Joe C Davis Foundation
The Joe C. Davis Foundation is a private charitable foundation established in 1976 and located in Nashville, Tennessee. The Foundation was created by Joseph Columbus Davis Jr. (1919–1989), a lifelong Nashvillian who rose from modest beginnings during the Great Depression to become a successful coal industry entrepreneur and philanthropic benefactor. The Foundation carries forward Mr. Davis' commitment to helping people who are striving to improve their lives and strengthening the Nashville community.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$112.5M
+10.0% YoY
Annual Giving
$7.1M
-1.6% YoY
Grant Count
107
-12.3% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$66K
+12.2% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The Foundation's mission is to help people help themselves, while encouraging and maintaining individual initiative and responsibility.
The Foundation's primary focus areas are:
- Education — all levels of education, including scholarship endowment programs
- Community and Social Services — programs supporting vulnerable and low-income populations
- Healthcare — health, medical research, and human services
Current funding priorities within these areas include early childhood education, out-of-school time programs, adult education, workforce development, and housing.
Grantmaking
The Foundation provides two primary types of grants:
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Foundation provides grants to organizations located in and directly serving Nashville, Tennessee. Eligible organizations must have an EIN registered with a Davidson County address and/or provide a major portion of their services to Davidson County residents.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Total Assets: $151,941,508 (as of most recent filing)
Total Annual Giving: $8,209,800
Revenue: $18,251,000 (2024)
Expenses: $10,300,000 (2024)
Total Liabilities: $2,280,000 (2024)
Cumulative Giving: The Foundation has contributed over $155 million to nonprofit organizations serving the Nashville community since its establishment.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $112,536,046 | $102,304,445 | $101,782,891 |
| Revenue | $18,251,037 | $10,381,384 | $6,182,733 |
| Expenses | $10,294,651 | $9,860,691 | $9,588,906 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $7,563,730 | $7,971,351 | $7,652,022 |
| Net Investment Income | $15,592,045 | $8,510,058 | $4,546,951 |
| Distributable Amount | $8,695,755 | $7,651,320 | $7,940,634 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
200 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
2 open opportunities from Joe C Davis Foundation
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The Foundation's governance structure includes:
- Bill DeLoache, Jr. — Trustee (appointed leadership responsibilities in December 2013)
- Delta Anne Davis — Trustee (appointed in early 2014)
- Nancy Graves Beveridge — Trustee (appointed in early 2014)
- Frances DeLoache Ellison — Trustee (added in 2005)
Historical leadership included Bond Davis DeLoache (retired December 2013), Dr. William R. DeLoache (deceased 2009), and Elizabeth Bond Davis (deceased May 2014).
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| WILLIAM R DELOACHE JR | CO-TRUSTEE | 5 | — |
| FRANCES ELLISON | CO-TRUSTEE | 5 | — |
| ANNE DAVIS | CO-TRUSTEE | 5 | — |
| NANCY BEVERIDGE | CO-TRUSTEE | 5 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The Foundation has made significant grants to numerous Nashville-area organizations, including:
Montgomery Bell Academy and Harpeth Hall School (scholarship endowment programs)
Vanderbilt University and Vanderbilt University Medical Center
YMCA Camp Widjiwagan
Siloam Family Health Center
Crossroads Campus
Martha O'Bryan Center
Conexion Americas
Friends of Mill Ridge Park
Habitat for Humanity
Nashville Early Education Coalition
Oasis Center
Safe Haven Family Shelter
Second Harvest Food Bank
St. Luke's Community House
Tennessee Charter School Incubator
The Foundation maintains an active grantmaking program with two live grant opportunities currently available.
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Similar funders by location and focus area
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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