Flora L Thornton Foundation
San Francisco, CA · EIN 95-3855595. Reported 277 grants totalling $9,311,000 to 108 organizations across tax years 2020-2023. This foundation did not tell the IRS it funds only preselected organizations.
Does this foundation accept applications?
Yes -- on its own tax return. Form 990-PF asks every private foundation whether it makes grants only to organizations it selects itself. Of the 91,758 foundations in our data that made a grant and answered, 78% said yes -- and applying to those is wasted effort. Flora L Thornton Foundation did not check that box on its most recent filing, which puts it in the minority that is at least open to being approached.
How big are its grants?
The median grant is $25,000. Half of everything it gave fell between $10,000 and $50,000; the smallest was $1,000 and the largest $260,000. If you are asking for materially more than the top of that range, you are asking the wrong foundation.
Every organization it funded
This is the complete list from its filings, largest first. Years funded is the number of separate tax years in which the organization received money -- more than one means a real relationship rather than a one-off.
| Organization | Location | Total received | Grants | Years funded | Last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greenbelt Alliance | San Francisco, CA | $420,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Environmental Defense Fund | San Francisco, CA | $400,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Morgan Stanley Global Impact Funding Trust (daf) #9464X739 | San Francisco, CA | $290,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Center for Environmental Health | Oakland, CA | $280,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| The Nature Conservancy | Los Angeles, CA | $280,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Library Foundation of Los Angeles | Los Angeles, CA | $275,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| As You Sow | Oakland, CA | $270,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Rare | Arlington, VA | $265,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Rainforest Alliance | New York, NY | $255,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Population Media Center | South Burlington, VT | $240,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Sustainable Conservation | San Francisco, CA | $240,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| USC | Los Angeles, CA | $225,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Rocky Mountain Institute | Boulder, CO | $220,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| The Trust for Public Land | Pasadena, CA | $215,000 | 5 | 4 | 2023 |
| Natural History Museum of Los Angeles | Los Angeles, CA | $210,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Southern Environmental Law Center | Charlottesville, VA | $210,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association (glaza) | Los Angeles, CA | $205,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| California Science Center | Los Angeles, CA | $200,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Liberty Hill Foundation | Los Angeles, CA | $200,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Pepperwood Foundation | Santa Rosa, CA | $200,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Save the Redwoods League | San Francisco, CA | $180,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America | Los Angeles, CA | $175,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| The Climate Center | Santa Rosa, CA | $167,500 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Conservation International | Arlington, VA | $160,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| African Wildlife Foundation | Washington, DC | $141,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Skirball Cultural Center | Los Angeles, CA | $135,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Yosemite Conservancy | San Francisco, CA | $125,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Wild Aid | New York, NY | $123,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Muse-Ique | Pasadena, CA | $120,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Natural Resources Defense Council | San Francisco, CA | $120,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association | Los Angeles, CA | $105,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Center for Science in the Public Interest | Washington, DC | $100,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Dalberg Catalyst | Washington, DC | $100,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Los Angeles Conservancy | Los Angeles, CA | $100,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| The Greater La Education Foundation | Downey, CA | $100,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| USC Thornton School of Music | Los Angeles, CA | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Rising Artist Foundation Inc | Brooklyn, NY | $98,500 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Students Run La | Tarzana, CA | $90,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Children of Conservation | Los Angeles, CA | $84,000 | 3 | 3 | 2022 |
| Nature Conservancy California | Arlington, VA | $80,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| University of San Diego | San Diego, CA | $80,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Wildlife Conservation Society | Bronx, NY | $80,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Kusc Classical | Los Angeles, CA | $65,000 | 3 | 3 | 2022 |
| Pacific Forest Trust | San Francisco, CA | $64,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Los Angeles County Museum of Art | Los Angeles, CA | $60,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Los Angeles County Museum of Art (lacma) | Los Angeles, CA | $60,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Parish of St Matthew | Pacific Palisades, CA | $60,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| San Francisco Film Society | San Francisco, CA | $57,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Commonwealth Club | San Francisco, CA | $55,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Peter's Place Nursery School | San Francisco, CA | $55,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Chrohns & Colitus Foundation | Los Angeles, CA | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Cpmc Foundation | San Francisco, CA | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Pasadena Humane Society | Pasadena, CA | $49,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Experimental Farm Network | Philadelphia, PA | $45,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Ucsf Foundation | San Francisco, CA | $45,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Hampshire College | Amherst, MA | $42,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Autry Museum of the American West | Los Angeles, CA | $40,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Bay Area Warriors | San Francisco, CA | $40,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Engender Health | New York, NY | $40,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Marine Mammal Care Center La | Los Angeles, CA | $40,000 | 3 | 3 | 2022 |
| Preventing Future Pandemics | Cambridge, MA | $40,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| San Francisco Jazz Organization | San Francisco, CA | $40,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Heart of Los Angeles | Los Angeles, CA | $35,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| US Biochar Initiative | Portland, OR | $35,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Anti-Recidivism Coalition | Los Angeles, CA | $32,000 | 3 | 3 | 2022 |
| Great Public Schools Now | Los Angeles, CA | $30,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| International Bird Rescue | Fairfield, CA | $30,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| President & Fellows of Harvard College | Cambridge, MA | $30,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Verra | Washington, DC | $30,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| First Base Foundation | Mill Valley, CA | $29,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Oakwood School | North Hollywood, CA | $26,000 | 3 | 3 | 2022 |
| A Community of Friends | Los Angeles, CA | $25,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Classical California Kusc | Los Angeles, CA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Westside Food Bank | Santa Monica, CA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| After-School All-Stars Los Angeles | Los Angeles, CA | $20,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Common Alliance for Families | Washington, DC | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Foodwise | San Francisco, CA | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Fos Feminista | New York, NY | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| World Harvest Charities | Los Angeles, CA | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Carapace Conservation | Canyon Country, CA | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Environmental Protection Information Ctr | Arcata, CA | $15,000 | 3 | 3 | 2022 |
| Multiplying Good Inc | New York, NY | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Wildlife Protection | Rancho Palos Verdes, CA | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Every Mother Counts | New York, NY | $10,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Food Forward | North Hollywood, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Harvard Business School | Cambridge, MA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| International Planned Parenthood Federation Western Hemisphere Region | New York, NY | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| O Street Museum Foundation | Washington, DC | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| San Francisco Day School | San Francisco, CA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| The Neighborhood Youth Association | Venice, CA | $9,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Spur | San Francisco, CA | $8,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Common Alliance for Family Farmers | Washington, DC | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Epic | Washington, DC | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Generation Atomic | Saint Paul, MN | $5,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| San Francisco Symphony | San Francisco, CA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| The Los Angeles Police Foundation | Los Angeles, CA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| UCLA Foundation | Los Angeles, CA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Ucsf Regents Scholarships | San Francisco, CA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Yolo Basin Foundation | Davis, CA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Young and Healthy | Pasadena, CA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Sonoma Ashram Foundation | Sonoma, CA | $4,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| The Kerulos Center | Jacksonville, OR | $3,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| American Conservaory Theater (act) | San Francisco, CA | $2,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| American Conservatory Theater (act) | San Francisco, CA | $2,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Jack London Park Partners | Glen Ellen, CA | $2,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Friends of Los Feliz Library | Los Angeles, CA | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Shakespeare Center of La | Los Angeles, CA | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Valley of the Moon Natural History Ass | Glen Ellen, CA | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
77 of 108 (71%) received money in more than one year over the 4 years we hold.
Measured the way we measure every foundation -- what share of one year's grantees are funded again the next -- this one retains 81%, across 3 year-to-year transitions. The median foundation retains about 67%, so this one is unusually consistent. A high number means its list is close to settled and a newcomer has to displace someone; a low one means it is still moving money around, which is where an opening is.
What kind of organizations it funds
By the recipient's own IRS classification, for the 181 grants where we could identify the organization. These are assigned categories, not our guesses.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants | Total | Median grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 68 | $2,112,000 | $25,000 |
| 2021 | 70 | $2,478,500 | $25,000 |
| 2022 | 72 | $2,498,500 | $25,000 |
| 2023 | 67 | $2,222,000 | $25,000 |
Tax years, not calendar years, and the most recent year is usually incomplete -- filings arrive about a year late, so a low final year means late paperwork rather than a foundation winding down.
Where its money goes
Foundations concentrate geographically far more than their mission statements suggest. 74% of this one's giving went to organizations in California. If you are outside its footprint, that matters more than how well your programme fits.
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Funders that support the same organizations
These funders gave to organizations this one also funded -- some private foundations, some community foundations and other grantmaking charities. Shared grantees are the strongest available signal that two funders have overlapping priorities, and a funder already backing your peers is a far warmer prospect than one that merely lists your cause.
How to approach this foundation
- Check you are its size. The median grant is $25,000. Asking for ten times that is the most common way small organizations waste a submission.
- Check you are in its geography. Its giving is concentrated in California.
- Read the recipient list above for organizations like yours. If nothing on it resembles your work, that is a real answer, and a cheap one to get.
- Look up the current filing before writing. The 990-PF names the foundation's officers and, where one exists, its application procedure. We link it below.
Related guides
Where these numbers come from
Everything above is taken from Flora L Thornton Foundation's own Form 990-PF filings, which the IRS publishes in bulk. We used 4 returns (tax years 2020-2023). Nothing here is scraped, inferred, or estimated.
Address of record on the latest return: 633 Battery Street 100, San Francisco, CA, 94111. This is the address the foundation gave the IRS; many small foundations file through an accountant or a bank trust department, so it may not be where post to a programme officer should go.
EIN 95-3855595 · See the original filings on ProPublica · How we build this
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