The Thelma B & Thomas P Hart Foundation concentrates its giving in northern Nevada, prioritizing capital and facility-building projects that strengthen regional institutions. Their grants heavily support the University of Nevada, Reno and cultural and recreational infrastructure (museum expansion, ski area improvements), while also funding specialized service organizations like guide dog services. They favor place-based, tangible capital projects over small program grants.
A 2024 $250,000 grant to the Nevada Museum of Art for museum expansion captures the Thelma B & Thomas P Hart Foundation’s pattern well: it backs place-based capital projects that change the physical capacity of northern Nevada institutions. The foundation’s recent giving repeatedly supports buildings, renovations, construction campaigns, and equipment tied to universities, museums, recreation sites, and service organizations. University of Nevada, Reno receives a steady stream of support through the UNR Foundation, including funding for the Lannes Basketball Building, the Business Building, athletics, and recreation renovations. Outside higher education, the foundation has financed project-heavy work for Sky Tavern, Guide Dogs for the Blind, Greater Reno community ice-skating organizations, and food security efforts in northern Nevada. Grants also reach community-serving organizations such as Boys & Girls Club of Truckee Meadows and Renown Health Foundation. This is a local funder with a strong tilt toward tangible, often facility-centered investments rather than broad program portfolios. The recipient list shows a recurring preference for projects that expand, build, or improve community infrastructure in Reno and nearby communities.
Higher education is a clear priority. Through the UNR Foundation, the funder gave $150,000 in 2025 for the Lannes Basketball Building and $125,000 in 2025 for the Business Building, alongside support for men’s and women’s athletics. Arts and culture also appear in the grant list. In 2025, Nevada Museum of Art received $100,000 for museum expansion, following a larger $250,000 grant in 2024 for the same project. Recreation infrastructure is another recurring theme. Sky Tavern received $125,000 in 2023 for a snowmaking capital campaign and $75,000 in 2024 for a snowmaking project. The foundation also supported the Greater Reno Comm Ice Skating Association with $50,000 for ice rink construction. Basic community services and family-facing programs appear as well, including $50,000 to the Boys & Girls Club of Truckee Meadows for childcare facility renovation and $50,000 to Food Bank of Northern Nevada for program support.
Typical grant sizes cluster around major project support: the 25th percentile is $5,000, the median is $20,000, and the 75th percentile is $40,000, while the recent list shows multiple $50,000 to $125,000 awards and a $250,000 grant. Thelma B & Thomas P Hart Foundation looks like a regular private funder rather than a DAF or program-related-investment vehicle. The grant list also shows repeat support to the same organizations and projects across multiple years, which points to ongoing relationships rather than one-off gifts. Most awards in the recent record are tied to a named capital effort, renovation, or facility build.
$1.2M
$22.4M
$2.2M
$1.7M
Most grants fall between $5K and $40K, with a median of $20K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$20K
75th Percentile
$40K
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Concentrated, large-capital grants (few high-dollar awards) with repeat support to a flagship local beneficiary (UNR Foundation); emphasis on funding capital campaigns and construction rather than many small grants.
Notable grantees: UNR Foundation, Nevada Museum of Art, Sky Tavern, Guide Dogs for the Blind
Grantmaking is concentrated in northern Nevada, with 82% of grants going to recipients in Nevada and the top state by grant count also Nevada. Reno is the main city in the recent record, appearing across museums, university projects, recreation facilities, and youth organizations. Sparks and McCarran also appear among Nevada recipients. Outside the state, the recent grants include organizations in San Rafael and Santa Paula, California, but the recipient country distribution is entirely U.S.-based.
It most often funds capital and facility-related work. Recent examples include museum expansion, a basketball building, a business building, snowmaking projects, ice rink construction, childcare facility renovation, and transit van purchase. The pattern favors tangible infrastructure over broad, general-purpose grantmaking.
Yes. University of Nevada, Reno appears repeatedly through the UNR Foundation, including grants for the Lannes Basketball Building, the Business Building, men’s and women’s athletics, and recreation renovations. That recurring pattern makes higher education one of the clearest themes in the grant record.
The foundation’s grant-size distribution is fairly concentrated: the 25th percentile is $5,000, the median is $20,000, and the 75th percentile is $40,000. In the recent grants list, many awards are at $50,000 or above, with several at $100,000 and $125,000.
It gives most often in Nevada. The data show 82% of grants going to recipients in the HQ state, and the top state by grant count is also Nevada. Reno dominates the recipient list, with additional Nevada grants in Sparks and McCarran.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UNR Foundation | Reno, NV | $150,000 | 2025 | Lannes Basketball Building |
| Guide Dogs for the Blind | San Rafael, CA | $125,000 | 2025 | Courtyard Plaza construction |
| UNR Foundation | Reno, NV | $125,000 | 2025 | Business Building |
| Nevada Museum of Art | Reno, NV | $100,000 | 2025 | Museum expansion |
| Big Brothers Big Sisters Northern NV | Reno, NV | $55,000 | 2025 | Building Big Fixtures |
| Northern Nevada Youth Golf Foundation | Reno, NV | $50,000 | 2025 | Wildcreek Golf Course |
| Renown Health Foundation | Reno, NV | $50,000 | 2025 | Breast Center |
| Boys and Girls Club of Truckee Meadows | Reno, NV | $50,000 | 2025 | DWR Expansion |
| Food Bank of Northern Nevada | Sparks, NV | $50,000 | 2025 | Operational support |
| UNR Foundation | Reno, NV | $50,000 | 2025 | Men's/Women's Athletics |
| Greater Reno Comm Ice Skating Association | Reno, NV | $50,000 | 2025 | Ice rink construction |
| UofP McGeorge School of Law | Sacramento, CA | $40,000 | 2025 | Kennedy bar chair/bar incentive prog |
| Nevada Museum of Art | Reno, NV | $35,000 | 2025 | Exhibition support |
| PBS Reno | Reno, NV | $30,000 | 2025 | Wild Nevada/Curiosity Classroom |
| Sierra Nevada Journeys | Reno, NV | $30,000 | 2025 | Grizzly Creek Ranch Capital Campaign |
| National Disaster Search Dog Foundation | Santa Paula, CA | $25,000 | 2025 | Operational support |
| Nevada Humane Society | Reno, NV | $25,000 | 2025 | Operational support |
| Nevada Museum of Art | Reno, NV | $25,000 | 2025 | School Tours |
| Canine Companions for Independence | Santa Rosa, CA | $25,000 | 2025 | Program support |
| Terry Lee Wells Discovery Museum | Reno, NV | $20,000 | 2025 | Educational support |
| Community Foundation | Reno, NV | $14,500 | 2025 | Team Training |
| Northern Nevada Children's Cancer Fdn | Reno, NV | $10,000 | 2025 | Golden Ribbon Gala |
| Northern Nevada HOPES | Reno, NV | $10,000 | 2025 | Operational support |
| Childrens Cabinet | Reno, NV | $10,000 | 2025 | Art of Childhood |
| Domestic Violence Resource Center | Reno, NV | $10,000 | 2025 | Program support |
| UNR Foundation | Reno, NV | $10,000 | 2025 | Pack Excellence Fund |
| UNR Foundation | Reno, NV | $6,125 | 2025 | Sports Medicine |
| Reno Philharmonic Association | Reno, NV | $5,000 | 2025 | Program support |
| Truckee Trails Foundation | Truckee, CA | $5,000 | 2025 | Program support |
| Nevada Military Support Alliance | Reno, NV | $5,000 | 2025 | Operational support |
| Moms on the Run | Reno, NV | $5,000 | 2025 | Program support |
| Northern Nevada Children's Cancer Fdn | Reno, NV | $5,000 | 2025 | Family Assistance Fund |
| Catholic Charities of Northern NV | Reno, NV | $5,000 | 2025 | Food pantry |
| Eagle Valley Children's Home | Carson City, NV | $5,000 | 2025 | Respite Care |
| PBS Reno | Reno, NV | $5,000 | 2025 | PBS Spotlight Awards |
| Skyline High School Booster Club | Sammamish, WA | $3,500 | 2025 | Program support |
| Feeding Pets of the Homeless | Carson City, NV | $2,500 | 2025 | Program support |
| Reno High School | Reno, NV | $1,500 | 2025 | We the People National Competition |
| Pioneer Center for Performing Arts | Reno, NV | $1,000 | 2025 | Program support |
| Nevada Museum of Art | Reno, NV | $250,000 | 2024 | Museum expansion |
| UNR Foundation | Reno, NV | $125,000 | 2024 | Business Building |
| UNR Foundation | Reno, NV | $100,000 | 2024 | M/W athletics |
| Sky Tavern | Reno, NV | $75,000 | 2024 | Snowmaking project |
| Guide Dogs for the Blind | San Rafael, CA | $75,000 | 2024 | Courtyard Plaza construction |
| Food Bank of Northern Nevada | Sparks, NV | $50,000 | 2024 | Program support |
| Greater Reno Ice Skating Community | Reno, NV | $50,000 | 2024 | Ice rink construction |
| Sky Tavern | Reno, NV | $50,000 | 2024 | Snowmaking project |
| National Disaster Search Dog Foundation | Santa Paula, CA | $50,000 | 2024 | Transit van |
| National Automobile Museum | Reno, NV | $50,000 | 2024 | Creation of children's activity center |
| Hawaii Community Foundation | Honolulu, HI | $45,000 | 2024 | Maui Strong Fund |
UNR Foundation
$125,000Business Building
Big Brothers Big Sisters Northern NV
$55,000Building Big Fixtures
Northern Nevada Youth Golf Foundation
Wildcreek Golf Course
Boys and Girls Club of Truckee Meadows
$50,000DWR Expansion
UNR Foundation
$50,000Men's/Women's Athletics
Greater Reno Comm Ice Skating Association
$50,000Ice rink construction
UofP McGeorge School of Law
$40,000Kennedy bar chair/bar incentive prog
Sierra Nevada Journeys
$30,000Grizzly Creek Ranch Capital Campaign
Nevada Humane Society
$25,000Operational support
Community Foundation
$14,500Team Training
Northern Nevada Children's Cancer Fdn
$10,000Golden Ribbon Gala
Northern Nevada HOPES
$10,000Operational support
Childrens Cabinet
$10,000Art of Childhood
UNR Foundation
$10,000Pack Excellence Fund
UNR Foundation
$6,125Sports Medicine
Truckee Trails Foundation
$5,000Program support
Moms on the Run
$5,000Program support
Northern Nevada Children's Cancer Fdn
$5,000Family Assistance Fund
Catholic Charities of Northern NV
$5,000Food pantry
Eagle Valley Children's Home
$5,000Respite Care
PBS Reno
$5,000PBS Spotlight Awards
Skyline High School Booster Club
$3,500Program support
Reno High School
$1,500We the People National Competition
Pioneer Center for Performing Arts
$1,000Program support
Greater Reno Ice Skating Community
$50,000Ice rink construction