Skip to content
WC and EJ Thornton Foundation at a glance

· Private foundation

WC and EJ Thornton 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.

$278k
Granted FY2025still arriving
30
Grants FY2025still arriving
7
States reached
$50k
Largest
01What it fundsRead
02The needRead
03Its granteesRead
04Its fieldRead
05Through PlinthRead
01What it funds
01100% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2021 to 2025.

Education$537kArts & Culture$295kHuman Services$70kYouth Development$28kFood & Nutrition$3kCrime & Legal$3kEmployment$2kHealth$1k
02FY2025 · 30 grants

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

By grant size · FY2025

  • Under $10k21 grants · $51k
  • $10k–50k8 grants · $177k
  • $50k–250k1 grant · $50k
$2,500
Median grant
7
States reached
$5.2M
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
Bold$50,000
Alexander Hamilton Scholars$44,160
Maine College of Art and Design$35,000
Portland Maine Symphony Orchestra$25,000
Forward Steps$20,000
Downtown Aurora Visual Arts$20,000
Local Theater Company$12,500
Colorado Photographic Arts Center$10,000
FORA$10,000
Cleveland Classical Guitar Society$7,500
College Now Greater Cleveland$7,500
Art from Ashes$7,500
Education Through Music Colorado$6,000
Leap of Joy$5,000
transformative justice project of c$2,500
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 (FY21–25, $28k) land where the poverty rate runs at 10%, against an area that typically sits at 9%. 36% of those dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Its grants skew toward lower-need ZIPs.

area typical 9%Forward Steps: $12k → 7%Forward Steps: $6k → 7%Merrick House: $5k → 17%Merrick House: $3k → 17%transformative justice project of c: $3k → 12%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.

Which US states its grants reach

ME
WA
MN
IL
SD
OH
CO
VA
AR
NC
TX
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.

95%of every dollar goes to organizations it has funded before.
$891k · 34 repeat orgs$48k to everyone else

34 repeat relationships: 28 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

34
37

Total granted

$891k
$44k

Median revenue growth · since first grant

-2%
0%

Still filing today

74%
49%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2025, 99% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $4k went to new ones.

50%100%’21’22’23’24’25
RenewedFirst-time

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

’21’22’23’24’25
Arts & CultureEducationYouth DevelopmentHuman ServicesPhilanthropyFood & NutritionOther
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

  • MC
    MAINE COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN
    4× · 2022–2025 · $95k · revenue +32%
  • FS
    Forward Steps Foundation
    5× · 2021–2025 · $63k · revenue +65%
  • PM
    PORTLAND MAINE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
    4× · 2022–2025 · $60k · revenue +51%

Funded once

  • SA
    Scholarship America
    one grant, 2022 · $5k
  • IG
    Individual grant recipient
    one grant, 2021 · $3k
  • IG
    Individual grant recipient
    one grant, 2022 · $3k
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
Connecting Through the Arts and Edu
—
2
Lake Geneva Art Museum

art education

Arts & Culture
3
Cleveland Museum of Art

The mission of the cleveland museum of art (cma) is to fulfill its dual roles as one of the world's most distinguished comprehensive art museums and as one of northeastern ohio's principal civic and cultural institutions. the museum,…

Arts & Culture
4
The Delaware Contemporary Arts Inc Arts Inc

The delaware contemporary is a dynamic gathering place for the exploration of new ideas at the intersection of art, design, and technology. the delaware contemporary's compelling exhibitions, innovative educational experiences, and access…

Arts & Culture
5
Los Gatos Museum Association

Engaging community at the intersection of art, history and education through innovative, locally connected and globally relevant exhibits, programs and experiences.

—
6
Moore College of Art and Design

Moore is dedicated to excellence in art and design. Founded in 1848, Moore is the first and only visual arts college for women in the US. With its undergraduate BFA degree for women and coeducational graduate programs, Moore cultivates…

Education
7
Teen Art Salon Inc

Teen art salon provides young people open-door, free-of-charge art instruction and materials to establish and advance individual studio practices.

Arts & Culture
8
Color Me Empowered

Color Me Empowered provides programming that empowers children and communities through the implementation of civic art.

Arts & Culture
9
Carrie Leighs
Arts & Culture
10
Center for Arts-Inspired Learning

Cal champions creative learning, drives educational innovation, and transforms lives through collaborative efforts involving teaching artists, students, educators, and communities.

Education
11
McColl Center for Art Innovation

We envision a community where contemporary artists and an engaged public enhance their creative capacity through relevant, diverse, and accessible experiences.

Arts & Culture
12
Life Pieces to Masterpieces

Life pieces to masterpieces (lptm) is dedicated to the creative, academic, social-emotional, physical, and citizenship development of black boys and young men living in washington d.c.'s underserved 7th and 8th wards. founded in 1996, lptm…

Arts & Culture
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is Youth On Record; the most unlike its peers is Museum of Outdoor Arts. 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

45 grantees tracked through their own filings, 2017–2026.

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 2026, not grant rows in a single year, so this will not match the grant count on the cover. 45 of the 73 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.

1
Load-bearing (≥25% of a budget)
7
Early backer (in before they grew)
45/45
Grantees still filing
17/45
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

ALEXANDER HAMILTON SCHOLARS: $166,650 · OtherALEXANDER HAMILTON SCHOLARSBold: $130,000 · OtherBoldBold Org: $40,000 · OtherBold OrgFORA: $20,000 · OtherCOLORADO PHOTOGRAPHIC ARTS CENTER INC: $15,000 · Other+32 more: $61,500 · Other+32 moreDOWNTOWN AURORA VISUAL ARTS: $67,500 · Arts & CultureDOWNTOWN AURORA VISUAL A…PORTLAND MAINE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA: $60,000 · Arts & CulturePORTLAND MAINE SYMPHONY …LOCAL THEATER COMPANY: $22,000 · Arts & CultureLOCAL THEATER COMPANYCLEVELAND CLASSICAL GUITAR SOCIETY: $20,000 · Arts & CultureCLEVELAND CLASSICAL GUIT…LEAP OF JOY: $12,000 · Arts & CultureLEAP OF JOY+12 more: $20,000 · Arts & Culture+12 moreMAINE COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN: $95,000 · EducationMAINE COLLEGE OF AR…CLEVELAND INSTITUTE OF MUSIC: $45,000 · EducationCLEVELAND INSTITUTE…COLLEGE NOW GREATER CLEVELAND INC: $17,500 · EducationCOLLEGE NOW GREATER…+3 more: $3,000 · EducationForward Steps Foundation: $62,500 · Human ServicesMERRICK HOUSE: $7,500 · Human ServicesColorado Juvenile Defender Center DBA Transformative Justice Proj of Colo: $2,500 · Human ServicesACADEMY OF URBAN LEARNING: $41,000 · Youth DevelopmentART FROM ASHES INCORPORATED: $16,000 · Youth Development+4 more: $5,000 · Youth DevelopmentMAINE BLUE COLLAR SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION: $4,000 · PhilanthropyGREATER COLUMBUS COMMUNITY HELPING HANDS INC: $1,000 · PhilanthropyHighland Youth Garden Inc: $2,000 · Food & NutritionTREKKERS INC: $2,000 · Recreation & Sports
Other$433,150Arts & Culture$201,500Education$160,500Human Services$72,500Youth Development$62,000Philanthropy$5,000Food & Nutrition$2,000Recreation & Sports$2,000

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

25%50%75%100%$10k$100k$1.0M$10Mgrantee revenue →↑ funder's share of their budgetALEXANDER HAMILTON SCHOLARS: $166,650 over 5y, 6.7% of budgetMAINE COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN: $95,000 over 4y, 0.1% of budgetDOWNTOWN AURORA VISUAL ARTS: $67,500 over 5y, 3.1% of budgetForward Steps Foundation: $62,500 over 5y, 2.8% of budgetPORTLAND MAINE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA: $60,000 over 4y, 0.4% of budgetCLEVELAND INSTITUTE OF MUSIC: $45,000 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetACADEMY OF URBAN LEARNING: $41,000 over 2y, 1.2% of budgetLOCAL THEATER COMPANY: $22,000 over 3y, 2.4% of budgetCLEVELAND CLASSICAL GUITAR SOCIETY: $20,000 over 4y, 1.5% of budgetCOLLEGE NOW GREATER CLEVELAND INC: $17,500 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetART FROM ASHES INCORPORATED: $16,000 over 3y, 2.1% of budgetCOLORADO PHOTOGRAPHIC ARTS CENTER INC: $15,000 over 3y, 1.6% of budgetLEAP OF JOY: $12,000 over 3y, 7.8% of budgetMERRICK HOUSE: $7,500 over 2y, 0.3% of budgetTHE COASTAL CHILDRENS MUSEUM: $5,500 over 3y, 2.5% of budgetMAINE BLUE COLLAR SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION: $4,000 over 3y, 0.9% of budgetMUSEUM OF OUTDOOR ARTS: $3,000 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetNational Center for Childrens Illustrated Literat: $3,000 over 3y, 0.1% of budget240 STRINGS: $3,000 over 3y, 1.5% of budgetSUMMIT ARTSPACE: $3,000 over 3y, 0.3% of budgetWESTERN MAINE PLAY MUSEUM: $2,000 over 2y, 1.1% of budgetHighland Youth Garden Inc: $2,000 over 2y, 0.2% of budgetTHE MAYFLY PROJECT: $2,000 over 2y, 0.1% of budgetTalespinner Childrens Theatre Inc: $2,000 over 2y, 0.4% of budgetTREKKERS INC: $2,000 over 2y, 0.1% of budgetGUIDING LIGHT MENTORING: $1,000 over 1y, 0.4% of budgetJESSI COMBS FOUNDATION: $1,000 over 1y, 0.7% of budgetLUMINARIA: $1,000 over 1y, 0.2% of budgetPORTSMOUTH AREA ARTS COUNCIL INC: $1,000 over 1y, 0.8% of budgetPeak Education: $1,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetHIDE IN PLAIN SIGHT: $1,000 over 1y, 0.2% of budgetARTS ARE ELEMENTARY: $1,000 over 1y, 2.4% of budgetMaine Alliance for Arts Education: $1,000 over 1y, 2.5% of budgetACCESS GALLERY: $1,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetCOMMUNITY YOUTH MENTORING: $1,000 over 1y, 0.3% of budgetINTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S AIR & SPACE MUSEUM INC: $1,000 over 1y, 0.3% of budgetYOUTH ON RECORD: $1,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetDAYTON INTERNATIONAL PEACE MUSEUM INC: $1,000 over 1y, 0.4% of budgetELEVATE DALLAS: $1,000 over 1y, 0.4% of budgetEssies Girls Inc: $1,000 over 1y, 89% of budgetLoveland Youth Gardeners: $1,000 over 1y, 0.5% of budgetARTVAN: $1,000 over 1y, 0.3% of budgetDallas Center for Photography: $1,000 over 1y, 0.4% of budgetGREATER COLUMBUS COMMUNITY HELPING HANDS INC: $1,000 over 1y, 0.3% 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.

The Denver FoundationColorado Gives Founda…Maine Community Found…RedlineDavis Family Foundati…Rose Community Founda…Bonfils-Stanton Found…Onion FoundationThe Cleveland Foundat…Morton-Kelly Charitab…Horizon Foundation IncCaring for Denver Fou…
The Denver FoundationCO21.3× affinity10 shared granteesties to 9 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: The Denver Foundation · Colorado Gives Foundation · Maine Community Foundation Inc · Redline · Davis Family Foundation · Rose Community Foundation · Bonfils-Stanton Foundation · Onion Foundation · The Cleveland Foundation · Morton-Kelly Charitable Trust · Horizon Foundation Inc · Caring for Denver 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 WC and EJ Thornton Foundation funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from WC and EJ Thornton Foundation. Bigger dots raise more.

2024
’20’21’22’23’24’25
no gov · 00%6%23%51%90%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
    16report 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 WC and EJ Thornton Foundation?

    Find your warmest path to WC and EJ Thornton 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 73 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 WC and EJ Thornton’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