What Thea Foundation does

Thea Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2001 by Paul and Linda Leopoulos in memory of their daughter, Thea Kay Leopoulos. Headquartered at 401 Main Street, Suite 100 in North Little Rock, Arkansas, the foundation advocates for the integration of arts programming in K-12 public schools and operates three interconnected core programs: Thea Scholarships (an annual talent-based scholarship competition awarding $219,000-$220,000 across 36 scholarships in five categories — Visual Arts, Performing Arts, Creative Writing, Film, and Fashion Design); Thea's Art Closet (direct funding of art supplies for underfunded public school classrooms, delivered through a DonorsChoose partnership); and Arts Reconstruction (graduate-level professional development and capital equipment investments for high school art teachers). Since inception, the foundation has awarded 472 scholarships totaling over $3.4 million and distributed more than $3.1 million in art supplies, currently reaching approximately 16% of Arkansas K-12 students in schools averaging 98% free/reduced lunch classification.

The foundation operates as a pure philanthropic entity with no fee-for-service pricing and no revenue-generating products. Its business model is entirely donor- and grant-funded: private individual donations form the base layer, supplemented by institutional grants from corporate and family foundations. The 2025 transformative gift of $7.9 million from the Windgate Foundation (administered through Arkansas Community Foundation) materially expanded its five-year financial capacity, particularly for Arts Reconstruction and The Creative Collective exhibition series. Go-to-market motion is community-led — the foundation engages Arkansas K-12 schools through teacher networks, the DonorsChoose platform, and an annual calendar of fundraising and community events including 'Into the Blue,' 'Thea Paves the Way,' and the scholarship awards ceremony. Distribution of art supplies occurs directly to classrooms via DonorsChoose; scholarships are awarded directly to recipient institutions, with over 20 Arkansas colleges and universities providing matching funds.

The foundation employs approximately 4 core staff members (Executive Director Nick Leopoulos, Co-Founder Paul Leopoulos, Director of Development Annie Feltus Lindsey, Executive Assistant Nancy Martin, and Director of Communications Ginny Porter) and is governed by a Board of Directors including Dave Hawsey (President), Bryant Phelan (Secretary), Jennifer Herron, and others, with Bill Clinton and Andy Manatos serving as Board Members Emeritus. Operating exclusively within Arkansas, the foundation maintains no proprietary technology, mobile application, or disclosed API; its digital footprint consists of theafoundation.org, Facebook, and Instagram channels. Total cumulative program impact exceeds $6.5 million in scholarships and supplies distributed since 2001, with 25 years of operational legacy forming the foundation of its brand and donor trust.

Name

Thea Foundation

Legal name

Thea Foundation

Website

https://theafoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Thea Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2001 that supports Arkansas K-12 arts education through talent-based scholarships (36 annually), direct classroom art supply funding via DonorsChoose, and professional development for art teachers. It serves high-poverty Arkansas public schools averaging 98% free/reduced lunch classification.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Arts Education Nonprofit

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (61161), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts Education & Community Arts Programs (BPAGAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC), Scholarships, Grants & Education Benefits Administration (Financing-adjacent) (FSAKAEAM)

Keywords

• Arts education
• Scholarship programs
• K-12 art supplies
• Teacher professional development
• Nonprofit foundation

Headquarters

HQ city

North Little Rock

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Private Donations and Charitable Contributions: Thea Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization that relies solely on community support through private donations from individuals to fund operations and programs.
2. Grant Funding: The organization receives grant funding from foundations including Windgate Foundation ($7.9 million gift), TEGNA Foundation ($6,000 grant), and others to support specific programs.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Thea Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that supports arts education in Arkansas K-12 public schools through three core programs: Thea Scholarships (annual talent-based scholarships awarding $219,000–$220,000 to high school seniors across five arts categories), Thea's Art Closet (direct funding for art supplies to underfunded classrooms via DonorsChoose), and Arts Reconstruction (professional development plus capital equipment for high school art teachers). All services are provided free of charge to beneficiaries and funded through donations and foundation grants.

Product overview

Thea Foundation operates three interconnected core programs supporting arts education in Arkansas: Thea Scholarships, Thea's Art Closet, and Arts Reconstruction. Thea Scholarships is an annual arts-based scholarship competition awarding $219,000 to graduating Arkansas high school seniors across five talent-based categories (Visual Arts, Performing Arts, Creative Writing, Film, and Fashion Design). Thea's Art Closet provides direct funding for art supplies to underfunded public school classrooms through a DonorsChoose partnership. Arts Reconstruction offers professional development and capital investments for high school art teachers to learn and teach innovative artistic mediums. The foundation also operates Thea Gallery as an exhibition space and runs ancillary programs including The Creative Collective exhibition series, Thea Paves the Way chalk art event, and Into the Blue annual fundraising campaign.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Thea Scholarships Annual talent-based scholarship competition awarding $219,000–$220,000 across five arts categories (Visual Arts, Performing Arts, Creative Writing, Film, and Fashion Design) to Arkansas high school seniors from public, private, charter, and homeschool programs. Awards based solely on talent — not test scores, GPAs, or intent to major in arts — with 36 scholarships annually and prizes ranging from $3,000 to $10,000. Over 20 Arkansas colleges match Thea scholarships, potentially doubling value.
• Thea's Art Closet Program providing direct funding for art supplies and creative materials to underfunded Arkansas public school classrooms, delivered in partnership with DonorsChoose. Teachers submit classroom projects and Thea Foundation provides matching funds. High school projects eligible for up to $1,250, middle school up to $750, and elementary up to $500. Funds paints, brushes, clay, kilns, and other art materials. 394 classroom wish lists fulfilled in past year.
• Arts Reconstruction Professional development program for Arkansas high school art teachers offering graduate-level intensive studies in new artistic mediums. Includes capital investments for equipment and materials such as paper beaters, clay, and glass-making tools to enable teachers to introduce innovative media in their classrooms. 14 teachers received training in the past year.
• The Creative Collective Annual exhibition program hosted at Thea Gallery that showcases artwork created by Arts Reconstruction teachers and their students, demonstrating the impact of professional development and innovative mediums taught through the Arts Reconstruction program.
• Thea Gallery Physical gallery space located at Thea Foundation's headquarters at 401 Main Street, Suite 100, North Little Rock, Arkansas, hosting rotating exhibitions including Creative Collective shows, student artwork displays, and community art events. Open Monday–Thursday 9:00am–5:00pm.
• Online Scholarship Competition Format Digital submission and judging platform for Thea Scholarships, enabling online entry and remote evaluation of all five (six in 2021) arts competition categories.

Quantifiable outcome

• 394 classroom wish lists fulfilled in past year
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• DonorsChoosecoreTechnology or IntegrationOnline fundraising platform partner for Thea's Art Closet program. Teachers post classroom projects on DonorsChoose, and Thea Foundation provides matching funding for creative supply wish lists.
• Our House (Homeless Shelter)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to provide creative materials to children in out-of-school-time program serving homeless and near-homeless families, reaching up to 90 children.
• Arkansas Children's HospitalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership hosting virtual and in-person art shows featuring patient artwork in Thea Foundation gallery.
• Education Partner Colleges and UniversitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOver 20 Arkansas colleges and universities match Thea Foundation scholarships, including almost every 4-year college and many 2-year colleges, potentially doubling student scholarship value.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• VH1 Save The Music Foundation: National nonprofit that donates music instruments, technology, and resources to underfunded schools - directly comparable function to Thea's Art Closet but with a broader geographic and corporate-sponsor footprint.
• Americans for the Arts: National advocacy organization for the arts - broader policy and advocacy mission than Thea, but shares the donor base, arts-education advocacy positioning, and similar reporting/research footprint.
• Young Audiences Arts for Learning: National network delivering arts education programming to K-12 students - similar target audience and donor base to Thea Foundation, with shared focus on bringing arts to underserved schools.
• Turnaround Arts (John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts): A national Kennedy Center program bringing arts education resources to underfunded schools - same target beneficiary (high-poverty K-12 students) and same supply/professional-development model, but operating through a larger institutional platform across multiple states.

Direct peers

• National YoungArts Foundation: Foundation identifying and supporting young artists through scholarships, mentorship, and programs - closely parallel to Thea's Scholarship Program awarding talent-based scholarships to high school seniors.
• Education Through Music: Nonprofit partnering with schools in low-income communities to provide music instruction and arts resources - comparable model of direct school engagement and donor-funded delivery to underserved students.
• Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation: Nonprofit donating musical instruments and supplies to underfunded K-12 schools nationwide - nearly identical mission to Thea's Art Closet and similar arts-supply distribution model through school partnerships.
• GRAMMY Music Education Coalition: Coalition supporting music and arts education in underserved schools - directly parallels Thea Foundation's Arts Reconstruction professional development and Art Closet supply distribution models.

Regional players

• Country Music Association Foundation: Nashville-based nonprofit supporting music education across America, with comparable arts-education-in-schools mission and similar funding sources (corporate and foundation grants).
• Arkansas Arts Center / Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts: In-state Arkansas arts institution with adjacent arts-education mission, shared geographic service area, and overlapping donor ecosystem - competing for the same Arkansas arts philanthropy pool.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/TheaFoundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/theafoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/thea-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Thea Foundation