The WC and EJ Thornton Foundation is a private foundation based in Denver, Colorado, established in 2021. As a 501(c)(3) organization, it operates with no employees and focuses on advancing arts and education while supporting underrepresented youth populations.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$5.2M
+67.4% YoY
Annual Giving
$278K
+14.0% YoY
Grant Count
30
-34.8% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$9K
+74.9% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's mission is threefold:
- To advance the arts and education
- To provide support to youth in underrepresented populations who demonstrate ability but lack resources to excel
- To provide grants to other charitable organizations designated by the foundation
Primary funding areas include:
- Education and scholarships
- Arts and arts education
- Education support and mentoring
- Music education
- Support for high-achieving, underfunded youth
Grantmaking
The foundation has been a donor to Bold.org since March 2021, with 10 contributions totaling $150,130 and supporting 180 scholarship winners.
Grant Range
& Range:**
Average Grant
amount varies by program area ($1,000–$14,431)
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation funds organizations and individuals across multiple states, including:
- Colorado (primary location)
- Texas
- Maine
- Arkansas
- Illinois
- Minnesota
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- South Dakota
- Virginia
- Washington
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets & Revenue:
- Total assets: $5,220,440 (2025)
- Total revenue: $1,131,121 (2025)
- Total expenses: $298,572 (2025)
Giving Rate:
- Annual giving rate: 8.5%
- Total giving (2024): $243,481
The foundation notes that increases in stock value allow it to continue supporting arts and education initiatives for an extended period as available funds grow.
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $5,220,440 | $3,117,986 | $2,595,879 |
| Revenue | $1,131,121 | $50,892 | $58,309 |
| Expenses | $298,572 | $260,939 | $211,938 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $277,660 | $243,481 | $195,292 |
| Net Investment Income | — | — | — |
| Distributable Amount | $200,498 | $148,229 | $119,481 |
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 2025
Grant Size Distribution
137 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Christine Thornton - Executive Director (part-time, 10 hours per week, compensation: $16,683)
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
From 2025 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christine Thornton | Exec Dir | 10 | $20,190 |
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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