Mike Curb Foundation

Foundation · Grantmaker Nashville, TN EIN: 95-4686920 Website

The Mike Curb Foundation is a private 501(c)(3) grantmaking foundation established in 1998 and based in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded by Mike Curb, a musician and founder of Curb Records, the foundation partners with government, community leaders, and other non-profit organizations to support music-related projects and serve the needs of marginalized people.

Key facts about Mike Curb Foundation

EIN: 95-4686920
Latest 990 filing: Form 990-PF, 2025
Annual giving (2025): $1,737,600
Grants made (2025): 8
Average grant: $217,200
Median grant: $100,000
Total assets: $35,414,229
Primary geography: Tennessee (77% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated June 2026.

Who Mike Curb Foundation funds

By grant dollars, the top recipient states for Mike Curb Foundation's 8 itemized 2025 grants were Tennessee (77%), Massachusetts (12%) and California (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Nashville, TN (4 grants). 100% of grants with a stated purpose were for general or operating support.

How Mike Curb Foundation gives

Giving grew 154% from 2022 to 2025. Method
In 2025 it paid out 123% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method

From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.

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Financial Overview

From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$35.4M

-2.6% YoY

Annual Giving

$1.7M

+220.4% YoY

Grant Count

+33.3% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$217K

+140.3% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Mike Curb Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.8M for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation's mission centers on making a difference with music. Since its inception, the Mike Curb Foundation has provided grants and gifts totaling more than $200 million in support of:

Music education
Preserving historic music sites
Homelessness services
Higher and other education
Social services
Arts and culture
Performing arts
Religion (specifically Christian, Protestant, and Baptist causes)
Human services

The foundation advances the charitable spirit of America's entertainment industry through lead gifts to major projects, exemplifying Mike Curb's determination to give and inspire giving by others.

Grantmaking

The foundation made 26 grants in the most recent fiscal year. The foundation is supported by contributions and by earnings from Curb Records, one of the nation's largest independent music companies.

Grant Range

s:** Typical awards range from $10,000 to $1,100,000.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation funds initiatives across multiple states, with documented activity in:

Tennessee (primary focus)
North Carolina
Massachusetts
Arizona
California
Florida
Georgia
Minnesota
Washington, D.C.

Grant Distribution by State

Tennessee $1.3M (77%)

Massachusetts $200K (12%)

California $100K (6%)

North Carolina $75K (4%)

District of Columbia $30K (2%)

Share of all 8 itemized 2025 grant dollars.

States

Arizona California District of Columbia Florida Massachusetts Michigan North Carolina Tennessee

Cities

NashvilleLos AngelesMemphisBostonKannapolisDaytona BeachSimi ValleyWashingtonGrand RapidsTempe

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Most Recent Fiscal Year (FYE 07/2025):

Total Assets: $35,414,229
Total Revenues: $1,664,943
Total Expenses: $2,610,940
Total Giving: $1,737,600
Investment Income and Dividends: $761,291
Net Gain from Sale of Non-Inventory Assets: $869,972

Prior Year (FYE 07/2024):

Total Assets: $29.6 million
Total Revenues: $5.38 million
Total Expenses: $3.06 million

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2025	2024	2023
Total Assets	$35,414,229	$36,360,226	$29,606,390
Revenue	$1,664,943	$8,305,688	$5,383,958
Expenses	$2,610,940	$1,551,852	$3,063,222
Qualifying Distributions	$2,194,134	$1,131,778	$2,736,047
Net Investment Income	$1,319,422	$957,053	$239,151
Distributable Amount	$1,785,401	$1,602,540	$1,316,674

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

March 3, 2026 IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 8 recipients in 2025

Grant Size Distribution

68 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2025 grants, the largest recipients include Belmont University ($1,100,000), Smithsonian Institution - National Museum of American History ($200,000), Middle Tennessee Council ($112,600).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
BELMONT UNIVERSITY Nashville, TN	GENERAL	$1,100,000
SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION - NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN HISTORY Boston, MA	GENERAL	$200,000
MIDDLE TENNESSEE COUNCIL Nashville, TN	GENERAL	$112,600
Grammy Museum Foundation Inc Los Angeles, CA	GENERAL	$100,000
NASHVILLE PUBLIC MEDIA Nashville, TN	GENERAL	$100,000
NORTH CAROLINA MUSIC HALL OF FAME Kannapolis, NC	GENERAL	$75,000
White House Historical Association Washington, DC	General	$30,000
SAFE HAVEN FAMILY SHELTER Nashville, TN	GENERAL	$20,000

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Michael C. Curb — President and Director (serves without compensation)
Linda Curb — Director (serves without compensation)
Tracy Moore — Director and Secretary (serves without compensation)

Compensation Overview

No officer or director reported compensation in the available filings.

From 2025 IRS filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
Michael C Curb	President and Director	10	—
Linda Curb	Director	10	—
Tracy Moore	Director and Secretary	15	—

Recent News & Activity

Recent developments and announcements

**Major Gifts:**

The foundation announced a $58 million lead gift to Belmont University, the largest philanthropic donation in the university's history. These funds will support expansion of Belmont's Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business, including renovation of existing buildings and construction of a facility on Music Row. An additional $40 million is needed to fully finalize the effort.

Belmont announces $58M gift from Curb Foundation | Development | nashvillepost.com

A $500,000 gift from the Mike Curb Foundation endowed a new program at Occidental College's John Branca Institute for Music.

$500,000 Gift from Mike Curb Foundation Endows New Program at John Branca

The foundation provided funding for a new student recording facility at UCLA.

Mike Curb Donates Funding For New Student Recording Facility At UCLA - MusicRow.com

**Educational Partnerships:**

The foundation supports music and entertainment programs at multiple universities, including:

Arizona State University (Mike Curb Program in Creative Enterprise and Public Leadership, McCain Institute for International Leadership, Herberger/Curb Programs)

Baylor University (The Lab, Curb Learning Lab for Music & Entertainment Marketing)

Belmont University (multiple facilities and programs including the Reverend Charlie Curb Center for Faith Leadership and the Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business)

Subject Areas

Focus areas based on grantmaking activity

Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Mike Curb Foundation fund?

The foundation's mission centers on making a difference with music. Since its inception, the Mike Curb Foundation has provided grants and gifts totaling more than $200 million in support of: • Music education • Preserving historic music sites • Homelessness services • Higher and other education • Social services • Arts and culture • Performing arts • Religion (specifically Christian, Protestant, and Baptist causes) • Human services The foundation advances the charitable spirit of America's ente…

How do I apply for a grant from Mike Curb Foundation?

**Grant Sizes:** Typical awards range from $10,000 to $1,100,000. **Recent Grant Activity:** • Belmont University: $1,100,000 (2025) • Boy Scouts of America - 560 Middle Tennessee Council: $112,600 (2025) • Grammy Museum Foundation: $100,000 (2025) The foundation made 26 grants in the most recent fiscal year. The foundation is supported by contributions and by earnings from Curb Records, one of the nation's largest independent music companies.

Where does Mike Curb Foundation make grants?

The foundation funds initiatives across multiple states, with documented activity in: • Tennessee (primary focus) • North Carolina • Massachusetts • Arizona • California • Florida • Georgia • Minnesota • Washington, D.C.

What size grants does Mike Curb Foundation award?

In 2025, Mike Curb Foundation awarded 8 grants totaling $1.7M — an average of about $217K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Mike Curb Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2025, Mike Curb Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.8M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.