundation's EIN?
The Jerald & Kay Thomas Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 74-2982555. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Jerald & Kay Thomas 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
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work The Jerald & Kay Thomas Foundation funds
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