Thornton Family Foundation
The Thornton Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Dallas, Texas. Its 2025 filing reports $160,000 in grants to 16 organizations, including organizations working in environment and nature, children and youth, international relief, faith and spirituality, and health and wellness.
Thornton Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Thornton Family Foundation gave $160K across 16 grants in 2025 (avg $10K), mostly in Texas. 44% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $160,000
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 16
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $10,000
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $2,915,574
- -3.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 44% first-time grantees (7 of 16, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Texas (53% 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 Thornton Family 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: 5500 Preston Road 250, Dallas, TX 75205
Phone: (214) 252-3250
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Thornton Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Giving Tree Acres Community Farm ($30K). Together the top 10 received $130K.
Grant Size Distribution
87 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 87 grants of 87 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, grant dollars went to recipients in Texas (53%), Florida (19%), Minnesota (12%), Tennessee (9%), and Illinois (6%). These figures describe the locations of that year’s recipients.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 16 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Thornton Family Foundation open to new grantees?
44%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 7 of 16 grantees (44%) were first-time recipients. With only 16 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $11K; repeat grants $9K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 38% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+0%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 155% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2021–2025). 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 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $160K (2021) to $160K (2025). In 2025 it made 16 grants totaling $160K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Giving Tree Acres Community Farm Dallas, TX | Environment and Nature | $30,000 |
| Feed My Starving Children Coon Rapids, MN | Children and Youth | $20,000 |
| Matthew 10 International Knoxville, TN | International Relief | $15,000 |
| Bonton Farms Dallas, TX | Community Improvement | $10,000 |
| Tim Tebow Foundation Jacksonville, FL | Human and Sex Trafficking | $10,000 |
| International Generosity Foundation Clearwater, FL | Faith and Spiritual | $10,000 |
| Campus Crusade for Christ Orlando, FL | Faith and Spiritual | $10,000 |
| Decision Point Wheaton, IL | Faith and Spiritual | $10,000 |
| The Dallas Foundation Dallas, TX | Education, Children and Youth, Animals | $10,000 |
| Council for Life Dallas, TX | Health and Wellness | $5,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Thornton 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 | $2,915,574 | $133,412 | $227,129 | $160,000 | 16 | $187,461 | $114,418 | $120,936 |
| 2024 | $3,009,291 | $1,841,226 | $199,258 | $160,000 | 16 | $186,875 | $828,789 | $80,534 |
| 2023 | $1,367,323 | $-65,291 | $199,298 | $160,000 | 20 | $186,876 | $41,625 | $73,015 |
| 2022 | $1,632,961 | $14,843 | $202,709 | $160,000 | 15 | $160,000 | $4,672 | $81,224 |
| 2021 | $1,820,827 | $1,057,971 | $226,264 | $160,000 | 20 | $187,637 | $882,284 | $78,063 |
| 2020 | $989,120 | $989,236 | $116 | — | — | — | $763,091 | $1,722 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Thornton Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $121K 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
The foundation’s filings do not state a mission. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations with varied purposes, including community improvement, education, and efforts related to human and sex trafficking.
Some grantees describe their own work as follows: Feed My Starving Children says it works to address child hunger worldwide; The Dallas Foundation says it brings together people, ideas, and investments in Greater Dallas; and the Tim Tebow Foundation says it aims to bring faith, hope, and love to people in need. Council for Life says it empowers women, men, and youth to make life-affirming choices, while Clayton Dabney for Kids with Cancer says it assists families with children in the final stages of terminal cancer.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 16 grants totaling $160,000. Grants ranged from $5,000 to $30,000, with a median grant of $10,000. Larger awards included $30,000 to Giving Tree Acres Community Farm for environment and nature; $20,000 to Feed My Starving Children for children and youth; and $15,000 to Matthew 10 International for international relief.
Other 2025 grants included $10,000 each to Bonton Farms, Tim Tebow Foundation, International Generosity Foundation, Campus Crusade for Christ, Decision Point, and The Dallas Foundation. Council for Life and Clayton Dabney for Kids with Cancer each received $5,000. Family Gateway also received $5,000 in 2025.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Joe B Thornton Jr as president, treasurer, and director; Terri B Thornton as vice president, secretary, and “DIRECTO”; Richard C Thornton as director; and Katelyn T Shuford as director.
Thornton Family Foundation is led by Joe B. Thornton Jr., President, Treasurer & Director on every filing since 2020; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Joe B. Thornton Jr.
President, Treasurer & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Katelyn T. Shuford
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Richard C. Thornton
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Terri B. Thornton
Vice President, Secretary & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/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 Thornton Family Foundation
How much does Thornton Family Foundation give each year?
Thornton Family Foundation gave $160K across 16 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $160K across 16 grants.
What is Thornton Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Thornton Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $10,000, across 16 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Thornton Family Foundation that year got $11K on average.
Where does Thornton Family Foundation give grants?
Thornton Family Foundation gives mostly in Texas: 53% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Florida (19%) and Minnesota (13%). The most frequent recipient cities were Dallas, TX (8 grants).
Does Thornton Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 16 grants with a stated purpose on Thornton Family Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Faith and Spiritual" (4 grants).
Who are Thornton Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Thornton Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Giving Tree Acres Community Farm ($30,000), Feed My Starving Children ($20,000) and Matthew 10 International ($15,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 41% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Thornton Family Foundation?
Thornton Family Foundation reported $2.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $187K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $121K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Thornton Family Foundation fund?
The foundation’s filings do not state a mission. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations with varied purposes, including community improvement, education, and efforts related to human and sex trafficking. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Thornton Family 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 Thornton Family Foundation's EIN?
Thornton Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 85-1073773. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Thornton 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
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 11, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Thornton Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/thornton-family-foundation-morg_13d62ba3d25445a1aadfdec0b71dad92
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_851073773_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Thornton Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/thornton-family-foundation-morg_13d62ba3d25445a1aadfdec0b71dad92},
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 Thornton 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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