WB & Candace Thoman Foundation
The WB & Candace Thoman Foundation is a private foundation based in Lansing, Michigan. Its 2025 filing reports 11 grants totaling $141,350, all to recipients in Michigan.
WB & Candace Thoman Foundation at a glance
In short: WB & Candace Thoman Foundation gave $141K across 11 grants in 2025 (avg $13K), mostly in Michigan. 10% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $141,350
- -37.9% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 11
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $12,850
- -37.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $15,000
- Total assets
- $2,242,878
- +8.7% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 10% first-time grantees (1 of 10, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Michigan (100% 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 WB & Candace Thoman Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation’s 2024 filing names Ms Amanda S Witgen as the contact and directs applicants to attached guidelines for forms and materials, deadlines, and award restrictions. The filing says the foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations.
- Contact
Application contact: Ms Amanda S Witgen
Mailing address: 222 North Washington Square, Lansing, MI 48933
Phone: (517) 377-0261
Email: awitgen@honigman.com
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who WB & Candace Thoman Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Big Brothers Big Sisters ($20K). Together the top 10 received $139K.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($2,500), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
46 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 46 grants of 46 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars listed in the foundation’s 2025 filing went to recipients in Michigan.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 11 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is WB & Candace Thoman Foundation open to new grantees?
10%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 1 of 10 grantees (10%) were first-time recipients. With only 10 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 10 points. First grants averaged $13K; repeat grants $14K. How we count
Medians: $13K first-time, $16K repeat.
- 80% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+7%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 108% 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 $35K (2023) to $227K (2024). In 2025 it made 11 grants totaling $141K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Big Brothers Big Sisters Lansing, MI | Increase number of underprivileged children, mentors, & public awareness of mentorship program. | $20,000 |
| Boys Girls Club of Lansing Lansing, MI | Support for Ignite After School Program | $20,000 |
| Capital Area Literacy Coalition Lansing, MI | Support for Read to Succeed Program | $18,000 |
| Happendance Okemos, MI | Arts and Education Programming | $17,500 |
| Mikey 23 Foundation Inc Lansing, MI | New Program: Weapons Court/Paroled Individuals Shed Building Saturday Youth Program | $16,000 |
| Impression 5 Museum Lansing, MI | $10,000 Admission for Lansing STEM/STEAM and Big Science Lesson, $3,000 Membership and L.A.B.S. Scholarships for Thoman Scholars, and $2,000 Programs, Meetings, and Materials for Thoman Scholars and Youth Action Council | $15,000 |
| Holt Junior High School Holt, MI | Funding for School Drama Club for the 2025-2026 school year. | $12,550 |
| Highfields Inc Onondaga, MI | Continuation of Creative Arts Program for residential students at REACH Studio Art Center | $9,800 |
| Reading is Fundamental Lansing RIF Lansing, MI | Purchase books for grades K-12 | $5,000 |
| Women's Center of Greater Lansing Lansing, MI | Ice Cream Consent Workshops delivered to 250 children ages 5-17 | $5,000 |
Ready to take the next step with WB & Candace Thoman 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 | $2,242,878 | $364,557 | $185,815 | $141,350 | 11 | $154,300 | $337,545 | $142,962 |
| 2024 | $2,064,136 | $146,070 | $271,433 | $227,473 | 11 | $241,471 | $120,153 | $138,433 |
| 2023 | $2,189,499 | $93,388 | $74,080 | $34,853 | 3 | $44,759 | $69,259 | $127,633 |
| 2022 | $2,170,191 | $159,744 | $175,455 | $131,533 | 10 | $142,119 | $135,116 | $125,523 |
| 2021 | $2,185,902 | $220,399 | $126,879 | $106,120 | 11 | $97,677 | $195,175 | $133,961 |
| 2020 | $2,092,382 | $37,699 | $87,940 | $59,500 | 5 | — | $39,768 | $110,668 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, WB & Candace Thoman Foundation reported a distributable amount of $143K 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 for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations and programs serving children and youth, including mentoring, literacy, after-school, arts, and STEM/STEAM activities.
Among the grantees, Big Brothers Big Sisters describes its mission as creating and supporting one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth. Happendance says it promotes dance through performances and educational programs and broadens access to dance. Highfields says it provides opportunities for children, youths, families, and others to take greater responsibility for their lives and strengthen relationships. The Women’s Center of Greater Lansing says its mission is to help women achieve their potential and independence.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation gave 11 grants totaling $141,350. Grants ranged from $2,500 to $20,000, with a median grant of $15,000. Notable awards included $20,000 to Big Brothers Big Sisters for increasing the number of underprivileged children and mentors and raising public awareness of its mentoring program; $20,000 to Boys Girls Club of Lansing for its Ignite After School Program; $18,000 to Capital Area Literacy Coalition for its Read to Succeed Program; and $17,500 to Happendance for arts and education programming.
Other 2025 grants included $16,000 to Mikey 23 Foundation Inc for a new program; $15,000 to Impression 5 Museum for admissions, scholarships, programs, meetings, and materials; $12,550 to Holt Junior High School for its drama club; $9,800 to Highfields for continuation of a creative arts program; $5,000 to Reading is Fundamental Lansing RIF for books; $5,000 to the Women’s Center of Greater Lansing for consent workshops; and $2,500 to MI State University College of Musi for music therapy camp and student assistance.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Frederick M Baker Jr as president, Claudia Remenar as treasurer, Melik Brown as secretary, and Rita Proctor Canady, Steven L Lonzo, and Kevin Schumacher as trustees.
WB & Candace Thoman Foundation is led by Frederick M Baker Jr., President on every filing since 2020; none of the 6 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Frederick M Baker Jr.
President
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Rita Proctor Canady
Trustee
On filings since 2022
No compensation reported
Steven L Lonzo
Trustee
On filings since 2022
No compensation reported
Kevin Schumacher
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
No compensation reported
Claudia Remenar
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Melik Brown
Secretary
Trustee → Secretary, 2025
On filings since 2024
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Helen Pratt Mickens (2020–2024) — Secretary
- Former: Kathleen F LaForgia (2020–2021) — 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 WB & Candace Thoman Foundation
How much does WB & Candace Thoman Foundation give each year?
WB & Candace Thoman Foundation gave $141K across 11 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $227K across 11 grants.
What is WB & Candace Thoman Foundation's typical grant size?
WB & Candace Thoman Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $15,000, and its average grant was $12,850, across 11 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from WB & Candace Thoman Foundation that year got $13K on average.
Where does WB & Candace Thoman Foundation give grants?
WB & Candace Thoman Foundation gives mostly in Michigan: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Lansing, MI (7 grants).
Does WB & Candace Thoman Foundation give general operating support?
Occasionally: 9% of WB & Candace Thoman Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (1 of 11) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are WB & Candace Thoman Foundation's largest grantees?
WB & Candace Thoman Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Big Brothers Big Sisters ($20,000), Boys Girls Club of Lansing ($20,000) and Capital Area Literacy Coalition ($18,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($2,500), which are not listed by name. Together they received 41% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is WB & Candace Thoman Foundation?
WB & Candace Thoman Foundation reported $2.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $154K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $143K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does WB & Candace Thoman Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations and programs serving children and youth, including mentoring, literacy, after-school, arts, and STEM/STEAM activities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from WB & Candace Thoman Foundation?
The foundation’s 2024 filing names Ms Amanda S Witgen as the contact and directs applicants to attached guidelines for forms and materials, deadlines, and award restrictions. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is WB & Candace Thoman Foundation's EIN?
WB & Candace Thoman Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-7029842. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
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 April 5, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS March 29, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 12, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 2, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS March 4, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 9, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). WB & Candace Thoman Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 25, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/wb-and-candace-thoman-foundation-morg_19673cd0dbfe4a6c8c614c806aefb840
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_237029842_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{WB \& Candace Thoman Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/wb-and-candace-thoman-foundation-morg_19673cd0dbfe4a6c8c614c806aefb840},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-25. 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 WB & Candace Thoman 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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