Fugitive Foundation

Private foundation · Grantmaker Nashville, TN EIN: 62-6245453

Fugitive Foundation is a private foundation based in Nashville, Tennessee. Its 2024 filing reports grants to organizations in several states, with most grant dollars going to Tennessee recipients.

Fugitive Foundation at a glance

In short: Fugitive Foundation gave $282K across 57 grants in 2024 (avg $5K), mostly in Tennessee. 18% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.

Annual giving (2024)
$281,600
+10.9% vs 2023
Grants made (2024)
57
+0.0% vs 2023
Average grant
$4,940
+10.9% vs 2023
Median grant
$2,000
Total assets
$5,715,364
+5.7% vs 2023
New grantees (estimate)
18% first-time grantees (10 of 57, 2024)
Primary geography
Tennessee (84% 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 Fugitive Foundation

How to Apply

The foundation states that it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Its filing instructs applicants to contact The Fugitive Foundation with a letter explaining the charitable purpose and need. The filing lists no deadlines or restrictions on awards.

Contact

Application contact: The Fugitive Foundation
Mailing address: 105 Leake Avenue Unit 1, Nashville, TN 37205
Phone: (615) 269-5429

Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Who Fugitive Foundation funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Downtown Presbyterian Church: $30KDowntown Presbyterian Church$30KYMCA: $29KYMCA$29KThe Contributor: $27KThe Contributor$27KSiloam Family Health Center: $21KSiloam Family Health Center$21KBelmont University - Thomas F Frist Jr College of Medicine: $12KBelmont University - Thomas FFrist Jr College of Medicine$12KMontgomery Bell Academy: $11KMontgomery Bell Academy$11KAmerican Red Cross: $10KAmerican Red Cross$10KBelcourt Theatre: $10KBelcourt Theatre$10KHabitat for Humanity of Greater Nashville: $10KHabitat for Humanity ofGreater Nashville$10KSouth Union Shaker Village: $9KSouth Union Shaker Village$9K

The largest 2024 recipient was Downtown Presbyterian Church ($30K). Together the top 10 received $168K.

Grant Size Distribution

232 grants across all recorded years

229<$50K3$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 229 grants of 232 (99%).

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

In 2024, Tennessee recipients received 84% of grant dollars. Other reported shares went to Kentucky (3%), New York (3%), Texas (3%), and Wisconsin (2%).

Grant Distribution by State

19states

Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 57 itemized grants.

Cities

NashvilleCharlestonSeattleMonteagleAuburnChattanoogaElkhornHarrisburgMadisonMemphisPrincetonBrentwoodCharlottesvilleFlower MoundNew YorkTracy CityCape CoralMendenhallWashingtonAlbert Lea

Is Fugitive Foundation open to new grantees?

18%

first-time grantees, 2024

In 2024, 10 of 57 grantees (18%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $4K; repeat grants $5K. How we count

Medians: $1K first-time, $2K repeat.

  • 81% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
  • Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+9%). Method
  • In 2024 it paid out 102% 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

$0$100K$200K$300K34 grants2020 39 grants2021 45 grants2022 57 grants2023 57 grants2024

From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $239K (2020) to $282K (2024). In 2024 it made 57 grants totaling $282K.

Grants by year

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Downtown Presbyterian Church Nashville, TNOperating Support$30,000
YMCA Nashville, TNOperating Support$28,500
The Contributor Nashville, TNOperating Support$27,000
Siloam Family Health Center Nashville, TNCapital Campaign & Operating Support$20,650
Belmont University - Thomas F Frist Jr College of Medicine Nashville, TNOperating Support$12,000
Montgomery Bell Academy Nashville, TNOperating Support$11,000
American Red Cross Nashville, TNOperating Support$10,000
Belcourt Theatre Nashville, TNOperating Support$10,000
Habitat for Humanity of Greater Nashville Nashville, TNOperating Support$10,000
South Union Shaker Village Auburn, KYOperating Support$9,000
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Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Figures from IRS filings, by filing year
Filing yearTotal AssetsRevenueExpensesGrants paidGrantsQualifying DistributionsNet Investment IncomeDistributable Amount
2024$5,715,364$191,138$378,242$281,60057$281,600$94,496$275,717
2023$5,404,819$154,926$329,747$254,00057$254,000$79,179$253,452
2022$4,999,713$172,453$358,032$251,00045$251,000$65,421$265,465
2021$6,150,684$645,616$332,745$257,50039$257,500$570,371$254,156
2020$5,049,092$135,197$325,680$239,00034—$46,883$236,940

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Fugitive Foundation reported a distributable amount of $276K 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

No mission statement is provided. The 2024 grants include operating support and a capital campaign contribution. Among the grantees, The Contributor describes its mission as selling a weekly newspaper focused on homelessness and poverty through homeless and formerly homeless vendors. Blue Monarch describes a residential program for Tennessee women and their children, while Belcourt Theatre describes its mission as engaging, enriching, and educating through film programming.

Other supported organizations describe work in college preparatory education, public radio, theological education, community leadership, and art. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not a stated mission of the foundation.

Grantmaking

In 2024, the foundation reported 57 grants totaling $281,600. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $30,000, with a median of $2,000.

Notable 2024 grants included $30,000 to Downtown Presbyterian Church, $28,500 to YMCA, $27,000 to The Contributor, $20,650 to Siloam Family Health Center, and $12,000 to Belmont University’s Thomas F. Frist Jr. College of Medicine. Other grants included $11,000 to Montgomery Bell Academy and $10,000 each to the American Red Cross, Belcourt Theatre, and Habitat for Humanity of Greater Nashville.

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2024 filing lists W Ridley Wills III, Morgan J Wills, and Thomas W Wills as trustees.

Fugitive Foundation's 2024 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.

Officers on the 2024 filing

  • Morgan J. Wills

    Trustee

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Thomas W. Wills

    Trustee

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • W. Ridley Wills III

    Trustee

    On filings since 2020

    3 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

Former officers (2)
  • Former: W. Ridley Wills II (2020–2023) — Trustee
  • Former: Irene J. Wills (2020) — Trustee

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 Fugitive Foundation

How much does Fugitive Foundation give each year?

Fugitive Foundation gave $282K across 57 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $254K across 57 grants.

What is Fugitive Foundation's typical grant size?

Fugitive Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $2,000, and its average grant was $4,940, across 57 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Fugitive Foundation that year got $4K on average.

Where does Fugitive Foundation give grants?

Fugitive Foundation gives mostly in Tennessee: 84% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Nashville, TN (36 grants) and Charleston, SC (3 grants).

Does Fugitive Foundation give general operating support?

Yes: 100% of Fugitive Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (57 of 57) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.

Who are Fugitive Foundation's largest grantees?

Fugitive Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Downtown Presbyterian Church ($30,000), YMCA ($28,500) and The Contributor ($27,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 30% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.

How large is Fugitive Foundation?

Fugitive Foundation reported $5.7M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $282K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $276K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).

What does Fugitive Foundation fund?

No mission statement is provided. The 2024 grants include operating support and a capital campaign contribution. Among the grantees, The Contributor describes its mission as selling a weekly newspaper focused on homelessness and poverty through homeless and formerly homeless vendors. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from Fugitive Foundation?

The foundation states that it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑

What is Fugitive Foundation's EIN?

Fugitive Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 62-6245453. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.

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

  1. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

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Funders with grantees in common, and similar funders in Tennessee

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$5.8M

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Total Given

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Cite this profile

Grantable. (2026). Fugitive Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/fugitive-foundation-morg_bfc75c7e3e014070839fd305c8e7981d

BibTeX
@misc{grantable_626245453_2026,
  author       = {{Grantable}},
  title        = {{Fugitive Foundation funder profile}},
  howpublished = {GrantGraph},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://grantable.co/funders/fugitive-foundation-morg_bfc75c7e3e014070839fd305c8e7981d},
  note         = {Accessed 2026-10-10. 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 Fugitive Foundation'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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