The Thomas Heritage Foundation
The Thomas Heritage Foundation is a private foundation based in Dallas, Texas. Its 2024 filing reports grants to charitable organizations in several states, including Texas, Tennessee, and Washington, DC.
The Thomas Heritage Foundation at a glance
In short: The Thomas Heritage Foundation gave $450K across 10 grants in 2024 (avg $45K), mostly in Texas. 20% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $450,000
- +2.3% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 10
- -23.1% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $45,000
- +33.0% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $39,000
- Total assets
- $11,050,768
- +10.0% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 20% first-time grantees (2 of 10, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Texas (67% 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 Thomas Heritage 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 for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 539 W Commerce St 7419, Dallas, TX 75208
Phone: (214) 532-0861
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Thomas Heritage Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Undermain Theatre ($90K). Together the top 10 received $450K.
Grant Size Distribution
55 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 34 grants of 55 (62%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 67% of grant dollars went to recipients in Texas, 11% to Tennessee, 11% to Washington, DC, 6% to Illinois, and 6% to Kentucky.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Thomas Heritage Foundation open to new grantees?
20%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 2 of 10 grantees (20%) were first-time recipients. With only 10 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 10 points. First grants averaged $15K; repeat grants $53K. How we count
Medians: $15K first-time, $50K repeat.
- 80% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 29% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 88% 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 $320K (2020) to $450K (2024). In 2024 it made 10 grants totaling $450K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Undermain Theatre Dallas, TX | General Use | $90,000 |
| Cara MIA Theatre CO Dallas, TX | General Use | $89,000 |
| Seed Effect Dallas, TX | General Use | $70,000 |
| Exile International Nashville, TN | General Use | $50,000 |
| Intl Justice Mission Washington, DC | General Use | $50,000 |
| Flame Foundation Dallas, TX | General Use | $28,000 |
| Sinapis Wheaton, IL | General Use | $25,000 |
| Scarlet Hope Inc Louisville, KY | General Use | $25,000 |
| Yena Richardson, TX | General Use | $18,000 |
| All Access International Hurst, TX | General Use | $5,000 |
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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 | $11,050,768 | $1,061,059 | $544,630 | $450,000 | 10 | $457,728 | $328,096 | $517,725 |
| 2023 | $10,047,396 | $984,588 | $524,463 | $440,000 | 13 | $446,585 | $260,649 | $449,394 |
| 2022 | $8,662,054 | $761,622 | $527,183 | $442,000 | 14 | $445,575 | $164,715 | $435,991 |
| 2021 | $9,967,133 | $1,143,148 | $432,308 | $350,000 | 10 | $353,300 | $420,479 | $450,038 |
| 2020 | $8,766,835 | $891,588 | $389,301 | $320,000 | 8 | — | $183,428 | $360,899 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Thomas Heritage Foundation reported a distributable amount of $518K 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
The available information does not state the foundation’s own mission. Its 2024 grants went to organizations with varied missions. For example, Undermain Theatre describes its work as producing innovative theater, with particular interest in poetic and language-driven work. Cara Mía Theatre Co. says it uses Latinx theatre, multicultural youth arts, and community action to engage communities. Seed Effect says it works to address poverty through economic empowerment, education, and spiritual discipleship in marginalized communities around the world. Exile International describes providing art-focused trauma care and holistic rehabilitation for children affected by war.
Other 2024 grantees describe their work as transitioning women out of the adult entertainment industry (Scarlet Hope) and helping donors give effectively to address global spiritual and physical poverty (All Access International).
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation reported 10 grants totaling $450,000. Grants ranged from $5,000 to $90,000, with a median grant of $39,000. The largest awards were $90,000 to Undermain Theatre and $89,000 to Cara Mía Theatre Co., both in Dallas; $70,000 to Seed Effect; and $50,000 each to Exile International and International Justice Mission. All 10 listed grants had a stated purpose of “general use.”
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists William R. Thomas III as president and treasurer, Suzanne B. Thomas as vice president, and Christa Thomas as secretary.
The Thomas Heritage Foundation is led by William R. Thomas III, President & Treasurer on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
William R. Thomas III
President & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Christa Thomas
Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Suzanne B. Thomas
Vice President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
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 Thomas Heritage Foundation
How much does The Thomas Heritage Foundation give each year?
The Thomas Heritage Foundation gave $450K across 10 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $440K across 13 grants.
What is The Thomas Heritage Foundation's typical grant size?
The Thomas Heritage Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $39,000, and its average grant was $45,000, across 10 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Thomas Heritage Foundation that year got $15K on average.
Where does The Thomas Heritage Foundation give grants?
The Thomas Heritage Foundation gives mostly in Texas: 67% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Tennessee (11%) and District of Columbia (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were Dallas, TX (4 grants).
Does The Thomas Heritage Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Thomas Heritage Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (10 of 10) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Thomas Heritage Foundation's largest grantees?
The Thomas Heritage Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Undermain Theatre ($90,000), Cara MIA Theatre CO ($89,000) and Seed Effect ($70,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 55% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Thomas Heritage Foundation?
The Thomas Heritage Foundation reported $11.1M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $458K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $518K (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 Heritage Foundation fund?
The available information does not state the foundation’s own mission. Its 2024 grants went to organizations with varied missions. For example, Undermain Theatre describes its work as producing innovative theater, with particular interest in poetic and language-driven work. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Thomas Heritage Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Thomas Heritage Foundation's EIN?
The Thomas Heritage Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-3810732. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Thomas Heritage 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
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Thomas Heritage Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-thomas-heritage-foundation-morg_d2d115a825e3430eb1a544a8f4b17269
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_203810732_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Thomas Heritage Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-thomas-heritage-foundation-morg_d2d115a825e3430eb1a544a8f4b17269},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 Heritage 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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