Tom Joyner Foundation Inc
Tom Joyner Foundation Inc is a public charity based in Dallas, Texas, that supports historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) through scholarships and related educational programming. Its 2024 filing reports grants to colleges and universities for student scholarships.
Tom Joyner Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Tom Joyner Foundation Inc gave $377K across 17 grants in 2024 (avg $22K), top state North Carolina. 25% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $376,830
- -38.1% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 17
- +88.9% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $22,166
- -67.3% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $20,000
- Total assets
- $6,055,793
- -19.0% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 25% first-time grantees (3 of 12, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- North Carolina (38% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Tom Joyner Foundation Inc
- Contact
Mailing address: 4848 Lemmon Ave Ste 100 330, Dallas, TX 75219
Phone: (972) 371-5893
Website: https://tomjoynerfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Tom Joyner Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Howard University ($57K). Together the top 10 received $219K.
Organizations only. It also paid 4 individual scholarships ($138,048), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
129 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 117 grants of 129 (91%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 grant dollars were distributed among recipients in these states and jurisdictions: An individual recipient, 38%; Washington, D.C., 22%; Maryland, 9%; an individual recipient, 7%; and Alabama, 6%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 17 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Tom Joyner Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
25%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 3 of 12 grantees (25%) were first-time recipients. With only 12 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $12K; repeat grants $20K. How we count
Medians: $6K first-time, $15K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2024). 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 2019 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $171K (2022) to $1.1M (2019). In 2024 it made 17 grants totaling $377K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Howard University Washington, DC | Education Scholarship | $56,952 |
| 4 individual scholarships Recipients not named | — | $138,048 |
| Baltimore Sports Tourdevcouncil Baltimore, MD | Education Scholarship | $25,000 |
| Natl Museum of Afamculture Washington, DC | Education Scholarship | $25,000 |
| Tuskegee University Tuskegee, AL | Education Scholarship | $23,590 |
| Bennett College Greensboro, NC | Education Scholarship | $20,000 |
| Texas Southern University Houston, TX | Education Scholarship | $20,000 |
| Johnson C Smith University Charlotte, NC | Education Scholarship | $15,000 |
| Lincoln University of PA Lincoln, PA | Education Scholarship | $15,000 |
| Bowie State University Bowie, MD | Education Scholarship | $10,500 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $6,055,793 | $846,422 | $662,104 | $376,830 | 17 | $64,181 |
| 2023 | $7,476,302 | $1,510,111 | $898,347 | $609,256 | 9 | $10,690 |
| 2022 | $8,539,724 | $87,304 | $447,605 | $171,289 | 8 | $-29,026 |
| 2021 | $2,720,829 | $601,783 | $887,360 | $589,129 | 83 | $51,250 |
| 2020 | $3,828,671 | $138,847 | $998,053 | $526,947 | 12 | $2,867 |
| 2019 | $8,109,418 | $2,527,467 | $1,992,456 | $1,072,607 | 23 | $8,091 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s 2024 filing describes its mission as administering educational and scholarship programs for students enrolled in HBCUs. Its website says its mission is to provide programming initiatives and partnerships in support of HBCUs and their communities, with goals that include scholarships, academic opportunities, capacity building, marketing, and stronger ties between HBCUs and their communities.
The foundation’s 2024 filing says it awarded more than 100 scholarships to students attending 83 different HBCUs. It also says each participating HBCU signs a contract requiring grants sent to the school to be used exclusively for student scholarships. The website says scholarship funds are given to colleges or universities for distribution, rather than awarded directly to individuals.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation made 17 grants totaling $376,830. Grants ranged from $5,048 to $56,952, with a median grant of $20,000. All listed grants were for education scholarships.
Largest reported grants included Howard University ($56,952), an individual recipient Central University ($56,500), an individual recipient State University ($51,500), Baltimore Sports Tourdevcouncil ($25,000), an individual recipient A&T State University ($25,000), the National Museum of African American Culture ($25,000), and Tuskegee University ($23,590).
Other reported recipients included Bennett College ($20,000), Texas Southern University ($20,000), Johnson C. Smith University ($15,000), Lincoln University of Pennsylvania ($15,000), and Bowie State University ($10,500). Among additional 2024 recipients, Dillard University received $8,200, Hampton University $7,240, Clark Atlanta University $6,352, and an individual recipient State University $5,048.
The grantees’ own descriptions include an individual recipient Central University Foundation’s stated aim of promoting higher education in an individual recipient and at an individual recipient Central University; Tuskegee University’s aim of providing postsecondary educational opportunities and contributing to society through research and development; and Bennett College’s aim of educating women for scholarship, leadership, and lifelong learning.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Thomas Joyner as president and CEO; Royce West as secretary; Kathleen Parsons as CFO and treasurer; and Julia Atherton, Thomas Kalahar, Reginald Weaver, and Allison Joyner as directors.
Tom Joyner Foundation Inc is led by Thomas Joyner, President & CEO since 2020 (on filings since 2019); 1 of 7 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Thomas Joyner
President & CEO
Chairman → President & CEO, 2020
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Allison Joyner
Director
On filings since 2019
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Julia Atherton
Director
On filings since 2019
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Reginald Weaver
Director
On filings since 2019
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Thomas Kalahar
Director
On filings since 2019
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kathleen Parsons
CFO & Treasurer
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$68K (2019) → $137K (2024)
Royce West
Secretary
On filings since 2019
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Danielle Joyner (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Thomas Joyner Jr. (2019) — President & CEO
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $137K, to Kathleen Parsons (CFO/Treasurer).
Frequently asked questions about Tom Joyner Foundation Inc
How much does Tom Joyner Foundation Inc give each year?
Tom Joyner Foundation Inc gave $377K across 17 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $609K across 9 grants.
What is Tom Joyner Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Tom Joyner Foundation Inc's median grant in 2024 was $20,000, and its average grant was $22,166, across 17 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Tom Joyner Foundation Inc that year got $12K on average.
Where does Tom Joyner Foundation Inc give grants?
Tom Joyner Foundation Inc's top state is North Carolina, with 38% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were District of Columbia (22%) and Maryland (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (2 grants) and New Orleans, LA (2 grants).
Does Tom Joyner Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 17 grants with a stated purpose on Tom Joyner Foundation Inc's 2024 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Education Scholarship" (17 grants).
Who are Tom Joyner Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Tom Joyner Foundation Inc's largest 2024 grantees include Howard University ($56,952), Baltimore Sports Tourdevcouncil ($25,000) and Natl Museum of Afamculture ($25,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. It also paid 4 individual scholarships ($138,048), which are not listed by name. Together they received 28% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Tom Joyner Foundation Inc?
Tom Joyner Foundation Inc reported $6.1M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $846K.
What does Tom Joyner Foundation Inc fund?
The foundation’s 2024 filing describes its mission as administering educational and scholarship programs for students enrolled in HBCUs. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Tom Joyner Foundation Inc?
Tom Joyner Foundation Inc has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check tomjoynerfoundation.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Tom Joyner Foundation Inc's EIN?
Tom Joyner Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 75-2730557. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2024.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS September 1, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS September 1, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS September 1, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS August 30, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 11, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS October 7, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Tom Joyner Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/tom-joyner-foundation-inc-morg_8add8661bf7b462d92dca364cc770fa5
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_752730557_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Tom Joyner Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/tom-joyner-foundation-inc-morg_8add8661bf7b462d92dca364cc770fa5},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. 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 Tom Joyner Foundation Inc'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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