The Thiry-O'Leary Foundation is a private family foundation established in September 2012 and based in Denver, Colorado. The foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization with a volunteer leadership team.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
—
Annual Giving
$2.9M
+62.1% YoY
Grant Count
49
+40.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$60K
+15.8% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation focuses on funding initiatives across multiple subject areas, including:
- Education
- Environment and natural resources
- Land resources
- Philanthropy and grantmaking
- Human services
Grantmaking
The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications. Funding is by invitation only.
Grant Range
$10,000
Average Grant
approximately $42,100–$205,000
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation supports projects across multiple U.S. states and cities, including:
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Florida
- Illinois
- Maryland
- Minnesota
- New Jersey
- New York
- North Carolina
- Pennsylvania
- Texas
- Virginia
- Wisconsin
Specific cities supported include Arlington, Boston, and Boulder, among others.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets:
- Total assets: $35.6–$36.8 million (as of most recent filings)
Annual Activity:
- Total giving: $1.8–$2.4 million annually
- Annual expenses: approximately $2.2 million
- Revenue: $592,195–$823,300 annually
- Giving rate: approximately 5.1% of assets
Most Recent Filing: December 2023 (with 2024 data also available)
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | — | — | — |
| Revenue | — | — | — |
| Expenses | — | — | — |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | — | — | — |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
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
213 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Unite America Institute ($609,352), The Nature Conservancy ($302,000), University of Denver ($255,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| UNITE AMERICA INSTITUTE DENVER, CO | SUPPORT AND PROMOTE DEMOCRACY REFORM INITIATIVES ACROSS THE COUNTRY | $609,352 |
| THE NATURE CONSERVANCY ARLINGTON, VA | CONSERVATION OF LANDS AND WATERS | $302,000 |
| UNIVERSITY OF DENVER DENVER, CO | SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS | $255,000 |
| DENVER HYBRID COLLEGE DENVER, CO | SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS | $250,000 |
| GLADSTONE FOUNDATION SAN FRANCISCO, CA | SUPPORTING BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH | $250,000 |
| LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF COLORADO DENVER, CO | PROTECT AND EXPAND VOTING RIGHTS AND REPRESENTATION | $125,000 |
| DSST PUBLIC SCHOOL FUND DENVER, CO | SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS | $100,000 |
| LA RAZA SERVICES DENVER, CO | SUPPORT ESSENTIAL HUMAN SERVICES | $100,000 |
| REPRESENT US EDUCATION FUND FLORENCE, MA | SUPPORT AMERICAN DEMOCRACY | $100,000 |
| STANFORD UNIVERSITY DEVELOPMENT SERVICES STANFORD, CA | DENISE O'LEARY AND KENT THIRY ENDOWED PENDING FUND | $100,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Key personnel include:
- Denise M. O'Leary – President
- Kent J. Thiry – Secretary
- Matthew Thiry – Vice President
- Christina Thiry – Treasurer
All leadership members serve on a voluntary basis without compensation.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| KENT J THIRY | SECRETARY | 5 | — |
| DENISE M O'LEARY | PRESIDENT | 0.25 | — |
| MATTHEW THIRY | VICE PRESIDENT | 0.25 | — |
| CHRISTINA THIRY | TREASURER | 0.25 | — |
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Thiry-o'leary Foundation fund?
The foundation focuses on funding initiatives across multiple subject areas, including: • Education • Environment and natural resources • Land resources • Philanthropy and grantmaking • Human services
How do I apply for a grant from Thiry-o'leary Foundation?
**Grant Activity:** • Total annual giving: approximately $1.8–$2.4 million • Number of grants: 34–58 grants annually (varies by year) • Median grant size: $10,000 • Grant range: $1,000–$400,000 • Average grant size: approximately $42,100–$205,000 **Application Policy:** The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications. Funding is by invitation only.
Where does Thiry-o'leary Foundation make grants?
The foundation supports projects across multiple U.S. states and cities, including: • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Florida • Illinois • Maryland • Minnesota • New Jersey • New York • North Carolina • Pennsylvania • Texas • Virginia • Wisconsin Specific cities supported include Arlington, Boston, and Boulder, among others.
What size grants does Thiry-o'leary Foundation award?
In 2024, Thiry-o'leary Foundation awarded 49 grants totaling $2.9M — an average of about $60K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
What is Thiry-o'leary Foundation's EIN?
Thiry-o'leary Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 45-4059068. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Thiry-o'leary 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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