The Thomas Foundation
The Thomas Foundation is a private foundation based in West Bloomfield, Michigan. Its 2025 filing says its main purpose is funding diabetes research; it also considers organizations with a social purpose, which it describes as secondary to that purpose.
The Thomas Foundation at a glance
In short: The Thomas Foundation gave $216K across 12 grants in 2026 (avg $18K), mostly in Michigan. 0% of 2026 grantees were new. Source: 2026 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2026)
- $215,500
- +19.7% vs 2025
- Grants made (2026)
- 12
- +0.0% vs 2025
- Average grant
- $17,958
- +19.7% vs 2025
- Median grant
- $11,500
- Total assets
- $2,996,734
- +4.7% vs 2025
- New grantees (estimate)
- 0% first-time grantees (0 of 12, 2026; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Michigan (56% of itemized 2026 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2026 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2026; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Thomas Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Its filing says an applicant should submit a written letter and financial statements. It reports no restrictions or limitations on awards, while noting that exempt organizations in Southeast Michigan are preferred and that organizations with a social purpose are considered secondary to its main purpose of funding diabetes research.
- Review Cycle
- Applications may be submitted at any time, according to the filing.
- Deadline
- Applications may be submitted at any time, according to the filing.
- Contact
Application contact: The Thomas Foundation
Mailing address: 7115 Orchard Lake Road, Suite 310, West Bloomfield, MI 48322
Phone: (616) 748-1013
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Thomas Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2026
The largest 2026 recipient was Breakthrough T1D ($95K). Together the top 10 received $212K.
Grant Size Distribution
63 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 58 grants of 63 (92%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s 2026 grant dollars were distributed 56% to recipients in Michigan and 44% to recipients in New York. Its 2025 filing says exempt organizations geographically located in Southeast Michigan are preferred.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2026 grant dollars across all 12 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Thomas Foundation open to new grantees?
0%
first-time grantees, 2026
In 2026, 0 of 12 grantees (0%) were first-time recipients. With only 12 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. How we count
- 100% of 2026 grantees were also funded in 2025. Method
- Giving grew 31% from 2023 to 2026. Method
- In 2026 it paid out 65% 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 (2022–2026). 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 2022 to 2026, annual grant giving ranged from $165K (2023) to $216K (2026). In 2026 it made 12 grants totaling $216K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Breakthrough T1D New York, NY | Scientific | $95,000 |
| Wayne State University Detroit, MI | Scientific | $31,500 |
| Boldli Detroit, MI | Medical | $15,000 |
| Forgotten Harvest Oak Park, MI | SOCIAL | $12,000 |
| Gleaners Community Food Bank Detroit, MI | SOCIAL | $12,000 |
| Yad Ezra Berkley, MI | SOCIAL | $12,000 |
| Higher Hopes Commerce Township, MI | SOCIAL | $11,000 |
| Horizons Upward Bound Bloomfield Hills, MI | Education | $10,000 |
| United Negro College Fund Southfield, MI | Education | $10,000 |
| Special Olympics Michigan Bloomfield, MI | SOCIAL | $3,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Thomas Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $2,996,734 | $445,246 | $362,233 | $215,500 | 12 | $219,140 | $430,811 | $338,533 |
| 2025 | $2,861,497 | $388,892 | $312,904 | $180,000 | 12 | $301,475 | $143,751 | $303,375 |
| 2024 | $2,786,757 | $311,017 | $293,558 | $177,000 | 13 | $281,727 | $178,465 | $269,866 |
| 2023 | $2,676,150 | $245,110 | $269,975 | $164,500 | 13 | $253,981 | $131,440 | $263,254 |
| 2022 | $2,704,016 | $249,933 | $313,563 | $178,500 | 13 | $293,310 | $210,000 | $302,327 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Thomas Foundation reported a distributable amount of $339K for 2026 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s filing identifies funding diabetes research as its main purpose. Its 2026 grants also went to organizations working in education, social services, and medical fields.
Among its grantees, BREAKTHROUGH T1D describes its mission as accelerating breakthroughs to cure, prevent, and treat type 1 diabetes and its complications. FORGOTTEN HARVEST says it works to relieve hunger in Metro Detroit and prevent nutritious food waste. GLEANERS COMMUNITY FOOD BANK describes its work as providing households in southeastern Michigan with access to sufficient, nutritious food and related resources.
Grantmaking
In 2026, the foundation reported 12 grants totaling $215,500. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $95,000, with a median of $11,500. Its largest grants included $95,000 to BREAKTHROUGH T1D for scientific purposes and $31,500 to Wayne State University for scientific purposes. Other grants included $15,000 to BOLDLI for medical purposes; $12,000 each to Forgotten Harvest, Gleaners Community Food Bank, and Yad Ezra for social purposes; and $10,000 each to Horizons Upward Bound and the United Negro College Fund for education purposes.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The foundation’s 2026 filing lists Jay Brody, Patti M Uncaphер, and Andrea Nichols as directors.
The Thomas Foundation's 2026 filing lists 3 officers; all 3 officers listed in 2026 are compensated.
Officers on the 2026 filing
Andrea Nichols
Director
On filings since 2022
10 hrs/week
$6K (2024) → $6K (2026)
Jay Brody
Director
On filings since 2022
20 hrs/week
$52K (2024) → $67K (2026)
Patti M. Uncapher
Director
On filings since 2022
20 hrs/week
$52K (2024) → $67K (2026)
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2022–2026. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2026 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2026 filing was $67K, to Jay Brody (Director). 3 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The Thomas Foundation
How much does The Thomas Foundation give each year?
The Thomas Foundation gave $216K across 12 grants in 2026, according to its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2025 it gave $180K across 12 grants.
What is The Thomas Foundation's typical grant size?
The Thomas Foundation's median grant in 2026 was $11,500, and its average grant was $17,958, across 12 grants on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Thomas Foundation give grants?
The Thomas Foundation gives mostly in Michigan: 56% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was New York (44%). The most frequent recipient cities were Detroit, MI (4 grants).
Does The Thomas Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2026: none of the 12 grants with a stated purpose on The Thomas Foundation's 2026 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Social" (6 grants) and "Education" (3 grants).
Who are The Thomas Foundation's largest grantees?
The Thomas Foundation's largest 2026 grantees include Breakthrough T1D ($95,000), Wayne State University ($31,500) and Boldli ($15,000), according to its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 66% of its itemized 2026 grant dollars.
How large is The Thomas Foundation?
The Thomas Foundation reported $3.0M in total assets on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $219K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $339K (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 Thomas Foundation fund?
The foundation’s filing identifies funding diabetes research as its main purpose. Its 2026 grants also went to organizations working in education, social services, and medical fields. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Thomas Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Thomas Foundation's EIN?
The Thomas Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 38-2510591. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2022–2026.
Does The 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
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2026 (received by the IRS August 10, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2022–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Thomas Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Thomas Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-thomas-foundation-morg_5e2cfea9bdf14f408cf4fc5e6f459086
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_382510591_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Thomas Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-thomas-foundation-morg_5e2cfea9bdf14f408cf4fc5e6f459086},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from The Thomas Foundation'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.
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