The Thorson Foundation

Private foundation · Grantmaker Po Box Chi, IL EIN: 36-6051916

The Thorson Foundation is a private foundation based in Illinois. Its 2024 filing reports one grant of $161,000 to a recipient listed as “SEE ATTACHED SCHEDULE,” for general support.

The Thorson Foundation at a glance

In short: The Thorson Foundation gave $161K across 1 grant in 2024 (avg $161K), mostly in Illinois. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.

Annual giving (2024)
$161,000
+1.6% vs 2023
Grants made (2024)
1
-98.1% vs 2023
Average grant
$161,000
+5182.0% vs 2023
Median grant
$161,000
Total assets
$2,342,771
+1.4% vs 2023
Primary geography
Illinois (100% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
Latest 990 filing
Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026.

How to apply to The Thorson Foundation

Accepts unsolicited proposals
No
How to Apply

The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.

Contact

Mailing address: The Northern Trust Company, PO Box Chi, IL 60680
Phone: (312) 630-6000

Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Who The Thorson Foundation funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Grant Size Distribution

56 grants across all recorded years

52<$50K$50–100K4$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 52 grants of 56 (93%).

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

All grant dollars reported for 2024 went to recipients in Illinois.

Grant Distribution by State

15states

Share of the 2024 grant dollars on its one itemized grant.

Cities

BostonChicagoVero BeachBronxNew YorkTopsfieldWashingtonAnnandaleBaltimoreColumbusDanversDedhamDurhamEvanstonFairfieldFalls ChurchFleischmannsGlencoeIpswichJersey City

How The Thorson Foundation gives

  • Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+6%). Method
  • In 2024 it paid out 96% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method

From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.

Giving History

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$50K$100K$150K$200K1 grant2020 1 grant2021 1 grant2022 52 grants2023 1 grant2024

From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $145K (2020) to $177K (2022). In 2024 it made 1 grant totaling $161K.

Grants by year

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
See Attached Schedule See Attached Schedule, ILGeneral Support$161,000
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Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Figures from IRS filings, by filing year
Filing yearTotal AssetsRevenueExpensesGrants paidGrantsQualifying DistributionsNet Investment IncomeDistributable Amount
2024$2,342,771$242,867$200,796$161,0001$180,447$222,518$188,759
2023$2,311,258$102,829$195,902$158,50052$175,705$88,335$171,562
2022$2,395,500$284,441$214,036$176,5001$194,228$268,602$170,729
2021$2,325,529$200,895$190,800$152,5001$171,351$182,453$192,670
2020$2,315,857$145,472$177,738$144,8001—$129,790$168,661

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Thorson Foundation reported a distributable amount of $189K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.

Grantmaking

The foundation reported giving $161,000 through one grant in 2024. The grant was listed as “SEE ATTACHED SCHEDULE” and designated for general support. The recipient’s identity is not provided here.

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2024 filing lists Donald Thorson as secretary/treasurer, Dana DeAngelis as president, and Andrew Foord as trustee.

The Thorson Foundation is led by Dana Deangelis, President on every filing since 2020; 1 of 3 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.

Officers on the 2024 filing

  • Dana Deangelis

    President

    On filings since 2020

    30 hrs/week

    $4K (2020) → $4K (2024)

  • Andrew Foord

    Trustee

    On filings since 2020

    3 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Donald Thorson

    Secretary & Treasurer

    Trustee → Secretary & Treasurer, 2023

    On filings since 2020

    3 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

Former officers (2)
  • Former: John C. Goodall Jr. (2020–2022) — Director
  • Former: John Goodall III (2020–2022) — Secretary & Treasurer

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.

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

Dana Deangelis — President: $4KDana DeangelisPresident$4K

The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $4K, to Dana Deangelis (President).

Frequently asked questions about The Thorson Foundation

How much does The Thorson Foundation give each year?

The Thorson Foundation gave $161K across 1 grant in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $159K across 52 grants.

How large is The Thorson Foundation?

The Thorson Foundation reported $2.3M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $180K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $189K (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.

How do I apply for a grant from The Thorson Foundation?

The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑

Where does The Thorson Foundation make grants?

All grant dollars reported for 2024 went to recipients in Illinois.

What is The Thorson Foundation's EIN?

The Thorson Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-6051916. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.

Does The Thorson 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

(6)

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 12, 2021)
  2. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS June 13, 2022)
  3. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS October 6, 2023)
  4. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS October 10, 2024)
  5. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 12, 2025)
  6. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

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The filing figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0. About GrantGraph Open

Figures come from The Thorson 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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