Lillian L Colby Charitable Fdn IA
The Lillian L. Colby Charitable Foundation is a private foundation based in Chattanooga, Tennessee. It seeks to advance education and economic mobility in the greater Chattanooga region, with special emphasis on marginalized people, by supporting effective organizations and innovative programs serving underserved children and adults.
Lillian L Colby Charitable Fdn IA at a glance
In short: Lillian L Colby Charitable Fdn IA gave $400K across 16 grants in 2025 (avg $25K), mostly in Tennessee. 25% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $400,000
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 16
- -5.9% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $25,000
- +6.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $25,000
- Total assets
- $8,780,974
- +3.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 25% first-time grantees (4 of 16, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Tennessee (100% 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 Lillian L Colby Charitable Fdn IA
- How to Apply
-
Submit an online application. The foundation’s filing states that its website provides the application materials and award restrictions.
- Review Cycle
- February 1 for consideration at the spring meeting; August 1 for consideration at the fall meeting.
- Deadline
- February 1 for consideration at the spring meeting; August 1 for consideration at the fall meeting.
- Contact
Application contact: Lillian Colby Foundation
Mailing address: 736 Market St, Chattanooga, TN 37402
Phone: (615) 748-4665
Website: https://lilliancolby.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Lillian L Colby Charitable Fdn IA funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Chattanooga Symphony & Opera ($55K). Together the top 10 received $320K.
Grant Size Distribution
100 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 93 grants of 100 (93%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation states that it works in the greater Chattanooga region. All 2025 grant dollars went to recipients in Tennessee.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 16 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Lillian L Colby Charitable Fdn IA open to new grantees?
25%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 16 grantees (25%) were first-time recipients. With only 16 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $23K; repeat grants $26K. How we count
Medians: $15K first-time, $25K repeat.
- 44% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−13%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 92% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $390K (2020) to $510K (2023). In 2025 it made 16 grants totaling $400K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Chattanooga Symphony & Opera Chattanooga, TN | General Operating | $55,000 |
| La Paz De Dios Inc - Chattanooga Chattanooga, TN | General Operating | $55,000 |
| Metropolitan Ministries Chattanooga, TN | General Operating | $35,000 |
| Chattanooga Area Food Bank Chattanooga, TN | General Operating | $30,000 |
| Artsbuild Chattanooga, TN | General Operating | $25,000 |
| Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy Inc Chattanoga, TN | General Operating | $25,000 |
| Launch Chattanooga, TN | General Operating | $25,000 |
| Northside Neighborhood House Chattanooga, TN | General Operating | $25,000 |
| Public Education Foundation Chattanooga, TN | General Operating | $25,000 |
| Children's Advocacy Center of Hamilton Chattanooga, TN | General Operating | $20,000 |
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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 | $8,780,974 | $753,063 | $483,501 | $400,000 | 16 | $429,101 | $706,840 | $465,397 |
| 2024 | $8,509,323 | $684,027 | $498,861 | $400,000 | 17 | $435,232 | $629,389 | $442,237 |
| 2023 | $8,322,771 | $455,720 | $570,893 | $510,000 | 23 | $517,266 | $403,385 | $462,782 |
| 2022 | $8,391,117 | $-315,097 | $530,044 | $460,118 | 25 | $466,987 | $159,759 | $455,517 |
| 2021 | $9,238,024 | $953,577 | $507,530 | $420,000 | 19 | $445,833 | $907,244 | $486,787 |
| 2020 | $8,789,204 | $753,254 | $453,784 | $390,000 | 16 | — | $698,985 | $426,112 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Lillian L Colby Charitable Fdn IA reported a distributable amount of $465K 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
The foundation’s mission is to strengthen the greater Chattanooga region by supporting effective, well-led organizations and innovative programs that enhance opportunities for underserved children and adults. It gives special consideration to organizations named in Lillian Colby’s Trust Agreement.
Its stated focus areas are education—including programs that break the cycle of poverty, education from early childhood through post-secondary levels, and mentoring—community-based and preventative healthcare and health equity, and community needs such as homelessness, hunger and food insecurity, and other acute needs. Support for individuals is excluded.
The 2025 grantees illustrate a range of organizations. For example, Metropolitan Ministries describes itself as a community impact hub promoting well-being through wraparound services; the Chattanooga Area Food Bank says it works to eliminate hunger through feeding, nourishing, and empowering people; and Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy describes its work as providing a college-preparatory STEM education for girls and young women. LAUNCH says it supports entrepreneurship, while ArtsBuild describes its work as expanding access to the arts.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 16 grants totaling $400,000. Awards ranged from $7,500 to $55,000, with a median of $25,000. Its application page describes the historical average grant size as $5,000 to $25,000 and states there is no stated minimum or maximum award per organization.
Among the largest 2025 grants were $55,000 each to Chattanooga Symphony & Opera and La Paz de Dios Inc. – Chattanooga; $35,000 to Metropolitan Ministries; $30,000 to Chattanooga Area Food Bank; and $25,000 each to ArtsBuild, Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy, LAUNCH, Northside Neighborhood House, and Public Education Foundation. The listed purposes for these awards were general operating support.
Applicants must be organizations exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The foundation asks applicants to review its guidelines and restrictions and apply online. Organizations that receive a grant must wait two years after receipt before becoming eligible to apply again; organizations that are not funded may apply in each grant cycle.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Catherine Colby as chair, Kathleen Hunt as vice-chair, Stefanie Crowe as treasurer, and Daisy Mauyra-Ballard as secretary. It lists Heather DeGaetano, Dwayne Marshall, and Henrietta Morris as directors.
Lillian L Colby Charitable Fdn IA is led by Catherine Colby, Chair since 2024 (on filings since 2020); none of the 7 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Catherine Colby
Chair
Director → Chair, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Dwayne Marshall
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Heather Degaetano
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Henrietta Morris
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kathleen Hunt
Vice Chair
Director → Vice Chair, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Daisy Mauyra-Ballard
Secretary
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Stefanie Crowe
Treasurer
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (7)
- Former: Betteyelynn Smith (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Clay Crumbliss (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Dana Perry (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Howard Roddy (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Jim Vaughn (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Roy Vaughn (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Ryan Crimmins (2020–2023) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 Lillian L Colby Charitable Fdn IA
How much does Lillian L Colby Charitable Fdn IA give each year?
Lillian L Colby Charitable Fdn IA gave $400K across 16 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $400K across 17 grants.
What is Lillian L Colby Charitable Fdn IA's typical grant size?
Lillian L Colby Charitable Fdn IA's median grant in 2025 was $25,000, and its average grant was $25,000, across 16 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Lillian L Colby Charitable Fdn IA that year got $23K on average.
Where does Lillian L Colby Charitable Fdn IA give grants?
Lillian L Colby Charitable Fdn IA gives mostly in Tennessee: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Chattanooga, TN (14 grants).
Does Lillian L Colby Charitable Fdn IA give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Lillian L Colby Charitable Fdn IA's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (16 of 16) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Lillian L Colby Charitable Fdn IA's largest grantees?
Lillian L Colby Charitable Fdn IA's largest 2025 grantees include Chattanooga Symphony & Opera ($55,000), La Paz De Dios Inc - Chattanooga ($55,000) and Metropolitan Ministries ($35,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 36% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Lillian L Colby Charitable Fdn IA?
Lillian L Colby Charitable Fdn IA reported $8.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $429K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $465K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Lillian L Colby Charitable Fdn IA fund?
The foundation’s mission is to strengthen the greater Chattanooga region by supporting effective, well-led organizations and innovative programs that enhance opportunities for underserved children and adults. It gives special consideration to organizations named in Lillian Colby’s Trust Agreement. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Lillian L Colby Charitable Fdn IA?
Submit an online application. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Lillian L Colby Charitable Fdn IA's EIN?
Lillian L Colby Charitable Fdn IA's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 45-4420455. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS July 13, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 4, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 1, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 24, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS June 25, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 16, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Lillian L Colby Charitable Fdn IA funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/lillian-l-colby-charitable-fdn-ia-morg_e57d98d9c9ae4fde87fbdfa3a2840ce9
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_454420455_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Lillian L Colby Charitable Fdn IA funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/lillian-l-colby-charitable-fdn-ia-morg_e57d98d9c9ae4fde87fbdfa3a2840ce9},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. 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 Lillian L Colby Charitable Fdn IA'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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