Bradford Family Foundation

NASHVILLE, TN EIN: 62-6344538

The Bradford Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Nashville, Tennessee, designated as a 501(c)(3) organization. The foundation has been tax-exempt since May 1991 and operates as a grantmaking institution focused on supporting charitable causes across multiple states.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$16.0M

-6.0% YoY

Annual Giving

$1.2M

+24.8% YoY

Grant Count

+13.3% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$23K

+10.1% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Bradford Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.5M 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's primary funding focuses include:

Education
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
Human Services
Science and STEM Education

Grantmaking

The foundation made 26 total grants in 2023, with additional grants totaling $825,450 beyond the three largest awards listed.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation primarily funds organizations in:

Tennessee
North Carolina
Georgia

Grant Distribution by State

Tennessee $3.3M (88%)

Georgia $104K (3%)

New York $90K (2%)

Texas $75K (2%)

Arkansas $53K (1%)

California $50K (1%)

New Jersey $30K (1%)

Iowa $25K (1%)

+5 more states

States

Alabama Arkansas California Florida Georgia Iowa Maryland North Carolina New Jersey New York Tennessee Texas Virginia

Cities

AnnapolisAtlantaAustinBerkeleyBirminghamBooneBrentwoodCharlotteChattanoogaDeerfield BeachFranklinHamiltonHermitageHurstJoeltonJohnson CityLinvilleMadisonMontgomeryNashville

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of 2023:

Total Assets: $17,006,470
Total Revenue: $1,555,525
Total Expenses: $999,876
Total Liabilities: $64,100
Investment Income and Dividends: $522,389

Financial Trends: The foundation experienced significant changes in revenue year-over-year, with total grants and contributions declining 99.8% from 2022 to 2023 (from $3,052,399 to $6,572), while investment income increased 64.3%.

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$15,991,585	$17,006,470	$16,457,988
Revenue	$216,374	$1,555,525	$4,174,693
Expenses	$1,250,242	$999,876	$447,580
Qualifying Distributions	$1,159,990	$928,186	$373,241
Net Investment Income	$370,629	$1,581,101	$1,064,098
Distributable Amount	$1,523,854	$1,202,005	$1,054,159

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Grant Size Distribution

195 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Montgomery Bell Academy ($305,700), Vanderbilt University ($200,000), Cheekwood ($131,950).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
ALL SAINTS EPISCOPAL CHURCH LINVILLE NASHVILLE, TN	GENERAL FUND	$19,000
AMERICAN RED CROSS BOONE, IA	TIFFANY CIRCLE	$15,000
APHESIS HOUSE MADISON, TN	GENERAL FUND	$15,000
ARBORCREST GRARDENS BOONE, NC	GENERAL FUND	$100
AUSTIN INSTITUTE AUSTIN, TX	GENERAL FUND	$20,000
AVERY COUNTY HUMANE NEWLAND, NC	GENERAL FUND	$1,000
BELLE MEADE SOCIETY OF CERES NASHVILLE, TN	GENERAL FUND	$500
BERKLEY INSTITUTE BERKELEY, CA	GENERAL FUND	$20,000
BREAKTHROUGH OAKLAND, CA	GENERAL FUND	$250
BRIGHTSTONE FRANKLIN, TN	GENERAL FUND	$1,000

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The foundation is led by trustees:

Lillian R. Bradford
James C. Bradford

The foundation operates with no employees.

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
LILLIAN R BRADFORD	TRUSTEE	1	—
BRYAN R BRADFORD	TRUSTEE	—	—

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Bradford Family Foundation fund?

The foundation's primary funding focuses include: • Education • Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking • Human Services • Science and STEM Education

How do I apply for a grant from Bradford Family Foundation?

**Grant Activity:** • Total giving: $1,152,511 (based on most recent filings) • Annual grants made: $674,600 (2023) • Typical award range: $100–$348,600 • Number of grants: 26 grants made in 2023 **Recent Grants (2023):** • Montgomery Bell Academy of the University of Nashville: $348,600 • Vanderbilt University: $200,000 • Cheekwood Botanical Garden and Museum of Art: $130,800 The foundation made 26 total grants in 2023, with additional grants totaling $825,450 beyond the three largest awards l…

Where does Bradford Family Foundation make grants?

The foundation primarily funds organizations in: • Tennessee • North Carolina • Georgia

What size grants does Bradford Family Foundation award?

In 2024, Bradford Family Foundation awarded 51 grants totaling $1.2M — an average of about $23K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Bradford Family Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Bradford Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.5M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.