The Thoracic Foundation
The Thoracic Surgery Foundation (TSF) is a nonprofit charitable organization headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, founded in 1988. TSF serves as the charitable arm of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons and operates as a 501(c)(3) organization. The foundation fosters the development of surgeon scientists in cardiothoracic surgery, working to increase knowledge and innovation that benefits patient care. TSF supports research, education, innovation, and humanitarian outreach programs aimed at advancing heart and lung health.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$5.4M
+1.2% YoY
Annual Giving
$523K
+10.1% YoY
Grant Count
20
+25.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$26K
-11.9% YoY
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.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Thoracic Surgery Foundation is committed to improving care for patients with heart and lung disease through support for research, education, innovation, and humanitarian outreach.
The foundation's primary program areas include:
Research Awards — Funds clinical, applied, and data-focused research across all disciplines of cardiothoracic surgery. Most awards are granted for two-year terms and undergo rigorous, NIH-style review and selection processes administered by expert surgeon scientists.
Education Awards — Provides short-term traveling fellowship experiences for surgeons across all cardiothoracic surgery disciplines to learn specific surgical techniques from experts in their fields. Awardees bring new expertise back to their home institutions to improve regional patient care.
Surgical Outreach Programs — Supports humanitarian initiatives and surgical outreach efforts.
Every Heartbeat Matters Awards — Provides support for programs that educate, screen, and treat underserved populations to reduce the global burden of heart valve disease and other related initiatives.
Grantmaking
In 2024, TSF awarded 126 total awards across its programs:
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
TSF funds surgeon scientists and programs nationally and internationally, with a focus on advancing cardiothoracic surgery across all regions.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Fiscal Year 2024:
- Total revenues: $3,052,190
- Total expenses: $1,992,015
- Total assets: $11,401,896
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $5,376,544 | $5,311,864 | $5,805,994 |
| Revenue | $746,280 | $126,290 | $908,624 |
| Expenses | $677,086 | $623,015 | $621,193 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $523,448 | $475,446 | $442,540 |
| Net Investment Income | $599,693 | — | $907,802 |
| Distributable Amount | $425,983 | $444,911 | $457,824 |
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
83 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Migrant Clinician Network ($50,000), Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids ($35,000), Compassion & Choices ($35,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Action on Smoking and Health(ASH) Washington, DC | General funding for non-smokers rights | $5,000 |
| 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 |
| Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids Washington, DC | Advocacy program - Take Down Tobacco | $25,000 |
| Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids Washington, DC | Accountability program - Protecting Kids | $35,000 |
| Children's Hospital 300 Longwood Ave Boston MA 02215 Boston, MA | Asthma Program-Ms. Klements program | $30,000 |
| Children's Wisconsin Foundation Milwaukee, WI | Support for Vaping project | $25,000 |
| 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 |
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hilary Worthen | Trustee | 0.5 | — |
| Edward R Martin | Trustee | 3 | — |
| Patricia Shepard | Trustee | 0.5 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
TSF announced its 2024 and 2025 award recipients, celebrating the surgeons and programs selected to receive support. The foundation continues to expand its grantmaking to support research and education programs in cardiothoracic surgery, with awards designed to boost surgeon careers and improve patient outcomes.
TSF Celebrates its 2024 Thoracic Surgery Foundation Award RecipientsFrequently Asked Questions
What does The Thoracic Foundation fund?
The Thoracic Surgery Foundation is committed to improving care for patients with heart and lung disease through support for research, education, innovation, and humanitarian outreach. The foundation's primary program areas include: **Research Awards** — Funds clinical, applied, and data-focused research across all disciplines of cardiothoracic surgery. Most awards are granted for two-year terms and undergo rigorous, NIH-style review and selection processes administered by expert surgeon scienti…
How do I apply for a grant from The Thoracic Foundation?
In 2024, TSF awarded 126 total awards across its programs: • 12 research awards • 44 education awards • 109 surgical outreach awards (partially described in sources) • 7 Every Heartbeat Matters Awards The foundation administers a rigorous, peer-reviewed selection process for research awards. Education awards support traveling fellowships that enable surgeons to gain specialized training and bring that expertise back to their institutions.
Where does The Thoracic Foundation make grants?
TSF funds surgeon scientists and programs nationally and internationally, with a focus on advancing cardiothoracic surgery across all regions.
What size grants does The Thoracic Foundation award?
In 2024, The Thoracic Foundation awarded 20 grants totaling $523K — an average of about $26K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is The Thoracic Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Thoracic Foundation reported a distributable amount of $426K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
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.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Thoracic 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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