Tennessee · Grantmakers

Foundations That Fund Arts & Culture in Tennessee

Imperigo has identified 379 funders that made 5,488 grants totaling $365.0M to 472 arts & culture organizations in Tennessee, with a median grant of $12K. Every figure below is drawn from IRS Form 990 filings through 2025.

Arts & Culture Funding in Tennessee

Total granted $365.0M
Funders 379
Grants 5,488
Organizations funded 472

Top Funders — page 1 of 4

1. Community Foundation of Greater Memphis Inc
255 grants to 64 organizations · largest $5.6M · through 2024 · 9.5% of their giving
$75.6M
2. The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee Inc
1,389 grants to 113 organizations · largest $2.0M · through 2024 · 10.4% of their giving
$38.6M
3. Frist Art Museum Foundation
5 grants to 1 organization · largest $2.7M · through 2024 · 100.0% of their giving
$10.7M
4. The Dixon Gallery & Gardens Endowment Fund
5 grants to 1 organization · largest $2.3M · through 2024 · 100.0% of their giving
$7.9M
5. Hugo Dixon Foundation 60-8802202
5 grants to 1 organization · largest $1.5M · through 2024 · 100.0% of their giving
$6.6M
6. Tennessee Performing Arts Foundation
6 grants to 1 organization · largest $842K · through 2024 · 100.0% of their giving
$5.0M
7. Artsbuild
92 grants to 22 organizations · largest $266K · through 2024 · 80.1% of their giving
$4.0M
8. Corporation for Public Broadcasting
122 grants to 8 organizations · largest $1.4M · through 2025 · 1.3% of their giving
$45.1M
9. Christian Community Foundation of Memphis
68 grants to 27 organizations · largest $2.6M · through 2024 · 3.6% of their giving
$15.0M
10. Arts and Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville
98 grants to 30 organizations · largest $92K · through 2024 · 53.9% of their giving
$2.7M
11. Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau
6 grants to 4 organizations · largest $1.0M · through 2023 · 33.8% of their giving
$2.3M
12. Knoxville Symphony Foundation
4 grants to 1 organization · largest $580K · through 2024 · 100.0% of their giving
$1.9M
13. Knoxville Museum of Art Foundation
6 grants to 1 organization · largest $286K · through 2024 · 100.0% of their giving
$1.6M
14. Historic Tennessee Theatre Endowment Fund
3 grants to 1 organization · largest $691K · through 2024 · 100.0% of their giving
$1.3M
15. Tch Sudekum Memorial Trust
7 grants to 1 organization · largest $300K · through 2024 · 100.0% of their giving
$1.3M
16. Arthur F and Alice E Adams
4 grants to 1 organization · largest $454K · through 2024 · 36.8% of their giving
$789K
17. The Turley Foundation
21 grants to 6 organizations · largest $250K · through 2024 · 24.7% of their giving
$746K
18. Belz 2008 Foundation
4 grants to 2 organizations · largest $388K · through 2024 · 35.1% of their giving
$595K
19. The Cma Foundation
29 grants to 13 organizations · largest $100K · through 2024 · 10.8% of their giving
$1.1M
20. East Tennessee Foundation
101 grants to 48 organizations · largest $439K · through 2024 · 3.2% of their giving
$3.1M
21. The Chattanooga Tourism Foundation
24 grants to 12 organizations · largest $50K · through 2024 · 52.1% of their giving
$485K
22. Colonial Dames of America Tennessee Foundation for Travellers Rest
7 grants to 1 organization · largest $67K · through 2024 · 100.0% of their giving
$418K
23. The R H Boyd Company
2 grants to 1 organization · largest $188K · through 2020 · 43.2% of their giving
$375K
24. Moore Impact Inc
5 grants to 3 organizations · largest $800K · through 2024 · 4.7% of their giving
$1.4M
25. The Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga Inc
204 grants to 23 organizations · largest $75K · through 2023 · 2.5% of their giving
$2.2M

Funders are ordered by how much of their overall giving goes to arts & culture work in Tennessee, not by dollar totals alone — a foundation that concentrates its giving here is usually a better prospect than a larger one for which this is a rounding error. 16 of the funders counted here are donor-advised fund sponsors, which grant on behalf of individual donors and accept no applications; they are marked and ranked last.

Other Causes Funded in Tennessee

About This Data

A grant appears here when a funder reported it on its IRS Form 990 and the recipient organization is classified under the NTEE group covering arts & culture work, with an address in Tennessee. Grants are counted from the 2025 filing year backward.

Some 990 grant schedules list a recipient by name and address without an EIN, and those grants cannot be matched to a classification — so the totals above represent identifiable arts & culture funding in Tennessee, not every dollar that reached the sector. Figures are a floor, not a ceiling.

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Research Tennessee funders in depth

Full grant histories, recipient lists, officer compensation, multi-year financials, and exports for every foundation Imperigo tracks.