Largest private foundations in Tennessee
| # | Foundation | City | Focus area | Total assets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Bill Gatton Foundation | Bristol | Not listed | $930.7 million |
| 2 | Robert E And Jenny D Kirkland Found | Union City | Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Foundations | $301.1 million |
| 3 | Tennessee Health Foundation Inc | Chattanooga | Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Foundations | $281.8 million |
| 4 | J R Hyde Iii Foundation | Memphis | Not listed | $256.5 million |
| 5 | Dettwiller Foundation | Nashville | Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Foundations | $251.3 million |
| 6 | Scarlett Family Foundation | Nashville | Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Foundations | $249.3 million |
| 7 | Assisi Foundation Of Memphis Inc | Memphis | Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Foundations | $233.5 million |
| 8 | The Frist Foundation | Nashville | Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Foundations | $195.6 million |
| 9 | Hca Healthcare Foundation | Nashville | Education | $192.7 million |
| 10 | Bill And Carol Latimer Charitable Foundation | Union City | Education | $177.8 million |
| 11 | Bill And Crissy Haslam Foundation | Knoxville | Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Foundations | $171.4 million |
| 12 | Maclellan Foundation Inc | Chattanooga | Not listed | $167.4 million |
| 13 | Living Legacy Foundation | Nashville | Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Foundations | $164.8 million |
| 14 | Day Foundation | Memphis | Not listed | $159.5 million |
| 15 | Formanek Foundation | Memphis | Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Foundations | $155.4 million |
| 16 | Joe C Davis Foundation | Nashville | Not listed | $151.9 million |
| 17 | Pyramid Peak Foundation | Memphis | Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Foundations | $150.9 million |
| 18 | Speer Foundation | Brentwood | Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Foundations | $141.2 million |
| 19 | Marlene And Spencer Hays Foundation | Nashville | Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Foundations | $137.9 million |
| 20 | Memorial Foundation Inc | Madison | Health Care | $135.1 million |
| 21 | McDonnell Family Foundation | Memphis | Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Foundations | $133.2 million |
| 22 | The Healing Trust | Nashville | Health Care | $133.2 million |
| 23 | Lyndhurst Foundation Inc | Chattanooga | Not listed | $125.0 million |
| 24 | Aslan Foundation | Knoxville | Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Foundations | $122.0 million |
| 25 | Crews Family Foundation | Germantown | Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Foundations | $108.3 million |
The full list includes all 1,577 Tennessee foundations with street address, ZIP, EIN, focus area, income and tax period, plus every other state.
Tennessee cities with the most private foundations
- Nashville: 343
- Memphis: 170
- Knoxville: 132
- Chattanooga: 93
- Brentwood: 81
- Franklin: 80
- Murfreesboro: 33
- Clarksville: 23
- Cleveland: 19
- Cookeville: 18
Most common focus areas in Tennessee
- Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Foundations: 743
- Education: 124
- Human Services: 75
- Recreation & Sports: 64
- Religion-Related: 50
- Arts, Culture & Humanities: 47
- Youth Development: 26
- Public & Societal Benefit: 23
Where does this data come from?
The IRS Exempt Organizations Business Master File, downloaded in October 2026 and filtered to private foundations. Assets are as reported on each foundation's latest return on file. Foundations with no focus area code are shown as Not listed.