Humanities Tennessee
To foster community and civility in Tennessee through public programs that examine and reflect upon ideas, stories, history, arts, and culture.
Humanities Tennessee at a glance
In short: Humanities Tennessee gave $79K across 9 grants in 2025 (avg $9K), mostly in Tennessee. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $78,709
- -14.9% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 9
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $8,745
- -14.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $8,901
- Total assets
- $1,235,751
- +103.1% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Tennessee (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026.
How to apply to Humanities Tennessee
Open Grants
6 open opportunities from Humanities Tennessee
CARES Act Grants (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security)
Humanities Tennessee
Amount
Average $5,000 per grant
Deadline
Deadline not published
Democracy & the Informed Citizen Program
Humanities Tennessee
Amount
$34,000+
Deadline
Deadline not published
General Grants
Humanities Tennessee
Amount
$100,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Who Humanities Tennessee funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 9 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was WPLN FM 903 Nashville Public Radio ($10K). Together the top 9 received $79K.
Grant Size Distribution
124 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 124 grants of 124 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 9 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Humanities Tennessee gives
- Giving fell 92% from 2022 to 2025. Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990 filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $72K (2019) to $976K (2022). In 2025 it made 9 grants totaling $79K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| WPLN FM 903 Nashville Public Radio Nashville, TN | Humanities Project | $10,000 |
| Memphis Brooks Museum of Art Memphis, TN | Humanities Project | $10,000 |
| TN Historical Society Nashville, TN | Humanities Project | $10,000 |
| National Alliance of Pan African Se Whites Creek, TN | Humanities Project | $9,653 |
| UT Downtown Gallery Knoxville, TN | Humanities Project | $8,901 |
| The Memphis 13 Foundation Memphis, TN | Humanities Project | $8,500 |
| Inter-Museum Council of Nashville ( Nashville, TN | Humanities Project | $8,300 |
| Wyxr Memphis, TN | Humanities Project | $6,980 |
| Knoxville History Project Knoxville, TN | Humanities Project | $6,375 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1,235,751 | $2,276,039 | $1,725,169 | $78,709 | 9 | $6,533 |
| 2024 | $608,488 | $1,724,907 | $1,684,254 | $92,512 | 9 | $-31,486 |
| 2023 | $677,257 | $1,562,958 | $1,591,066 | $81,710 | 8 | $4,293 |
| 2022 | $634,896 | $2,324,740 | $2,247,077 | $975,951 | 89 | $14,269 |
| 2021 | $559,048 | $1,235,214 | $1,167,329 | $84,373 | 9 | $7,163 |
| 2020 | $951,390 | $1,975,402 | $1,966,623 | $80,894 | 8 | $9,019 |
| 2019 | $591,284 | $1,357,968 | $1,313,763 | $71,647 | 7 | $4,887 |
About Humanities Tennessee
Based on IRS filings
Humanities Tennessee is a public charity focused on Arts, Culture & Humanities, based in Nashville, TN. IRS filing data is available from 2019 through 2025. As of 2025, the organization holds $1.2M in total assets. In 2025, it awarded 9 grants totaling $79K. Net investment income was $7K.
Focus Areas
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Humanities Tennessee is led by James McKissic, Chair since 2025 (on filings since 2019); 1 of 21 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
James McKissic
Chair
Director → Vice Chair, 2023
Vice Chair → Chair, 2025
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Carol McCoy
Director
Director → Memebr, 2023
Memebr → Director, 2024
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Julie Forkner
Director
Director → Member, 2023
Member → Director, 2024
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mary Kennedy Hendershot
Director
Director → Member, 2023
Member → Director, 2024
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Courtney Gregg
Director
Director → Member, 2023
Member → Director, 2024
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Allison Stansberry
Director
Member → Director, 2024
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Chandra Ward
Director
Member → Director, 2024
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Heather Hoover
Director
Member → Director, 2024
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Judy Barker
Director
Member → Director, 2024
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Angie Davis Jones
Director
Pt Yr Director → Director, 2025
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Barry Allen
Director
Pt Yr Director → Director, 2025
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Bonnie Grzeszczak
Director
Pt Yr Director → Director, 2025
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Caroline Bradshaw
Director
Pt Yr Director → Director, 2025
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Elaine Christian
Director
Pt Yr Director → Director, 2025
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mark Dudney
Director
Pt Yr Director → Director, 2025
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Pablo Mazariegos
Director
Pt Yr Director → Director, 2025
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Tim Henderson
Executive Di
Executive Di → Executive Director, 2023
Executive Director → Executive Di, 2024
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$95K (2019) → $104K (2025)
Mary Pom Claiborne
Past Chair
Vice Chair → Chair, 2023
Chair → Past Chair, 2025
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
John Talbott
Vice Chair
Member → Director, 2024
Director → Vice Chair, 2025
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Daphene McFerren
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kathryn McBride
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (26)
- Former: Amy Elias (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: Daryl Carter (2019–2024) — Past Chair
- Former: Kathi Landon Leatherwood (2021–2024) — Pt Yr Director
- Former: Lauren Fitzgerald (2021–2024) — Pt Yr Director
- Former: Tonya Dyson (2023–2024) — Director
- Former: Peggy Burch (2019–2023) — Member
- Former: April Alvarez (2020–2023) — Member
- Former: Lynn Alexander (2019–2022) — Immediate Pa
- Former: Jennifer Triplett (2021–2022) — Director
- Former: Jennifer Wheatley (2021–2022) — Director
- Former: Holly Conner (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Jim Dodson (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Latricea Adams (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Melisa Davis (2019–2021) — Director & Community History
- Former: Patsy Carson (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Randy Mackin (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Sammie Arnold (2019–2021) — Vice Chair
- Former: Serenity Gerbman (2019–2021) — Director, Literature & Language
- Former: Shawn Pitts (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Sandy Obodzinski (2020–2021) — Director, Development & Communications
- Former: Emily Mitchell (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Jen Wheatley (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Scott Newstok (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Courtney Ginn (2019) — Director
- Former: Gabe Roberts (2019) — Director
- Former: Karen E. Williams (2019) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 $104K, to Tim Henderson (Executive Di).
Frequently asked questions about Humanities Tennessee
How much does Humanities Tennessee give each year?
Humanities Tennessee gave $79K across 9 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $93K across 9 grants.
What is Humanities Tennessee's typical grant size?
Humanities Tennessee's median grant in 2025 was $8,901, and its average grant was $8,745, across 9 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990.
Where does Humanities Tennessee give grants?
Humanities Tennessee gives mostly in Tennessee: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Nashville, TN (3 grants), Memphis, TN (3 grants) and Knoxville, TN (2 grants).
Does Humanities Tennessee give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 9 grants with a stated purpose on Humanities Tennessee's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Humanities Project" (9 grants).
Who are Humanities Tennessee's largest grantees?
Humanities Tennessee's largest 2025 grantees include WPLN FM 903 Nashville Public Radio ($10,000), Memphis Brooks Museum of Art ($10,000) and TN Historical Society ($10,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 38% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Humanities Tennessee?
Humanities Tennessee reported $1.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $2.3M.
What is Humanities Tennessee?
Humanities Tennessee is a public charity focused on Arts, Culture & Humanities, based in Nashville, TN. It holds $1.2M in total assets as of 2025.
What is Humanities Tennessee's EIN?
Humanities Tennessee's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 62-0933337. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS June 8, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 17, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS February 3, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS March 23, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 19, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS December 3, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 1, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
Live grants for the work Humanities Tennessee funds
Arts, Culture & Humanities Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Humanities Tennessee's focus areas in our free grants database
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Humanities Tennessee down — hundreds of funders to go?