The Thompson Charitable Foundation
Charlotte, NC · EIN 58-1754763. Reported 283 grants totalling $9,357,758 to 168 organizations across tax years 2021-2023. 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. The Thompson Charitable 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 $20,900. Half of everything it gave fell between $14,160 and $45,000; the smallest was $1,000 and the largest $186,835. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Way of Southwest Virginia | Abingdon, VA | $628,943 | 6 | 2 | 2022 |
| Southwest Virginia Workforce Development Board | Lebanon, VA | $512,500 | 5 | 2 | 2023 |
| Coalfield Water Development Fun D | Coeburn, VA | $350,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Southwest Va Workforce Development Board | Lebanon, VA | $305,000 | 4 | 1 | 2021 |
| Virginia Community Capital | Richmond, VA | $291,666 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Appalachian Sustainable Development | Duffield, VA | $267,068 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Buchanan County Youth Inc | Vansant, VA | $225,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Cumberland Plateau Planning District | Lebanon, VA | $210,000 | 3 | 2 | 2023 |
| Tazewell County Public Library | Tazewell, VA | $208,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Town of Tazewell | Tazewell, VA | $200,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Fish Hospitality Pantries | Knoxville, TN | $150,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| University of Virginia's College at Wise Foundation | Wise, VA | $150,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Historic Pocahontas Inc | Pocahontas, VA | $148,630 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Four Seasons YMCA | Tazewell, VA | $140,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Shora Foundation | Knoxville, TN | $140,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Appalachian Service Project | Johnson City, TN | $125,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Boys & Girls Club of Central Appalachia | Grundy, VA | $125,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Stinnett Area Community Center | Stinnett, KY | $120,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Leslie County Betterment Inc | Hyden, KY | $110,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Alice Lloyd College | Pippa Passes, KY | $102,500 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Crab Orchard Museum | Tazewell, VA | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky | Hazard, KY | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Helen Ross Mcnabb Foundation | Knoxville, TN | $100,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Southwest Virginia Community College | Richlands, VA | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Tennessee Wesleyan University | Athens, TN | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Knoxville Leadership Foundation | Knoxville, TN | $80,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Salvation Army | Knoxville, TN | $78,450 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| University of Pikeville | Pikeville, KY | $76,120 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Catholic Charities of East Tennessee Inc | Knoxville, TN | $75,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| YMCA of Buchanan County Va | Grundy, VA | $74,768 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Interfaith Health Clinic | Knoxville, TN | $72,666 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Girl Talk Inc | Knoxville, TN | $70,900 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Scott County Family Justice Center | Huntsville, TN | $70,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Thompson Scholars Foundation | Manchester, KY | $70,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Free Medical Clinic of Oak Ridge | Oak Ridge, TN | $65,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Penultimate Development | Jefferson City, TN | $65,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| American Red Cross Kentucky Region | Hazard, KY | $60,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Appalachian Literary Initiative | Bristol, TN | $60,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Richard Williams Leadership Development Academy | Alcoa, TN | $60,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| University of the Cumberlands | Williamsburg, KY | $60,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Wesley House Community Center | Knoxville, TN | $60,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Remote Area Medical | Rockford, TN | $56,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Scott Christian Care Center | Oneida, TN | $55,543 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| East Tennessee Children's Hospital | Knoxville, TN | $55,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Hope Resource Center | Knoxville, TN | $55,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Scott County Shelter Society Inc | Oneida, TN | $55,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| William King Museum of Art | Abingdon, VA | $55,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| YMCA of Buchanan County | Grundy, VA | $55,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Advent Health Manchester Foundation | Manchester, KY | $51,486 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Appalachia Service Project | Johnson City, TN | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Bluegrass Care Navigators (hospice of the Bluegrass Inc) | Lexington, KY | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Boys & Girls Club of Scott County | Oneida, TN | $50,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Daniel Boone Community Action Agency | Manchester, KY | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Free Medical Clinic of America | Knoxville, TN | $50,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Laurel Co Older Persons Activity Ctr | London, KY | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Leslie County School System | Hyden, KY | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Morgan Scott Project | Deer Lodge, TN | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Pellissippi State Foundation | Knoxville, TN | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Restoration House of East Tennessee | Knoxville, TN | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Restoration House of East Tennessee (the Restoration House) | Knoxville, TN | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Thousandsticks Vol Fire & Rescue Inc | Hyden, KY | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties | Oak Ridge, TN | $45,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| CASA of the Tennessee Heartland | Oak Ridge, TN | $45,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| New Hope Blount County Children's Advocacy Center | Maryville, TN | $45,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Tazewell County Virginia-Burke's Garden Vol Fire Dept | Tazewell, VA | $45,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Pregnancy Resource Center | Maryville, TN | $43,250 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Appalachian College of Pharmacy | Oakwood, VA | $40,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Big Creek Mission | Bear Branch, KY | $40,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Frontier Nursing University | Versailles, KY | $40,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Knoxville Family Justice Center | Knoxville, TN | $40,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Right Fork Elementary School Center | Stoney Fork, KY | $40,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Teen Venture Center | Richlands, VA | $40,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Friends of Literacy | Knoxville, TN | $35,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Provision Cares Foundation Inc | Knoxville, TN | $35,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Friends of Southwest Virginia | Abingdon, VA | $31,500 | 2 | 1 | 2021 |
| Lily Fire & Rescue | Lily, KY | $31,066 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Cancer Support Community | Knoxville, TN | $30,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Carecuts Inc | Knoxville, TN | $30,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Clinch River Habitat for Humanity | Oak Ridge, TN | $30,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Compassion Counseling | Maryville, TN | $30,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Feeding American Southwest Virginia | Salem, VA | $30,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Feeding My Sheep Inc | Vansant, VA | $30,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont | Townsend, TN | $30,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Housing Development Alliance Inc | Hazard, KY | $30,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Laurel County Older Persons Activity Center | London, KY | $30,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Leslie County Food Pantry Backpack Program | Hyden, KY | $30,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| New Opportunity School for Women | Berea, KY | $30,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee | Maryville, TN | $27,549 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Seeed Inc | Knoxville, TN | $27,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Richlands Youth Baseball Boosters Club | Pounding Mill, VA | $26,794 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| American Climate Partners | Orange, VA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Appalachia Literacy Initiative | Bristol, TN | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Boys & Girls Club of the Tennessee Valley | Knoxville, TN | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Care Center for Southwest Virginia | Richlands, VA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Childhelp Children's Advocacy Ctr of Tn | Knoxville, TN | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Cutshin Vol Fire & Rescue Dept | Yeadiss, KY | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Frakes School Center | Frakes, KY | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Girls Inc of the Tn Valley | Oak Ridge, TN | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Haven House Inc | Alcoa, TN | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Kingdom Design Ministries | Alcoa, TN | $25,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| People Inc | Abingdon, VA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Theatre Guild of Buchanan County | Oakwood, VA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Town of Grundy Va (grundy Volunteer Fire Dept) | Grundy, VA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Tri-County Health Clinic | Richlands, VA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Volunteer Ministry Center | Knoxville, TN | $24,970 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Center for Christian Action Inc | Pocahontas, VA | $24,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Smoky Mountain Service Dogs | Loudon, TN | $22,840 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Hoof and Harness Experiential Learning Inc | Strawberry Plains, TN | $22,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Reboot Recovery | Pleasant View, TN | $22,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Edward Via College of Osteopathic Med | Blacksburg, VA | $21,750 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Stinnett Elementary School | Hoskinston, KY | $20,400 | 3 | 2 | 2022 |
| American Red Cross of East Tennessee | Knoxville, TN | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Anderson County Senior Services | Clinton, TN | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tn Valley | Knoxville, TN | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Breakthrough Foundation (breakthrough Corporation) | Knoxville, TN | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Childhelp Children's Advocacy Center | Knoxville, TN | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Clinch Independent Living Services | Grundy, VA | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Connect Ministries | Knoxville, TN | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Emory Valley Center | Oak Ridge, TN | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Girls Inc of the Tennessee Valley | Oak Ridge, TN | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Henderson Settlement | Frakes, KY | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Sunrise Children's Services | Danville, KY | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Richard Williams Leadership Dev Academy | Alcoa, TN | $19,765 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Trinity Health Ministries Inc | Maryville, TN | $18,399 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Town of Richlands | Richlands, VA | $17,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Angelic Ministries | Knoxville, TN | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Association of Infant Mental Health in Tennessee | Nashville, TN | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Care Center of Southwest Virginia | Richlands, VA | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Clinch River Independent Living Services Inc | Grundy, VA | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Compassion Conseling | Maryville, TN | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Feeding America Southwest Virginia | Salem, VA | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Fostering Hope Tn Inc | Farragut, TN | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Helping Mamas Knoxville | Knoxville, TN | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Second Harvest Food Bank of E Tn | Maryville, TN | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Soar Youth Ministries | Knoxville, TN | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Thompson Cancer Survival Center Foundation | Knoxville, TN | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Thousandsticks Volunteer Fire & Rescue Inc | Hyden, KY | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Hope for Victims | Knoxville, TN | $14,160 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Panco Youth Center | Oneida, KY | $14,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Woman 2 Woman Outreach | Manchester, KY | $12,500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Leslie County Sheriff's Department | Hyden, KY | $12,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Big Brothers Big Sisters of East Tennessee | Knoxville, TN | $10,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Bluegrass Care Navigators | Hazard, KY | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Community School of the Arts | Knoxville, TN | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Corbin Senior Citizens Center Inc | Corbin, KY | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Friends of Knox County Public Library | Knoxville, TN | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Helping Mamas | Norcross, GA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Historic Tennessee Theatre Foundation | Knoxville, TN | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Hoof & Harness Experiential Learning | Strawberry Plains, TN | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Leslie County Board of Education | Hyden, KY | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Leslie County Fiscal Court Leslie County Sheriff's Office | Hyden, KY | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Mountain View Elementary School | Hyden, KY | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Renaissance Terrace Assisted Living Center | Knoxville, TN | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Task-Taking Action for Special Kids | N Tazewell, VA | $10,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Thrive | Knoxville, TN | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Mission of Hope | Knoxville, TN | $9,875 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Spark | Knoxville, TN | $6,200 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Knoxville Choral Society | Knoxville, TN | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Tazewell Today | Tazewell, VA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Tennessee Theatre Foundation | Knoxville, TN | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Casting for Recovery | Knoxville, TN | $3,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Taking Action for Special Kids | N Tazewell, VA | $3,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Bijou Theatre | Knoxville, TN | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Tazewell Today | Tazewell, TN | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Women's Fund of East Tennessee | Knoxville, TN | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Appalachian Highlands Community Dental Center | Abingdon, VA | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Friends of Tennessee's Babies With Special Needs | Alcoa, TN | $1,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Friends of Tennessee Babies With Special Needs | Alcoa, TN | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
71 of 168 (42%) received money in more than one year over the 3 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 55%, across 2 year-to-year transitions. The median foundation retains about 67%, so this one is less consistent than most. 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 the money was for
Taken verbatim from the purpose field of its filings. This is the closest thing to a statement of what this foundation cares about, in its own words.
- Fish Hospitality Pantries
BUILDING PURCHASE/RENOVATION - Helen Ross Mcnabb Foundation
RECOVERY HOUSING CAMPAIGN - Leslie County School System
FOOTBALL FIELD REPLACEMENT - Free Medical Clinic of Oak Ridge
DIAGNOSTIC/MEDICATION COSTS - United Way of Southwest Virginia
BUCHANAN CO. FLOOD RELIEF - Tri-County Health Clinic
NEW RETAINING WALL/EQUIPMENT PURCHASE/PROGRAM SUPPORT
What kind of organizations it funds
By the recipient's own IRS classification, for the 151 grants where we could identify the organization. These are assigned categories, not our guesses.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants | Total | Median grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 98 | $3,102,489 | $20,000 |
| 2022 | 91 | $3,112,653 | $25,000 |
| 2023 | 94 | $3,142,616 | $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.
Already committed for future years
Form 990-PF has a separate schedule for grants approved but not yet paid. The Thompson Charitable Foundation has 12 of them, worth $1,308,900. This is the one part of the filing that looks forward rather than back -- and it also tells you how much of the next year's budget is already spoken for.
| Organization | Location | Approved |
|---|---|---|
| Appalachian Sustainable Development | Duffield, VA | $259,879 |
| Helen Ross Mcnabb Foundation | Knoxville, TN | $150,000 |
| United Way of Southwest Virginia | Abingdon, VA | $138,188 |
| Boys & Girls Club of Central Appalachia | Grundy, VA | $100,000 |
| Southwest Va Workforce Development Board | Lebanon, VA | $100,000 |
| Southwest Va Workforce Development Board | Lebanon, VA | $100,000 |
| Town of Tazewell | Tazewell, VA | $100,000 |
| United Way of Southwest Virginia | Abingdon, VA | $100,000 |
| Virginia Community Capital | Richmond, VA | $83,333 |
| Southwest Va Workforce Development Board | Lebanon, VA | $77,500 |
| East Tennessee Children's Hospital | Knoxville, TN | $50,000 |
| Restoration House of East Tennessee | Knoxville, TN | $50,000 |
Where its money goes
Foundations concentrate geographically far more than their mission statements suggest. 50% of this one's giving went to organizations in Virginia. 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 $20,900. 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 Virginia.
- 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 The Thompson Charitable Foundation's own Form 990-PF filings, which the IRS publishes in bulk. We used 3 returns (tax years 2021-2023). Nothing here is scraped, inferred, or estimated.
Address of record on the latest return: 1942 E 7TH Street 400, Charlotte, NC, 28204. 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 58-1754763 · See the original filings on ProPublica · How we build this
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