The Thalia & Michael C Carlos Foundation is a locally focused Atlanta funder that concentrates on arts and cultural institutions, historic preservation, urban greenspace, and neighborhood-serving social services. They favor repeat, multi-year support for established local organizations (museums, ballet, history center) while also funding community health, legal aid, and direct service nonprofits addressing food insecurity, domestic violence, and addiction. Their portfolio blends major cultural anchor investments with civic and safety-net organizations that strengthen Atlanta neighborhoods and civic life.
A defining feature of the Thalia & Michael C Carlos Foundation In is its repeated support for Atlanta’s cultural institutions at the $100,000 level, including Atlanta Ballet Michael C Carlos Dance Centre and Michael C Carlos Museum across 2023, 2024, and 2025. That pattern points to a funder that backs anchor organizations over time rather than making only one-off gifts. The foundation also shows a strong preference for general support, with many recent awards labeled that way, and its recent grants reach beyond the arts into preservation, environmental work, and neighborhood services. Recent giving shows a blend of large institutional grants and civic support for local nonprofits. Atlanta History Center appears among the foundation’s recurring recipients, as do Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation, Chris 180, and Nature Conservancy of Georgia. Other named grantees in the recent record include Southern Environmental Law Center, Giving Kitchen, Shepherd Center, Task Force for Global Health, Sweet Auburn Works, Story Corps Atlanta, and Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Diversity Initiative. Taken together, the pattern suggests a foundation focused on long-term support for Atlanta organizations that shape culture, place, and community well-being.
The foundation supports Atlanta arts institutions with sustained general support. Atlanta Ballet Michael C Carlos Dance Centre received $100,000 in 2023, 2024, and 2025, while Michael C Carlos Museum also received $100,000 in each of those years. Historic preservation is another clear theme. Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation received $50,000 in 2023, 2024, and 2025, and Sweet Auburn Works received $50,000 in 2023. Environmental and civic work also appear in the recent record. Southern Environmental Law Center received $85,000 in 2025, $75,000 in 2024, and $75,000 in 2023, and Nature Conservancy of Georgia received $50,000 in 2024, 2025, and 2023. The foundation also funded Story Corps Atlanta with $50,000 in 2023 and Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Diversity Initiative with $50,000 in 2025.
Typical grant size is $10,000 at the 25th percentile, $12,500 at the median, and $25,000 at the 75th percentile, with larger awards reserved for selected core grantees. The recent record also shows repeated support over multiple years for several recipients, indicating ongoing relationships rather than isolated gifts. Grant descriptions are consistently labeled general support, with some aligned to matching support. The foundation does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments, so its giving is directed through organizational grants.
$2M
$23.1M
$3M
$2.2M
Most grants fall between $10K and $25K, with a median of $13K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$13K
75th Percentile
$25K
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Concentrated, Atlanta-centric giving with frequent repeat grants to core grantees; typical award sizes in the mid-five-figures to low-six-figures and multiple smaller grants across 70 total awards, mixing institutional anchor gifts with program/support grants to frontline service providers.
Notable grantees: Michael C Carlos Museum, Atlanta Ballet Michael C Carlos Dance Centre, Atlanta History Center, Atlanta Community Food Bank, Southern Environmental Law Center
Grantmaking is overwhelmingly local and concentrated in Georgia, which accounts for 95% of grants. Recent recipients are heavily centered in Atlanta, including Atlanta Ballet Michael C Carlos Dance Centre, Michael C Carlos Museum, Atlanta History Center, Southern Environmental Law Center, Giving Kitchen, Chris 180, Shepherd Center, and Nature Conservancy of Georgia. Decatur also appears in the recent record through Task Force for Global Health. All recorded recipient country data points are in the United States.
Recent grants show consistent support for Atlanta arts and cultural institutions, historic preservation, environmental organizations, and neighborhood-serving human services. Examples include Atlanta Ballet Michael C Carlos Dance Centre, Michael C Carlos Museum, Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation, Southern Environmental Law Center, and Giving Kitchen.
The grant-size profile is centered on modest six-figure-scale institutional support: the 25th percentile is $10,000, the median is $12,500, and the 75th percentile is $25,000. Recent outliers include repeated $100,000 grants to major arts institutions.
Yes. Several organizations appear in multiple years, including Atlanta Ballet Michael C Carlos Dance Centre and Michael C Carlos Museum at $100,000 in 2023, 2024, and 2025. Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation and Nature Conservancy of Georgia also received support in multiple years.
Its grantmaking is concentrated in Georgia, which represents 95% of grants. The recent recipient list is dominated by Atlanta organizations, with a smaller number of grants elsewhere in the state, such as Task Force for Global Health in Decatur.
Most recent awards are labeled general support, which suggests flexible funding rather than tightly restricted project grants. The data also shows some matching support, including a grant to Emory Chamber Music Society of Atlanta through a matching grant arrangement.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MICHAEL C CARLOS MUSEUM | ATLANTA, GA | $100,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ZOO ATLANTA | ATLANTA, GA | $100,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ATLANTA HISTORY CENTER | ATLANTA, GA | $100,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ATLANTA BALLET MICHAEL C CARLOS DANCE CENTRE | ATLANTA, GA | $100,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SOUTHERN ENVIRONMENTAL LAW CENTER | ATLANTA, GA | $85,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ATLANTA COMMUNITY FOOD BANK | ATLANTA, GA | $75,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NATURE CONSERVANCY OF GEORGIA | ATLANTA, GA | $60,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| GEORGIA TRUST FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION | ATLANTA, GA | $50,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| TASK FORCE FOR GLOBAL HEALTH | DECATUR, GA | $50,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SHEPHERD CENTER | ATLANTA, GA | $50,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MURPHY-HARPST | CEDARTOWN, GA | $50,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MEALS ON WHEELS | ARLINGTON, VA | $50,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| WABE | ATLANTA, GA | $50,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CHRIS 180 | ATLANTA, GA | $50,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| GATEWAY CENTER | ATLANTA, GA | $40,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| KENNESAW STATE UNIV STUDENT HOMELESS | KENNESAW, GA | $35,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| PARK PRIDE | ATLANTA, GA | $35,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CHASTAIN PARK CONSERVANCY | ATLANTA, GA | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| HISTORIC OAKLAND CEMETERY | ATLANTA, GA | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NATIONAL CENTER FOR CIVIL AND HUMAN RIGHTS | ATLANTA, GA | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SWEET AUBURN WORKS | ATLANTA, GA | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ATLANTA LEGAL AID SOCIETY | ATLANTA, GA | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CARTER CENTER | ATLANTA, GA | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| HANDS ON ATLANTA | ATLANTA, GA | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| DAUGHTERS AGAINST ALZHEIMERS | ATLANTA, GA | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MADE BY US | ATLANTA, GA | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| WEINSTEIN HOSPICE | ATLANTA, GA | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| REPAIR THE WORLD | NEW YORK, NY | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| AMERICAN JEWISH COMMITTEE SOUTHEAST REGION | ATLANTA, GA | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CAPACITY INC | UNIVERSITY CITY, MO | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ADDICTION ALLIANCE OF GA (EMORYHAZELDON) | ATLANTA, GA | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| PATH FOUNDATION | ATLANTA, GA | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ARTSATL | ATLANTA, GA | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FOUR-H FULTON COUNTY | COLLEGE PARK, GA | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CARE | ATLANTA, GA | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CENTER FOR VISUALLY IMPAIRED | ATLANTA, GA | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| STAR-C | ATLANTA, GA | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| JEWISH FAMILY AND CAREER SERVICES | ATLANTA, GA | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NEW AMERICAN PATHWAYS | ATLANTA, GA | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ARTSNOW INC | ATLANTA, GA | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FERNBANK MUSEUM | ATLANTA, GA | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| USHER 2020 FOUNDATION INC | ATLANTA, GA | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BLUE RIDGE BARTRAM TRAIL CONSERVANCY | FRANKLIN, NC | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ATLANTA MUSIC PROJECT | ATLANTA, GA | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| OPEN DOOR | ATLANTA, GA | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FAMILIES OF CHILDREN UNDER STRESS (FOCUS) | ATLANTA, GA | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ST JUDES RECOVERY CENTER (ASCENSA HEALTH) | ATLANTA, GA | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ATLANTA PRESERVATION CENTER | ATLANTA, GA | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| GEORGIA ASYLUM AND IMMIGRATION NETWORK | ATLANTA, GA | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| TRUST FOR PUBLIC LAND | ATLANTA, GA | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
MICHAEL C CARLOS MUSEUM
$100,000GENERAL SUPPORT
ZOO ATLANTA
$100,000GENERAL SUPPORT
ATLANTA HISTORY CENTER
$100,000GENERAL SUPPORT
ATLANTA BALLET MICHAEL C CARLOS DANCE CENTRE
$100,000GENERAL SUPPORT
GENERAL SUPPORT
NATURE CONSERVANCY OF GEORGIA
$60,000GENERAL SUPPORT
MEALS ON WHEELS
$50,000GENERAL SUPPORT
GATEWAY CENTER
$40,000GENERAL SUPPORT
CHASTAIN PARK CONSERVANCY
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
HISTORIC OAKLAND CEMETERY
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
NATIONAL CENTER FOR CIVIL AND HUMAN RIGHTS
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
SWEET AUBURN WORKS
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
MADE BY US
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
WEINSTEIN HOSPICE
$20,000GENERAL SUPPORT
CAPACITY INC
$20,000GENERAL SUPPORT
ADDICTION ALLIANCE OF GA (EMORYHAZELDON)
$20,000GENERAL SUPPORT
ARTSATL
$15,000GENERAL SUPPORT
FOUR-H FULTON COUNTY
$15,000GENERAL SUPPORT
ARTSNOW INC
$15,000GENERAL SUPPORT
FERNBANK MUSEUM
$15,000GENERAL SUPPORT
USHER 2020 FOUNDATION INC
$15,000GENERAL SUPPORT
BLUE RIDGE BARTRAM TRAIL CONSERVANCY
$15,000GENERAL SUPPORT
ATLANTA MUSIC PROJECT
$15,000GENERAL SUPPORT
ST JUDES RECOVERY CENTER (ASCENSA HEALTH)
$15,000GENERAL SUPPORT
ATLANTA PRESERVATION CENTER
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT