Great Oaks Foundation
Great Oaks Foundation is a private foundation based in Memphis, Tennessee. Its 2024 filing reports grants to charitable organizations in multiple states, including schools, colleges, community foundations, a hospital, and other organizations.
Great Oaks Foundation at a glance
In short: Great Oaks Foundation gave $1.3M across 22 grants in 2024 (avg $60K), mostly in Massachusetts. 23% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,323,000
- +306.5% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 22
- -4.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $60,136
- +325.0% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $9,000
- Total assets
- $27,817,157
- +178.9% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 23% first-time grantees (5 of 22, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (76% 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 Great Oaks Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 744 South White Station Road, Memphis, TN 38117
Phone: (901) 761-0906
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Great Oaks Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Massachusetts General Hospital ($1.0M). Together the top 10 received $1.3M.
Grant Size Distribution
103 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 89 grants of 103 (86%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation is based in Memphis, Tennessee. In 2024, Massachusetts recipients accounted for 76% of grant dollars, Tennessee 8%, California 7%, Ohio 2%, and Arkansas 2%. The reported grants also included recipients in Rhode Island, Maine, and North Carolina.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 22 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Great Oaks Foundation open to new grantees?
23%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 5 of 22 grantees (23%) were first-time recipients. With only 22 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $11K; repeat grants $75K. How we count
Medians: $8K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 68% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 271% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 103% 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 $325K (2023) to $1.3M (2024). In 2024 it made 22 grants totaling $1.3M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts General Hospital Boston, MA | Various | $1,000,000 |
| The Olympic Club Foundation San Francisco, CA | Various | $75,000 |
| St Mary's School Memphis, TN | Various | $60,000 |
| Kenyon College Gambier, OH | Various | $25,000 |
| University of Memphis Memphis, TN | Various | $25,000 |
| Arkansas Community Foundation Little Rock, AR | Various | $25,000 |
| Brown University Providence, RI | Various | $10,000 |
| Colby College Waterville, ME | Various | $10,000 |
| Memphis University School Memphis, TN | Various | $10,000 |
| North Carolina Community Foundation Raleigh, NC | Various | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Great Oaks Foundation?
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 | $27,817,157 | $19,520,199 | $1,711,202 | $1,323,000 | 22 | $1,323,000 | $208,457 | $1,287,200 |
| 2023 | $9,974,095 | $1,591,152 | $416,966 | $325,475 | 23 | $325,475 | $122,594 | $437,237 |
| 2022 | $8,800,515 | $3,454,070 | $812,431 | $794,500 | 11 | $794,500 | $39,484 | $305,077 |
| 2021 | $6,158,876 | $5,079,727 | $366,617 | $356,200 | 26 | $356,200 | $330,824 | $201,444 |
| 2020 | $1,445,766 | $90,155 | $615,441 | $360,550 | 21 | — | $82,470 | $89,991 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Great Oaks Foundation 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 October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants include support for educational institutions, a hospital, community foundations, and organizations involved in athletics and the arts.
Grantee descriptions illustrate the range of organizations supported. The Olympic Club Foundation says it financially supports programs that use organized athletics to enrich young lives and develop community leaders. Arkansas Community Foundation describes its work as engaging people, connecting resources, and inspiring solutions to build community. The Chatham Orpheum Theater says it works to restore cinema to its community, including through children’s and educational programming.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 22 grants totaling $1,323,000. Grant amounts ranged from $5,000 to $1,000,000, with a median of $9,000. The largest grants included $1,000,000 to Massachusetts General Hospital, $75,000 to the Olympic Club Foundation, and $60,000 to St Mary’s School in Memphis. Other grants included $25,000 each to Kenyon College, the University of Memphis, and Arkansas Community Foundation.
In 2023, the foundation reported 23 grants totaling $325,475. Its 2022 filing reported 11 grants totaling $794,500. Its 2024 filing, the latest on this page, reports 22 grants totaling $1.3 million.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Fran Hyde as trustee, Robert F Fogelman II as trustee, and Catherine S Fogelman as trustee, president, and secretary.
Great Oaks Foundation is led by Catherine S. Fogelman, Trustee, President & Secretary since 2021 (on filings since 2020); none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Catherine S. Fogelman
Trustee, President & Secretary
Trustee & President → Trustee, President & Secretary, 2021
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Fran Hyde
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Robert F. Fogelman II
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Martha H. Fogelman (2020) — Trustee & Secretary
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 Great Oaks Foundation
How much does Great Oaks Foundation give each year?
Great Oaks Foundation gave $1.3M across 22 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $325K across 23 grants.
What is Great Oaks Foundation's typical grant size?
Great Oaks Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $9,000, and its average grant was $60,136, across 22 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Great Oaks Foundation that year got $11K on average.
Where does Great Oaks Foundation give grants?
Great Oaks Foundation gives mostly in Massachusetts: 76% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Tennessee (8%) and California (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Memphis, TN (5 grants), San Francisco, CA (3 grants) and Boston, MA (2 grants).
Does Great Oaks Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 22 grants with a stated purpose on Great Oaks Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Various" (22 grants).
Who are Great Oaks Foundation's largest grantees?
Great Oaks Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Massachusetts General Hospital ($1,000,000), The Olympic Club Foundation ($75,000) and St Mary's School ($60,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 86% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Great Oaks Foundation?
Great Oaks Foundation reported $27.8M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.3M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.3M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Great Oaks Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants include support for educational institutions, a hospital, community foundations, and organizations involved in athletics and the arts. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Great Oaks Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Great Oaks Foundation's EIN?
Great Oaks Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 58-6163005. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Great Oaks 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 October 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). Great Oaks Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/great-oaks-foundation-morg_1933e02cf1054f79b2634069f6984a28
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_586163005_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Great Oaks Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/great-oaks-foundation-morg_1933e02cf1054f79b2634069f6984a28},
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 Great Oaks 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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