Kharis Foundation
Kharis Foundation is a private foundation based in Nashville, Tennessee. Its mission is to support charitable endeavors serving people in need in Middle Tennessee, with priorities that include local Presbyterian churches and community needs.
Kharis Foundation at a glance
In short: Kharis Foundation gave $733K across 23 grants in 2025 (avg $32K), mostly in Tennessee. 22% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $733,000
- +32.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 23
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $31,870
- +32.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $25,000
- Total assets
- $19,734,878
- +4.6% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 22% first-time grantees (5 of 23, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Tennessee (93% 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 Kharis Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The application process and materials are available upon request. The filing describes eligible applicants and project restrictions above.
- Review Cycle
- The filing lists January 15 through the last business day of September at 3:00 p.m. for the current calendar year. The 2026 application window has passed.
- Deadline
- The filing lists January 15 through the last business day of September at 3:00 p.m.
- Contact
Application contact: Melinda Sanders
Mailing address: 401 Church Street Suite 2323, Nashville, TN 37219
Phone: (615) 736-5580
Email: melinda@kharisfoundation.org
Website: https://kharisfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Kharis Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee ($134K). Together the top 10 received $530K.
Grant Size Distribution
127 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 109 grants of 127 (86%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s website identifies Middle Tennessee as its service area. Its 2025 filing reports that 93% of grant dollars went to recipients in Tennessee and 7% to recipients in Georgia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 23 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Kharis Foundation open to new grantees?
22%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 5 of 23 grantees (22%) were first-time recipients. With only 23 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 4 points. First grants averaged $37K; repeat grants $31K. How we count
Medians: $49K first-time, $23K repeat.
- 52% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 21% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 112% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2021–2025). 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 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $516K (2021) to $733K (2025). In 2025 it made 23 grants totaling $733K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee Nashville, TN | To Further Charitable Activities | $133,500 |
| Nourish Food Bank Murfreesboro, TN | To Further Charitable Activities | $85,000 |
| Inspiritus Atlanta, GA | To Further Charitable Activities | $50,000 |
| Renewal House Nashville, TN | To Further Charitable Activities | $50,000 |
| The Presbytery of Middle Tennessee Nashville, TN | To Further Charitable Activities | $50,000 |
| Park Center Nashville, TN | To Further Charitable Activities | $49,000 |
| Crossroad Campus Nashville, TN | To Further Charitable Activities | $30,000 |
| Matthew 25 Inc Nashville, TN | To Further Charitable Activities | $30,000 |
| Westminster Home Connections Nashville, TN | To Further Charitable Activities | $27,000 |
| Endure Athletics Foundation Murfreesboro, TN | To Further Charitable Activities | $25,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Kharis 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $19,734,878 | $1,561,237 | $1,392,580 | $733,000 | 23 | $1,030,306 | $1,389,456 | $920,399 |
| 2024 | $18,866,662 | $1,030,970 | $867,551 | $555,000 | 23 | $865,353 | $872,740 | $850,135 |
| 2023 | $17,627,410 | $761,917 | $1,210,236 | $660,290 | 32 | $952,156 | $615,933 | $804,396 |
| 2022 | $16,239,268 | $904,112 | $1,027,525 | $603,719 | 25 | $836,728 | $743,785 | $937,406 |
| 2021 | $19,985,902 | $1,309,635 | $988,980 | $515,713 | 24 | — | $1,165,532 | $873,517 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Kharis Foundation reported a distributable amount of $920K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s mission is to “enhanc[e] and support[] charitable endeavors that serve people in need in Middle Tennessee.” Its website identifies church-related priorities such as matching grants for local missions, disaster relief for churches, support for small and rural churches, and counseling or sabbatical support for pastors. Community priorities include affordable housing, children and youth, health care for uninsured people, homelessness and food banks, learning disabilities, natural disasters, prison ministries, refugees, seniors, and veterans.
The foundation’s 2024 filing says eligible applicants must be churches or nonprofit organizations exempt under section 501(c)(3), and cannot be private foundations. It does not make grants directly to individuals. Projects must operate within and benefit the Middle Tennessee counties it serves; an organization’s main office need not be in Middle Tennessee.
Grantee descriptions illustrate the range of organizations supported. Renewal House says it treats and supports women and children affected by substance use disorders, while Park Center describes services for people experiencing serious mental illness, homelessness, and addiction. The Tennessee Innocence Project says it investigates and litigates claims of actual innocence. The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee describes its mission as building a more thriving and inclusive community through philanthropy.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, Kharis reported 23 grants totaling $733,000. Grant amounts ranged from $1,500 to $133,500, with a median of $25,000. Notable grants included $133,500 to The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, $85,000 to Nourish Food Bank, $50,000 each to Inspiritus, Renewal House, and The Presbytery of Middle Tennessee, and $49,000 to Park Center.
The 2024 filing says detailed application information and the full grantmaking policy and guidelines are available upon request. It states that awards support projects serving underprivileged and vulnerable populations and that grants are not made directly to individuals.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Melinda Lawrence Sanders as president; Cristi Scott as chair; George Crawford III as vice chair; Kathy Corlew as secretary; and Pat Bridges as treasurer. It also lists Francis Daniel, John LaGrasse, Tom Frye, Anders Hall, and Jimmy Pickel as board members.
Kharis Foundation is led by Melinda Lawrence Sanders, President on every filing since 2021; 1 of 10 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Melinda Lawrence Sanders
President
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$150K (2022) → $164K (2025)
Cristi Scott
Chair
Board Member → Vice Chair, 2022
Vice Chair → Chair, 2025
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Francis Daniel
Board Member
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
George Crawford III
Vice Chair
Secretary → Vice Chair, 2025
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John Lagrasse
Board Member
Treasurer → Board Member, 2025
On filings since 2021
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kathy Corlew
Secretary
Chair → Board Member, 2022
Board Member → Secretary, 2025
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Pat Bridges
Treasurer
Treasurer → Board Member, 2022
Board Member → Treasurer, 2025
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tom Frye
Board Member
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Anders Hall
Board Member
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jimmy Pickel
Board Member
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Charles Higgins (2021–2023) — Chair
- Former: Lawson C. Allen (2021–2023) — Board Member
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "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 $164K, to Melinda Lawrence Sanders (President).
Frequently asked questions about Kharis Foundation
How much does Kharis Foundation give each year?
Kharis Foundation gave $733K across 23 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $555K across 23 grants.
What is Kharis Foundation's typical grant size?
Kharis Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $25,000, and its average grant was $31,870, across 23 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Kharis Foundation that year got $37K on average.
Where does Kharis Foundation give grants?
Kharis Foundation gives mostly in Tennessee: 93% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Georgia (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Nashville, TN (17 grants) and Murfreesboro, TN (3 grants).
Does Kharis Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 23 grants with a stated purpose on Kharis Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "To Further Charitable Activities" (23 grants).
Who are Kharis Foundation's largest grantees?
Kharis Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee ($133,500), Nourish Food Bank ($85,000) and Inspiritus ($50,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 37% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Kharis Foundation?
Kharis Foundation reported $19.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.0M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $920K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Kharis Foundation fund?
The foundation’s mission is to “enhanc[e] and support[] charitable endeavors that serve people in need in Middle Tennessee.” See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Kharis Foundation?
The application process and materials are available upon request. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Kharis Foundation's EIN?
Kharis Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 62-0640228. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
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 2021–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Kharis Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Funders that support many of the same organizations
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Dorothy Cate and Thomas F Frist
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Total Given
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Kharis Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/kharis-foundation-morg_f8a745fa8e7a489b871fdf6f7132d4c9
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_620640228_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Kharis Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/kharis-foundation-morg_f8a745fa8e7a489b871fdf6f7132d4c9},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Kharis 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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