Footprint Foundation Inc
Footprint Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Its mission is to create connections for a more equitable community, and its grantmaking has supported work in creative culture, environment, learning, and social justice, with a stated geographic focus on Chattanooga and Northern California.
Footprint Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Footprint Foundation Inc gave $1.1M across 51 grants in 2024 (avg $21K), mostly in Tennessee. 33% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,081,525
- -8.1% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 51
- +0.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $21,206
- -8.1% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $23,083,812
- -2.7% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 33% first-time grantees (14 of 43, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Tennessee (60% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Footprint Foundation Inc
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- Invitation Only
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests. Grant requests are by invitation only; its 2024 filing also says contributions are made only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: The Lupton Co 201 W Main St 205, Chattanooga, TN 37408
Phone: (423) 757-0507
Website: https://footprintfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Footprint Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Teach for America Inc ($125K). Together the top 10 received $770K.
Grant Size Distribution
250 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 199 grants of 250 (80%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Footprint states that its grantmaking supports efforts specific to Chattanooga, Tennessee, and Northern California. In 2024, 60% of grant dollars went to recipients in Tennessee, 21% to New York, 9% to California, 5% to North Carolina, and 2% to Texas.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 51 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Footprint Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
33%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 14 of 43 grantees (33%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $16K; repeat grants $30K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $20K repeat.
- 60% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving fell 29% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 115% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $1.1M (2024) to $1.6M (2022). In 2024 it made 51 grants totaling $1.1M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Teach for America Inc New York, NY | To support operations of the Nashville-Chattanooga office for tfa chattanooga corp members | $125,000 |
| Artsbuild Chattanooga, TN | General & Unrestricted | $111,000 |
| East Bay Community Foundation Oakland, CA | For programs and activities supported by the Footprint foundation | $100,000 |
| Open Space Institute Land Trust Inc New York, NY | Cradle of Southern Appalachia Fund and Thriving Communities natural treasures | $100,000 |
| The Urban League of Greater Chattanooga Inc Chattanooga, TN | General & Unrestricted | $100,000 |
| Chattanoogans in Action for Love Equality and Bene Chattanooga, TN | General & Unrestricted | $72,825 |
| Ella Library Chattanooga, TN | General & Unrestricted | $38,000 |
| Beloved Asheville Asheville, NC | Hurricane Helene Recovery Efforts | $25,000 |
| North Carolina Arts Foundation Raleigh, NC | Relief - NC Arts Disaster | $25,000 |
| Southern Smoke Foundation Houston, TX | Emergency Relief for Hurricane Helene | $25,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Footprint Foundation Inc?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $23,083,812 | $1,188,085 | $1,836,771 | $1,081,525 | 51 | $1,543,154 | $896,329 | $1,343,051 |
| 2023 | $23,732,498 | $693,188 | $1,872,093 | $1,176,999 | 51 | $1,791,612 | $423,281 | $1,316,570 |
| 2022 | $24,911,403 | $1,105,317 | $2,415,314 | $1,636,000 | 63 | $2,047,896 | $600,691 | $1,400,352 |
| 2021 | $26,152,884 | $2,511,038 | $2,109,525 | $1,514,500 | 32 | $1,781,605 | $2,179,983 | $1,622,646 |
| 2020 | $25,751,371 | $1,283,876 | $2,021,020 | $1,487,000 | 53 | — | $915,887 | $1,428,514 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Footprint Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $1.3M 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
Footprint’s mission is to create connections for a more equitable community. Its stated aspirations include bringing people together, building community and leadership, and addressing equity and access. Its four grantmaking focus areas are creative culture, environment, learning, and social justice. The foundation says it values efforts that grow talent and leadership, explore new ideas, support collaboration, engage underserved populations, enrich public spaces, and build community.
Examples of the kinds of organizations it has supported include arts funder ARTSBUILD, which says it provides grants and programs to increase access to the arts, and ELLA Library, which says it nurtures the exchange of knowledge and culture through story sharing. The Urban League of Greater Chattanooga describes its work as social and economic empowerment for underserved communities. Open Space Institute Land Trust says it supports land protection for clean water, recreation, healthy communities, and wildlife habitat.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, Footprint reported 51 grants totaling $1,081,525. Grants ranged from $250 to $125,000, with a median of $10,000.
Among the largest reported grants were $125,000 to Teach for America Inc. to support operations of its Nashville-Chattanooga office; $111,000 to ARTSBUILD for general and unrestricted support; $100,000 to East Bay Community Foundation for programs and activities supported by Footprint; $100,000 to Open Space Institute Land Trust for the Cradle of Southern Appalachia Fund and Thriving Communities natural treasures; and $100,000 to the Urban League of Greater Chattanooga for general and unrestricted support. Footprint also reported $25,000 grants for Hurricane Helene recovery efforts to Beloved Asheville, North Carolina Arts Foundation, Southern Smoke Foundation, and World Central Kitchen.
The foundation says grant requests are by invitation only and that it invites applications after establishing relationships and when an opportunity exists for a grant to affect more than one focus area. It does not fund capital campaigns, capital projects, or annual campaigns, and does not sponsor fundraising events. The foundation states that, as of 2023, it will not make new grants until its new strategy and process are defined. It hopes to have a newly defined direction in place sometime in 2026.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The foundation’s listed trustees are Alice Lupton Smith, President; Alfred Smith, Vice President; John Montague, Treasurer; Tom Montague, Secretary; Jessica Montague; and Kristina Montague. Its staff is Lisa Pinckney, Executive Director. The foundation says it has one staff member and outsources compliance, tax, human resources, and investment functions.
Footprint Foundation Inc is led by Alice Smith, Director & President on every filing since 2020; none of the 6 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Alice Smith
Director & President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Alfred Smith
Director & Vice President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jessica Montague
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John P Montague
Director & Treasurer
Director & Secretary → Director & Treasurer, 2021
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kristina Montague
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
L Thomas Montague
Director & Secretary
Director & Treasurer → Director & Secretary, 2021
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
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 Footprint Foundation Inc
How much does Footprint Foundation Inc give each year?
Footprint Foundation Inc gave $1.1M across 51 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $1.2M across 51 grants.
What is Footprint Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Footprint Foundation Inc's median grant in 2024 was $10,000, and its average grant was $21,206, across 51 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Footprint Foundation Inc that year got $16K on average.
Where does Footprint Foundation Inc give grants?
Footprint Foundation Inc gives mostly in Tennessee: 60% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were New York (21%) and California (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chattanooga, TN (40 grants) and New York, NY (2 grants).
Does Footprint Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 49% of Footprint Foundation Inc's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (25 of 51) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Footprint Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Footprint Foundation Inc's largest 2024 grantees include Teach for America Inc ($125,000), Artsbuild ($111,000) and East Bay Community Foundation ($100,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 31% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Footprint Foundation Inc?
Footprint Foundation Inc reported $23.1M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.5M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.3M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Footprint Foundation Inc fund?
Footprint’s mission is to create connections for a more equitable community. Its stated aspirations include bringing people together, building community and leadership, and addressing equity and access. Its four grantmaking focus areas are creative culture, environment, learning, and social justice. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Footprint Foundation Inc?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Footprint Foundation Inc's EIN?
Footprint Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 27-5486356. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Footprint Foundation Inc 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
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Footprint Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/footprint-foundation-inc-morg_0023680e88194cc8a5b0d921d3b438eb
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_275486356_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Footprint Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/footprint-foundation-inc-morg_0023680e88194cc8a5b0d921d3b438eb},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 Footprint Foundation Inc'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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