Elizabeth Buford Shepherd Scholarship
Elizabeth Buford Shepherd Scholarship is a private foundation based in Birmingham, Alabama. Its 2025 filing reports grants primarily for scholarships to students at colleges and universities.
Elizabeth Buford Shepherd Scholarship at a glance
In short: Elizabeth Buford Shepherd Scholarship gave $60K across 22 grants in 2025 (avg $3K), mostly in Tennessee. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $60,000
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 22
- -4.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $2,727
- +4.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,500
- Total assets
- $1,406,395
- +0.6% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Tennessee (63% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Elizabeth Buford Shepherd Scholarship
- Contact
Application contact: Alisa Mcmurtry Co Regions Bank
Mailing address: 150 4Th Avenue North, Nashville, TN 37219
Phone: (615) 748-2044
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Elizabeth Buford Shepherd Scholarship funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was University of Tennessee at Knoxville ($21K). Together the top 10 received $42K.
Organizations only. It also paid 2 individual scholarships ($3,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
132 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 132 grants of 132 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, Tennessee recipients received 62% of grant dollars. Recipients in Mississippi received 8%; those in California, an individual recipient, and Alabama each received 5%. The listed grants also include recipients in other states, including Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Florida, Minnesota, and an individual recipient
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 22 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Elizabeth Buford Shepherd Scholarship gives
- 65% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 33% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 81% 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 (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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $60K (2024) to $90K (2022). In 2025 it made 22 grants totaling $60K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| University of Tennessee at Knoxville Knoxville, TN | Scholarships | $21,000 |
| University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Chattanooga, TN | Scholarships | $4,500 |
| TN Technological University Cookeville, TN | Scholarships | $3,000 |
| Lipscomb University Nashville, TN | Scholarship | $3,000 |
| University of Mississippi University, MS | Scholarships | $3,000 |
| Stanford University Stanford, CA | Scholarships | $1,500 |
| Yale University New Haven, CT | Scholarships | $1,500 |
| University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA | Scholarships | $1,500 |
| UT Health & Science Center Memphis, TN | Scholarships | $1,500 |
| University of Chicago Chicago, IL | General Operating | $1,500 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1,406,395 | $86,693 | $76,961 | $60,000 | 22 | $64,939 | $80,214 | $80,138 |
| 2024 | $1,397,677 | $226,353 | $71,822 | $60,000 | 23 | $63,982 | $219,154 | $81,914 |
| 2023 | $1,236,560 | $47,005 | $87,586 | $76,500 | 22 | $80,451 | $38,816 | $98,359 |
| 2022 | $1,250,202 | $14,442 | $104,276 | $90,000 | 34 | $93,928 | $28,892 | $74,987 |
| 2021 | $1,340,171 | $142,225 | $93,125 | $81,000 | 31 | $85,077 | $134,684 | $85,877 |
| 2020 | $1,291,069 | $42,170 | $86,311 | $75,000 | 23 | — | $33,395 | $78,084 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Elizabeth Buford Shepherd Scholarship reported a distributable amount of $80K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants were primarily designated for scholarships. The listed grants also include a $1,500 general operating grant to the University of Chicago.
The supported organizations describe their own missions in varied terms. For example, Lipscomb University describes itself as a Christ-centered community preparing learners for purposeful lives through rigorous academics and transformative experiences. Furman University describes its primary mission as providing a distinctive liberal arts education across several fields. These are the grantees’ descriptions, not the foundation’s mission.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 22 grants totaling $60,000. Grants ranged from $1,500 to $21,000, with a median of $1,500. The largest awards included $21,000 to the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, $4,500 to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and $3,000 each to Tennessee Technological University, Lipscomb University, and the University of Mississippi. Each was designated for scholarships.
The foundation’s 2025 filing states that application forms are available online. It lists new applications as due May 1 and renewal applications as due January 15. Those dates are past cycles as of September 28, 2026; the filing does not specify dates for a future cycle. Students must be residents of the continental United States.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Samantha Burnett and Brent Tener as committee members and Regions Bank as trustee.
Elizabeth Buford Shepherd Scholarship's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; 1 of 3 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Regions Bank
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$9K (2020) → $9K (2025)
Brent Tener
Committee Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$650 (2020) → $0 (2025)
Samantha Burnett
Committee Member
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
$650 (2022) → $0 (2025)
Former officers (2)
- Former: Regions Bank Trust Dept (2021–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Ann Neeley (2020–2021) — Committee Member
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 $9K, to Regions Bank (Trustee).
Frequently asked questions about Elizabeth Buford Shepherd Scholarship
How much does Elizabeth Buford Shepherd Scholarship give each year?
Elizabeth Buford Shepherd Scholarship gave $60K across 22 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $60K across 23 grants.
What is Elizabeth Buford Shepherd Scholarship's typical grant size?
Elizabeth Buford Shepherd Scholarship's median grant in 2025 was $1,500, and its average grant was $2,727, across 22 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Elizabeth Buford Shepherd Scholarship give grants?
Elizabeth Buford Shepherd Scholarship gives mostly in Tennessee: 63% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Mississippi (8%) and California (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were Nashville, TN (2 grants).
Does Elizabeth Buford Shepherd Scholarship give general operating support?
Occasionally: 5% of Elizabeth Buford Shepherd Scholarship's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (1 of 22) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Scholarships" (18 grants) and "Scholarship" (3 grants).
Who are Elizabeth Buford Shepherd Scholarship's largest grantees?
Elizabeth Buford Shepherd Scholarship's largest 2025 grantees include University of Tennessee at Knoxville ($21,000), University of Tennessee at Chattanooga ($4,500) and TN Technological University ($3,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 2 individual scholarships ($3,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 48% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Elizabeth Buford Shepherd Scholarship?
Elizabeth Buford Shepherd Scholarship reported $1.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $65K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $80K (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 Elizabeth Buford Shepherd Scholarship fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants were primarily designated for scholarships. The listed grants also include a $1,500 general operating grant to the University of Chicago. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Elizabeth Buford Shepherd Scholarship?
Elizabeth Buford Shepherd Scholarship has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Elizabeth Buford Shepherd Scholarship's EIN?
Elizabeth Buford Shepherd Scholarship's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 62-6047221. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 14, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Elizabeth Buford Shepherd Scholarship funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/elizabeth-buford-shepherd-scholarship-morg_e77de30f47e84f52a52e280e1b93e7e0
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_626047221_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Elizabeth Buford Shepherd Scholarship funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/elizabeth-buford-shepherd-scholarship-morg_e77de30f47e84f52a52e280e1b93e7e0},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. 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 Elizabeth Buford Shepherd Scholarship'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.
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