Goodlett Foundation
The Goodlett Foundation is a private foundation based in Memphis, Tennessee. Its 2025 filing lists grants to charitable organizations in Tennessee, including organizations serving children, education and literacy, and community needs.
Goodlett Foundation at a glance
In short: Goodlett Foundation gave $354K across 21 grants in 2025 (avg $17K), mostly in Tennessee. 10% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $354,000
- -2.9% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 21
- -4.5% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $16,857
- +1.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $15,000
- Total assets
- $4,462,116
- -6.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 10% first-time grantees (2 of 21, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Tennessee (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Goodlett Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds; it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1779 Kirby Parkway 1 Suite 223, Memphis, TN 38138
Phone: (901) 761-3003
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Goodlett Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Make-a-Wish Foundation of the Mid-South ($50K). Together the top 10 received $275K.
Grant Size Distribution
93 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 84 grants of 93 (90%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars reported for filing year 2025 went to recipients in Tennessee. Listed recipients are primarily in Memphis, with others in nearby Germantown.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 21 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Goodlett Foundation open to new grantees?
10%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 2 of 21 grantees (10%) were first-time recipients. With only 21 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $13K; repeat grants $17K. How we count
Medians: $13K first-time, $15K repeat.
- 90% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+18%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 84% 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 (2020–2025). 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 $231K (2021) to $365K (2024). In 2025 it made 21 grants totaling $354K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Make-a-Wish Foundation of the Mid-South Memphis, TN | To Further the Charity's Exempt Purpose | $50,000 |
| St Jude Children's Research Hospital Memphis, TN | To Further the Charity's Exempt Purpose | $50,000 |
| Madonna Learning Center Memphis, TN | To Further the Charity's Exempt Purpose | $25,000 |
| Porter Leath Memphis, TN | To Further the Charity's Exempt Purpose | $25,000 |
| Le Bonheur Children's Hospital Memphis, TN | To Further the Charity's Exempt Purpose | $25,000 |
| Woodland Presbyterian Church Memphis, TN | To Further the Charity's Exempt Purpose | $25,000 |
| Catholic Charities of West TN Memphis, TN | To Further the Charity's Exempt Purpose | $20,000 |
| Mid-South Therapy Dogs Germantown, TN | To Further the Charity's Exempt Purpose | $20,000 |
| Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Memphis Memphis, TN | To Further the Charity's Exempt Purpose | $20,000 |
| Most - Memphis Opportunity Scholarship Trust Memphis, TN | To Further the Charity's Exempt Purpose | $15,000 |
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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 | $4,462,116 | $189,226 | $520,619 | $354,000 | 21 | $432,425 | $129,165 | $513,192 |
| 2024 | $4,793,509 | $885,016 | $507,965 | $364,500 | 22 | $442,289 | $831,211 | $446,970 |
| 2023 | $4,416,457 | $218,382 | $501,060 | $353,000 | 22 | $430,789 | $171,525 | $388,488 |
| 2022 | $4,699,139 | $670,749 | $455,537 | $301,000 | 14 | $378,755 | $617,031 | $407,650 |
| 2021 | $4,483,924 | $454,394 | $372,152 | $230,750 | 14 | — | $405,695 | $409,553 |
| 2020 | $4,401,682 | $187,279 | $382,677 | $247,500 | 14 | — | $145,103 | $326,090 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Goodlett Foundation reported a distributable amount of $513K 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
The available filings do not state a mission for the foundation. Its grants include support for education and literacy organizations, churches, and charities. For example, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital describes its mission as advancing cures and prevention for pediatric catastrophic diseases through research and treatment. Make-A-Wish Foundation of the Mid-South says it creates life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. Madonna Learning Center says it provides a faith-based educational and social environment for people with special needs and support for their families. Literacy Mid-South says it mobilizes the community to improve literacy and learning services.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 21 grants totaling $354,000. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $50,000, with a median of $15,000. Its largest listed grants were $50,000 each to Make-A-Wish Foundation of the Mid-South and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Other notable grants included $25,000 each to Madonna Learning Center, Porter Leath, Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, and Woodland Presbyterian Church.
Other 2025 recipients included Catholic Charities of West TN, Mid-South Therapy Dogs, and Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Memphis, each receiving $20,000; MOST – Memphis Opportunity Scholarship Trust and Peer Power Foundation, each receiving $15,000; and Literacy Mid-South, which received $10,000. Youth Villages and Memphis Inner City Rugby also received $10,000 each.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists:
- David A. Dunehew — Director/President
- Kathleen S. Williams — Director/Treasurer
- Warner B. Rodda — Director/Assistant Secretary
- Pamela D. Blow — Director
Goodlett Foundation is led by David A. Dunehew, Director & President on every filing since 2020; 1 of 4 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
David A. Dunehew
Director & President
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kathleen S. Williams
Director & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
$88K (2020) → $88K (2025)
Pamela D. Blow
Director
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Warner B. Rodda
Director & Assistant Secretary
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
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 $88K, to Kathleen S Williams (Director/Treasurer).
Frequently asked questions about Goodlett Foundation
How much does Goodlett Foundation give each year?
Goodlett Foundation gave $354K across 21 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $365K across 22 grants.
What is Goodlett Foundation's typical grant size?
Goodlett Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $15,000, and its average grant was $16,857, across 21 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Goodlett Foundation that year got $13K on average.
Where does Goodlett Foundation give grants?
Goodlett Foundation gives mostly in Tennessee: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Memphis, TN (19 grants).
Who are Goodlett Foundation's largest grantees?
Goodlett Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Make-a-Wish Foundation of the Mid-South ($50,000), St Jude Children's Research Hospital ($50,000) and Madonna Learning Center ($25,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 35% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Goodlett Foundation?
Goodlett Foundation reported $4.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $432K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $513K (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 Goodlett Foundation fund?
The available filings do not state a mission for the foundation. Its grants include support for education and literacy organizations, churches, and charities. For example, St. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Goodlett Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds; it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Goodlett Foundation's EIN?
Goodlett Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 62-1663934. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Goodlett Foundation 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 2020–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Goodlett Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/goodlett-foundation-morg_4c6a39d5865f4339ab442056692b2eef
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_621663934_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Goodlett Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/goodlett-foundation-morg_4c6a39d5865f4339ab442056692b2eef},
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 Goodlett 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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