126 private foundations reported education grants in Tennessee on their IRS Form 990-PF filings for tax years 2023–2025. Historical giving records — not an open application portal.
Themes are derived from the free-text purpose each foundation wrote on its own Part XV filing, so a grant is classified by what the funder said it was for. Grants paid directly to named individuals are excluded from recipient counts and tables.
Across tax years 2023–2025, 126 private foundations reported 250 grants for education totaling $43,118,074 to 198 organizations in Tennessee. The most-funded Tennessee communities were Nashville, Memphis, Chattanooga. The Robert E & Jenny D Kirkland Foundation reported the most education giving — $8,682,085 across 4 grants. The median grant was $15,000.
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| Foundation | Grants | Total |
|---|---|---|
| The Robert E & Jenny D Kirkland Foundation | 4 | $8,682,085 |
| Gates Foundation | 12 | $7,193,669 |
| The Gary W Rollins Foundation | 1 | $5,629,870 |
| Bill and Crissy Haslam Foundation | 8 | $3,332,100 |
| Haslam Family Foundation Inc | 2 | $2,750,000 |
| Scarlett Family Foundation | 13 | $2,400,286 |
| Jack C Massey Foundation | 1 | $2,238,250 |
| The Bloomberg Family Foundation Inc | 1 | $1,532,000 |
| Wayne and Gladys Valley Foundation | 1 | $1,000,000 |
| Eagles Baseball Dugout Club Inc | 1 | $808,473 |
| Lumina Foundation for Education Inc | 1 | $700,000 |
| Benwood Foundation Inc | 12 | $663,500 |
| Recipient | Grants | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Discovery Park of America | 1 | $8,664,085 |
| University of Chattanooga Foundation | 1 | $5,629,870 |
| The University of Tennessee Foundation | 3 | $5,150,000 |
| Instruction Partners | 5 | $2,090,078 |
| Vanderbilt University | 14 | $2,037,016 |
| Accelerate - the National Collaborative for Accelerated Learning | 2 | $1,675,000 |
| Mountain States Health Alliance | 1 | $1,532,000 |
| Tennessee State Collaborative on Reforming Education | 3 | $1,405,000 |
| ST Jude Children's Research Hospital | 2 | $1,001,000 |
| Metropolitan Board of Education | 1 | $991,513 |
| Shelbyville Central High School | 1 | $808,473 |
| Competency-Based Education Network | 1 | $700,000 |
| Nashville Classical | 2 | $520,000 |
| Chattanooga Chamber Foundation | 2 | $450,000 |
| Southwest Tennessee Development District | 1 | $360,000 |
126 private foundations reported education grants in Tennessee on their IRS Form 990-PF filings, totaling $43,118,074. The largest by reported dollars were The Robert E & Jenny D Kirkland Foundation, Gates Foundation, The Gary W Rollins Foundation. These are historical filings, not open application portals — check each foundation's own guidelines before approaching them.
198 distinct organizations appear as recipients in Tennessee, led by Discovery Park of America, University of Chattanooga Foundation, The University of Tennessee Foundation. Grants paid directly to named individuals are excluded from these figures.
The median reported education grant in Tennessee was $15,000, and the largest single reported grant was $8,664,085. Amounts are as reported by the filing foundation for a historical tax year.
The UseGrants feed tracks federal and state opportunities that are open today, each with the eligibility explained in plain English.
Source: public IRS Form 990-PF Part XV filings (tax years 2023–2025). Theme classification is derived from the funder’s own purpose text and is a summary, not a legal categorization. UseGrants is an independent aggregator, not affiliated with any foundation listed.
