Tennessee · Grantmakers

Foundations That Fund Education in Tennessee

Imperigo has identified 939 funders that made 10,920 grants totaling $1.6B to 760 education organizations in Tennessee, with a median grant of $20K. Every figure below is drawn from IRS Form 990 filings through 2025.

Education Funding in Tennessee

Total granted $1.6B
Funders 939
Grants 10,920
Organizations funded 760

Top Funders — page 1 of 4

1. Community Foundation of Greater Memphis Inc
385 grants to 105 organizations · largest $11.6M · through 2024 · 15.9% of their giving
$127.5M
2. Christian Community Foundation of Memphis
195 grants to 61 organizations · largest $4.5M · through 2024 · 13.5% of their giving
$55.6M
3. The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee Inc
1,592 grants to 147 organizations · largest $4.5M · through 2024 · 12.8% of their giving
$47.5M
4. Governors Rural Education Foundation
2 grants to 1 organization · largest $15.0M · through 2024 · 100.0% of their giving
$27.5M
5. The Dunavant Foundation
6 grants to 4 organizations · largest $5.5M · through 2024 · 51.4% of their giving
$12.3M
6. Bellingrath-Morse Foundation
5 grants to 1 organization · largest $2.8M · through 2024 · 45.3% of their giving
$11.8M
7. The Urban Child Institute
25 grants to 10 organizations · largest $3.5M · through 2024 · 24.0% of their giving
$10.8M
8. Wellmont Health System
14 grants to 8 organizations · largest $6.3M · through 2024 · 46.2% of their giving
$8.1M
9. Wendy & Avron Fogelman Foundation
5 grants to 1 organization · largest $7.4M · through 2024 · 72.2% of their giving
$7.9M
10. Mikeroweworks Foundation
6 grants to 1 organization · largest $2.4M · through 2024 · 93.4% of their giving
$7.9M
11. East Tennessee Foundation
116 grants to 41 organizations · largest $2.0M · through 2024 · 12.5% of their giving
$12.2M
12. Mountain States Health Alliance
7 grants to 2 organizations · largest $6.9M · through 2024 · 34.8% of their giving
$7.4M
13. Chattanooga Christian Community Foundation
122 grants to 44 organizations · largest $1.9M · through 2024 · 10.6% of their giving
$13.3M
14. Ted & Drama Russell Family Foundation C/O East Tn Foundation
5 grants to 3 organizations · largest $2.6M · through 2023 · 73.5% of their giving
$6.8M
15. The Diaspora Human Genomics Institute
1 grant to 1 organization · largest $5.1M · through 2024 · 100.0% of their giving
$5.1M
16. Lettie Pate Whitehead Foundation Inc
66 grants to 14 organizations · largest $440K · through 2024 · 4.5% of their giving
$13.4M
17. The Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga Inc
352 grants to 28 organizations · largest $1.4M · through 2023 · 8.2% of their giving
$7.3M
18. Medical Education Assistance Corp
6 grants to 1 organization · largest $576K · through 2024 · 17.0% of their giving
$2.4M
19. Slingshot Memphis Inc
76 grants to 15 organizations · largest $131K · through 2024 · 29.4% of their giving
$1.9M
20. City Fund
60 grants to 25 organizations · largest $1.7M · through 2024 · 3.1% of their giving
$12.2M
21. Tennessee Delta Phi Kappa Psi House Corporation
2 grants to 1 organization · largest $1.5M · through 2020 · 100.0% of their giving
$1.7M
22. United Way of Middle Tennessee Inc
152 grants to 32 organizations · largest $354K · through 2024 · 4.6% of their giving
$7.0M
23. The Junior League of Nashville Inc
12 grants to 5 organizations · largest $1.4M · through 2024 · 44.1% of their giving
$1.5M
24. Burton Weil Family Foundation
1 grant to 1 organization · largest $1.5M · through 2024 · 80.6% of their giving
$1.5M
25. The Chicago Community Trust
32 grants to 14 organizations · largest $15.0M · through 2023
$44.3M

Funders are ordered by how much of their overall giving goes to education 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. 15 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 education 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 education funding in Tennessee, not every dollar that reached the sector. Figures are a floor, not a ceiling.

Looking for organizations rather than funders? Browse all nonprofits in Tennessee

Research Tennessee funders in depth

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