Walter J & Holly O Thomson Charitable
At a glance
Key takeaways
- The foundation's stated geographic focus is California, Santa Barbara County and Central Los Angeles, and it funds California-based qualified public charities, so an organisation outside that area should not apply.
- It does not accept unsolicited requests and limits each organisation to one request in any 12-month period, so approach it only through the Walter J & Holly O. Thomson Foundation Grant Application and Coversheet named in the filing, by the October 31 deadline.
- About 8 in 10 of its grants fall between $25,000 and $50,000, with a median of $30,000, so a request in that range fits, though its largest grant was $200,000 and that band is not a ceiling.
- It states no single funding theme and its grants span arts, education, food, housing, health, animal welfare and environmental work, and 92% of its grant dollars to organisations went to groups it had also funded in earlier filings, so a new applicant should make a strong, well-targeted case and expect existing relationships to count for a good deal.
Overview
Walter J & Holly O Thomson Charitable is a US private foundation administered by its trustee, Bank of America N A, in Dallas, TX.
What they fund
Profile based on the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) only: no website or other web source for the foundation was found. Every statement is checked against the filings. Sources read on 13 October 2026.
Priority Areas
It does not state a single funding theme in the application information. Its grants go to California-based qualified public charities for work in Santa Barbara County and Central Los Angeles. The grant record shows support across arts and cultural organisations, education and youth, food provision, housing and family services, health care, animal welfare and environmental work. Purposes include unrestricted general support as well as specific programmes in youth nature connection, family emergency shelter, music education and services for people with low vision. The foundation limits an organisation to one request within a 12-month period and does not accept unsolicited requests.
Geographic Focus
California; Santa Barbara County; Central Los Angeles.
How to apply
The filing identifies the application as the Walter J & Holly O. Thomson Foundation Grant Application and Coversheet.
Deadlines: Applications are due by October 31.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 92% 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 176 grants to organisations were $30,000 or less.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
- The largest single recipient received 4% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 92% of grant dollars went to organisations Walter J & Holly O Thomson Charitable had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- 3% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 60 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $30,000 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Lobero Theatre Foundation · Unrestricted general$130,0002024 tax year
- Elings Park Foundation · Unrestricted general$100,0002024 tax year
- Wilderness Youth Project · Youth nature connection$100,0002024 tax year
- Santa Barbara Humane Spca · Support for tlc veterinary$60,0002024 tax year
- University of California, Santa Barbara · Sedgwick reserve recovery &$50,0002024 tax year
- Midnight Mission · Unrestricted general$50,0002024 tax year
- Los Angeles Conservancy · Support for last remaining$50,0002024 tax year
- Music Academy of the West · Thomson memorial$50,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- David Anderson — Co-Trustee
- Philip Marking — Co-Trustee
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $3,141,976 | $2,465,000 | $47,707,260 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $2,773,837 | $2,140,000 | $50,247,144 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $2,715,585 | $2,140,000 | $52,327,960 | 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.
Sources
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At a glance
Applying to Walter J & Holly O Thomson Charitable?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (213) 861-5183
- Dallas, TX (office of its trustee, Bank of America N A)
Applying to Walter J & Holly O Thomson Charitable?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (213) 861-5183
- Dallas, TX (office of its trustee, Bank of America N A)