Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption
Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption reported $61.6 million in revenue and $52.9 million in expenses for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $82.98 went to program services, $7.34 to management and general costs and $9.68 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 85.2% of the total. Government grants made up 20.5%. The highest compensation it reported for one person was $505,827 (PRESIDENT & CEO). 14 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation. Revenue rose 118% between FY2020 and FY2025. Source: Form 990, FY2025.
Where $100 of spending went
The fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $53MFor context, the median across 2,433 covered unclassified charities: $88.27 programs, $11.68 management, $0.05 fundraising (medians computed separately, so they may not sum to $100).
Where $100 of revenue came from
The fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $62MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | FY2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 83.0% | 86.7% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 7.3% | 11.5% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 9.7% | 0.0% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.10 | $0.01 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 85.2% | 29.9% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 20.5% | 3.8% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 0.2% | 58.9% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | $505,827 | $301,601 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | 0.96% | 1.38% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 14 | 6 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 24.9 | 6.8 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 22 of 23 | 100.0% |
A median is context, not a target: hospitals, universities, food banks and grantmakers spend in very different ways. What these measures can and can't tell you.
What the money paid for, in its own words
FY2025 · Form 990, Part III · the three largest programs by expenseWendy's wonderful kids:wendy's wonderful kids, a signature program of the foundation, is making a difference for thousands of children across the nation - one child at a time. The Dave Thomas Foundation for adoption awards grants to public and private agencies to hire adoption professionals who implement an evidence-based, child-focused recruitment strategy targeted exclusively on moving america's longest-waiting children from foster care into adoptive families
Adoption awareness & advocacy:the foundation is committed to nationally communicating the urgency of foster care adoption and to encouraging everyone to become an ambassador for waiting children. Year-round awareness efforts include daily social media communications; marketing programs dispelling myths and misperceptions surrounding the issue of foster care adoption and the children waiting to be adopted; the development and distribution of free educational resources; the production of national television announcements
Post adoption:robust post-adoption services are critical for many families who adopt from foster care and other venues. The Dave Thomas Foundation for adoption has developed a free resource booklet, "a step-by-step guide to post-adoption" for distribution that defines the types of resources available for parents after an adoption is finalized, how to select and locate providers, and what to do if resources do not exist in their communities. It also includes recommendations of other national non-profit organizations that can help
Highest reported compensation
FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section A · roles as filed; names are in the filing, not here| Role | From this org | From related orgs | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PRESIDENT & CEO Director/trustee, officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $489,694 | $0 | $16,133 | $505,827 |
| SVP, STRATEGIC PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT Key employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $230,848 | $0 | $34,686 | $265,534 |
| SVP, MARKETING & DEVELOPMENT Key employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $228,821 | $0 | $34,011 | $262,832 |
| SVP, GENERAL COUNSEL Key employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $222,366 | $0 | $31,344 | $253,710 |
| SVP, CFO Officer, 40.00 hrs/week | $204,390 | $0 | $31,478 | $235,868 |
| SVP, HUMAN RESOURCES Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $160,238 | $0 | $30,312 | $190,550 |
| VP, MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS Highest compensated employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $162,379 | $0 | $22,046 | $184,425 |
| SVP, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT(EXIT 9/24) Key employee, 40.00 hrs/week | $153,825 | $0 | $25,151 | $178,976 |
14 people received more than $100,000 in reportable compensation from Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption (Part VII, line 2). Compensation of current officers, directors and key employees totaled $1.8M (Part IX, line 5).
6 years of filings
Form 990, Parts I, VII, IX and X · each row is that year's own filing, linkedGovernance answers, as filed
FY2025 · the organization's own yes/no answers; explanations, if any, are in Schedule O of the filing · what each means- Voting board members, and how many are independent Part VI, lines 1a–1b23 · 22 independent
- Audited financial statements Part XII 2bYes
- Conflict-of-interest policy Part VI 12aYes
- Whistleblower policy Part VI 13Yes
- Document retention policy Part VI 14Yes
- Independent process for top executive pay Part VI 15aYes
- Board given the 990 before filing Part VI 11aYes
- Family or business ties among insiders Part VI 2Yes
- Aware of a significant diversion of assets Part VI 5No
- Excess benefit transaction with an insider Part IV 25aNo
- Loans to or from insiders outstanding Part IV 26No
- Lobbying, or a 501(h) election in effect Part IV 4Yes
- Over $15,000 of professional fundraising services Part IV 18Yes
- Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bYes
- Employees Part I, line 579
- Volunteers Part I, line 650
Largest outside contractors
FY2025 · Form 990, Part VII, Section B · businesses only| AVALON CONSULTING GROUP INC Fundraising consultant | $1,290,855 |
| FENTON COMMUNICATIONS INC Child welfare communications | $654,000 |
| PRODUCTION SOLUTIONS Appeals printing & postage | $569,419 |
| CHILD TRENDS INC Database management | $438,269 |
| FAHLGREN MORTINE Adoption friendly workplace advertising | $339,348 |
Individuals listed as contractors are left out. 19 contractors were paid more than $100,000 in all.
Private foundation grants it received
35 private foundations reported grants to Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption totaling $483K on their tax year 2023 Form 990-PF returns. See which foundations, on WHOFUNDS.
Source: WHOFUNDS open grant graph, matched from Form 990-PF Part XV.
Correct a figure or respond
Every number above is copied from Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
Share or embed this breakdown
Of every $100 Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption spent in FY2025, $82.98 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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Questions people ask
How much of Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption's spending goes to programs?
In the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption reported that 83.0% of its $52.9 million in expenses went to program services, 7.3% to management and general and 9.7% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
How much does Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption pay its top executive?
The largest total compensation Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption reported for one person in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025 was $505,827, for the role of PRESIDENT & CEO (Form 990, Part VII, including compensation from related organizations and other compensation).
Where does Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption get its money?
Of $61.6 million in revenue in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, 85.2% came from contributions and grants (including 20.5% from government grants) and 0.2% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 31-1356151 as a 501(c)(3) organization (publicly supported organization (509(a)(2))), and its records show contributions as tax-deductible. Form 990 filings on record here cover tax years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024. A filing shows what the organization reported; it doesn't by itself show whether a program works.
Sources
- FY2025: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, object 202543169349307849 · read the filing · XML
- FY2024: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, object 202413189349307841 · read the filing
- FY2023: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, object 202343189349306014 · read the filing
- FY2022: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, object 202213149349300506 · read the filing
- FY2021: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021, object 202133149349303938 · read the filing
- FY2020: Form 990 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020, object 202033159349300803 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 31-1356151: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.