23 private foundations reported research & science 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, 23 private foundations reported 31 grants for research & science totaling $2,260,913 to 21 organizations in Tennessee. The most-funded Tennessee communities were Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville. The G Harold & Leila Y Mathers Charitable Foundation reported the most research & science giving — $785,553 across 4 grants. The median grant was $25,000.
Foundation filings are a record of past giving. The UseGrants eligibility check matches you to federal and state opportunities accepting applications today.
| Foundation | Grants | Total |
|---|---|---|
| The G Harold & Leila Y Mathers Charitable Foundation | 4 | $785,553 |
| Louis Calder Foundation | 1 | $500,000 |
| The Kresge Foundation | 2 | $475,000 |
| Carl Marshall Reeves and Mildred Almen Reeves Foundation Inc | 2 | $90,000 |
| Oxnard Foundation | 1 | $60,000 |
| Cayman Biomedical Research Institute | 1 | $60,000 |
| Satish & Rupal Shah Charitable Foundatio | 1 | $50,000 |
| John E Fetzer Institute Inc | 1 | $50,000 |
| J H Tharp TUW Charitable 60-3000526 | 4 | $42,500 |
| Annie E Casey Foundation Inc | 1 | $30,000 |
| Kenneth H Dart Foundation | 1 | $30,000 |
| Tucker Foundation | 1 | $25,000 |
| Recipient | Grants | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Vanderbilt University Medical Center | 4 | $760,879 |
| Instruction Partners | 1 | $500,000 |
| Metropolitan Action Commission | 1 | $325,000 |
| Knowledge Quest Inc | 1 | $150,000 |
| Vumc (vanderbilt EYE Institute) | 2 | $90,000 |
| Texas Heart Institute | 1 | $84,674 |
| ST Jude Children's Research Hospital | 5 | $70,000 |
| University of Tennessee | 1 | $60,000 |
| Vanderbilt University | 2 | $51,000 |
| Faith Matters Network Collaborative | 1 | $50,000 |
| Highlander Research and Education Center | 1 | $30,000 |
| Tennessee Wesleyan College | 1 | $25,000 |
| Grace House of Memphis TN | 1 | $12,500 |
| Memphis Recovery Centers Inc | 1 | $12,500 |
| The Synergy Foundation Inc | 1 | $12,500 |
23 private foundations reported research & science grants in Tennessee on their IRS Form 990-PF filings, totaling $2,260,913. The largest by reported dollars were The G Harold & Leila Y Mathers Charitable Foundation, Louis Calder Foundation, The Kresge Foundation. These are historical filings, not open application portals — check each foundation's own guidelines before approaching them.
21 distinct organizations appear as recipients in Tennessee, led by Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Instruction Partners, Metropolitan Action Commission. Grants paid directly to named individuals are excluded from these figures.
The median reported research & science grant in Tennessee was $25,000, and the largest single reported grant was $500,000. 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.
