Thompson Family Foundation

Private foundation · EIN 20-6371108 · since 2006thompsonfamilyfoundation.us·International·Updated 13 October 2026

At a glance

$1.3M

Annual giving, 2024 tax year

From the Form 990-PF filing

$50,000 to $1.6M

Grant range

From grants in the 990-PF filings

$221k

Typical grant (median)

4 grants in the latest filing

Invitation only

Unsolicited applications are not accepted

This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.

Key takeaways

The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests and says it works by invitation only, so a cold proposal is unlikely to be considered; start with a warm introduction or an existing relationship instead.
If your work falls within its stated themes of healthcare, education, humanitarian aid and community development, and serves underserved communities with the potential to affect large numbers or broader systems, a short and specific approach is worth making.
Its geographic focus is stated as a priority for globally, so location alone should not be read as a bar.
The median grant in the filings is $150,000, and about 8 in 10 of its 19 grants to organisations fall between $50,000 and $1,600,000, though its largest was $2,000,000, so a request near the median is a sensible starting point.
Its giving has fallen in each of the last three years, from $3,700,000 to $1,291,819, and 30% of its grant dollars in the latest filing went to organisations it had also funded in the two earlier filings, so newcomers should expect a relationship-led process.

Overview

Thompson Family Foundation is a US private foundation based in Irvine, CA.

What they fund

Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.

Priority Areas

The foundation tackles tough social, health and education problems by supporting exceptional leaders, creating its own solutions and building on what works, especially for children and underserved communities. Its work centres on healthcare, education and humanitarian aid, and addresses systemic barriers in health, education and community development. It prioritises underserved groups through strategic partnerships and seeks sustainable, long-term, measurable change. It favours organisations and people whose work can affect large numbers and broader systems, and partners receptive to an engaged relationship grounded in trust and accountability. Its investment-driven approach includes multi-year, organisational and unrestricted grants. It conducts rigorous due diligence and uses data-driven insights to make investments strategic and measurable, while working closely with funded organisations and providing strategic guidance to help initiatives scale.

Themes

Healthcare
Education
Humanitarian Aid
Community Development

Geographic Focus

Priority: Globally.

How to apply

The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests.

Application success factors

Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 30% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 or TY2023 filing.
Grant size: Across its TY2022, TY2023 and TY2024 filings, half of its 19 grants to organisations were $150,000 or less.

What the foundation says:

It favours organisations and people whose work can affect large numbers and broader systems.
It values applicants receptive to an engaged partnership based on trust and accountability.
It seeks to meet the needs of underserved communities and under-resourced groups, and looks for winners whose successes can be repeated.
It measures impact through lives affected, leveraged resources and systems change.
It conducts rigorous due diligence and uses data-driven insights to make strategic, measurable investments.
It values close, engaged partnerships and provides strategic guidance to help initiatives scale.

Where grants go

From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.

Grant dollars by state

New York55%

California34%

Connecticut9%

Illinois1%

Missouri1%

The largest single recipient received 43% of grant dollars to organisations.
In tax year 2024, 30% of grant dollars went to organisations Thompson Family Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
2% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.

Grants

4 grants in the latest filing analysed · median $221k

The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:

Pacific Symphony · General support
$850,0002024 tax year
Free Wheelchair Mission · General support
$391,1422024 tax year
American National Red Cross · General support
$50,0002024 tax year
Save the Children · General support
$6772024 tax year

Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.

Officers and directors

William S Thompson III — Trustee
Donald C Thompson — Director
Jennifer T Lavenson — CFO
Nancy E Thompson — Trustee
William S Thompson — Trustee

From the latest Form 990-PF filing

3 years of tax filings

Year	Total expenses	Grants paid	Assets	Filing document
2022 tax year	$1,419,557	$3,700,000	$69,480,495	Filing for 2022 tax year
2023 tax year	$20,890,979	$3,430,600	$74,154,248	Filing for 2023 tax year
2024 tax year	$636,827	$1,291,819	$79,098,128	Filing for 2024 tax year

Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.