Thoresen Foundation

CANTON, GA EIN: 36-6102493 Website

The Thoresen Foundation is a private foundation headquartered in Canton, Georgia. Established in 1952 in Chicago, Illinois, the foundation was created to provide contributions to worthy charitable and eleemosynary causes including scientific, educational, medical, and environmental issues. The foundation operates with a small staff of two employees and maintains a discretionary grantmaking approach.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

—

Annual Giving

$1.5M

-36.7% YoY

Grant Count

-27.3% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$46K

-12.9% YoY

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

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation supports higher education, environmental and wildlife conservation, and health-related causes. Primary funding priorities include:

Higher education
Environmental and wildlife conservation
Health associations
Education
Science and STEM education

Grantmaking

The Thoresen Foundation does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation operates on a preselected basis only, with trustees identifying and selecting organizations for operational support on a discretionary basis. There are no formal grant programs with defined application cycles.

Grant Range

$5,000–$300,000

Average Grant

amount: $52,795

How to Apply

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation supports organizations across multiple states, with particular focus on:

North Carolina
California
Mississippi
Florida
Georgia
Arizona

Grant Distribution by State

California $3.6M (54%)

North Carolina $1.6M (23%)

Florida $450K (7%)

Virginia $185K (3%)

Mississippi $160K (2%)

Arizona $153K (2%)

Missouri $150K (2%)

Minnesota $85K (1%)

+9 more states

States

Arizona California Colorado District of Columbia Florida Georgia Hawaii Michigan Minnesota Missouri Mississippi North Carolina New Jersey Nevada South Dakota Tennessee Virginia

Cities

ARLINGTONArlingtonAshevilleAtlantaBANNER ELKBEECH MOUNTAINBOONEBRISBANEBanner ElkBeech MountainBooneBrisbaneCANTONCONCORDConcordDENVERELK PARKElk ParkElyEssex

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Assets & Annual Giving (as of 2024):

Total assets: $39,138,731–$44,000,000
Total annual giving: $1,471,000–$2,500,000
Total revenues (2024): $2,762,817
Total expenses (2024): $1,920,440

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

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

127 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Dolphin Swimming and Boating ($275,000), Parc ($120,000), Appalachian Regional Healthcare System ($100,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
Anne's Kids Inc Newland, NC	Operational Support	$5,000
Appalachian Regional Healthcare System Boone, NC	Operational Support	$100,000
Banner Elk Presbyterian Church Banner Elk, NC	Operational Support	$25,000
The Beech Mountain Community Development Club Elk Park, NC	Operational Support	$20,000
Beech Mtn Historial Soc Beech Mountain, NC	Operational Support	$5,000
Catholic Charities San Fransisco, CA	CYO Aging Adult Services, CYO Athletics, CYO Camp & CYO Treasure Island Child Development	$6,000
Childhelp Inc Scottsdale, AZ	Operational Support	$12,500
Community Youth Center Concord, CA	Operational Support	$50,000
De Paul Youth Club Long Beach, MS	Operational Support	$10,000
Dolphin Swimming and Boating San Francisco, CA	Operational Support	$275,000

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The foundation is managed by two trustees:

Michael Thoresen – Trustee (20 hours/week, $120,000 annual compensation)
Paul O'Connell – Trustee (20 hours/week, $120,000 annual compensation)

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

No officer/director data available.

Contact Information

Address: 2725 Woodridge Chase Canton, GA 30114

Phone: 828-260-5480

Website: thoresenfoundation.com

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Thoresen Foundation fund?

The foundation supports higher education, environmental and wildlife conservation, and health-related causes. Primary funding priorities include: • Higher education • Environmental and wildlife conservation • Health associations • Education • Science and STEM education

How do I apply for a grant from Thoresen Foundation?

**Grant Characteristics:** • Grant range: $5,000–$300,000 • Median grant amount: $22,000 • Average grant amount: $52,795 • Annual number of grants: 32–44 grants per year **Application Process:** The Thoresen Foundation does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation operates on a preselected basis only, with trustees identifying and selecting organizations for operational support on a discretionary basis. There are no formal grant programs with defined application cycles. **Recent Gran…

Where does Thoresen Foundation make grants?

The foundation supports organizations across multiple states, with particular focus on: • North Carolina • California • Mississippi • Florida • Georgia • Arizona