Thurston Foundation

CARMEL, IN EIN: 35-1754670 Website

Thurston Foundation Inc. is a private family foundation established in 1989 and based in Carmel, Indiana. The foundation focuses on philanthropic giving in education, human services, and community development, with a particular emphasis on supporting nonprofits and addressing social needs in the Midwest.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$18.1M

+6.1% YoY

Annual Giving

$743K

-18.5% YoY

Grant Count

+44.4% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$19K

-43.6% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Thurston Foundation reported a distributable amount of $939K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

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

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation's primary funding interests include:

Education
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
Human Services
Food security and hunger relief
Addiction recovery and substance abuse support
Youth services and homeless programming
Special needs programming
Medical care and health services

Grantmaking

The foundation does not accept applications.

Grant Range

$800–$170,000

How to Apply

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation primarily funds organizations in Indiana, Ohio, and North Carolina, with a strong concentration of grants to Indianapolis-based nonprofits.

Grant Distribution by State

Indiana $2.9M (96%)

Ohio $47K (2%)

Kentucky $45K (2%)

Florida $30K (1%)

Iowa $10K (0%)

Pennsylvania $2K (0%)

North Carolina $1K (0%)

States

Florida Iowa Indiana Kentucky North Carolina Ohio Pennsylvania

Cities

BloomingtonBooneCarmelCharlotteColumbusDanvilleFranklinIndianapolisLa GrangeLouisvilleNew WhitelandNorth Palm BeachPhiladelphiaPortageWestfieldWhitelandZionsville

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Total Assets: $18,102,437 (2024)
Total Annual Giving: $743,050 (2024)
EIN: 35-1754670
Tax-Exempt Status: Since July 1989

Historical Giving Trends:

Year	Assets	Total Giving	Number of Grants	Median Grant
2023	$18.1M	$811,000	32	$15,000
2022	$19.2M	$367,000	34	$6,000
2021	$18.4M	$157,000	26	$3,000

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$18,102,437	$17,057,242	$18,073,246
Revenue	$1,979,666	$151,026	$-166,712
Expenses	$935,762	$1,167,155	$979,809
Qualifying Distributions	$801,441	$965,749	$863,835
Net Investment Income	$1,846,848	$343,070	$161,395
Distributable Amount	$939,331	$927,213	$918,689

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

158 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include The Oaks Academy ($150,000), Gleaners ($100,000), Servants at Work ($52,500).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
500 FESTIVAL FOUNDATION INDIANAPOLIS, IN	GENERAL SUPPORT	$2,000
CHILD ADVOCATES INDIANAPOLIS, IN	GENERAL SUPPORT	$10,000
CONCERTS FOR A CAUSE CARMEL, IN	GENERAL SUPPORT	$14,000
DOVE RECOVERY HOUSE INDIANAPOLIS, IN	ADDICTION RECOVERY	$40,000
DREAM ALIVE INDIANAPOLIS, IN	YOUTH PROGRAMING	$10,000
FAMILY PROMISE OF GREATER INDIANAPOLIS INDIANAPOLIS, IN	HOMELESS PROGRAMS	$45,000
GENNESARET FREE CLINICS INDIANAPOLIS, IN	MEDICAL CARE	$40,000
GLEANERS INDIANAPOLIS, IN	HUNGER RELIEF PROGRAMS	$100,000
GOODWILL FOUNDATION OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN INDIANA INDIANAPOLIS, IN	MISSION COACHES AND BARRIER BUSTER FUNDS	$10,000
HOPE ACADEMY INDIANAPOLIS, IN	EDUCATION AND ADDICTION RECOVERY	$15,000

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Marcia Thurston Roberts — President and Registered Agent
Jim Thurston — Director
Tim Thurston — Director

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
MARCIA THURSTON ROBERTS	PRESIDENT	10	$42,000
TIM THURSTON	DIRECTOR	1	—
JIM THURSTON	DIRECTOR	1	$10,000

Contact Information

Address: 5307 Woodfield Drive South, Carmel, IN 46033-8604

Phone: 317-373-1688

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Thurston Foundation fund?

The foundation's primary funding interests include: • Education • Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking • Human Services • Food security and hunger relief • Addiction recovery and substance abuse support • Youth services and homeless programming • Special needs programming • Medical care and health services

How do I apply for a grant from Thurston Foundation?

**Grant Characteristics:** • Total annual giving: $743,050 (2024) • Typical grant range: $800–$170,000 • Median grant size: $15,000 • Number of grants awarded: 32 (2023) **Recent Grant Recipients (2022):** • The Oaks Academy (Education) — $170,000 • Dove Recovery House (Addiction Recovery) — $75,000 • Gleaners (Hunger Relief Programs) — $63,000 • Servants at Work (General Support) — $55,000 • Outreach (Youth Homeless Programming) — $50,000 • Shepherd Community Center (Education) — $35,000 • Gig…

Where does Thurston Foundation make grants?

The foundation primarily funds organizations in Indiana, Ohio, and North Carolina, with a strong concentration of grants to Indianapolis-based nonprofits.

What size grants does Thurston Foundation award?

In 2024, Thurston Foundation awarded 39 grants totaling $743K — an average of about $19K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Thurston Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Thurston Foundation reported a distributable amount of $939K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.