About Thompson Foundation
The Thompson Foundation is a Michigan-focused philanthropy that concentrates almost exclusively on education, funding both K-12 charter school support and postsecondary access through a branded scholarship program. The foundation makes a small number of very large grants, frequently repeating support to the same university partners to administer the “Thompson Working Families Scholarship.” Its giving is statewide within Michigan, directed at creating college access and strengthening charter school infrastructure.
Focus Areas
Thompson Working Families Scholarship program (college access scholarships administered by public universities)Support for Michigan public universities as scholarship administratorsCharter school support via local school foundation (Thompson Schools Foundation)Statewide higher-education partnerships focused on working-family affordability
Who They Fund
students from working families (low- to moderate-income)charter school students and charter schoolsmilitary-connected students/veterans
About Thompson Foundation
Thompson Foundation’s defining pattern is a long-running scholarship model built around working families and administered through Michigan universities. The largest recent grant, $4,341,250 to Thompson Schools Foundation, shows that the foundation also invests heavily in charter school infrastructure, not just student aid. Across the recent grants list, its support combines K-12 facilities, postsecondary access, and targeted awards tied to specific partner institutions. The foundation repeatedly funds public universities in Michigan to run the Thompson Working Families Scholarship Program, including Grand Valley State University, Michigan Tech Fund, and Saginaw Valley State University Foundation. It also backs Michigan schools directly through charter-school support and gap scholarships for students moving from high school into college. A smaller set of awards extends to UPrep-related scholarships and military scholarships, but the overall structure stays focused on education. The grant record shows a foundation using large, restricted awards to underwrite institutions that then deliver scholarships and school support within Michigan.
What Thompson Foundation Funds
Education is the center of Thompson Foundation’s giving, but the work breaks into several distinct channels. For charter school infrastructure, it gave $4,341,250 to Thompson Schools Foundation for charter school support, and also sent $500 awards to Mapsa Foundation for the same purpose in 2023, 2024, and 2025. In higher education, the foundation funds scholarship administration through public universities. It awarded $1,507,000 to Michigan Tech Fund for the Thompson Working Families Scholarship Program and $922,913 to Saginaw Valley State University Foundation for the Thompson Working Family Scholars Program Fund in 2023. It also supports college-access awards for UPrep graduates, including $43,950 to Grand Valley State University for the Thompson Foundation UPrep Award. The grant list also includes smaller gap and military-related scholarships, such as $47,498 to Manchester Community Schools for Working Families Scholarship (Gap) and $2,000 to Saginaw Valley State University Foundation for Military Scholarships.
How Thompson Foundation Gives
Thompson Foundation makes relatively few grants, but the distribution is wide: p25 is $10,000, the median is $47,498, and p75 reaches $730,834. The recent record is dominated by large, restricted awards rather than many small gifts. Its funding pattern also shows repeat support to the same institutional partners over multiple years, especially university administrators of scholarship programs and charter-school entities. The foundation funds individuals as well as institutions, but the recent grants list centers on program-specific awards. The data does not show an application process or unsolicited-grant pathway.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$3.6M
Total Assets
$1.2M
Total Revenue
$4.3M
Total Expenses
$4.3M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $10K and $731K, with a median of $47K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$47K
75th Percentile
$731K
Geographic Reach
Local1 state funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
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