Children's Foundation of Memphis
The Children's Foundation of Memphis is a private foundation based in Memphis, Tennessee. Established in 1982 after the sale of The Crippled Children's Hospital, it supports the health and well-being of children in the Memphis area, including pediatric medical research and programs at youth-serving organizations.
Children's Foundation of Memphis at a glance
- Total assets
- $37,940,671
- +3.4% vs 2023
- Revenue (2024)
- $395,908
- -44.3% vs 2023
- Qualifying distributions (2024)
- $1,737,500
- +4.6% vs 2023
- Expenses (2024)
- $1,818,140
- +3.6% vs 2023
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Children's Foundation of Memphis
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Its 2024 filing says to request an application from the foundation.
- Review Cycle
- The 2024 filing describes a deadline within six weeks of grant notification to the public, usually in September.
- Deadline
- The 2024 filing describes a deadline within six weeks of grant notification to the public, usually in September.
- Contact
Application contact: Lindsay Boggan
Mailing address: 700 Colonial Rd Ste 227, Memphis, TN 38117
Phone: (901) 683-3176
Website: http://www.childrensfoundationofmemphis.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Children's Foundation of Memphis funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Grant Size Distribution
25 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 11 grants of 25 (44%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s stated mission focuses on children in the Memphis area. Its 2024 filing describes grants to tax-exempt organizations within the Mid-South. The 2021 examples include organizations in Memphis, as well as organizations in Mosheim, Nashville, and Kingsport, Tennessee.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
How Children's Foundation of Memphis gives
- 67% of 2021 grantees were also funded in 2020. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 95% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2021). 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 2020 to 2021, annual grant giving ranged from $1.3M (2021) to $1.9M (2020). In 2021 it made 12 grants totaling $1.3M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Community Foundation of Greater Memphis Memphis, TN | Education | $564,109 |
| Lebonheur Memphis, TN | Healthcare | $370,892 |
| Salvation Army Memphis, TN | Education | $75,000 |
| Boys and Girls Club of Greater Memphis Memphis, TN | Education | $60,000 |
| Agape Child & Family Services Memphis, TN | Education | $50,000 |
| Child Advocacy Center Memphis, TN | Education | $50,000 |
| A Step Ahead Foundation Memphis, TN | Education | $45,000 |
| Juvenile Intervention and Faith-Based Follow-up Memphis, TN | Education | $45,000 |
| Memphis Oral School for the Deaf Germantown, TN | Education | $35,000 |
| ARISE2READ Memphis, TN | Education | $30,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
The filing type is Form 990-PF.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $37,940,671 | $395,908 | $1,818,140 | — | — | $1,737,500 | $585,525 | $1,821,232 |
| 2023 | $36,699,981 | $710,734 | $1,754,205 | — | — | $1,661,111 | $653,593 | $1,794,781 |
| 2022 | $29,851,320 | $-412,909 | $1,713,726 | — | — | $1,574,193 | — | $1,754,126 |
| 2021 | $31,521,240 | $3,274,461 | $1,438,639 | $1,329,501 | 12 | $1,357,987 | $3,120,835 | $1,455,452 |
| 2020 | $29,698,429 | $1,679,640 | $2,027,389 | $1,885,000 | 13 | — | $1,941,151 | $1,713,425 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Children's Foundation of Memphis reported a distributable amount of $1.8M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s mission is to serve the health and well-being of children in the Memphis area. Its website describes support for pediatric medical research and for programs that promote healthy early childhood development and school readiness, educational skills and academic achievement, and avoidance of high-risk behaviors such as drug abuse, violence, and teen pregnancy.
The foundation’s 2024 filing describes its charitable activity as grants to tax-exempt organizations in the Mid-South that provide for children’s immediate health and well-being and support their future through research. The filing states that awards are restricted to organizations benefiting children from infancy through age 21.
Examples of organizations supported in 2021 include the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Memphis, which describes its mission as helping young people realize their potential as productive, responsible, and caring citizens, and ARISE2READ Inc., which says it works to enhance the quality of public education. The Child Advocacy Center describes its mission as combating child sexual and physical abuse through services to children and families. These are the grantees’ own descriptions of their missions.
Grantmaking
The available filing data lists zero grants for each of 2022, 2023, and 2024. The supplied 2021 grant examples include $60,000 to the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Memphis, $50,000 to the Child Advocacy Center, $45,000 to A Step Ahead Foundation, $30,000 to ARISE2READ Inc., $2,500 to Harwood Center Inc., and $2,000 to Hope House. These examples do not establish a typical grant size.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Allison Cates, Linda Mallory, Margaret Fraser, Martha Horton, Melody Taylor, Molly Gooch, and Peggy McClure as directors; Irene Ayotte as president; and Melissa Grimes and Nancy Miller as secretaries.
Children's Foundation of Memphis is led by Irene Ayotte, President since 2024 (on filings since 2020); none of the 32 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Irene Ayotte
President
Director → Vice President, 2022
Vice President → President, 2024
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Yvonne Madlock
Community Grant Co Chair
Director → Community Grant Co Chair, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Allison Cates
Director
Director → Assistant Treasurer, 2022
Assistant Treasurer → Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Catherine Muscari
Director
Community Grant Co-Chair → Committee Grant Co-Chair, 2022
Committee Grant Co-Chair → Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Claudia Haltom
Director
Assistant Treasurer → Treasurer, 2022
Treasurer → Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Dorcas Young Griffin
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Erica Coopwood
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Gail Milnor
Director
Treasurer → Director, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Linda Mallory
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Margaret Atkinson
Director
President → Immediate Past President, 2022
Immediate Past President → Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Margaret Fraser
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Martha Horton
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mary Elizabeth Humphreys
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Melody Taylor
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Minta Ford
Director
Community Grant Chair → Committee Grant Chair, 2022
Committee Grant Chair → Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Molly Gooch
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Peggy McClure
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Peggy Stephens
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Roberta Anderson
Director
Immediate Past President → Director, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Russell Whitehead
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Susan Warner
Director
Secretary → Director, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Katherine Kaelin
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kimberly Perry
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Leanne Sykes
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Margaret Gardner
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jenny Herman
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lindsay Lewis
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kathy Carruthers
Immediate Past President
Vice President → President, 2022
President → Immediate Past President, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Llewellyn Hall
Vice President
Director → Vice President, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Margarett Mclean
Treasurer
Director → Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Melissa Grimes
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Nancy Miller
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (4)
- Former: Holley McGehee (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Brandon Morrison (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Lucia Crenshaw (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Ruth Stewart Taylor (2020–2021) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Children's Foundation of Memphis
How large is Children's Foundation of Memphis?
Children's Foundation of Memphis reported $37.9M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.7M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.8M (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Children's Foundation of Memphis fund?
The foundation’s mission is to serve the health and well-being of children in the Memphis area. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Children's Foundation of Memphis?
The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
Where does Children's Foundation of Memphis make grants?
The foundation’s stated mission focuses on children in the Memphis area. Its 2024 filing describes grants to tax-exempt organizations within the Mid-South. The 2021 examples include organizations in Memphis, as well as organizations in Mosheim, Nashville, and Kingsport, Tennessee.
What is Children's Foundation of Memphis's EIN?
Children's Foundation of Memphis's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 62-0560292. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Children's Foundation of Memphis accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Children's Foundation of Memphis's focus areas in our free grants database
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Children's Foundation of Memphis down — hundreds of funders to go?