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The Thompson Family Foundation Inc.

Annual Giving
$17.0M
Grant Range
$10K - $65.0M

The Thompson Family Foundation Inc.

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $17,044,395 (2024)
  • Success Rate: Not applicable - invitation only
  • Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
  • Grant Range: $10,000 - $65,000,000+
  • Geographic Focus: Primarily New York City, with national reach
  • Assets: Approximately $479 million

Contact Details

The Thompson Family Foundation, Inc.

  • Address: 230 Park Ave., Ste. 1541 (also listed as 1 Rockefeller Plz Fl 21), New York, NY 10169
  • Phone: (646) 480-3532
  • EIN: 06-1194385

Note: No website or email publicly available. The foundation maintains a low public profile.

Overview

The Thompson Family Foundation Inc. was established in 1986 in Connecticut by Wade F.B. Thompson, co-founder and CEO of Thor Industries, a recreational-vehicle manufacturer. Following Thompson's death in 2009 after a 14-year battle with cancer, his daughter Amanda JT Riegel assumed the presidency. The foundation now operates from New York City with approximately $479 million in assets and distributed over $17 million in grants in 2024 (121 awards). The foundation's strategic focus centers on New York City cultural institutions, cancer research and health organizations, and human services. The foundation reflects Thompson's personal passions, particularly his commitment to cancer screening and early detection, which led him to found the Drive Against Prostate Cancer in 2000. Recent giving patterns show concentrated support to major institutions, with transformational gifts including $130 million to Park Avenue Armory over time and a $25 million gift to Central Park Conservancy.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation does not offer formal grant programs with published guidelines. Grants are made at the discretion of the trustees to preselected organizations. Grant amounts vary widely:

  • Major Institutional Gifts: $25 million - $65 million (transformational, multi-year commitments)
  • Typical Grants: $10,000 - $100,000 (most common range)
  • Total Awards: 121 grants in 2024, 107 in 2023, 52 in 2022

All grants are made on an invitation-only basis through trustee discretion.

Priority Areas

The foundation actively funds in five main areas:

  1. Arts & Culture (largest funding category)

    • Major New York City cultural institutions
    • Performing arts organizations
    • Historic preservation
    • Example recipients: Park Avenue Armory, Central Park Conservancy, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Atlantic Theater Company, Museum of the City of New York, Kentler International Drawing Center, New York Restoration Project, City Parks Foundation
    • International: Save Venice (preservation of art and architecture in Venice, Italy)

  2. Health & Medical Research (particularly cancer-related)

    • Cancer research and treatment centers
    • Medical centers and hospitals
    • Example recipients: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Cancer Research Institute, Beth Israel Medical Center, Columbia Medical Center, American Committee for Weizmann Institute of Science

  3. Education

    • Schools and educational programs
    • Example recipients: Fund for Public Schools, Graduate Center CUNY, Chess in the Schools

  4. Human Services

    • Food security and poverty alleviation
    • Workforce development
    • Example recipients: City Harvest, Job Path, Yorkville Common Pantry

  5. Historic Preservation & Conservation

    • Preservation of historic buildings and cultural heritage
    • Environmental conservation related to parks and public spaces

What They Don't Fund

While the foundation does not publish explicit exclusions, their giving pattern indicates focus on established institutions rather than:

  • Start-up organizations
  • Organizations outside their core focus areas
  • International organizations (except rare cases like Save Venice)
  • General operating support for small organizations

Governance and Leadership

Amanda JT Riegel - President

  • Daughter of founder Wade F.B. Thompson
  • Has led the foundation since her father's passing in 2009
  • Continues the foundation's commitment to her father's philanthropic priorities

Alan Siegel - Trustee

  • Director of Thor Industries
  • Long-standing connection to the Thompson family business

Wade F.B. Thompson (1935-2009) - Founder

  • Co-founder and CEO of Thor Industries (founded 1980)
  • The name "Thor" combined the first two letters of Thompson and his partner Peter B. Orthwein's surnames
  • Battled five cancers over 14 years, inspiring the foundation's health focus
  • Founded the Drive Against Prostate Cancer in 2000
  • Known for his commitment to cancer screening and early detection

Key Quote from the Foundation's Philosophy: While no direct quotes from current leadership are publicly available, Wade Thompson's legacy reflects a belief in using wealth to advance medical research and support institutions that enrich communities.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process. The Thompson Family Foundation only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and explicitly does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.

Grants are awarded through trustee discretion, based on the leadership's relationships with and knowledge of organizations. The foundation identifies grant recipients through:

  • Pre-existing relationships with institutions
  • Board members' knowledge of the sector
  • Strategic priorities determined by trustees

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - no public application process means no published decision timelines. Grants appear to be made throughout the year based on trustee meetings and strategic decisions.

Success Rates

Not applicable for unsolicited applications. The foundation made 121 grants in 2024, 107 in 2023, and 52 in 2022, but these were all to preselected organizations.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - the foundation does not accept applications.

Application Success Factors

Since the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, there are no traditional "success factors" for grant applications. However, organizations that have received funding share these characteristics:

  1. Established Institutional Presence: The foundation strongly favors well-established institutions with proven track records, particularly major New York City cultural and medical institutions.

  2. Alignment with Founder's Legacy: Organizations addressing cancer research, early detection, and treatment align with Wade Thompson's personal experience and the Drive Against Prostate Cancer initiative he founded.

  3. Cultural Impact: The foundation has demonstrated exceptional commitment to arts and cultural institutions that serve New York City, particularly those with educational programming (e.g., Park Avenue Armory's educational initiatives).

  4. Multi-Year Relationships: The foundation's largest gifts have gone to organizations it supports repeatedly over many years, suggesting that successful relationships are sustained and deepened over time.

  5. Transformational Opportunities: While the foundation makes grants of all sizes, its largest gifts appear to fund specific transformational projects (endowments, capital campaigns, major initiatives) rather than general operating support.

  6. New York City Focus: Geographic proximity to the foundation's base in New York City appears to be a significant factor, with the vast majority of grants going to NYC-based organizations.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • This foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals - traditional grant writing will not be effective
  • Focus on relationship building over years - the foundation's largest commitments are to organizations they've supported consistently
  • Established institutions favored - the foundation prefers well-known organizations with proven impact over newer nonprofits
  • New York City connection critical - geographic focus on NYC cultural and health institutions is clear
  • Cancer research alignment - health grants strongly favor cancer-related research and treatment, reflecting founder's personal mission
  • Think transformational, not transactional - major gifts fund endowments and capital projects, not general operating support
  • Board connections matter - grants appear to flow from trustee relationships and knowledge
  • Multi-million dollar capacity - while typical grants are $10,000, the foundation has capacity and history of making gifts in the tens of millions

References

  1. Charity Navigator Profile - The Thompson Family Foundation Inc. https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/061194385 (Accessed December 2025)

  2. Inside Philanthropy - The Thompson Family Foundation. https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/find-a-grant-places/new-york-grants/the-thompson-family-foundation (Accessed December 2025)

  3. Instrumentl 990 Report - The Thompson Family Foundation Inc. https://www.instrumentl.com/990-report/thompson-family-foundation-inc (Accessed December 2025)

  4. Grantmakers.io Profile - The Thompson Family Foundation Inc. https://www.grantmakers.io/profiles/v0/061194385-the-thompson-family-foundation-inc/ (Accessed December 2025)

  5. Cause IQ - Thompson Family Foundation. https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/the-thompson-family-foundation,061194385/ (Accessed December 2025)

  6. ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer - The Thompson Family Foundation Inc. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/61194385 (Accessed December 2025)

  7. Philanthropy New York - Thompson Family Foundation. https://philanthropynewyork.org/redhen/org/6794 (Accessed December 2025)

  8. GuideStar Profile - The Thompson Family Foundation Inc. https://www.guidestar.org/profile/06-1194385 (Accessed December 2025)

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