The Thomasson Foundation
The Thomasson Foundation is a private foundation based in Indianapolis, Indiana. The foundation was created in 1992 by Jeffrey and Benita Thomasson and focuses on supporting education, philanthropy, voluntarism, and human services.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$167K
-46.7% YoY
Annual Giving
$389K
+5.4% YoY
Grant Count
34
-2.9% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$11K
+8.5% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's primary funding areas include:
- Education
- Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
- Human Services
The foundation demonstrates a particular commitment to supporting socially conscious students and community service initiatives.
Grantmaking
The foundation supports the Thomasson Fellowship program at Indiana University's Kelley School of Business, now in its fourth year as of 2026. Each Thomasson Fellow receives an annual scholarship during their four years at the Kelley School in recognition of their work with the Kelley Institute for Social Impact. The program recognizes socially conscious undergraduate students from Indiana who are committed to community service and social impact.
Average Grant
amount and median grant amount data are available but specific figures are not detailed in the sources
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation's grantmaking focuses primarily on:
- Indiana
- Illinois
- Ohio
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of Most Recent IRS 990 Filing (2023):
- Total Assets: $312,159
- Total Giving: $369,347
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $166,521 | $312,159 | $378,397 |
| Revenue | $249,019 | $311,503 | $647,042 |
| Expenses | $394,657 | $377,741 | $382,020 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $394,598 | $373,748 | $380,159 |
| Net Investment Income | $24,530 | $99,201 | $195,156 |
| Distributable Amount | $9,896 | $13,424 | $12,443 |
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
170 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Founders:
- Jeffrey Thomasson
- Benita Thomasson
Jeffrey H. Thomasson also serves as Secretary of the Jerry L and Barbara J Burris Foundation Inc.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| JEFFREY THOMASSON | PRES./TREAS./SECRT./DIRECT | 1 | — |
| BENITA THOMASSON | VP/DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| BRITTANY THOMASSON PITTMAN | VP | — | — |
| J ELLIOTT THOMASSON | VP | — | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The Thomasson Fellowship program at Indiana University's Kelley School of Business announced its fourth class of fellows in 2026. The inaugural class of Thomasson Scholars was announced in January 2023, with five Indiana freshmen direct admit students selected based on their commitment to community service and social impact. The first class of Thomasson Fellows is set to graduate in spring 2026.
Kelley School announces inaugural Thomasson Scholars, socially conscious\Related Funders
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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