Champions for Literacy
Champions for Literacy is a Memphis, Tennessee-based public charity that uses sports to raise awareness and funds for childhood literacy programs and to connect athletes with young readers through volunteering. The organization says it has been a registered 501(c)(3) since 2014; its 2024 filing states that it was formed in 2013.
Champions for Literacy at a glance
In short: Champions for Literacy gave $253K across 13 grants in 2025 (avg $19K), top state Tennessee. 23% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $252,689
- +13.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 13
- +8.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $19,438
- +5.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $18,675
- Total assets
- $666,406
- -21.0% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 23% first-time grantees (3 of 13, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Tennessee (32% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Champions for Literacy
- Contact
Mailing address: 1350 Concourse Ave 437, Memphis, TN 38104-2025
Phone: (901) 206-2995
Website: https://championsforlit.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Champions for Literacy funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was United Way of Pickens County Camp Irock ($48K). Together the top 10 received $221K.
Grant Size Distribution
107 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 105 grants of 107 (98%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 filing reports that the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in Tennessee (32%), South Carolina (19%), Kansas (10%), Ohio (8%), and Texas (8%). The listed grants also include recipients in Oregon, Missouri, Illinois, and Florida. These figures describe the locations of reported grant recipients.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Champions for Literacy open to new grantees?
23%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 3 of 13 grantees (23%) were first-time recipients. With only 13 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $11K; repeat grants $22K. How we count
Medians: $11K first-time, $20K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $48K (2019) to $387K (2022). In 2025 it made 13 grants totaling $253K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| United Way of Pickens County Camp Irock Easley, SC | Literacy Intervention and Resources | $48,091 |
| United Way of the Plains Wichita, KS | Literacy Intervention and Resources | $25,142 |
| Memphis Teacher Residency Memphis, TN | Literacy Intervention and Resources | $23,829 |
| Knowledge Quest Memphis, TN | Literacy Intervention and Resources | $23,077 |
| The 2ND & 7 Foundation Columbus, OH | Literacy Intervention and Resources | $20,000 |
| Readers 2 Leaders Dallas, TX | Literacy Intervention and Resources | $20,000 |
| Smart Reading Portland, OR | Literacy Intervention and Resources | $18,675 |
| Heart of Missouri United Way Columbia, MO | Literacy Intervention and Resources | $15,852 |
| Indian Prairie Educational Foundation Auora, IL | Literacy Intervention and Resources | $15,000 |
| Literacy Mid-South Memphis, TN | Literacy Intervention and Resources | $11,543 |
Ready to take the next step with Champions for Literacy?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $666,406 | $4,214,628 | $4,052,793 | $252,689 | 13 |
| 2024 | $843,341 | $3,889,040 | $3,635,854 | $222,154 | 12 |
| 2023 | $273,069 | $1,476,520 | $1,384,517 | $337,224 | 27 |
| 2022 | $104,742 | $880,992 | $867,234 | $386,920 | 28 |
| 2021 | $92,642 | $818,397 | $787,777 | $360,091 | 27 |
| 2020 | $61,507 | $766,070 | $823,909 | $67,400 | 7 |
| 2019 | $129,815 | $732,227 | $723,774 | $47,965 | 5 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The mission stated in the organization’s 2024 filing is to use sports to raise awareness about literacy, generate funds for local literacy programs, and create volunteer activities for athletes that promote reading to students from preschool through third grade. The filing describes its Fight for Literacy initiative as providing turn-key opportunities for athletes, teams, corporate partners, and fans to support early childhood literacy in their local communities.
The 2025 filing describes the grants listed there as supporting “literacy intervention and resources.” The grantees include organizations with varied missions. For example, Knowledge Quest says it equips youth and families through education, wellness, and economic mobility; Readers 2 Leaders says it equips students for success through reading; and Smart Reading says it sparks joy and opportunity through shared books. Literacy Mid-South describes its mission as mobilizing the community to maximize the impact of literacy and learning services.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, Champions for Literacy reported 13 grants totaling $252,689. The reported grant sizes ranged from $10,000 to $48,091, with a median of $18,675. Listed recipients include United Way of Pickens County Camp iRock in South Carolina ($48,091), United Way of the Plains in Kansas ($25,142), Memphis Teacher Residency in Tennessee ($23,829), Knowledge Quest in Tennessee ($23,077), The 2nd & 7 Foundation in Ohio ($20,000), and Readers 2 Leaders in Texas ($20,000). The filing gives the purpose for these grants as literacy intervention and resources.
The organization’s website describes Fight for Literacy games as a way to raise funds and support local literacy programs. It also describes partnerships with NIL collectives that engage athletes in literacy initiatives and assist with activation planning, donor receipting, and media capture.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists John E Wilfong as chairman; Jonathan Wilfong and Andrew Renshaw as co-founders; Brian Hayhurst as treasurer; and Lamar Stanley, Jonathan Wood, Dr Alissa Campbell Shaw, Graham Neff, Dr Dawn Wade, and Ashton Emmanuel as directors.
Champions for Literacy is led by Jason Baker, Executive Director since 2024 (on filings since 2022); 1 of 11 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Jason Baker
Executive Director
Co-Executive Director April → Co-Executive Director, 2023
Co-Executive Director → Executive Director, 2024
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$10K (2022) → $122K (2025)
John E. Wilfong
Chairman
Chairman → Board Chair, 2022
Board Chair → Chairman, 2023
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Alissa Campbell Shaw
Director
On filings since 2019
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Graham Neff
Director
On filings since 2019
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jonathan Wood
Director
On filings since 2019
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lamar Stanley
Director
On filings since 2019
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Dawn Wade
Director
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ashton Emmanuel
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Andrew Renshaw
Co-Founder
On filings since 2019
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Brian Hayhurst
Treasurer
On filings since 2019
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jonathan Wilfong
Co-Founder
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (3)
- Former: Chandler Ferguson (2022–2023) — Co-Executive Director
- Former: Carleen O'Reilly (2021–2022) — Executive Director
- Former: Stanley Ryan Viner (2019–2020) — Executive Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $122K, to Jason Baker (Executive Director).
Frequently asked questions about Champions for Literacy
How much does Champions for Literacy give each year?
Champions for Literacy gave $253K across 13 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $222K across 12 grants.
What is Champions for Literacy's typical grant size?
Champions for Literacy's median grant in 2025 was $18,675, and its average grant was $19,438, across 13 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Champions for Literacy that year got $11K on average.
Where does Champions for Literacy give grants?
Champions for Literacy's top state is Tennessee, with 32% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were South Carolina (19%) and Kansas (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Memphis, TN (5 grants).
Does Champions for Literacy give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 13 grants with a stated purpose on Champions for Literacy's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Literacy Intervention and Resources" (13 grants).
Who are Champions for Literacy's largest grantees?
Champions for Literacy's largest 2025 grantees include United Way of Pickens County Camp Irock ($48,091), United Way of the Plains ($25,142) and Memphis Teacher Residency ($23,829), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 38% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Champions for Literacy?
Champions for Literacy reported $666K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $4.2M.
What does Champions for Literacy fund?
The mission stated in the organization’s 2024 filing is to use sports to raise awareness about literacy, generate funds for local literacy programs, and create volunteer activities for athletes that promote reading to students from preschool through third grade. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Champions for Literacy?
Champions for Literacy has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check championsforlit.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Champions for Literacy's EIN?
Champions for Literacy's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 46-3588150. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS June 10, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS June 14, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS February 7, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS February 27, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 27, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS January 31, 2025)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS December 8, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Champions for Literacy's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Champions for Literacy funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/champions-for-literacy-morg_dd7e6655ca72483aacebc0e679409fba
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_463588150_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Champions for Literacy funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/champions-for-literacy-morg_dd7e6655ca72483aacebc0e679409fba},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Champions for Literacy's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
Champions for Literacy down — hundreds of funders to go?