The Grant Thornton Foundation concentrates its philanthropic support on civil rights and racial justice causes, backing established national organizations that advance legal advocacy and higher‑education access for marginalized communities. It also funds veteran-focused programs and reentry/housing initiatives, typically through a small number of sizable grants and repeat awards to priority partners.
Grant Thornton Foundation’s recent grantmaking is anchored by repeated $100,000 awards to national civil-rights organizations: Thurgood Marshall College Fund and Southern Poverty Law Center each received that amount in both 2023 and 2024. Those recurring grants point to a clear pattern of supporting legal advocacy and higher-education access for marginalized communities. The foundation also backs veteran support and housing-related work, including a $98,012 grant to Warrior Reunion Foundation and a $63,411 grant to Digs With Dignity. Education is another major thread, with institutional support going to universities and colleges across several states, alongside scholarship support for students. Smaller grants appear in disaster relief and other general support categories, showing that the foundation uses a mix of large anchor grants and mid-sized institutional awards. The result is a grant portfolio centered on civil rights, access to education, and practical support for communities facing transition, displacement, or hardship.
Civil rights and racial justice are the clearest thematic focus. In both 2023 and 2024, the foundation gave $100,000 to Southern Poverty Law Center for promoting racial justice and equality, and it made the same-size award to Thurgood Marshall College Fund for the same purpose. Education is another consistent area, especially institutional support for higher education: University of Illinois received $50,000 in 2023 and $40,000 in 2024, and Appalachian State University received $35,000 in 2024 after a $30,000 grant in 2023. The foundation also supports student access through a $25,000 scholarship grant to Masscpas Educational Foundation. Beyond education, it funds service programs such as Women in Training and Free Mom Hugs, both through general support grants.
Typical grants cluster in the mid-five-figure range, with p25 at $10,000, a median of $25,000, and p75 at $50,000. The portfolio includes several repeated awards across years, including multiple grants to the same civil-rights and education partners in 2023 and 2024. Grant Thornton Foundation is a regular funder rather than a donor-advised fund, and it also funds individuals. The recent record shows a mix of operating-style general support, institutional support for educational organizations, scholarship support, and one disaster relief grant.
$171K
$224K
$220K
$176K
Most grants fall between $10K and $50K, with a median of $25K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$25K
75th Percentile
$50K
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Concentrated giving: few, relatively large grants with repeat awards to the same flagship grantees rather than many small, one-off gifts; mixes national advocacy groups with direct-service organizations.
Notable grantees: Southern Poverty Law Center, Thurgood Marshall College Fund, Warrior Reunion Foundation, Digs With Dignity
Grant Thornton Foundation gives nationally, with all recent grants in the United States. Florida is the top state by grant count, even though the foundation is headquartered in Chicago. Recipient locations span Washington, DC; Montgomery, Alabama; Urbana, Illinois; Boone, North Carolina; and New York, New York. Illinois recipients account for 16% of grants, and the recent record also includes recipients in Maryland, Wisconsin, Massachusetts, Oklahoma, Colorado, Ohio, Texas, and Virginia.
The recent grants show support for civil-rights and racial-justice organizations, higher-education institutions, scholarship intermediaries, veteran support, housing-related services, and disaster relief. Named recipients include Thurgood Marshall College Fund, Southern Poverty Law Center, Warrior Reunion Foundation, Digs With Dignity, and several universities.
Yes. Thurgood Marshall College Fund and Southern Poverty Law Center each received $100,000 in both 2023 and 2024. University of Illinois and Appalachian State University also received grants in consecutive years, indicating a repeated relationship with selected partners.
Its grant sizes are often in the five-figure range. The distribution provided is p25 of $10,000, a median of $25,000, and p75 of $50,000, with several recent grants above that range, including multiple $100,000 awards.
It supports educational institutions and student access. Recent examples include institutional support for University of Illinois, Appalachian State University, Michigan State University, Baruch College, Morgan State University, George Mason University, and scholarship support for Masscpas Educational Foundation.
Its giving is national, but Florida is the top state by grant count. Recent grants also went to recipients in Washington, DC; Montgomery, Alabama; Urbana, Illinois; Boone, North Carolina; and New York, New York.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I GOT THIS FOUNDATION | GLENDALE, AZ | $41,450 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ISRAAID | BEVERLY HILLS, CA | $29,205 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ALLEY-OOP KIDS | ATHERTON, CA | $27,745 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| PALESTINE CHILDRENS'S RELIEF FUND (PCRF) | BURBANK, CA | $26,556 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MBC TRAVELERS | SAINT PETERSBURG, FL | $25,320 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ST JOHN'S UNIVERSITY | JAMAICA, NY | $12,800 | 2026 | EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT |
| UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS | DENTON, TX | $10,000 | 2026 | EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT |
| DISASTER RELIEF GRANT 1 | CHICAGO, IL | $5,000 | 2026 | DISASTER RELIEF |
| UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS FOUNDATION | CHAMPAIGN, IL | $1,650 | 2026 | EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT |
| BARUCH COLLEGE | NEW YORK, NY | $1,575 | 2026 | EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT |
| SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER | MONTGOMERY, AL | $100,000 | 2024 | PROMOTING RACIAL JUSTICE AND EQUALITY |
| THURGOOD MARSHALL COLLEGE FUND | WASHINGTON, DC | $100,000 | 2024 | PROMOTING RACIAL JUSTICE AND EQUALITY |
| DIGS WITH DIGNITY | CHICAGO, IL | $63,411 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS | URBANA, IL | $40,000 | 2024 | EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT |
| APPALACHIAN STATE UNIVERSITY | BOONE, NC | $35,000 | 2024 | EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT |
| FAIR OPPORTUNITY PROJECT | MADISON, WI | $30,025 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MASSCPAS EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION | WOBURN, MA | $25,000 | 2024 | SCHOLARSHIP SUPPORT |
| WOMEN IN TRAINING | MONTGOMERY, AL | $20,225 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BARUCH COLLEGE | NEW YORK, NY | $11,000 | 2024 | EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT |
| MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY | BALTIMORE, MD | $5,000 | 2024 | EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT |
| THURGOOD MARSHALL COLLEGE FUND | WASHINGTON, DC | $100,000 | 2023 | PROMOTING RACIAL JUSTICE AND EQUALITY |
| SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER | MONTGOMERY, AL | $100,000 | 2023 | PROMOTING RACIAL JUSTICE AND EQUALITY |
| WARRIOR REUNION FOUNDATION | COCKEYSVILLE, MD | $98,012 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS | URBANA, IL | $50,000 | 2023 | EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT |
| APPALACHIAN STATE UNIVERSITY | BOONE, NC | $30,000 | 2023 | EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT |
| MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY | EAST LANSING, MI | $26,678 | 2023 | EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT |
| BARUCH COLLEGE | NEW YORK, NY | $16,000 | 2023 | EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT |
| FREE MOM HUGS | OKLAHOMA CITY, OK | $11,940 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| GO TEAM THERAPY DOGS | COLORADO SPRINGS, CO | $10,255 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS - DENTON | DENTON, TX | $10,000 | 2023 | EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT |
| UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON | DAYTON, OH | $10,000 | 2023 | EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT |
| UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA | ORLANDO, FL | $7,500 | 2023 | EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT |
| GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY | FAIRFAX, VA | $5,000 | 2023 | EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT |
| DISASTER RELIEF GRANT 1 | CHICAGO, IL | $2,490 | 2023 | DISASTER RELIEF |
| WEAVETALES | JACKSONVILLE, FL | $1,290 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
I GOT THIS FOUNDATION
$41,450GENERAL SUPPORT
ALLEY-OOP KIDS
$27,745GENERAL SUPPORT
PALESTINE CHILDRENS'S RELIEF FUND (PCRF)
$26,556GENERAL SUPPORT
MBC TRAVELERS
$25,320GENERAL SUPPORT
ST JOHN'S UNIVERSITY
$12,800EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS
$10,000EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT
DISASTER RELIEF GRANT 1
$5,000DISASTER RELIEF
BARUCH COLLEGE
$1,575EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT
DIGS WITH DIGNITY
$63,411GENERAL SUPPORT
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
$40,000EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT
APPALACHIAN STATE UNIVERSITY
$35,000EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT
FAIR OPPORTUNITY PROJECT
$30,025GENERAL SUPPORT
MASSCPAS EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION
$25,000SCHOLARSHIP SUPPORT
WOMEN IN TRAINING
$20,225GENERAL SUPPORT
BARUCH COLLEGE
$11,000EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT
MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
$5,000EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
$26,678EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT
FREE MOM HUGS
$11,940GENERAL SUPPORT
GO TEAM THERAPY DOGS
$10,255GENERAL SUPPORT
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS - DENTON
$10,000EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT
GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY
$5,000EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT
DISASTER RELIEF GRANT 1
$2,490DISASTER RELIEF
WEAVETALES
$1,290GENERAL SUPPORT