OVERVIEW: The Flora L. Thornton Foundation typically awards grants to organizations operating in large metropolitan areas in the United States, particularly within the Los Angeles area.
IP TAKE: While this funder does not geographically restrict its grantmaking, it appears to award the vast majority of its grants to organizations in California. Thornton is not accessible, so grantseekers will want to find another way to get on this funder’s radar like networking with previous grantees or networking with staff.
PROFILE: Flora Thornton, founder of the University of Southern California/Thornton School of Music Dedication, established the Flora L. Thornton Foundation in 1982 upon her husband Charles B. Thornton’s death. The foundation seeks to “create a more sustainable and equitable world for future generations by protecting and preserving our planet’s natural resources, and by investing in local organizations that promote access to the arts, nutrition, and conservation.” Since its founding, Thornton’ funding priorities include nonprofit organizations working in the fields of Environmental Sustainability, Los Angeles Community and Culture, California Conservation, Nutrition, Higher Education, the Arts, and Preventative Medicine.
Grants for Environment and Climate Change
While Thornton’s website doesn’t draw much distinction between funding priorities, tax records indicate that funding for the environment receive the lion’s share of support, and most of this goes toward biodiversity and conservation of natural resources. According to the foundation, it looks for organizations “working on clean energy, ocean conservation, reducing environmental toxins, and important vectors like population, the rights of women and public health.” Its grants support “fresh air, clean water, sustainable development and the urgent mission of addressing climate change.” Past grantees in this space include The Nature Conservancy of California, Greenbelt Alliance, Pepperwood Foundation, Save the Redwoods League, Yosemite Conservancy, Rocky Mountain Institute, WildAid, and RARE.
Grants for Public Health
While Thornton does give to medical groups, much of its health-related grantmaking focuses on nutrition and food access. The foundation’s website states that the nutrition giving area includes “sustainable agriculture practices, dangerous levels of pesticides and residue on food, and, more broadly, other environmental toxins affecting individual health, much of which bio-accumulates in the food chain.” It also awards grants to “organizations addressing equitable food distribution, community nutrition education and access, especially to underserved populations.” Previous grantees in this space include Westside Food Bank, Center for Environmental Health, Center for Science in the Public Interest, As You Sow, and Southern Environmental Law Center. It also makes grants toward medical dietary research.
Grants for Higher Education
Although Thornton lists higher education as one of its core funding priorities, its grantmaking in this space is limited. Most of its education funding goes to University of Southern California and the USC Foundation. It has made grants to other education groups, including Cate School and Flintridge Prepartory School, but these types of grants are smaller and less frequent than its higher education support.
Grants for Music, Arts and Culture
Second in funding only to its environment and conservation programs, Thornton’s support for arts and culture is significant, although it prioritizes grantmaking for museums and the performing arts. It has supported the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles and Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). The vast majority of its performing arts grantmaking supports music organizations, specifically opera, orchestral, and vocal groups. Previous grantees include the Los Angeles Opera, The Opera League of Los Angeles, American Youth Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, and Muse/Ique. The largest grants, however, go to USC Thornton School of Music.
Important Grant Details:
Grant amounts vary wildly from $1,000 to over $100,000. The foundation’s board makes grant decisions following their quarterly meetings. The Thornton Foundation does not accept unsolicited grant applications or requests for funding.
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