Thomas O Brown Foundation
The Thomas O Brown Foundation is a private foundation based in Warrenville, Illinois. In its 2025 filing, it reported grants to organizations working on national park preservation, land conservation, and related conservation efforts.
Thomas O Brown Foundation at a glance
In short: Thomas O Brown Foundation gave $261K across 11 grants in 2025 (avg $24K), top state Montana. 9% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $261,000
- +4.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 11
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $23,727
- +4.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $25,000
- Total assets
- $5,819,297
- +1.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 9% first-time grantees (1 of 11, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Montana (34% 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 O Brown 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: 28W521 Woodlawn Ave, Warrenville, IL 60555
Phone: (630) 745-0616
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Thomas O Brown Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Glacier National Park Conservancy ($60K). Together the top 10 received $260K.
Grant Size Distribution
61 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 56 grants of 61 (92%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, the largest shares of grant dollars went to organizations in Montana (34%), Washington, DC (21%), Wyoming (11%), Wisconsin (10%), and Idaho (10%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 11 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Thomas O Brown Foundation open to new grantees?
9%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 1 of 11 grantees (9%) were first-time recipients. With only 11 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 9 points. First grants averaged $25K; repeat grants $24K. How we count
Medians: $25K first-time, $25K repeat.
- 91% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−6%). Method
- In 2025 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
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $250K (2024) to $287K (2020). In 2025 it made 11 grants totaling $261K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Glacier National Park Conservancy Columbia Falls, MT | Preservation of Park Lands | $60,000 |
| Grand Teton National Park Foundation Moose, WY | Park Preservation | $30,000 |
| Greater Yellowstone Coalition Bozeman, MT | Preservation of Land/Wildlife | $30,000 |
| Public Land Alliance Washington, DC | National Parks Preservation | $30,000 |
| Friends of Whitefish Dunes State Park Sturgeon Bay, WI | Conservation and Promotion of Whitefish Dunes State Park. | $25,000 |
| National Parks Conservation Association Washington, DC | Preservation of Land/Wildlife | $25,000 |
| Palouse Land Trust Moscow, ID | Land Conservation of the Palouse Region | $25,000 |
| Rocky Mountain Conservancy Estes Park, CO | National Parks Preservation | $20,000 |
| Washington's National Park Fund Seattle, WA | Preservation of mt. Rainier, north cascades, and olympic national parks | $10,000 |
| Tart Trails Traverse City, MI | Enrich the traverse region by providing a network of trails, bikeways, and pedestrian ways | $5,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Thomas O Brown 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 | $5,819,297 | $354,120 | $282,361 | $261,000 | 11 | $277,753 | $353,342 | $288,913 |
| 2024 | $5,747,538 | $75,206 | $271,161 | $249,500 | 11 | $266,612 | $275,569 | $278,009 |
| 2023 | $5,943,493 | $125,311 | $282,666 | $262,500 | 13 | $278,564 | $272,262 | $266,161 |
| 2022 | $6,100,848 | $181,721 | $307,172 | $279,000 | 14 | $301,910 | $265,246 | $278,707 |
| 2021 | $6,226,299 | $298,476 | $281,822 | $266,000 | 12 | $279,041 | $297,467 | $301,888 |
| 2020 | $6,209,645 | $272,114 | $295,264 | $287,000 | 14 | — | $271,402 | $279,095 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Thomas O Brown Foundation reported a distributable amount of $289K 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 included support for national parks, wildlife and land preservation, a regional land trust, a state park, and trail and bikeway development.
The grantees describe their own work in conservation terms. Glacier National Park Conservancy says it works to preserve and protect Glacier National Park; Greater Yellowstone Coalition says it works to protect the lands, waters, and wildlife of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem; and Palouse Land Trust says it works with landowners and communities to conserve land and strengthen connections to the natural world. National Parks Conservation Association describes its mission as protecting America’s national parks, while Rocky Mountain Conservancy says it promotes stewardship of Rocky Mountain National Park and similar lands through education and philanthropy.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 11 grants totaling $261,000. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $60,000, with a median grant of $25,000. Notable grants included $60,000 to Glacier National Park Conservancy for preservation of park lands; $30,000 each to Grand Teton National Park Foundation for park preservation, Greater Yellowstone Coalition for land and wildlife preservation, and Public Land Alliance for national parks preservation; and $25,000 each to Friends of Whitefish Dunes State Park, National Parks Conservation Association, and Palouse Land Trust.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists James G Salsbury as president, Lysa H Salsbury as vice president, Thomas L Salsbury as treasurer, and Katherine M Salsbury as secretary.
Thomas O Brown Foundation is led by James G. Salsbury, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
James G. Salsbury
President
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Katherine M. Salsbury
Secretary
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lysa H. Salsbury
Vice President
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Thomas L. Salsbury
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 Thomas O Brown Foundation
How much does Thomas O Brown Foundation give each year?
Thomas O Brown Foundation gave $261K across 11 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $250K across 11 grants.
What is Thomas O Brown Foundation's typical grant size?
Thomas O Brown Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $25,000, and its average grant was $23,727, across 11 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Thomas O Brown Foundation that year got $25K on average.
Where does Thomas O Brown Foundation give grants?
Thomas O Brown Foundation's top state is Montana, with 34% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were District of Columbia (21%) and Wyoming (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (2 grants).
Does Thomas O Brown Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 11 grants with a stated purpose on Thomas O Brown Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "National Parks Preservation" (3 grants).
Who are Thomas O Brown Foundation's largest grantees?
Thomas O Brown Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Glacier National Park Conservancy ($60,000), Grand Teton National Park Foundation ($30,000) and Greater Yellowstone Coalition ($30,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 46% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Thomas O Brown Foundation?
Thomas O Brown Foundation reported $5.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $278K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $289K (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 O Brown Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for national parks, wildlife and land preservation, a regional land trust, a state park, and trail and bikeway development. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Thomas O Brown 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 O Brown Foundation's EIN?
Thomas O Brown Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 22-3894171. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Thomas O Brown 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
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 14, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Thomas O Brown Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/thomas-o-brown-foundation-morg_814889f215c5484390a447f20d960e97
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_223894171_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Thomas O Brown Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/thomas-o-brown-foundation-morg_814889f215c5484390a447f20d960e97},
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 Thomas O Brown 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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