Thomas Jefferson Foundation Inc is a 501(c)(3) organization based in Charlottesvle, Virginia, registered in 1985, with $51,655,297 in FY2024 revenue. CharityIndex grades it B+, and it directs about 74% of spending to programs.
Revenue (FY2024)
$51.7M
▲ 47.8% vs prior year
Arts & Culture median: $159K
Expenses (FY2024)
$41.1M
Net assets
$358.9M
Employees
454
Measures how much of every dollar spent actually reaches programs, plus what it costs to raise $100 of donations. The worse of the two measures sets the letter (85%+ to programs is an A; under $15 to raise $100 is an A), averaged over the three most recent filings. For Thomas Jefferson Foundation Inc: 74% to programs · $10 to raise $100 earns a B on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
Measures whether the organization is built to last: how many months its reserves would cover expenses (3+ months earns an A-range score, but hoarding 5+ years of budget is capped) and whether it runs a surplus or a deficit. For Thomas Jefferson Foundation Inc: 105 mo reserves · +21% margin earns a B+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
Checks how the organization is run, from its own Form 990: an independent board majority, a board of five or more, conflict-of-interest, whistleblower and document-retention policies, and independently audited financials. The share of disclosed checks that pass sets the letter. For Thomas Jefferson Foundation Inc: 6 of 6 checks met earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
Counts five disclosure signals: a recent filing, a mission statement, program descriptions, a listed website, and the full expense breakdown. More disclosure, better letter. For Thomas Jefferson Foundation Inc: 5 of 5 disclosure signals earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
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The mission is to preserve monticello and share the history and legacy of thomas jefferson, his family, and those he held in slavery, with a global audience.
The thomas jefferson foundation operates the robert h. smith international center for jefferson studies, which houses the thomas jefferson library. the center is also devoted to education of the general public as well as scholarly research and publication, through the jefferson library, archaeological research and publication, and other adult education programs. the robert h. smith international center for jefferson studies also is responsible for the research and publication of 24 volumes of research, the papers of thomas jefferson, embracing the period from jefferson's retirement from the presidency in march 1809 until his death in 1826, known as the "retirement series".
Revenue grew from $37.4M (FY2013) to $51.7M (FY2024) across 12 reported years.
Financial snapshot
Operating margin
20.5%
Revenue exceeded expenses in the latest fiscal year.
Total assets
$402.7M
Total liabilities
$43.8M
Net assets
$358.9M
Salaries & benefits
$19.5M
47% of expenses
Board members
16
16 independent
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets | Total assets | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $51,655,297▲47.8% | $41,057,926▼3.0% | $358,943,042▲8.4% | $402,744,508▲7.3% | 990 |
| 2023 | $34,953,335▼38.5% | $42,327,170▲7.1% | $331,206,686▲9.2% | $375,175,740▲6.0% | 990 |
| 2022 | $56,873,096▲5.2% | $39,515,463▲21.4% | $303,246,410▼15.0% | $353,952,978▼10.5% | 990 |
| 2021 | $54,038,606▼11.2% | $32,558,908▲6.9% | $356,969,373▲6.1% | $395,493,786▲4.7% | 990 |
| 2020 | $60,861,149▼12.3% | $30,454,366▼3.9% | $336,569,409▲9.5% | $377,889,217▲9.8% | 990 |
| 2019 | $69,372,865▲201% | $31,678,144▼4.3% | $307,293,189▲16.8% | $344,308,811▲15.3% | 990 |
| 2018 | $23,076,134▼37.3% | $33,097,076▼1.4% | $263,107,205▼5.8% | $298,561,374▼6.4% | 990 |
| 2017 | $36,790,276▲43.6% | $33,581,663▲5.9% | $279,348,285▲6.3% | $319,064,364▲5.2% | 990 |
| 2016 | $25,622,996▼4.2% | $31,701,531▲6.8% | $262,816,598▼1.8% | $303,363,946▼1.1% | 990 |
| 2015 | $26,746,782▼33.2% | $29,673,627▲7.9% | $267,624,312▼2.0% | $306,602,549▼1.8% | 990 |
| 2014 | $40,039,362▲6.9% | $27,512,045▲12.1% | $273,158,319▲8.7% | $312,126,696▲8.7% | 990 |
| 2013 | $37,447,414 | $24,537,672▼0.4% | $251,353,438▲21.2% | $287,185,592▲16.0% | 990 |
| 2012 | — | $24,646,719▲10.0% | $207,354,261▲7.7% | $247,526,299▲5.9% | 990 |
| 2011 | — | $22,404,422▲3.1% | $192,499,020▼0.7% | $233,659,504▲0.6% | 990 |
| 2010 | — | $21,732,123 | $193,857,239 | $232,268,395 | 990 |
Original Form 990 PDFs (the Form column) are served by ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, as filed with the IRS. Create a free account to download the CSV report.
Highest-paid: Leslie Greene Bowman — $693,130 (1.69% of total expenses)
| Name | Title | Hours/week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leslie Greene Bowman | Former President | 0 | $693,130 |
| Jane Kamensky Phd | President & Ceo (from 1/15) | 50 | $604,164 |
| Christine P Barth | Vp & Cfo | 50 | $320,148 |
| Peter G Hallock | Interim President (1/1 - 1/14) | 50 | $259,726 |
| John J Looney | Editor, Thomas Jefferson Paper | 50 | $177,417 |
| Laura Nichols | Vp External Relations | 50 | $155,175 |
| Andrew R Huff | Director of It | 50 | $151,722 |
| Joseph T Pierce | Director of Development (thru 12/27/2024) | 50 | $143,326 |
| Fraser D Neiman | Director of Archaeology | 50 | $129,446 |
| Deborah M Thacker | Controller | 50 | $124,896 |
| Christopher J Toomey | Secretary | 1 | — |
| Danielle Allen | Trustee (from 1/1) | 1 | — |
| David C Landin | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Donald A King Jr | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Dr Ld Britt Md | Trustee | 1 | — |
| J Michael Luttig | Trustee (from 1/1) | 1 | — |
| John Nau III | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Joseph Erdman | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Melody Barnes | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Micheylnn Woodard | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Contractor | Services | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Gwwo Inc | Architecture | $1,111,211 |
| Gallagher & Associates LLC | Construction | $593,462 |
| Freeport Press | Printing | $402,272 |
| Fgs Global LLC | Marketing Advisor | $311,440 |
| Design Cuisine | Catering | $282,708 |
125 grants to Thomas Jefferson Foundation Inc totaling $8.3M, reported by foundations on their Schedule I filings — showing the 15 most recent.
| Grantmaker | Purpose | Year | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Community Foundation Inc | Community vibrancy | 2024 | $57,250 |
| Morgan Stanley Global Impact Funding Trust Inc | Unrestricted general support | 2024 | $50,000 |
| The Conservation Fund A Nonprofit Corporation | Conservation of natural resources;sustainable economic & community development | 2024 | $49,982 |
| Philadelphia Foundation | Curator of plants book project | 2024 | $25,500 |
| The Pauley Family Foundation | Field trips to monticello for 4th grade students in richmond public schools | 2024 | $25,000 |
| T Rowe Price Program For Charitable Giving Inc | Multiple | 2024 | $22,000 |
| St Louis Community Foundation Incorporated | General support - center for historic plant preservation, annual support | 2024 | $15,000 |
| American Endowment Foundation | Arts, culture | 2024 | $6,850 |
| Ayco Charitable Foundation | Arts and culture | 2024 | $6,500 |
| Baltimore Community Foundation Inc | General support and various projects | 2024 | $6,500 |
| Donor Advised Charitable Giving | Arts, culture & humanities | 2023 | $1,177,075 |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund | For grant recipient's exempt purposes | 2023 | $217,628 |
| National Philanthropic Tr | Health | 2023 | $117,250 |
| The Community Foundation Inc | Community vibrancy | 2023 | $30,500 |
| T Rowe Price Program For Charitable Giving Inc | Multiple | 2023 | $22,250 |
1 grant totaling $10K in FY2024. All grants made by Thomas Jefferson Foundation Inc →
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Jefferson School African American Heritage Center | Citizen service award | $10,000 |
Explore more
Data for Thomas Jefferson Foundation Inc (EIN 54-0505959) comes from the IRS Business Master File and e-filed Form 990 returns, via CharityIndex. Figures reflect what the organization reported to the IRS for each fiscal year.