Atticus Trust

NASHVILLE, TN EIN: 58-1796390 Website

Atticus Trust is a private foundation based in Nashville, Tennessee. Established in 1986, it operates as a family foundation focused on philanthropic giving across multiple sectors.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$12.9M

-1.7% YoY

Annual Giving

$1.0M

-1.4% YoY

Grant Count

-10.0% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$115K

+9.5% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Atticus Trust reported a distributable amount of $1.2M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation provides giving primarily for:

Arts
Education
Conservation
Episcopal organizations and churches
Law center support

Grantmaking

No specific application guidelines or procedures are documented in available sources.

Grant Range

$28,000–$64,000

Average Grant

amount: approximately $119,300

Review Cycle

**Application Process:**

How to Apply

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation funds primarily in:

Tennessee
Virginia
New York

Grant Distribution by State

Tennessee $2.0M (41%)

New York $1.1M (23%)

District of Columbia $1.1M (23%)

Virginia $550K (11%)

California $48K (1%)

Kentucky $20K (0%)

States

California District of Columbia Kentucky New York Tennessee Virginia

Cities

CharlottesvilleFranklinLa GrangeLong Island CityNashvilleNew YorkPalo AltoWashington

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Assets:

$12.9–$23 million (figures vary by reporting source and year)

Annual Giving:

Total distributions: approximately $1.0–$1.2 million annually

Contact Information:

Phone: 615-902-3483
Address: PO Box 150347, Nashville, TN 37215-0347

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$12,928,708	$13,150,119	$12,826,756
Revenue	$1,045,134	$1,655,085	$466,121
Expenses	$1,265,882	$1,331,722	$1,326,998
Qualifying Distributions	$1,088,693	$1,177,842	$1,163,740
Net Investment Income	$726,698	$1,448,755	$316,492
Distributable Amount	$1,219,962	$1,031,801	$1,093,062

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 9 recipients in 2024

Grant Size Distribution

53 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Urban Green Lab Inc ($308,000), Environmental Law Institute ($300,000), Southern Environmental Law Center ($200,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
ENVIRONMENTAL LAW INSTITUTE WASHINGTON, DC	TO FURTHER ONE OR MORE OF THE EXEMPT PURPOSES OF THE CHARITY	$300,000
NASHVILLE PARKS FOUNDATION NASHVILLE, TN	TO FURTHER ONE OR MORE OF THE EXEMPT PURPOSES OF THE CHARITY	$25,000
NASHVILLE TREE FOUNDATION NASHVILLE, TN	TO FURTHER ONE OR MORE OF THE EXEMPT PURPOSES OF THE CHARITY	$12,000
NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL NEW YORK, NY	TO FURTHER ONE OR MORE OF THE EXEMPT PURPOSES OF THE CHARITY	$125,000
ONE GENERATION AWAY FRANKLIN, TN	TO FURTHER ONE OR MORE OF THE EXEMPT PURPOSES OF THE CHARITY	$30,000
SOCIETY OF ST ANDREW NASHVILLE, TN	TO FURTHER ONE OR MORE OF THE EXEMPT PURPOSES OF THE CHARITY	$20,000
SOUTHERN ENVIRONMENTAL LAW CENTER CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA	TO FURTHER ONE OR MORE OF THE EXEMPT PURPOSES OF THE CHARITY	$200,000
TURNIP GREEN CREATIVE REUSE NASHVILLE, TN	TO FURTHER ONE OR MORE OF THE EXEMPT PURPOSES OF THE CHARITY	$15,000
URBAN GREEN LAB INC NASHVILLE, TN	TO FURTHER ONE OR MORE OF THE EXEMPT PURPOSES OF THE CHARITY	$308,000

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Trustees and Committee Members:

Martin S Brown — Trustee & Trust Committee (4 hours/week)
Ms. Margaret Declercq — Trust Committee Member (1 hour/week)
Ms. Susannah Scott-Barnes — Trust Committee Member (1 hour/week)
Ms. Elizabeth M Brown — Trust Committee Member (1 hour/week)
Ms. Sara Brown Fleishman — Trust Committee Member (1 hour/week)

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
MARTIN S BROWN	TRUSTEE & TRUST COMMITTEE	4	—
MS MARGARET DECLERCQ	TRUST COMMITTEE MEMBER	1	—
MS SUSANNAH SCOTT-BARNES	TRUST COMMITTEE MEMBER	1	—
MS ELIZABETH M BROWN	TRUST COMMITTEE MEMBER	1	—
MS SARA BROWN FLEISHMAN	TRUST COMMITTEE MEMBER	1	—

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Atticus Trust fund?

The foundation provides giving primarily for: • Arts • Education • Conservation • Episcopal organizations and churches • Law center support

How do I apply for a grant from Atticus Trust?

**Grant Amounts:** • Median grant size: $28,000–$64,000 • Grant range: $12,000–$338,000 • Average grant amount: approximately $119,300 **Recent Activity:** • Distributed approximately $1.0–$1.2 million annually in recent years • Made 9–10 grants in recent grant cycles **Application Process:** No specific application guidelines or procedures are documented in available sources.

Where does Atticus Trust make grants?

The foundation funds primarily in: • Tennessee • Virginia • New York

What size grants does Atticus Trust award?

In 2024, Atticus Trust awarded 9 grants totaling $1.0M — an average of about $115K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Atticus Trust required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Atticus Trust reported a distributable amount of $1.2M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.