The Thoracic Foundation
The Thoracic Foundation is a private foundation based in Boston, Massachusetts. Its 2024 filing reports grants to organizations working in areas including respiratory health, cancer research, tobacco prevention, health care, and community services.
The Thoracic Foundation at a glance
In short: The Thoracic Foundation gave $523K across 20 grants in 2024 (avg $26K), mostly in Massachusetts. 35% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $523,448
- +10.1% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 20
- +25.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $26,172
- -11.9% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $25,000
- Total assets
- $5,376,544
- +1.2% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 35% first-time grantees (6 of 17, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (52% 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 Thoracic Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The filing lists the application form and materials as open, with no award restrictions. It states that there are no deadlines.
- Contact
Application contact: Edward R Martin Trustee
Mailing address: 160 Federal Street 20Th Floor, Boston, MA 02110
Phone: (617) 951-2777
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Thoracic Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Dana Farber Cancer Institute ($70K across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $410K.
Grant Size Distribution
83 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 79 grants of 83 (95%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 52% of grant dollars went to recipients in Massachusetts, 12% to recipients in the District of Columbia, 10% to Texas, 7% to Colorado, and 5% to Wisconsin.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 20 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Thoracic Foundation open to new grantees?
35%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 6 of 17 grantees (35%) were first-time recipients. With only 17 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $18K; repeat grants $38K. How we count
Medians: $20K first-time, $30K repeat.
- 65% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+6%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 123% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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 $389K (2020) to $523K (2024). In 2024 it made 20 grants totaling $523K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Migrant Clinician Network Austin, TX | Assisting with TB issues with migrant workers | $50,000 |
| Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids Washington, DC | Accountability program - Protecting Kids | $35,000 |
| Compassion & Choices Denver, CO | General purpose | $35,000 |
| Dana Farber Cancer Institute Brookline, MA | Dr. Janne's research on therapeutic targeting of drug induced persister cells | $35,000 |
| Dana Farber Cancer Institute Brookline, MA | Dr. David Barbie Research sensitizing small cell lung cancer to immune checkpoint blockade by restoring neoantigen displayEducation | $35,000 |
| Children's Hospital 300 Longwood Ave Boston MA 02215 Boston, MA | Dr. Carla Kim research | $35,000 |
| Children's Hospital 300 Longwood Ave Boston MA 02215 Boston, MA | Asthma Program-Ms. Klements program | $30,000 |
| Southcoast Hospital 101 Page Street New Bedford MA 02740 New Bedford, MA | Breathe Free program | $30,000 |
| Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America Needham Heights, MA | Asthma Education and Awareness | $25,000 |
| Boston Community Pediatrics Boston, MA | To assist with Covid-19 vaccine education and counseling. | $25,000 |
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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 | $5,376,544 | $746,280 | $677,086 | $523,448 | 20 | $523,448 | $599,693 | $425,983 |
| 2023 | $5,311,864 | $126,290 | $623,015 | $475,446 | 16 | $475,446 | — | $444,911 |
| 2022 | $5,805,994 | $908,624 | $621,193 | $442,540 | 15 | $442,540 | $907,802 | $457,824 |
| 2021 | $5,510,090 | $1,071,358 | $661,375 | $494,355 | 17 | $494,355 | $1,071,358 | $567,058 |
| 2020 | $5,107,955 | $448,518 | $549,607 | $389,000 | 15 | — | $290,754 | $425,540 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Thoracic Foundation reported a distributable amount of $426K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The available information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2024 grants included support for research, health education and awareness, advocacy, and clinical or community health programs.
Some 2024 grantees describe their work as follows: the Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America says it works to control and ultimately eradicate asthma and allergic diseases through education, public awareness, and research support. Health Resources in Action says it partners with individuals, organizations, and communities to improve health and advance equity. Boston Community Pediatrics says it provides pediatric and related health care to Boston-area residents, with an approach that addresses social determinants of health. These are descriptions of the grantees’ work, not stated priorities of the foundation.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 20 grants totaling $523,448. Grants ranged from $5,000 to $50,000, with a median grant of $25,000. Among the largest were $50,000 to Migrant Clinician Network for assistance with tuberculosis issues affecting migrant workers; $35,000 to Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids for its “Protecting Kids” accountability program; and $35,000 to Compassion & Choices for general purposes. The foundation also awarded two $35,000 grants to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute for lung cancer research.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Hilary Worthen, Edward R Martin, and Patricia Shepard as trustees.
The Thoracic Foundation's 2024 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Hilary Worthen
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Patricia Shepard
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Edward R Martin
Trustee
On filings since 2023
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Bradley R Cook (2020–2022) — Trustee
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 Thoracic Foundation
How much does The Thoracic Foundation give each year?
The Thoracic Foundation gave $523K across 20 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $475K across 16 grants.
What is The Thoracic Foundation's typical grant size?
The Thoracic Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $25,000, and its average grant was $26,172, across 20 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Thoracic Foundation that year got $18K on average.
Where does The Thoracic Foundation give grants?
The Thoracic Foundation gives mostly in Massachusetts: 52% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were District of Columbia (12%) and Texas (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Boston, MA (5 grants), Washington, DC (3 grants) and Brookline, MA (2 grants).
Does The Thoracic Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 10% of The Thoracic Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (2 of 20) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Thoracic Foundation's largest grantees?
The Thoracic Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Dana Farber Cancer Institute ($70,000 across 2 grants), Children's Hospital 300 Longwood Ave Boston MA 02215 ($65,000 across 2 grants) and Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids ($60,000 across 2 grants), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 37% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Thoracic Foundation?
The Thoracic Foundation reported $5.4M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $523K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $426K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Thoracic Foundation fund?
The available information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2024 grants included support for research, health education and awareness, advocacy, and clinical or community health programs. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Thoracic Foundation?
The filing lists the application form and materials as open, with no award restrictions. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Thoracic Foundation's EIN?
The Thoracic Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-2226641. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 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 Thoracic Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-thoracic-foundation-morg_c0b00918ccf24c18995fccffed989965
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_042226641_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Thoracic Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-thoracic-foundation-morg_c0b00918ccf24c18995fccffed989965},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. 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 Thoracic 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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