The Thorne Cox Family Foundation
The Thorne Cox Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Boston, Massachusetts. It made 19 grants totaling $572,149 in filing year 2024, with awards listed for charitable organizations in several states.
The Thorne Cox Family Foundation at a glance
In short: The Thorne Cox Family Foundation gave $572K across 19 grants in 2024 (avg $30K), top state Rhode Island. 37% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $572,149
- -21.3% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 19
- -9.5% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $30,113
- -13.0% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $4,293,422
- +7.5% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 37% first-time grantees (7 of 19, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Rhode Island (34% 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 Thorne Cox Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations. Its filing describes a letter stating the grant’s purpose and the organization’s IRS exemption as the requested materials. Awards are available only to public charities qualifying under Section 501(c)(3).
- Contact
Application contact: Dune Thorne
Mailing address: 100 High Street 27Th Floor, Boston, MA 02110
Phone: (617) 717-6373
Email: dthorne@brownadvisory.com
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Thorne Cox Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Avenue Concept Inc ($195K). Together the top 10 received $541K.
Grant Size Distribution
95 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 76 grants of 95 (80%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In filing year 2024, grant dollars were distributed among recipients in Rhode Island (34%), Massachusetts (27%), Maine (22%), New Hampshire (9%), and Washington, DC (5%). The filing also lists a $5,000 grant to Imagine North Carolina First in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 19 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Thorne Cox Family Foundation open to new grantees?
37%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 7 of 19 grantees (37%) were first-time recipients. With only 19 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $18K; repeat grants $37K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $8K repeat.
- 53% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 76% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 194% 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 $325K (2021) to $915K (2022). In 2024 it made 19 grants totaling $572K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Avenue Concept Inc Providence, RI | Operations budget assistance | $195,000 |
| Bay Chamber Concerts Inc Rockport, ME | Operations budget assistance | $100,000 |
| Trustees of Dartmouth College Hanover, NH | Operations budget assistance | $50,000 |
| Middlesex School Concord, MA | Operations budget assistance | $50,000 |
| United States Ski and Snowboard Association Boston, MA | Operations budget assistance | $45,000 |
| National Debutante Cotillion Foundation Inc Washington, DC | Operations budget assistance | $31,200 |
| Boston Impact Initiative Jamaica Plain, MA | Operations budget assistance | $25,000 |
| Milton Academy Milton, MA | Operations budget assistance | $25,000 |
| Maine Public Broadcasting Corp Lewiston, ME | Operations budget assistance | $10,000 |
| Presidents and Fellows of Harvard Cambridge, MA | Operations budget assistance | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Thorne Cox Family Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
The foundation reported 19 grants in 2024 and 21 grants in each of 2023 and 2022.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $4,293,422 | $572,654 | $655,528 | $572,149 | 19 | $572,414 | $868,835 | $295,295 |
| 2023 | $3,992,700 | $877,368 | $786,791 | $727,000 | 21 | $728,835 | $731,460 | $234,876 |
| 2022 | $3,900,526 | $841,839 | $990,325 | $915,000 | 21 | $920,626 | $313,723 | $169,281 |
| 2021 | $4,768,791 | $968,682 | $384,713 | $324,528 | 18 | $325,845 | $913,072 | $216,584 |
| 2020 | $4,196,209 | $844,463 | $462,078 | $429,414 | 16 | — | $1,038,178 | $147,366 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Thorne Cox Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $295K 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 foundation’s own mission is not stated in the available information. Its 2024 grants included organizations whose stated work spans public art, music and arts education, schools, higher education and research, public broadcasting, and a library and art museum.
For example, The Avenue Concept describes its mission as bringing sustainable public art to Rhode Island and supporting artists and public art education. Bay Chamber Concerts says it works to transform lives through music programs, music education, and community outreach. Middlesex School describes its work as helping students develop through intellectual, physical, creative, and ethical education. These are the grantees’ descriptions of their missions, not the foundation’s.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation reported 19 grants totaling $572,149. Awards ranged from $1,000 to $195,000, with a median grant of $10,000. The listed grant purposes were operations budget assistance.
The largest listed awards were $195,000 to The Avenue Concept Inc., $100,000 to Bay Chamber Concerts Inc., $50,000 each to Trustees of Dartmouth College and Middlesex School, and $45,000 to United States Ski and Snowboard Association. Other listed awards included $31,200 to National Debutante Cotillion Foundation Inc.; $25,000 each to Boston Impact Initiative and Milton Academy; and $10,000 each to Maine Public Broadcasting Corp and Presidents and Fellows of Harvard.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Brinkley Thorne as president, Mazie L Cox as vice president, Yarrow Thorne as secretary, and Dune Thorne as treasurer.
The Thorne Cox Family Foundation is led by Brinkley Thorne, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 4 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Brinkley Thorne
President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Dune Thorne
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mazie L Cox
Vice President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Yarrow Thorne
Secretary
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 Thorne Cox Family Foundation
How much does The Thorne Cox Family Foundation give each year?
The Thorne Cox Family Foundation gave $572K across 19 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $727K across 21 grants.
What is The Thorne Cox Family Foundation's typical grant size?
The Thorne Cox Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $10,000, and its average grant was $30,113, across 19 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Thorne Cox Family Foundation that year got $18K on average.
Where does The Thorne Cox Family Foundation give grants?
The Thorne Cox Family Foundation's top state is Rhode Island, with 34% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Massachusetts (27%) and Maine (22%). The most frequent recipient cities were Rockport, ME (2 grants) and Rockland, ME (2 grants).
Does The Thorne Cox Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 19 grants with a stated purpose on The Thorne Cox Family Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Operations budget assistance" (19 grants).
Who are The Thorne Cox Family Foundation's largest grantees?
The Thorne Cox Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Avenue Concept Inc ($195,000), Bay Chamber Concerts Inc ($100,000) and Trustees of Dartmouth College ($50,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 60% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Thorne Cox Family Foundation?
The Thorne Cox Family Foundation reported $4.3M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $572K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $295K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Thorne Cox Family Foundation fund?
The foundation’s own mission is not stated in the available information. Its 2024 grants included organizations whose stated work spans public art, music and arts education, schools, higher education and research, public broadcasting, and a library and art museum. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Thorne Cox Family Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Thorne Cox Family Foundation's EIN?
The Thorne Cox Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 46-4274950. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Thorne Cox Family 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 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 Thorne Cox Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 9, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-thorne-cox-family-foundation-morg_04da821d6bb24777bc35eb8e34c9ce1e
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_464274950_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Thorne Cox Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-thorne-cox-family-foundation-morg_04da821d6bb24777bc35eb8e34c9ce1e},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-09. 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 Thorne Cox Family 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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