The Laney and Pasha Thornton Foundation
The Laney and Pasha Thornton Foundation is a private independent foundation established in 2004 and based in San Francisco, California. The foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) organization and has maintained tax-exempt status since February 2005.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$8.5M
+5.7% YoY
Annual Giving
$72K
-73.2% YoY
Grant Count
7
-82.9% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$10K
+56.8% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Laney and Pasha Thornton Foundation reported a distributable amount of $380K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's giving priorities focus primarily on:
- The arts
- Higher education
- The environment
Grantmaking
The foundation only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited applications for funds.
Grant Range
$10,000
How to Apply
**
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation's grantmaking focuses primarily on California, Delaware, and Colorado.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets & Giving (as of 2024):
- Total assets: $8,549,341
- Total distributions: $174,000
- Total contributions: $0
Previous Year (2023):
- Total assets: $8,090,000
- Revenue: $260,000
- Expenses: $361,000
- Total liabilities: $0
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $8,549,341 | $8,089,765 | $7,759,327 |
| Revenue | $533,210 | $259,960 | $77,956 |
| Expenses | $223,586 | $360,864 | $495,181 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $173,681 | $295,800 | $386,050 |
| Net Investment Income | $439,825 | $200,509 | $61,317 |
| Distributable Amount | $379,573 | $372,733 | $360,224 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 7 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
189 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Corporation of the Fine Arts Museums ($25,000), New Horizons Foundation ($15,000), San Francisco Opera ($10,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| ROADDS FOUNDATION FREEMONT, CA | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSE | $1,000 |
| SAN FRANCISCO OPERA SAN FRANCISCO, CA | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSE | $10,000 |
| NEW HORIZONS FOUNDATION COLORADO SPRINGS, CO | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSE | $15,000 |
| MULTIDISCIPLINARY ASSOCIATION FOR PSYCHEDELIC STUDIES SAN JOSE, CA | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSE | $1,000 |
| NEW ZEALAND OLYMPIC COMMITTEE WILMINGTON, DE | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSE | $10,000 |
| CORPORATION OF THE FINE ARTS MUSEUMS SAN FRANCISCO, CA | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSE | $25,000 |
| NEIGHBORS FOR A BETTER SF SAN RAFAEL, CA | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSE | $10,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- W. Laney Thornton – President/Director (5 hours per week, unpaid)
- Pasha D. Thornton – Secretary/Treasurer (5 hours per week, unpaid)
- Russell Hamilton – Executive Director (30 hours per week, $28,000 annual compensation)
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| W LANEY THORNTON | PRESIDENT/DIRECTOR | 5 | — |
| PASHA D THORNTON | SECRETARY/TREASURER | 5 | — |
| RUSSELL HAMILTON | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 30 | $28,249 |
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does The Laney and Pasha Thornton Foundation fund?
The foundation's giving priorities focus primarily on: • The arts • Higher education • The environment
How do I apply for a grant from The Laney and Pasha Thornton Foundation?
**Grant Activity:** • The foundation made 7 grants in its most recent fiscal year (2024) • Total distributions: $174,000 • Median grant size: $10,000 • Grant range: $1,000 to $25,000 • Typical awards: $500–$50,000 **Application Process:** The foundation only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited applications for funds. **Charitable Activities:** The foundation does not conduct direct charitable activities; it operates exclusively as a grantm…
Where does The Laney and Pasha Thornton Foundation make grants?
The foundation's grantmaking focuses primarily on California, Delaware, and Colorado.
What size grants does The Laney and Pasha Thornton Foundation award?
In 2024, The Laney and Pasha Thornton Foundation awarded 7 grants totaling $72K — an average of about $10K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is The Laney and Pasha Thornton Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Laney and Pasha Thornton Foundation reported a distributable amount of $380K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is The Laney and Pasha Thornton Foundation's EIN?
The Laney and Pasha Thornton Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-1660400. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Laney and Pasha 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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