Thorne Family Foundation
The Thorne Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Wilmette, Illinois. Its 2025 filing lists grants for scholarships, community support, hospice care, and other charitable purposes, with recipients in Wisconsin, Georgia, California, and Minnesota.
Thorne Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Thorne Family Foundation gave $68K across 15 grants in 2025 (avg $5K), mostly in Wisconsin. 64% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $68,050
- +36.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 15
- +114.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $4,537
- -36.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,500
- Total assets
- $1,053,836
- -3.3% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 64% first-time grantees (9 of 14, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Wisconsin (59% 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 Thorne Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. No application process or required materials are specified.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1215 Cleveland St, Wilmette, IL 60091
Phone: (847) 845-5520
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Thorne Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Messiah Lutheran Church ($16K). Together the top 10 received $58K.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($10,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
71 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 71 grants of 71 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 59% of grant dollars went to recipients in Wisconsin, 23% to Georgia, 15% to California, and 4% to Minnesota.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 15 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Thorne Family Foundation open to new grantees?
64%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 9 of 14 grantees (64%) were first-time recipients. With only 14 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $7K. How we count
Medians: $150 first-time, $6K repeat.
- 29% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+2%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 110% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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 $16K (2021) to $68K (2025). In 2025 it made 15 grants totaling $68K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Messiah Lutheran Church Savannah, GA | Provide financial support for the community to participate in religious activities. | $15,500 |
| Trevor Project Inc West Hollywood, CA | Provide Financial Support | $10,000 |
| University of Wisconsin Foundation DBA WI Foundation and Alumni Association Madison, WI | Provide Financial Support | $10,000 |
| 1 individual scholarship Recipients not named | — | $10,000 |
| Sharon S Richardson Community Hospice Sheboygan Falls, WI | Provide financial support for individuals and their families who are utilizing hospice care. | $6,000 |
| Sheboygan Senior Community Sheboygan, WI | Provide Financial Support | $5,500 |
| University of Wisconsin Madison School of Business Madison, WI | Provide Financial Support for Scholoraships | $4,000 |
| University of Minnesota-Duluth Duluth, MN | Provide Financial Support for Scholarships | $2,500 |
| Milwaukee School of Engineering Milwaukee, WI | Provide Financial Support for Scholarships | $2,000 |
| Univ of Madison & Nolan Bunnell - Evelyn Thorne Scholarship Madison, WI | Provide Financial Support for Scholarships | $2,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Thorne 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1,053,836 | $36,207 | $71,009 | $68,050 | 15 | $69,516 | $34,662 | $63,159 |
| 2024 | $1,089,357 | $27,860 | $56,434 | $50,000 | 7 | $51,312 | $33,679 | $61,667 |
| 2023 | $1,117,212 | $164,609 | $51,228 | $47,840 | 15 | $48,940 | $163,321 | $53,213 |
| 2022 | $1,003,831 | $52,652 | $69,164 | $66,987 | 19 | $68,037 | $51,525 | $54,533 |
| 2021 | $1,020,305 | $70,401 | $17,917 | $15,975 | 15 | $17,917 | $70,401 | $54,691 |
| 2020 | $966,188 | $37,086 | $64,930 | $63,229 | 25 | — | $37,086 | $46,779 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Thorne Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $63K 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 foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grants included scholarship support for educational institutions, support for hospice care and community organizations, and a contribution to the Trevor Project.
The grantees describe their own work as follows: the Trevor Project says its mission is to end suicide among LGBTQ and questioning young people. Sheboygan Senior Community says it raises and maintains gifts for its general support. Milwaukee School of Engineering describes itself as a nonprofit, nonsectarian university offering undergraduate and graduate education in engineering, business, mathematics, and nursing. Camp Evergreen says it provides accessible respite care, day services, after-school care, and summer camp for people with cognitive and other disabilities and their families and care-providers in the greater Sheboygan area.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation awarded 15 grants totaling $68,050. Grant amounts ranged from $100 to $15,500, with a median of $2,500.
Among its largest reported grants were $15,500 to Messiah Lutheran Church for community participation in religious activities; $10,000 each to the Trevor Project and the University of Wisconsin Foundation; and $10,000 to an individual recipient for scholarships. Other grants included $6,000 to Sharon S. Richardson Community Hospice, $5,500 to Sheboygan Senior Community, and $4,000 to the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Business for scholarships.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Norrita O. Thorne, Jeffrey L. Thorne, and Michele H. Thorne as trustees.
Thorne Family Foundation's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Jeffrey L. Thorne
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Michele H. Thorne
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Norrita O. Thorne
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Gerald M. Thorne (2020–2024) — Trustee
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 Thorne Family Foundation
How much does Thorne Family Foundation give each year?
Thorne Family Foundation gave $68K across 15 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $50K across 7 grants.
What is Thorne Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Thorne Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $2,500, and its average grant was $4,537, across 15 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Thorne Family Foundation that year got $3K on average.
Where does Thorne Family Foundation give grants?
Thorne Family Foundation gives mostly in Wisconsin: 59% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Georgia (23%) and California (15%). The most frequent recipient cities were Madison, WI (3 grants), Sheboygan, WI (3 grants) and Savannah, GA (2 grants).
Does Thorne Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 15 grants with a stated purpose on Thorne Family Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Provide Financial Support" (6 grants) and "Provide Financial Support for Scholarships" (4 grants).
Who are Thorne Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Thorne Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Messiah Lutheran Church ($15,500), Trevor Project Inc ($10,000) and University of Wisconsin Foundation DBA WI Foundation and Alumni Association ($10,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($10,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 52% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Thorne Family Foundation?
Thorne Family Foundation reported $1.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $70K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $63K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Thorne Family Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grants included scholarship support for educational institutions, support for hospice care and community organizations, and a contribution to the Trevor Project. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Thorne Family Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Thorne Family Foundation's EIN?
Thorne Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 39-1869184. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Thorne 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
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 17, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 13, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS June 12, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 8, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS October 31, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 5, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Thorne Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/thorne-family-foundation-morg_6fa8f2de060245c5b70c4610c09fc045
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_391869184_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Thorne Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/thorne-family-foundation-morg_6fa8f2de060245c5b70c4610c09fc045},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. 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 Thorne 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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