Thierer Family Foundation
The Thierer Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. Its stated mission is to increase the impact of nonprofits working throughout Chicagoland by helping them use technology to become more effective, efficient, and sustainable.
Thierer Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Thierer Family Foundation gave $639K across 13 grants in 2024 (avg $49K), mostly in Illinois. 54% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $638,904
- -11.9% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 13
- -13.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $49,146
- +1.6% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $6,430,192
- -30.1% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 54% first-time grantees (7 of 13, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (97% 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 Thierer Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- Invitation Only
-
The process is by invitation only; the foundation does not accept unsolicited requests. Proposals are invited from potential grantees based on priorities set by the trustees.
- Contact
Mailing address: 351 West Hubbard Street 709, Chicago, IL 60654
Phone: (312) 526-3536
Website: https://thiererfamilyfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Thierer Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Food Access Project ($400K). Together the top 10 received $628K.
Grant Size Distribution
71 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 58 grants of 71 (82%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation describes its mission as serving nonprofits working throughout Chicagoland. Its 2024 grants were concentrated in Illinois; listed recipients were also in Massachusetts, North Carolina, and Arkansas.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Thierer Family Foundation open to new grantees?
54%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 7 of 13 grantees (54%) were first-time recipients. With only 13 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $9K; repeat grants $95K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $30K repeat.
- 46% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 83% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 552% 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 $348K (2021) to $726K (2023). In 2024 it made 13 grants totaling $639K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Food Access Project Chicago, IL | Food & Basic Necessities | $400,000 |
| Sinai Health System Chicago, IL | Healthcare | $102,527 |
| Nourishing Hope Chicago, IL | Food & Basic Necessities | $35,000 |
| Lyric Opera of Chicago Chicago, IL | Arts & Culture Grant | $25,377 |
| Greater Chicago Food Depository Chicago, IL | Annual Support and Prepared Meal Operations | $25,000 |
| Chicago Botanical Gardens Glencoe, IL | General Funding | $15,000 |
| Greenlight Fund Inc Boston, MA | General Funding | $10,000 |
| American Cancer Society Chicago, IL | Luncheon | $5,000 |
| Collaborative Arts Institute of Chicago Chicago, IL | Arts & Culture Grant | $5,000 |
| Little Heroes League Chicago, IL | Food & Basic Necessities | $5,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Thierer Family Foundation?
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 | $6,430,192 | $-1,021,629 | $1,645,376 | $638,904 | 13 | $1,594,894 | $161,271 | $289,053 |
| 2023 | $9,196,491 | $2,165,170 | $2,935,776 | $725,597 | 15 | $2,900,179 | $1,405,309 | $313,822 |
| 2022 | $10,028,904 | $1,606,198 | $2,670,792 | $493,350 | 15 | $2,599,475 | $1,555,364 | $552,094 |
| 2021 | $13,895,340 | $3,079,883 | $1,473,605 | $348,345 | 13 | — | $528,324 | $587,268 |
| 2020 | $11,250,324 | $2,876,209 | $884,570 | $394,355 | 15 | — | $324,926 | $101,896 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Thierer Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $289K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s mission is to help Chicagoland nonprofits leverage technology to increase their effectiveness, efficiency, and sustainability. It says it funds programs that are impactful, innovative, strategic, and sustainable, and that it may provide grantees with time, expertise, and guidance in addition to financial support.
Its focus areas are food insecurity, shelter and human services, and arts and culture. Examples of supported organizations include Food Access Project, which describes its work as using technology to increase access to nutritious food, and Greater Chicago Food Depository, which says its mission is to end hunger. Nourishing Hope says it provides food, mental health support, and social services. In arts and culture, Lyric Opera of Chicago says it serves the Chicago region and the nation through opera and cultural programming.
The foundation also states that it is designing and developing specialized technology to connect food pantries with people in need of food.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 13 grants totaling $638,904. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $400,000, with a median of $10,000. The largest award was $400,000 to Food Access Project for food and basic necessities. Other notable grants included $102,527 to Sinai Health System for healthcare; $35,000 to Nourishing Hope for food and basic necessities; $25,377 to Lyric Opera of Chicago for arts and culture; and $25,000 to Greater Chicago Food Depository for annual support and prepared meal operations.
The foundation uses an invitation-only application process. It invites proposals from potential grantees based on priorities set by its trustees. The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Organizations that believe their work fits its current priorities are directed to inquire about next steps.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Nasrin S. Thierer as president and Mark A. Thierer, Stephanie Thierer, and Jonathon Thierer as officers.
Thierer Family Foundation is led by Nasrin S. Thierer, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 4 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Nasrin S. Thierer
President
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jonathon Thierer
Officer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mark A. Thierer
Officer
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Stephanie Thierer
Officer
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 Thierer Family Foundation
How much does Thierer Family Foundation give each year?
Thierer Family Foundation gave $639K across 13 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $726K across 15 grants.
What is Thierer Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Thierer Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $10,000, and its average grant was $49,146, across 13 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Thierer Family Foundation that year got $9K on average.
Where does Thierer Family Foundation give grants?
Thierer Family Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 97% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (9 grants).
Does Thierer Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 31% of Thierer Family Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (4 of 13) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Food & Basic Necessities" (4 grants).
Who are Thierer Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Thierer Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Food Access Project ($400,000), Sinai Health System ($102,527) and Nourishing Hope ($35,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 84% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Thierer Family Foundation?
Thierer Family Foundation reported $6.4M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.6M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $289K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Thierer Family Foundation fund?
The foundation’s mission is to help Chicagoland nonprofits leverage technology to increase their effectiveness, efficiency, and sustainability. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Thierer Family Foundation?
The process is by invitation only; the foundation does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Thierer Family Foundation's EIN?
Thierer Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 81-0718077. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Thierer 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 September 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). Thierer Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/thierer-family-foundation-morg_e5c6e77ca90b4451b18d64692605c59c
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_810718077_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Thierer Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/thierer-family-foundation-morg_e5c6e77ca90b4451b18d64692605c59c},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Thierer 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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