McKenzie Foundation
McKenzie Foundation is a private foundation based in Chattanooga, Tennessee. It makes grants to charitable organizations, with 2025 giving concentrated in Tennessee and grants reported for organizations serving education, basic needs, and community activities.
McKenzie Foundation at a glance
In short: McKenzie Foundation gave $474K across 31 grants in 2025 (avg $15K), mostly in Tennessee. 39% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $474,300
- -36.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 31
- -18.4% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $15,300
- -21.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $16,265,169
- -8.6% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 39% first-time grantees (12 of 31, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Tennessee (80% 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 McKenzie Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and **does not accept unsolicited requests** for funds. Its 2025 filing also describes a scholarship application: applicants should contact W Thorpe McKenzie and submit the foundation’s application form. Required materials include parent or guardian names and income level, extracurricular activities, honors or awards, work experience, intended school, information about other scholarship applications, and a statement explaining why they are applying. Applicants should include an official high school transcript; renewal applicants should include a transcript from their school for the immediately preceding period. The award must be used for education at a secondary school, college, or university, and the recipient must remain in good standing with the school.
- Contact
Application contact: W Thorpe Mckenzie
Mailing address: 832 Georgia Avenue, Chattanooga, TN 37402
Phone: (423) 266-3544
Website: https://mckenziefamilyfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who McKenzie Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Bonefish & Tarpon Trust ($60K). Together the top 10 received $348K.
Grant Size Distribution
164 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 142 grants of 164 (87%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 80% of grant dollars went to recipients in Tennessee, 15% to Florida, 3% to Georgia, 2% to Maine, and less than 1% to the District of Columbia. The listed 2025 grants include organizations in Chattanooga and other Tennessee communities, as well as Bonefish & Tarpon Trust in Miami, Florida.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 31 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is McKenzie Foundation open to new grantees?
39%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 12 of 31 grantees (39%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $7K; repeat grants $20K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $12K repeat.
- 42% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 20% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 115% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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 $474K (2025) to $959K (2020). In 2025 it made 31 grants totaling $474K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Bonefish & Tarpon Trust Miami, FL | Operating Funds | $60,000 |
| United Way of Greater Chattanooga Chattanooga, TN | Operating Funds | $50,000 |
| Purpose Point Learning Center Chattanooga, TN | Operating Funds | $50,000 |
| Chattanooga Preparatory School Chattanooga, TN | Operating Funds | $50,000 |
| Chattanooga Area Food Bank Chattanooga, TN | Operating Funds | $30,000 |
| Men of Valor Antioch, TN | Operating Funds | $27,500 |
| Adult & Teen Challenge Midsouth Chattanooga, TN | Operating Funds | $25,000 |
| Baylor School Chattanooga, TN | Operating Fund | $25,000 |
| Chatt Foundation Chattanooga, TN | Operating Funds | $15,000 |
| Lookout Mountain School PTA Lookout Mountain, TN | Opertaing Funds | $15,000 |
Ready to take the next step with McKenzie 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 | $16,265,169 | $-634,045 | $900,392 | $474,300 | 31 | $793,815 | — | $690,275 |
| 2024 | $17,799,606 | $-211,233 | $1,137,148 | $741,938 | 38 | $1,031,606 | — | $777,823 |
| 2023 | $19,147,987 | $-175,445 | $969,327 | $567,150 | 36 | $876,509 | — | $844,327 |
| 2022 | $19,104,367 | $-15,248 | $978,744 | $594,525 | 32 | $892,468 | — | $944,388 |
| 2021 | $20,098,359 | $63,493 | $1,144,934 | $810,377 | 27 | $1,044,591 | — | $999,931 |
| 2020 | $21,179,800 | $10,846,768 | $1,165,075 | $959,355 | 21 | — | $710,613 | $600,469 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, McKenzie Foundation reported a distributable amount of $690K 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 is provided for this foundation in the available information. Its grants include operating support for organizations such as the Chattanooga Preparatory School and Purpose Point Learning Center. Other 2025 recipients include the Chattanooga Area Food Bank, United Way of Greater Chattanooga, and Men of Valor.
The organizations’ own descriptions illustrate the range of work among its grantees. United Way of Greater Chattanooga says it unites people and resources to build a stronger, healthier community; the Chattanooga Area Food Bank says it works to eliminate hunger through feeding, nourishing, and empowering people; and SoundCorps says it builds local music infrastructure and professional expertise. These are grantee descriptions, not stated priorities of the foundation.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 31 grants totaling $474,300. Awards ranged from $500 to $60,000, with a median of $10,000. Its largest 2025 grants included $60,000 to Bonefish & Tarpon Trust, $50,000 each to United Way of Greater Chattanooga, Purpose Point Learning Center, and Chattanooga Preparatory School, and $30,000 to Chattanooga Area Food Bank. The listed purposes for these awards were operating funds.
Among reported 2024 grants, Bonefish & Tarpon Trust received $48,038, United Way of Greater Chattanooga received $38,000, and Chattanooga Area Food Bank received $30,000.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Johnny Smith as president, treasurer, and assistant secretary; W Thorpe McKenzie as vice president; Sarah H McKenzie as director; and William P Aiken as secretary and director.
McKenzie Foundation is led by Johnny Smith, President, Treasurer & Assistant Secretary on every filing since 2020; 1 of 4 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Johnny Smith
President, Treasurer & Assistant Secretary
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$87K (2020) → $148K (2025)
Sarah H. McKenzie
Director
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
William P. Aiken
Secretary & Director
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
W. Thorpe McKenzie
Vice President
Chairman → Vice President, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $148K, to Johnny Smith (President/Treas/Asst Sec).
Frequently asked questions about McKenzie Foundation
How much does McKenzie Foundation give each year?
McKenzie Foundation gave $474K across 31 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $742K across 38 grants.
What is McKenzie Foundation's typical grant size?
McKenzie Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $15,300, across 31 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from McKenzie Foundation that year got $7K on average.
Where does McKenzie Foundation give grants?
McKenzie Foundation gives mostly in Tennessee: 80% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Florida (15%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chattanooga, TN (17 grants) and Chatanooga, TN (2 grants).
Does McKenzie Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 97% of McKenzie Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (30 of 31) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are McKenzie Foundation's largest grantees?
McKenzie Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Bonefish & Tarpon Trust ($60,000), United Way of Greater Chattanooga ($50,000) and Purpose Point Learning Center ($50,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 34% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is McKenzie Foundation?
McKenzie Foundation reported $16.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $794K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $690K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does McKenzie Foundation fund?
No mission statement is provided for this foundation in the available information. Its grants include operating support for organizations such as the Chattanooga Preparatory School and Purpose Point Learning Center. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from McKenzie Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is McKenzie Foundation's EIN?
McKenzie Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 62-1805189. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does McKenzie Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 12, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work McKenzie Foundation funds
Education Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in McKenzie Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). McKenzie Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 18, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/mckenzie-foundation-morg_246a939dc53e42399d965f636fabfe83
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_621805189_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{McKenzie Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/mckenzie-foundation-morg_246a939dc53e42399d965f636fabfe83},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-18. 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 McKenzie 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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