THE MISSION OF GOVERNOR'S EARLY LITERACY FOUNDATION (GELF) IS TO STRENGTHEN EARLY LITERACY IN TENNESSEE. GELF EQUIPS TENNESSEE'S CHILDREN WITH BOOKS AND INNOVATIVE LITERACY TOOLS THAT ENCOURAGE LIFELONG LEARNING FOR A BRIGHTER FUTURE. WE DO THIS BY SERVING AS A THOUGHT LEADER, ADVISOR, AND CATALYST TO SUSTAIN EARLY LITERACY PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN ACROSS THE STATE, INCLUDING BIRTH-5 BOOK DELIVERY, K-3 HOME LIBRARIES, CAREGIVER ENGAGEMENT, STORYBOOK TRAILS, BOOK BUSES, AND THE STATEWIDE EARLY LITERACY EDUCATION COLLABORATIVE OF TENNESSEE.WE DO THIS BY SERVING AS A THOUGHT LEADER, ADVISOR, AND CATALYST TO SUSTAIN EARLY LITERACY PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN ACCROSS THE STATE, INCLUSING BIRTH-3 BOOK DELIVERY, K-3 HOME LIBRARIES, CAREGIVER ENGAGEMENT, STORYBOOK TRAILS, BOOK BUSES, AND THE STATEWIDE EARLY LITERACY EDUCATION COLLABORATIVE OF TENNESSEE.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$19.8M
-6.4% YoY
Annual Giving
$22K
-17.8% YoY
Grant Count
2
-33.3% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$11K
+23.3% YoY
About Governor's Early Literacy Foundation
Based on IRS filings
Governor's Early Literacy Foundation is a nonprofit organization focused on Education, based in NASHVILLE, TN. IRS filing data is available from 2020 through 2024. As of 2024, the organization holds $19.8M in total assets. In 2024, it awarded 2 grants totaling $22K. Net investment income was $1.1M.
Focus Areas
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $19,829,433 | $21,187,455 | $14,335,895 |
| Revenue | $22,655,550 | $24,930,131 | $14,676,458 |
| Expenses | $19,682,268 | $23,200,310 | $13,764,764 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $1,135,582 | $531,188 | $214,722 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 2 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
23 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| BRANDON GIBSON | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| DANIELLE BARNES | SECRETARY | 1 | — |
| DENNIE TORR | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| DEBORAH REED | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| JENNIFER COLQUITT | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| NANCY DISHNER | CHAIR | 1 | — |
| NICOLE WATSON | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| BRYAN JONES | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| JAMES NICHOLSON | VICE CHAIR | 1 | — |
| JEFF BALLARD | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| WILLIAM FRANKLIN | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| JAKE BYNUM | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| JAMIE WILDMAN | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| JAMES POND | PRESIDENT | 37.5 | $188,560 |
| DEAN HOSKINS | VICE PRESIDENT | 37.5 | $149,293 |
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings.
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