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The Thomsen Foundation at a glance

· Private foundation

The Thomsen Foundation

Its FY2025 filing reports that it funds preselected organizations and did not take unsolicited requests; check the foundation's own site before ruling it out.

$100k
Granted FY2025still arriving
4
Grants FY2025still arriving
3
States reached
$25k
Largest
01What it fundsRead
02The needRead
03Its granteesRead
04Its fieldRead
05Through PlinthRead
01What it funds
0192% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2017 to 2024.

Philanthropy$149kRecreation & Sports$125kInternational$106kEducation$51kHealth$45kArts & Culture$45kHuman Services$35kEnvironment$30kOther$0
02FY2025 · 4 grants

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

$25,000
Median grant
3
States reached
$1.1M
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
WASHINGTON'S NATIONAL PARK FUND$25,005
THE NATURE CONSERVANCY$25,000
WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION$25,000
CHARITY WATER (CHARITY GLOBAL INC)$25,000
02The need
03

Does the money reach high-need areas?

Each grant placed by the hardship in its grantee’s ZIP, against the area’s typical level.

show:

Its human-services grants (FY21–22, $40k) land where the poverty rate runs at 11%, against an area that typically sits at 7%. 100% of those dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Most of its grants land in higher-need ZIPs.

area typical 7%SKY'S THE LIMIT FUND: $20k → 8%DIRECT RELIEF FOUNDATION: $20k → 14%0%20%40%50%more need →
grant to an above-average-need area below average· circle size = grant amount
How this is measured
Matched: human-services grants are those whose grantee’s IRS cause code is Human Services. Placed by people below the poverty line in the grantee’s ZIP, averaged from the tracts in that ZIP.
How this is measured
US grants placed by each grantee’s ZIP, which can differ from where services are delivered. Need from public data (U.S. Census/ACS, CDC PLACES, Eviction Lab, USDA), shown as context about the area, never attributed to the funder’s giving.
03Its grantees
repeat funding

Who it funds again

Organizations funded in more than one year, against those funded once.

57%of every dollar goes to organizations it has funded before.
$430k · 7 repeat orgs$329k to everyone else

Grantees it renews have grown median revenue +40% since the first grant, against +12% for those funded once.

7 repeat relationships: 1 still active in FY2025, 6 since wound down; 2 grantees were first funded in FY2025 (too recent to call).

How the two cohorts compare

Re-uppedFunded once

Organizations

7
19

Total granted

$430k
$279k

Median revenue growth · since first grant

+40%
+12%

Still filing today

71%
63%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2025, 33% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $50k went to new ones.

50%100%’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
RenewedFirst-time

Where new relationships form · theme of each grantee’s first grant

’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Arts & CultureHuman ServicesEducationHealthPhilanthropyEnvironmentOther
How this is measured
First-time means a grantee’s first year in the filing window; renewed means funded in an earlier year too. The renewed share climbs naturally as a portfolio matures, so the signal is a year that bucks it (a wave of new grantees). The earliest year is left-censored: relationships that predate the data read as new. Theme is the grantee’s IRS cause.

Backed again, and grew

  • FO
    FRIENDS OF SEATTLE WATERFRONT
    5× · 2019–2024 · $125k · revenue +108%
  • DIRECT RELIEF
    2× · 2017–2020 · $75k · revenue +94%
  • MO
    Museum of Glass
    2× · 2018–2019 · $15k · revenue +40%

Funded once

  • WS
    WARM SPRINGS PRESERVE KETCHUM
    one grant, 2021 · $25k
  • PLANNED PARENTHOOD FEDERATION OF AMERICA INC
    one grant, 2017 · $25k · revenue +12%
  • IG
    Individual grant recipient
    one grant, 2019 · $25k
How this is measured

Repeat means funded in two or more distinct years. Growth and survival are read from each grantee’s own subsequent IRS filings.

04Its field

Closest unfunded matches

The nonprofits that most resemble its grantees but are not funded by it, scored along the direction from the rest of the field toward the portfolio. A resemblance in what they say they do, not a recommendation.

1
Washington Water Trust

Wwt's mission is to protect and restore water in rivers and streams across washington state. washington water trust restores and protects water in rivers and streams and promotes sustainable freshwater management in washington, and, more…

Environment
2
World Wildlife Fund Inc

Wwf's mission is to conserve nature and reduce the most pressing threats to the diversity of life on earth. (continued on schedule o)

Environment
3
National Forest Foundation

The national forest foundation (nff), chartered by congress, turns america's love of nature into meaningful action for 193-million acre national forest system through on the ground program work and grant making activities, and accepts and…

Recreation & Sports
4
Washington Conservation Action Education Fund

To champion policies that center the expertise and resilience of overburdened communities for environmental progress and justice in the pacific northwest.

Environment
5
Washington Forest Law Center

Dedicated to protecting the world's natural environment on behalf of the public by serving as a public interest law firm. refer to schedule o, part iii, line 4a, for list of litigated cases or advocacy work.

—
6
Northwest Power Pool

The northwest power pool ("nwpp") mission is to support electric reliability by providing cost-effective reliablity services, developed in cooperation with members, to member organizations across the west.

Community Improvement
7
Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Foundation

To engage and catalyze global seafood supply chains in rebuilding depleted fish stocks and reducing the environmental impacts of fishing and fish farming.

Animals
8
Western Resource Advocates

Western Resource Advocates (WRA) is a regional nonprofit advocacy organization fighting climate change and its impacts to sustain the environment, economy, and people of the West. As the region's go-to experts for more than three decades,…

Crime & Legal
9
Fsc I&P

Fsc i&p promotes environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial, and economically viable management of the world's forests. this mission aligns with the forest stewardship council (fsc), its network of offices, and other organizations.…

Philanthropy
10
Washington Coast Sustainable Salmon Foundation

The foundation board is comprised of members with diverse backgrounds and expertise who devote their shared commitment and passion to collectively support protection and restoration of the washington coast region salmon by providing…

Animals
11
Western Rivers Conservancy

Western rivers conservancy's mission is to protect outstanding river ecosystems in the western united states. continued on schedule o.we acquire land to conserve critical habitat, provide public access for compatible use and enjoyment, and…

Environment
12
Rainforest Foundation Inc

The purpose of rainforest foundation us is to support indigenous peoples and forest communities in their efforts to secure their lands, protect their environment, and uphold their rights.

Environment
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is Direct Relief Foundation; the most unlike its peers is The Beecher's Foundation. Resemblance is measured on each organization’s own IRS 990 mission text; it reflects how work is described, not its quality or impact.
04the grantee network

20 grantees tracked through their own filings, 2017–2025.

Each grant beside the grantee’s revenue from every source, year by year.

How this is measured

Counted here: distinct organizations funded across 2017 to 2025, not grant rows in a single year, so this will not match the grant count on the cover. 20 of the 29 grantees resolved in that span have returns of their own we could reconcile.

Each grantee is resolved to its own IRS returns. Association, dated; never a causal claim.

0
Load-bearing (≥25% of a budget)
1
Early backer (in before they grew)
20/20
Grantees still filing
9/20
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

UNITED WAY: $87,500 · OtherUNITED WAYCHARITY WATER (CHARITY GLOBAL INC): $46,000 · OtherCHARITY WATER (CHARITY GLOBAL INC)WARM SPRINGS PRESERVE KETCHUM: $25,000 · OtherWARM SPRINGS PRESERVE KETCHUMTHE NATURE CONSERVANCY: $25,000 · OtherTHE NATURE CONSERVANCYIndividual grant recipient: $25,000 · OtherIndividual grant recipientSCHOOLS OUT WASHINGTON (SOWA): $21,000 · OtherSCHOOLS OUT WASHINGTON (SOWA)Individual grant recipient: $12,500 · OtherPLANNED PARENTHOOD FEDERATION OF AMERICA INC: $25,000 · OtherPLANNED PARENTHOOD FEDERATION OF AMERICA INCUPOWER: $15,000 · OtherAMERICAN RIVERS INC: $20,000 · OtherAMERICAN RIVERS INCWASHINGTON'S NATIONAL PARK FUND: $25,005 · OtherWASHINGTON'S NATIONAL PARK FUND+6 more: $45,000 · Other+6 moreFRIENDS OF SEATTLE WATERFRONT: $125,000 · Community ImprovementFRIENDS OF SEATTLE…DIRECT RELIEF: $75,000 · InternationalDIRECT REL…UNITED WAY OF KING COUNTY: $61,000 · PhilanthropyUNITED WAY…MONA FOUNDATION: $10,000 · PhilanthropyMONA FOUND…DIRECT RELIEF FOUNDATION: $20,000 · Human ServicesSKY'S THE LIMIT FUND: $20,000 · Human ServicesEverstrong Prevention: $10,000 · Human ServicesWASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION: $25,000 · EducationUNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON FOUNDATION: $20,000 · EducationSEATTLE ART MUSEUM: $20,000 · Arts & CultureMuseum of Glass: $15,000 · Arts & CultureNORTHWEST FILM FORUM: $10,000 · Arts & Culture
Other$372,005Community Improvement$125,000International$75,000Philanthropy$71,000Human Services$50,000Education$45,000Arts & Culture$45,000

Each grantee by its size and the funder’s share of it; top left is load-bearing

25%50%75%100%$1.0M$10M$100Mgrantee revenue →↑ funder's share of their budgetFRIENDS OF SEATTLE WATERFRONT: $125,000 over 5y, 0.3% of budgetDIRECT RELIEF: $75,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetUNITED WAY OF KING COUNTY: $61,000 over 4y, 0.0% of budgetWASHINGTON'S NATIONAL PARK FUND: $25,005 over 1y, 0.7% of budgetPLANNED PARENTHOOD FEDERATION OF AMERICA INC: $25,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetTHE NATURE CONSERVANCY: $25,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetWASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION: $25,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetAMERICAN RIVERS INC: $20,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetUNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON FOUNDATION: $20,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetSEATTLE ART MUSEUM: $20,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetDIRECT RELIEF FOUNDATION: $20,000 over 1y, 0.2% of budgetSKY'S THE LIMIT FUND: $20,000 over 1y, 1.0% of budgetMuseum of Glass: $15,000 over 2y, 0.2% of budgetUPOWER: $15,000 over 1y, 2.2% of budgetTHE BEECHER'S FOUNDATION: $10,000 over 1y, 0.5% of budgetEverstrong Prevention: $10,000 over 1y, 0.9% of budgetMONA FOUNDATION: $10,000 over 1y, 0.3% of budgetNIA TERO FOUNDATION: $10,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetNORTHWEST FILM FORUM: $10,000 over 1y, 0.8% of budgetTREEHOUSE: $5,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budget
Grantee by grantee: a decade per organization, before and after funding

A decade per grantee: revenue shaded, grants as bars, all rows on one timeline.

Co-funders

Grantmakers whose grantees overlap with this funder’s far more than size alone predicts. Closer means stronger alignment; arcs show where they also fund each other. Here they form a tightly interlocked group: most of these funders back each other's grantees too.

Bny Mellon Charitable…Gs Donor Advised Phil…Seattle FoundationNational Philanthropi…American Endowment Fo…Morgan Stanley Global…Vanguard Charitable E…Donor Advised Charita…American Online Givin…Fidelity Investments …Amazonsmile Foundation
Bny Mellon Charitable Gift FundMA13.1× affinity4 shared granteesties to 10 of 10Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: Bny Mellon Charitable Gift Fund · Gs Donor Advised Philanthropy Fund for Wealth Management Inc · Seattle Foundation · National Philanthropic Trust · American Endowment Foundation · Morgan Stanley Global Impact Funding Trust Inc · Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program · Donor Advised Charitable Giving Inc · American Online Giving Foundation Inc · Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund · Amazonsmile Foundation

How this is measured
Affinity is a Gamma-Poisson posterior co-funding rate, re-centered on the typical rate, so thin evidence shrinks toward no signal. Overlap is association, not proof of shared intent.

How much its grantees rely on government

Each dot is one organization The Thomsen Foundation funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from The Thomsen Foundation. Bigger dots raise more.

2024
’20’21’22’23’24’25
no gov · 00%0%1%3%5%funder's share of their income ↑0%23%45%68%90%share of the org’s income from government →
    no gov moneyreceives it· size = income
    0get no government money at all
    2report government grants on their 990 we could not trace to a source (not plotted)
    0rely on government for over half their income
    ⤢ axis zoomed · 0–90%
    typical government reliance, FY20–25
    How this is measured
    Government income is each org’s traced federal awards (USASpending grants and contracts) plus state payments (open checkbooks) as a share of its total revenue (IRS Form 990); the self-reported government-grant line (990 line 1e) is carried for cross-check: a grantee that reports government grants we could not trace to a source is left off the chart rather than shown as receiving none. An association, not a claim that a grant caused the public funding. Coverage is precision-first, a floor rather than a census; state records exist for 9 states, so a grantee outside them shows no state figure (dimmed) rather than a false zero. Federal award amounts are obligations, which can span years, so a single-year share is indicative. 990 filings lag 12 to 24 months.
    05Through Plinth

    Warm introductions · Powered by PlinthPlus

    How do I get to The Thomsen Foundation?

    Find your warmest path to The Thomsen Foundation through trustees and officers whose names appear on both boards. Search for your organization and Plinth traces the shortest route it can evidence.

    Each link is a name appearing on two organizations’ public IRS 990 filings, matched on that name and, where the filings support it, on location. A same-state match has geographic support, which is a second matching feature rather than confirmation that the two are one person; a cross-state one is the likeliest to be two people who share a name. Every hop shows its tier, low-confidence and distant paths are held back rather than guessed, and it is worth confirming the person before you use the introduction.

    On method. Every financial figure here is read from IRS e-file XML, the funder’s own 990/990-PF, and from the multi-year returns of the 29 grantees we resolved, each linked to its source. Grantee outcomes are each organization’s own program-service reporting (Form 990, Part III), read as association with funding, never as caused by it. Low-confidence name matches are suppressed rather than guessed. How we build these →

    How this is measured
    Each figure carries one of six labels. Filed is what the funder reported on its return. Official is another government record about an organization, such as a federal award or a charity register, joined by name where no shared identifier exists. Resolved is an identity we worked out where the filing named a recipient without an EIN, kept only above a measured confidence threshold. Computed is arithmetic over those, like themes, portfolio clusters and co-funder strength. Context is a statistic about a place rather than about an organization, which is what the need overlay is: it describes the area a grantee’s address sits in, not where its work lands. Inferred is drawn by a model from text, like the partnerships read out of public news and organization websites. Each is labeled where it appears.

    Generated from the IRS Form 990-PF e-file return for fiscal year 2025, released 2025. Filings run roughly 12 to 24 months behind; figures are dated accordingly.

    Source object · view filing

    Play a game based on Thomsen’s filings →

    More from the funding graph

    The unnamed billions
    grants reported with no recipient in the public record
    The regranting layer
    51% of grant dollars land in the regranting layer
    The DAF merry-go-round
    $9.7B circulates between donor-advised funds
    The endowment market
    who holds foundation money, and what just moved
    The camps
    funders cluster by geography, not ideology
    By state
    where grant money is based, and what stays home