Thomas B Earle Foundation
The Thomas B Earle Foundation is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. In its 2025 filing, it reported 21 grants totaling $55,935, all to recipients in Wisconsin, and stated that it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations.
Thomas B Earle Foundation at a glance
In short: Thomas B Earle Foundation gave $56K across 21 grants in 2025 (avg $3K), mostly in Wisconsin. 14% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $55,935
- -3.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 21
- +5.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $2,664
- -8.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,000
- Total assets
- $1,402,752
- -1.4% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 14% first-time grantees (3 of 21, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Wisconsin (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Thomas B Earle Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 803878, Chicago, 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 Thomas B Earle Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Boys & Girls Clubs ($10K). Together the top 10 received $43K.
Grant Size Distribution
113 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 113 grants of 113 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars reported for 2025 went to recipients in Wisconsin.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 21 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Thomas B Earle Foundation open to new grantees?
14%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 3 of 21 grantees (14%) were first-time recipients. With only 21 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $3K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $2K repeat.
- 67% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 27% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 89% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $56K (2025) to $77K (2022). In 2025 it made 21 grants totaling $56K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Boys & Girls Clubs Tomah, WI | To Purchase New Roof | $10,000 |
| Tomah Area School District Tomah, WI | General Support | $6,512 |
| Handishop Industries Inc Tomah, WI | General Support | $5,000 |
| Neighbor to Neighbor Inc Tomah, WI | General Support | $4,000 |
| Bluff and Ridge Equine Assisted Kendall, WI | General Support | $3,560 |
| Goodwill of North Central Wisconsin Menasha, WI | General Support | $3,500 |
| Big Brothers Big Sister of the 7 Rivers La Crosse, WI | General Support | $3,000 |
| Families First of Monroe Tomah, WI | General Support | $2,500 |
| Family Promise of the Great Rivers Inc Sparta, WI | General Support | $2,500 |
| Lighthouse Assembly of God Tomah, WI | General Support | $2,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Thomas B Earle 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1,402,752 | $56,103 | $75,959 | $55,935 | 21 | $68,393 | $49,043 | $76,715 |
| 2024 | $1,422,721 | $74,945 | $79,139 | $57,910 | 20 | $70,871 | $64,911 | $74,418 |
| 2023 | $1,426,799 | $53,805 | $88,752 | $68,026 | 19 | $80,279 | $45,798 | $70,433 |
| 2022 | $1,462,005 | $32,109 | $103,922 | $77,014 | 26 | $89,897 | $30,345 | $72,971 |
| 2021 | $1,533,839 | $268,120 | $77,873 | $58,836 | 27 | $69,432 | $259,790 | $79,683 |
| 2020 | $1,343,607 | $41,902 | $79,515 | $56,374 | 22 | — | $32,923 | $73,207 |
| 2019 | $1,381,236 | $67,466 | $98,100 | $73,116 | 24 | — | $61,707 | $75,582 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Thomas B Earle Foundation reported a distributable amount of $77K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants went to organizations whose stated missions include supporting people with disabilities, assisting families experiencing homelessness or low income, empowering adults who nurture children, addressing needs of veterans and people at risk of homelessness, promoting the arts, and preserving local history. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not a stated mission of the foundation.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 21 grants totaling $55,935. Grants ranged from $500 to $10,000, with a median of $2,000.
Among the largest reported grants were $10,000 to Boys & Girls Clubs (Tomah, Wisconsin) for a new roof; $6,512 to Tomah Area School District for general support; $5,000 to Handishop Industries Inc. for general support; and $4,000 to Neighbor to Neighbor Inc. for general support. Other reported awards included $3,560 to Bluff and Ridge Equine Assisted, $3,500 to Goodwill of North Central Wisconsin, $3,000 to Big Brothers Big Sister of the 7 Rivers, and $2,500 each to Families First of Monroe and Family Promise of the Great Rivers Inc.
Additional 2025 recipients included The Parenting Place Inc. ($2,000), Veterans Assistance Foundation Inc. ($1,838), Area Community Theater Inc. ($1,000), and Tomah Area Historical Society Inc. ($525). Handishop Industries says it provides supervised employment, work activity, day services, and transportation to disabled individuals. Family Promise of the Great Rivers says it helps homeless and low-income families work toward sustainable independence. The Parenting Place describes its mission as supporting and empowering adults who nurture thriving children.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Northern Trust Company as trustee.
Thomas B Earle Foundation's only listed officer is Northern Trust Company, Trustee on every filing since 2021 (compensated).
Officers on the 2025 filing
Northern Trust Company
Trustee
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$12K (2021) → $18K (2025)
Former officers (1)
- Former: The Northern Trust Company (2019–2020) — Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $18K, to Northern Trust Company (Trustee).
Frequently asked questions about Thomas B Earle Foundation
How much does Thomas B Earle Foundation give each year?
Thomas B Earle Foundation gave $56K across 21 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $58K across 20 grants.
What is Thomas B Earle Foundation's typical grant size?
Thomas B Earle Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $2,000, and its average grant was $2,664, across 21 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Thomas B Earle Foundation that year got $3K on average.
Where does Thomas B Earle Foundation give grants?
Thomas B Earle Foundation gives mostly in Wisconsin: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Tomah, WI (16 grants).
Does Thomas B Earle Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 95% of Thomas B Earle Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (20 of 21) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Thomas B Earle Foundation's largest grantees?
Thomas B Earle Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Boys & Girls Clubs ($10,000), Tomah Area School District ($6,512) and Handishop Industries Inc ($5,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 38% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Thomas B Earle Foundation?
Thomas B Earle Foundation reported $1.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $68K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $77K (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.
What does Thomas B Earle Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Thomas B Earle Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Thomas B Earle Foundation's EIN?
Thomas B Earle Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 59-6784786. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Thomas B Earle 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
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS April 27, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 8, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Thomas B Earle Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/thomas-b-earle-foundation-morg_cc76c4fabc1448de8b5160bbce60408b
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_596784786_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Thomas B Earle Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/thomas-b-earle-foundation-morg_cc76c4fabc1448de8b5160bbce60408b},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 Thomas B Earle 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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