James W Carell Charitable Trust
The James W Carell Charitable Trust is a private foundation based in Nashville, Tennessee. In 2025, it gave $1,059,000 through 28 grants, with support including food assistance, education, housing, children’s programs, the arts, and animal care.
James W Carell Charitable Trust at a glance
In short: James W Carell Charitable Trust gave $1.1M across 28 grants in 2025 (avg $38K), mostly in Tennessee. 14% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,059,000
- +218.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 28
- +16.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $37,821
- +172.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $20,000
- Total assets
- $9,463,856
- +225.0% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 14% first-time grantees (4 of 28, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Tennessee (91% 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 James W Carell Charitable Trust
- How to Apply
-
Submit a letter to Christine Palmer.
- Review Cycle
- December 31 (the filing does not specify a year).
- Deadline
- December 31 (the filing does not specify a year).
- Contact
Application contact: Christine Palmer
Mailing address: 2815 Tyne Blvd, Nashville, TN 37220
Phone: (615) 665-2327
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who James W Carell Charitable Trust funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Fed by Faith ($275K). Together the top 10 received $851K.
Grant Size Distribution
128 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 118 grants of 128 (92%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The trust is based in Nashville, Tennessee. In 2025, 91% of grant dollars went to recipients in Tennessee; the remaining reported shares went to South Carolina (5%), North Carolina (2%), and Connecticut (2%). Texas is listed at 0%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 28 itemized grants.
Cities
Is James W Carell Charitable Trust open to new grantees?
14%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 28 grantees (14%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $30K; repeat grants $39K. How we count
Medians: $22K first-time, $20K repeat.
- 71% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 200% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 199% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $244K (2019) to $1.1M (2025). In 2025 it made 28 grants totaling $1.1M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Fed by Faith Joelton, TN | Access to Healthy Food | $275,000 |
| Second Harvest Food Bank Nashville, TN | Food Assistance for Needy | $170,000 |
| Nashville Gives Hope Franklin, TN | Help Hatian Orphans | $75,000 |
| Make a Wish Nashville, TN | Granting Wishes to Children with Critical Illnesses | $75,000 |
| Templeton Academy Nashville, TN | Educational Assistance | $75,000 |
| Friends of Walkers Peace Center Greenville, SC | Promote Performing Arts | $55,000 |
| Community Foundation of Middle Tenn Nashville, TN | Coordinate Charitable Giving | $50,500 |
| Safe Haven Family Shelter Nashville, TN | Assistance to Homeless | $25,000 |
| Nashville Rescue Mission Nashville, TN | Assistance to Homeless | $25,000 |
| One Generation Away Franklin, TN | Access to Healthy Good Food | $25,000 |
Ready to take the next step with James W Carell Charitable Trust?
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 | $9,463,856 | $617,966 | $1,236,221 | $1,059,000 | 28 | $1,059,000 | $444,155 | $532,233 |
| 2024 | $2,912,276 | $307,994 | $394,972 | $333,000 | 24 | $333,000 | $246,623 | $142,143 |
| 2023 | $2,999,254 | $122,755 | $355,621 | $304,650 | 21 | $304,650 | $155,360 | $152,528 |
| 2022 | $1,838,426 | $118,761 | $402,522 | $352,655 | 26 | $352,655 | $101,245 | $98,456 |
| 2021 | $2,122,187 | $76,480 | $372,472 | $325,500 | 29 | $325,500 | $101,822 | $110,392 |
| 2020 | $2,418,179 | $110,063 | $343,190 | $301,155 | 28 | — | $75,648 | — |
| 2019 | $2,651,306 | $202,023 | $280,513 | $244,000 | 25 | — | $165,510 | — |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, James W Carell Charitable Trust reported a distributable amount of $532K 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
No mission statement for the trust is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations working in a range of areas. For example, Fed By Faith says its mission is to grow food for people in need and invite people to volunteer and learn about growing healthy food. Nashville Rescue Mission describes offering food, clothing, and shelter to people experiencing homelessness, as well as recovery programs. Nashville Humane Association says it promotes humane education, controls pet overpopulation, and finds responsible homes for homeless and adoptable animals. Other 2025 recipients included organizations supporting education, performing arts, people leaving prison, and families experiencing homelessness.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the trust awarded 28 grants totaling $1,059,000. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $275,000, with a median grant of $20,000. The largest awards included $275,000 to Fed By Faith for access to healthy food; $170,000 to Second Harvest Food Bank for food assistance for people in need; and $75,000 each to Nashville Gives Hope, Make-A-Wish, and Templeton Academy. Friends of Walkers Peace Center received $55,000 to promote the performing arts, and the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee received $50,500 to coordinate charitable giving.
The trust’s 2025 filing says it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. It lists a letter as the application form and materials, Christine Palmer as the contact for applying, and no restrictions on awards.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Christine Palmer, Michael Carell, and Eileen Allen as trustees.
James W Carell Charitable Trust's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Christine Palmer
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Eileen Allen
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Michael Carell
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
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.
Frequently asked questions about James W Carell Charitable Trust
How much does James W Carell Charitable Trust give each year?
James W Carell Charitable Trust gave $1.1M across 28 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $333K across 24 grants.
What is James W Carell Charitable Trust's typical grant size?
James W Carell Charitable Trust's median grant in 2025 was $20,000, and its average grant was $37,821, across 28 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from James W Carell Charitable Trust that year got $30K on average.
Where does James W Carell Charitable Trust give grants?
James W Carell Charitable Trust gives mostly in Tennessee: 91% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was South Carolina (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were Nashville, TN (16 grants) and Franklin, TN (2 grants).
Does James W Carell Charitable Trust give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 28 grants with a stated purpose on James W Carell Charitable Trust's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are James W Carell Charitable Trust's largest grantees?
James W Carell Charitable Trust's largest 2025 grantees include Fed by Faith ($275,000), Second Harvest Food Bank ($170,000) and Nashville Gives Hope ($75,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 49% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is James W Carell Charitable Trust?
James W Carell Charitable Trust reported $9.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.1M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $532K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does James W Carell Charitable Trust fund?
No mission statement for the trust is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations working in a range of areas. For example, Fed By Faith says its mission is to grow food for people in need and invite people to volunteer and learn about growing healthy food. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from James W Carell Charitable Trust?
Submit a letter to Christine Palmer. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is James W Carell Charitable Trust's EIN?
James W Carell Charitable Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 45-1555589. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS July 10, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 12, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 16, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 10, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 8, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 8, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 13, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in James W Carell Charitable Trust's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). James W Carell Charitable Trust funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/james-w-carell-charitable-trust-morg_50fb3f2aec504a57aa04d44ab9e9ec65
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_451555589_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{James W Carell Charitable Trust funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/james-w-carell-charitable-trust-morg_50fb3f2aec504a57aa04d44ab9e9ec65},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 James W Carell Charitable Trust'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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