Thurston Charitable Foundation
Thurston Charitable Foundation is a private foundation based in Milton, Washington. Its 2025 grants supported charitable organizations in Washington and other states, including organizations involved in education, the arts, environmental education, health care, and human services.
Thurston Charitable Foundation at a glance
In short: Thurston Charitable Foundation gave $282K across 89 grants in 2025 (avg $3K), top state Washington. 24% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $282,000
- +3.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 89
- -7.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $3,169
- +11.8% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,000
- Total assets
- $4,326,944
- +2.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 24% first-time grantees (21 of 87, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Washington (32% 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 Thurston Charitable Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: C/O Sfinley PO Box 430, Milton, WA 98354
Phone: (253) 952-2992
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Thurston Charitable Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Culver Education Foundation ($16K). Together the top 10 received $114K.
Grant Size Distribution
440 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 440 grants of 440 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, Washington received 32% of grant dollars, California 27%, Idaho 15%, Pennsylvania 6%, and Indiana 6%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 89 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Thurston Charitable Foundation open to new grantees?
24%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 21 of 87 grantees (24%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $3K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $2K repeat.
- 67% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+4%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 91% 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 $224K (2020) to $296K (2023). In 2025 it made 89 grants totaling $282K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Culver Education Foundation Culver, IN | Charitable | $16,000 |
| Browns Valley Family Club Napa, CA | Charitable | $15,000 |
| Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Cen Seattle, WA | Charitable | $15,000 |
| Sawtooth Botanical Garden Inc Sun Valley, ID | Charitable | $12,000 |
| Kirkland Arts Center Kirkland, WA | Charitable | $10,000 |
| Trailing of the Sheep Festival Hailey, ID | Charitable | $10,000 |
| Childf Evangelism Fellowship Spanis Los Angeles, CA | Charitable | $9,500 |
| Seattle Children's Hospital Foundat Seattle, WA | Charitable | $7,500 |
| House of Yahweh Lawndale, CA | Charitable | $7,000 |
| Love Inc South Bay San Pedro, CA | Charitable | $7,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Thurston Charitable 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 | $4,326,944 | $436,276 | $348,881 | $282,000 | 89 | $286,298 | $380,693 | $313,321 |
| 2024 | $4,237,856 | $503,647 | $328,086 | $272,000 | 96 | $276,093 | $451,654 | $286,707 |
| 2023 | $4,062,381 | $186,101 | $359,328 | $296,000 | 97 | $299,838 | $132,611 | $276,063 |
| 2022 | $4,236,501 | $433,646 | $346,375 | $272,000 | 79 | $275,833 | $370,104 | $299,836 |
| 2021 | $4,149,230 | $587,938 | $296,559 | $228,000 | 79 | — | $531,760 | $275,574 |
| 2020 | $3,857,851 | $456,075 | $287,932 | $224,000 | 72 | — | $407,635 | $232,271 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Thurston Charitable Foundation reported a distributable amount of $313K 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 is provided. The foundation’s 2025 grantees include organizations with varied missions. Browns Valley Family Club says it provides resources that enrich children and promote academic growth and achievement. Sawtooth Botanical Garden describes its work as connecting people to high-altitude plants and fostering environmental stewardship through education and other activities. Kirkland Arts Center says it cultivates arts experiences and creative engagement. House of Yahweh says it serves people and families facing economic hardship by providing food, clothing, and support. Girls on the Run Napa & Solano says it uses movement and an experience-based curriculum to support girls’ social, emotional, and physical health.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 89 grants totaling $282,000. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $16,000, with a median of $2,000. Notable grants included $16,000 to Culver Education Foundation, $15,000 each to Browns Valley Family Club and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, $12,000 to Sawtooth Botanical Garden, and $10,000 each to Kirkland Arts Center and Trailing of the Sheep Festival.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Susan E. Thurston as president, Sherrie Tossell as vice president, Veronique Thurston as secretary, Severt W. Thurston Jr. as treasurer, and Steven A. Finley as assistant secretary-treasurer.
Thurston Charitable Foundation is led by Susan E. Thurston, President since 2023 (on filings since 2020); none of the 5 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Susan E. Thurston
President
President → Vice President, 2022
Vice President → President, 2023
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Severt W. Thurston Jr.
Treasurer
Secretary → President, 2022
President → Treasurer, 2023
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Sherrie Tossell
Vice President
Vice President → Sec-Treas, 2022
Sec-Treas → Vice President, 2023
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Steven A. Finley
Assistant Sec-Treas
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Veronique Thurston
Secretary
On filings since 2023
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Robert H. Thurston (2020–2021) — Treasurer
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 Thurston Charitable Foundation
How much does Thurston Charitable Foundation give each year?
Thurston Charitable Foundation gave $282K across 89 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $272K across 96 grants.
What is Thurston Charitable Foundation's typical grant size?
Thurston Charitable Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $2,000, and its average grant was $3,169, across 89 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Thurston Charitable Foundation that year got $3K on average.
Where does Thurston Charitable Foundation give grants?
Thurston Charitable Foundation's top state is Washington, with 32% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were California (27%) and Idaho (15%). The most frequent recipient cities were Seattle, WA (15 grants), Bellevue, WA (12 grants), Sun Valley, ID (5 grants) and Philadelphia, PA (5 grants).
Does Thurston Charitable Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 89 grants with a stated purpose on Thurston Charitable Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable" (86 grants).
Who are Thurston Charitable Foundation's largest grantees?
Thurston Charitable Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Culver Education Foundation ($16,000), Browns Valley Family Club ($15,000) and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Cen ($15,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 16% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Thurston Charitable Foundation?
Thurston Charitable Foundation reported $4.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $286K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $313K (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 Thurston Charitable Foundation fund?
No mission statement is provided. The foundation’s 2025 grantees include organizations with varied missions. Browns Valley Family Club says it provides resources that enrich children and promote academic growth and achievement. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Thurston Charitable Foundation?
The foundation 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 Thurston Charitable Foundation's EIN?
Thurston Charitable Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 91-6055032. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Thurston Charitable 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
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS April 30, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 10, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 2, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 8, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 8, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 7, 2026)
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Thurston Charitable Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Thurston Charitable Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/thurston-charitable-foundation-morg_fafe1b3b4afa428b9047688ea35a8f47
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_916055032_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Thurston Charitable Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/thurston-charitable-foundation-morg_fafe1b3b4afa428b9047688ea35a8f47},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. 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 Thurston Charitable 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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