The Loretha and Paul Thiele Charitable Trust focuses on strengthening civic life in south Georgia, concentrating major gifts on regional healthcare, public higher education, and local community development. Grants are highly place-based (Nashville/Berrien/Valdosta area) and support a mix of institutional capital and program needs for hospitals, state universities, downtown development, and local heritage and family services.
Concentrated, place-based giving with a small number of large grants and several repeat recipients; funding tilts toward institutional partners (hospitals and universities) and community capital/development rather than many small donors or wide geographic distribution.
A defining feature of Loretha and Paul Thiele Charitable Tr is the size of its support for South Georgia health care and civic institutions. In the latest grant list, the trust made a $235,020 general-support grant to SGMC Foundation in Valdosta, alongside repeated seven-figure-scale commitments across nearby public institutions and community groups over multiple years. The pattern is place-based and steady: Valdosta, Nashville, and other Berrien County organizations receive most of the funding, with grants used for general support rather than narrow project awards. The trust’s portfolio shows a clear preference for institutions that anchor daily life in the region. Valdosta State University Foundation received multiple general-support grants, including a $110,000 award in 2023 and $100,000 gifts in both 2024 and 2025. Nashville Dda also appears twice in the recent record with $125,000 grants in 2024 and 2025, indicating continued support for local development efforts. Smaller awards extend the same pattern to schools, libraries, heritage groups, and youth-serving organizations in the Nashville and Berrien County area.
Healthcare is the largest visible theme in the recent grants. The trust gave $235,020 to SGMC Foundation in 2025 and $150,000 to South Georgia Medical Center Fdn in 2023, both for general support in Valdosta. Public higher education is another recurring area. Valdosta State University Foundation received $110,000 in 2023 and $100,000 in both 2024 and 2025, while Uga Foundation was awarded $50,000 in 2023. Local civic and economic development also appears prominently. Nashville Dda received $125,000 in 2024 and again in 2025 for general support, and Berrien Historical Foundation received $76,000 in 2023. The trust also funds family and school-connected services, including awards to Family Connectioncommunities in Nashville.
The grant-size profile is centered in mid-sized and larger awards: p25 is $10,000, median grant size is $20,000, and p75 is $82,000. That spread matches a pattern of concentrated support for a relatively small set of local institutions, with repeated funding to the same recipients across 2023, 2024, and 2025. Grants are issued as general support, with no indication of a formal application process in the data. The trust does not fund individuals and is not shown making program-related investments.
$1.5M
$12.2M
$1.2M
$629K
Most grants fall between $10K and $82K, with a median of $20K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$20K
75th Percentile
$82K
About 100% of grants go to recipients in GA.
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Notable grantees: SGMC Foundation, Valdosta State University Foundation, Nashville DDA, Berrien Historical Foundation, Family Connection/Communities in Schools
Grantmaking is entirely local and entirely in Georgia, with 100% of grants to recipients in the HQ state. Valdosta and Nashville appear most often, especially through awards to health, education, and civic organizations. Other recipient cities include Athens, Atlanta, Adel, and Decatur, but the center of gravity remains in south Georgia and the Berrien County area.
The recent record shows support for healthcare institutions, public higher education, local development groups, history and cultural organizations, and family or youth-serving nonprofits. Examples include hospitals and foundations in Valdosta, public university support, and community organizations in Nashville and Berrien County.
No. Several recipients appear in multiple years. Valdosta State University Foundation received grants in 2023, 2024, and 2025; Nashville Dda received awards in 2024 and 2025; and Family Connectioncommunities received grants in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
The grant-size distribution is p25 $10,000, median $20,000, and p75 $82,000. The recent list also includes larger awards such as $235,020 to SGMC Foundation and $125,000 grants to Nashville Dda.
Its giving is local and entirely in Georgia. All recent grants in the dataset went to Georgia recipients, with the highest concentration in Valdosta and Nashville, plus additional awards in Athens, Atlanta, Adel, and Decatur.
The grants are typically described as general support. That label appears across the recent list for hospitals, universities, downtown development, historical groups, and family-service organizations.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SGMC FOUNDATION | VALDOSTA, GA | $235,020 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NASHVILLE DDA | NASHVILLE, GA | $125,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| VALDOSTA STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATIO | VALDOSTA, GA | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FAMILY CONNECTIONCOMMUTIES IN SCHO | NASHVILLE, GA | $55,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BERRIEN COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL FINE ART | NASHVILLE, GA | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BERRIEN COUNTY FOUNDATION | NASHVILLE, GA | $7,500 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE MUSEUM SCHOOL FOUNDATION | DECATUR, GA | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| KIRKCATS INC | ATLANTA, GA | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BERRIEN COUNTY 4-H | NASHVILLE, GA | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CAREY DORSEY PERRY MEMORIAL LIBRARY | NASHVILLE, GA | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BERRIEN COUNTY FFA | NASHVILLE, GA | $2,500 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SGMC FOUNDATION | VALDOSTA, GA | $150,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NASHVILLE DDA | NASHVILLE, GA | $125,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| VALDOSTA STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATIO | VALDOSTA, GA | $100,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FAMILY CONNECTIONCOMMUTIES IN SCHO | NASHVILLE, GA | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BERRIEN COUNTY FOUNDATION | NASHVILLE, GA | $20,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BERRIEN COUNTY FFA | NASHVILLE, GA | $15,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CAREY DORSEY PERRY MEMORIAL LIBRARY | NASHVILLE, GA | $14,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| JON S MISSION FOR 22 INC | NASHVILLE, GA | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BERRIEN COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL FINE ART | NASHVILLE, GA | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FEET OF CLAY INC | ATLANTA, GA | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BERRIEN COUNTY 4-H | NASHVILLE, GA | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FEEDING HOPE OUTREACH | OCILLA, GA | $1,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SOUTH GEORGIA MEDICAL CENTER FDN | VALDOSTA, GA | $150,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| VALDOSTA STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATIO | VALDOSTA, GA | $110,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BERRIEN HISTORICAL FOUNDATION | NASHVILLE, GA | $76,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| UGA FOUNDATION | ATHENS, GA | $50,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FAMILY CONNECTIONCOMMUNITIES | NASHVILLE, GA | $50,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BERRIEN BOARD OF EDUCATION | NASHVILLE, GA | $20,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| OPEN DOOR CHRISTIAN HOMES INC | ADEL, GA | $10,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| LOST-N-FOUND YOUTH | ATLANTA, GA | $10,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
SGMC FOUNDATION
$235,020GENERAL SUPPORT
NASHVILLE DDA
$125,000GENERAL SUPPORT
VALDOSTA STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATIO
$100,000GENERAL SUPPORT
FAMILY CONNECTIONCOMMUTIES IN SCHO
$55,000GENERAL SUPPORT
BERRIEN COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL FINE ART
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
BERRIEN COUNTY FOUNDATION
$7,500GENERAL SUPPORT
THE MUSEUM SCHOOL FOUNDATION
$5,000GENERAL SUPPORT
KIRKCATS INC
$5,000GENERAL SUPPORT
BERRIEN COUNTY 4-H
$5,000GENERAL SUPPORT
CAREY DORSEY PERRY MEMORIAL LIBRARY
$5,000GENERAL SUPPORT
BERRIEN COUNTY FFA
$2,500GENERAL SUPPORT
SGMC FOUNDATION
$150,000GENERAL SUPPORT
NASHVILLE DDA
$125,000GENERAL SUPPORT
VALDOSTA STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATIO
$100,000GENERAL SUPPORT
FAMILY CONNECTIONCOMMUTIES IN SCHO
$50,000GENERAL SUPPORT
BERRIEN COUNTY FOUNDATION
$20,000GENERAL SUPPORT
BERRIEN COUNTY FFA
$15,000GENERAL SUPPORT
CAREY DORSEY PERRY MEMORIAL LIBRARY
$14,000GENERAL SUPPORT
JON S MISSION FOR 22 INC
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
BERRIEN COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL FINE ART
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
FEET OF CLAY INC
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
BERRIEN COUNTY 4-H
$5,000GENERAL SUPPORT
FEEDING HOPE OUTREACH
$1,000GENERAL SUPPORT
SOUTH GEORGIA MEDICAL CENTER FDN
$150,000GENERAL SUPPORT
VALDOSTA STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATIO
$110,000GENERAL SUPPORT
BERRIEN HISTORICAL FOUNDATION
$76,000GENERAL SUPPORT
UGA FOUNDATION
$50,000GENERAL SUPPORT
FAMILY CONNECTIONCOMMUNITIES
$50,000GENERAL SUPPORT
BERRIEN BOARD OF EDUCATION
$20,000GENERAL SUPPORT
OPEN DOOR CHRISTIAN HOMES INC
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
LOST-N-FOUND YOUTH
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT