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Dave Thomas Foundation For Adoption

Annual Giving
$26.7M
Grant Range
$65K - $0.2M

Dave Thomas Foundation For Adoption

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $26,671,479 (2024)
  • Total Awards: 135 grants (2024)
  • Average Grant: ~$197,566
  • Typical Recruiter Grant: Up to $65,000
  • Total Assets: $50,123,644 (2019)
  • Geographic Focus: All 50 U.S. states, D.C., Puerto Rico, and Canada
  • Charity Ratings: 4-Star Charity Navigator (99% score), CharityWatch Top-Rated, BBB Accredited

Contact Details

Address: 716 Mt. Airyshire Blvd, Suite 100, Columbus, Ohio 43235

Phone: (614) 764-3100 or 1-800-275-3832 (toll-free)

Email: info@davethomasfoundation.org

Website: www.davethomasfoundation.org

Overview

Founded in 1992 by Wendy's founder Dave Thomas (who was himself adopted), the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption is the only public nonprofit charity in the United States focused exclusively on foster care adoption. With total assets exceeding $50 million and annual giving of approximately $26.7 million (2024), the Foundation has facilitated more than 15,500 adoptions through its signature Wendy's Wonderful Kids program. The Foundation's mission is to dramatically increase the number of adoptions of children waiting in North America's foster care systems, with a particular focus on the hardest-to-place children: older youth (ages 9+), children with special needs, and sibling groups. The Foundation is supported by The Wendy's Company, which raised $22.6 million for the Foundation in 2024 through Frosty campaigns and other initiatives. The Foundation holds prestigious ratings including 4-star Charity Navigator status with a 99% score, demonstrating strong financial stewardship with fundraising costs at only 5% of related contributions.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Wendy's Wonderful Kids Program Grants: Up to $65,000 per recruiter The Foundation's signature program provides grants to public and private adoption agencies to hire and train adoption professionals (recruiters) who implement an evidence-based, child-focused recruitment model. Currently supporting 525+ recruiters across nearly all 50 states, D.C., Puerto Rico, and Canada. The program focuses on children most at risk of aging out of foster care—older youth (91% of children served are over age 8, with nearly 90% over age 14), children with special needs, and sibling groups who have been in care the longest (87% had minimal or no prior recruitment efforts). Rigorous five-year evaluation by Child Trends found children served are up to 3x more likely to be adopted compared to standard approaches.

Strategic National Grants: Grant amounts vary Awarded to adoption agencies and organizations that advance the Foundation's mission through specialized foster care and adoption community support, post-permanency services, critical child welfare awareness, research, and policy enhancements.

Post-Adoption Support Grants: Grant amounts vary Testing post-adoption support efforts in seven states, building bridges between families formed through Wendy's Wonderful Kids and community-based post-adoption services. Example: Adoptive and Foster Family Coalition of New York (AFFCNY) received a grant in 2023 to expand their AGAPE program to all families formed through Wendy's Wonderful Kids in New York State.

Priority Areas

  • Foster care adoption recruitment for older youth (ages 9+)
  • Children with special needs
  • Sibling groups waiting for adoption together
  • Post-adoption and post-permanency support services
  • Child welfare awareness campaigns
  • Research on evidence-based adoption practices
  • Policy enhancements that improve foster care adoption systems
  • Organizations with national impact or plans for national replication

What They Don't Fund

  • Individual adoption assistance (grants go to agencies, not prospective adoptive families)
  • Programs unrelated to foster care adoption
  • General child welfare programs not focused on permanency through adoption
  • Organizations serving only single beneficiaries

Current Strategic Expansion

Phase two (2021-2026) focuses on deepening impact in existing states while scaling to at least 10 more states, including Alabama, Delaware, Georgia, Indiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Texas, Vermont, and West Virginia. To date, 19 states have scaled or are currently scaling the program with 580+ recruiters. A $200 million commitment from major charitable foundations supports this 12-year scaling initiative.

Governance and Leadership

Board of Trustees

Officers:

  • Rob Geen (Chair) - Child Welfare Consultant
  • Kris Kaffenbarger (Vice Chair) - SVP Business Development, The Wendy's Company
  • Michael O'Malley (Secretary) - President, Wendy's of Bowling Green
  • Rich Krumholz (Treasurer) - Managing Partner, Delight Restaurant Group

Board Members: Julie Bieszczat, Laura Butrico, Rasheeda Clark, Eric Daly, Pamela Farber, Jelani Freeman, Jhonny Mercado, Blair Miller, Scott L. Moeschberger (Ph.D., Psychology Professor at Taylor University), Sean Niklas (President & CEO, Saren Restaurants, Inc.), M. Coley O'Brien, Laura Radel, Carlos Ribas, Terry Stigdon, Pete Suerken, Wendy Thomas, Michael Welch (CEO and President, Tirebuyer.com), and Tamika Williams

Ex Officio: Rita Soronen - President & CEO

Senior Leadership Team

  • Rita Soronen - President & CEO (30+ years advocating for vulnerable children, national speaker and advisor)
  • Jill Crumbacher - Senior VP, Marketing & Development
  • Melinda Haggerty - Senior VP, General Counsel
  • Jennifer Justice - Senior VP, Program and Business Development
  • Heather Miller - Senior VP, Human Resources
  • Chip Spires - Senior VP, CFO

Foundation Philosophy

Founder Dave Thomas stated: "These children are not someone else's responsibility. They are our responsibility."

The Foundation's core beliefs:

  1. Every child deserves a safe, loving and permanent family
  2. No child should linger in foster care or leave the system without a permanent family
  3. Every child is adoptable

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption does not have a publicly advertised rolling application process or published RFP cycles. Grant opportunities appear to be strategic and relationship-based, particularly for the Wendy's Wonderful Kids program expansion into new states and scaling efforts.

For Wendy's Wonderful Kids Program:

  • The Foundation establishes co-investment partnerships with states and provinces to scale the program
  • Current expansion focuses on scaling states (Alabama, Delaware, Georgia, Indiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Texas, Vermont, West Virginia)
  • Agencies should contact the Foundation directly to explore partnership opportunities in their state

For Strategic National Grants:

  • Application process not publicly detailed on website
  • Organizations should contact the Foundation directly at info@davethomasfoundation.org or 1-800-275-3832
  • Likely requires alignment with Foundation's mission and demonstration of national impact or replication potential

Decision Timeline

Specific decision timelines are not publicly available. Given the strategic nature of their grantmaking and the complexity of state-level partnerships for Wendy's Wonderful Kids, prospective applicants should expect an extended relationship-building and evaluation period before grant decisions.

Success Rates

With 135 grants awarded in 2024 from $26.7 million in total giving, the Foundation appears to make strategic, substantial investments in fewer organizations rather than distributing many small grants. Success rates and total application numbers are not publicly disclosed.

Reapplication Policy

Not publicly specified. Organizations should contact the Foundation directly for guidance on reapplication policies.

Application Success Factors

Program Alignment

For Wendy's Wonderful Kids Grants:

  • Must serve children most at risk of aging out: youth ages 9+, children with special needs, sibling groups
  • Commitment to evidence-based, child-focused recruitment model with fidelity
  • Willingness to maintain small caseloads (12-15 children per recruiter)
  • Capacity to provide comprehensive training: two-hour orientation, two-day classroom training, site visits, quarterly webinars, annual summit
  • Ability to establish co-investment partnerships with state/provincial child welfare systems

For Strategic National Grants:

  • National impact or clear plans for national replication
  • Focus on specialized foster care and adoption communities
  • Post-permanency and post-adoption support innovation
  • Child welfare awareness, research, or policy enhancement aligned with Foundation's mission
  • Track record in foster care adoption space

Evidence-Based Approach

The Foundation prioritizes organizations committed to data-driven practices. The Wendy's Wonderful Kids model underwent a rigorous five-year evaluation by Child Trends, demonstrating 3x effectiveness. Applicants should be prepared to:

  • Implement programs with fidelity to evidence-based models
  • Participate in evaluation and outcome tracking
  • Report on key metrics (adoptions finalized, time to permanency, child characteristics)

Focus on Hardest-to-Place Children

The Foundation specifically targets children who are often overlooked:

  • 91% of children served through Wendy's Wonderful Kids are over age 8
  • Nearly 90% are over age 14
  • Average time in foster care: more than three years
  • 87% had minimal or no prior recruitment efforts

Organizations should demonstrate commitment to serving this challenging population rather than focusing on younger, easier-to-place children.

Comprehensive Recruitment Strategy

The child-focused recruitment model emphasizes:

  • Building trust and relationships with each child through regular contact
  • Exhaustive search using every available tool (case records, online searches, public records, conversations with child and network)
  • Intensive follow-up with identified contacts
  • Child's input in their permanency plan
  • Identifying pre-existing relationships rather than broad awareness campaigns
  • Aggressive yet child-approved outreach to potential permanency resources

State/System Partnership Capacity

For Wendy's Wonderful Kids expansion, the Foundation seeks agencies that can:

  • Partner with state child welfare systems in co-investment models
  • Navigate complex public-private partnerships
  • Scale programs statewide over multi-year periods
  • Demonstrate sustainability beyond initial grant period

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Specialized Focus: This is not a general child welfare funder—they are laser-focused on foster care adoption for the hardest-to-place children. Your program must directly advance permanency through adoption.

  • Evidence Matters: The Foundation invests in proven models. Demonstrate your commitment to evidence-based practices, outcome measurement, and program fidelity.

  • Strategic Relationships: With only 135 grants awarded annually, this is not a volume grantmaker. Success likely requires relationship-building over time, particularly for organizations not yet in the Wendy's Wonderful Kids network.

  • State-Level Scaling: Current strategic priority is scaling Wendy's Wonderful Kids in 19 states. Organizations in Alabama, Delaware, Georgia, Indiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Texas, Vermont, and West Virginia may have particular opportunities.

  • Contact Directly: Without a public RFP process, interested organizations should proactively reach out to discuss alignment and opportunities at info@davethomasfoundation.org or 1-800-275-3832.

  • National Impact Required: For strategic national grants, demonstrate either existing national reach or concrete, credible plans for national replication of your model.

  • Post-Adoption Support Emerging: The Foundation is actively testing post-adoption support models in seven states—this may represent a growing opportunity area for organizations with innovative post-permanency programming.

References

Accessed: December 24, 2025

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