Milton and Denice Johnson Family

Private foundation · Grantmaker Nashville, TN EIN: 85-6607033

Milton and Denice Johnson Family is a private foundation based in Nashville, Tennessee. In filing year 2025, it reported 54 grants totaling $3,930,500, with nearly all grant dollars going to recipients in Tennessee.

Key facts about Milton and Denice Johnson Family

In short: Milton and Denice Johnson Family gave $3.9M across 54 grants in 2025 (avg $73K), mostly in Tennessee. 6% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

EIN
85-6607033
Latest 990 filing
Form 990-PF, 2025
Annual giving (2025)
$3,930,500
Grants made (2025)
54
Average grant
$72,787
Median grant
$10,000
New grantees (estimate)
6% first-time grantees (3 of 51, 2025)
Total assets
$37,934,060
Primary geography
Tennessee (99% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
Accepts unsolicited proposals
No
How to apply
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Full details ↓

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Financial Overview

From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$37.9M

+18.3% YoY

Annual Giving

$3.9M

+176.7% YoY

Grant Count

54

+0.0% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$73K

+176.7% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Milton and Denice Johnson Family reported a distributable amount of $1.7M for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Is Milton and Denice Johnson Family open to new grantees?

6%

first-time grantees, 2025

In 2025, 3 of 51 grantees (6%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $52K; repeat grants $79K. How we count

Medians: $25K first-time, $10K repeat.

  • 92% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
  • Giving grew 230% from 2022 to 2025. Method
  • In 2025 it paid out 231% 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.

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

Mission & Focus Areas

No foundation mission statement is provided in the available information. The 2025 grants include capital campaigns and operational support, as well as support for a school-community initiative and a food bank’s mobile program and operations.

Grantees describe a range of charitable work. For example, CreatiVets says it empowers wounded veterans to heal through arts and music; Abe’s Garden says it focuses on brain health, wellness, and purposeful living for seniors; and Communities in Schools of Tennessee says it surrounds students with community support to help them stay in school and achieve in life. Other supported organizations describe work in arts and education, conservation, public parks, and bringing music to patients and caregivers.

Grantmaking

In 2025, the foundation made 54 grants totaling $3,930,500. Grant amounts ranged from $2,500 to $2,500,000, with a median grant of $10,000.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

In 2025, 99% of grant dollars went to recipients in Tennessee and 1% to recipients in Georgia. The listed grants include organizations in Nashville and a grant to Teach For America in Atlanta.

Grant Distribution by State

3states

Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 54 itemized grants.

Cities

NashvilleBrentwoodNasvhilleAtlantaBaltimoreHermitageEaglevilleFranklinAntioch

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$1M$2M$3M$4M20 grants2020 47 grants2021 51 grants2022 54 grants2023 54 grants2024 54 grants2025

From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $120K (2020) to $3.9M (2025). In 2025 it made 54 grants totaling $3.9M.

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

Woodmont Christian Church: $2.7M across 2 grantsWoodmont Christian Church$2.7M · 2 grantsPencil: $260K across 2 grantsPencil$260K · 2 grantsCreativets: $125KCreativets$125KAbe's Garden: $100KAbe's Garden$100KSecond Harvest Food Bank: $100KSecond Harvest Food Bank$100KCommunity Foundation of Middle Tennessee: $65K across 2 grantsCommunity Foundation of MiddleTennessee$65K · 2 grantsOn the Avenue Foundation: $50KOn the Avenue Foundation$50KTeach for America: $50KTeach for America$50KUnited for Hope: $40KUnited for Hope$40KFrist Art Museum: $30KFrist Art Museum$30K

The largest 2025 recipient was Woodmont Christian Church ($2.7M across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $3.5M.

Grant Size Distribution

260 grants across all recorded years

224<$50K14$50–100K16$100–250K4$250–500K1$500K–1M1$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 224 grants of 260 (86%).

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Woodmont Christian Church Nashville, TNCapital Campaign$2,500,000
Pencil Nashville, TNReimagining Community Spaces in MNPS$250,000
Woodmont Christian Church Nashville, TNOperational Support$175,000
Creativets Nashville, TNCapital Campaign$125,000
Abe's Garden Nashville, TNCapital Campaign$100,000
Second Harvest Food Bank Nashville, TNSupport for the Mobile Program and Operations$100,000
Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee Nashville, TNOperational Support$50,000
On the Avenue Foundation Nashville, TNOperational Support$50,000
Teach for America Atlanta, GAOperational Support$50,000
United for Hope Nashville, TNOperational Support$40,000

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Filing year Assets Revenue Expenses Grants
2025 $37,934,060 $1,735,948 $4,012,162 $3,930,500
2024 $32,078,878 $5,904,955 $1,635,754 $1,420,500
2023 $29,602,715 $1,637,278 $1,520,080 $1,378,000

The foundation’s filing type is Form 990-PF.

Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$10M$20M$30M2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Metric202520242023
Total Assets$37,934,060$32,078,878$29,602,715
Revenue$1,735,948$5,904,955$1,637,278
Expenses$4,012,162$1,635,754$1,520,080
Qualifying Distributions$3,949,376$1,441,315$1,402,874
Net Investment Income$1,684,215$9,382,916$2,756,872
Distributable Amount$1,707,647$1,515,437$1,407,427

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 6, 2026)
  2. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2025 filing lists R Milton Johnson as chairman. Trustees are Denice Johnson, Kaitlyn Johnson, Tyler Johnson, Clark Rollins, and Lyndsey Rollins.

Milton and Denice Johnson Family is led by R. Milton Johnson, Chairman since 2021 (on filings since 2020); none of the 6 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • R. Milton Johnson

    Chairman

    Director → Chairman, 2021

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Clark B. Rollins IV

    Trustee

    Director → Trustee, 2021

    On filings since 2020

    No compensation reported

  • Denice D. Johnson

    Trustee

    Director → Trustee, 2021

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Kaitlyn T. Johnson

    Trustee

    Director → Trustee, 2021

    On filings since 2020

    No compensation reported

  • Lyndsey J. Rollins

    Trustee

    Director → Trustee, 2021

    On filings since 2020

    No compensation reported

  • Tyler R. Johnson

    Trustee

    Director → Trustee, 2021

    On filings since 2020

    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.

Contact

Mailing address: 3100 West End Ave 700, Nashville, TN 37203
Phone: (615) 292-3011

Frequently asked questions about Milton and Denice Johnson Family

How much does Milton and Denice Johnson Family give each year?

Milton and Denice Johnson Family gave $3.9M across 54 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.4M across 54 grants.

What is Milton and Denice Johnson Family's typical grant size?

Milton and Denice Johnson Family's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $72,787, across 54 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Milton and Denice Johnson Family that year got $52K on average.

Where does Milton and Denice Johnson Family give grants?

Milton and Denice Johnson Family gives mostly in Tennessee: 99% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Nashville, TN (50 grants).

Does Milton and Denice Johnson Family give general operating support?

Yes: 91% of Milton and Denice Johnson Family's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (49 of 54) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Capital Campaign" (3 grants).

Who are Milton and Denice Johnson Family's largest grantees?

Milton and Denice Johnson Family's largest 2025 grantees include Woodmont Christian Church ($2,675,000 across 2 grants), Pencil ($260,000 across 2 grants) and Creativets ($125,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 78% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.

How large is Milton and Denice Johnson Family?

Milton and Denice Johnson Family reported $37.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $3.9M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.7M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).

What does Milton and Denice Johnson Family fund?

No foundation mission statement is provided in the available information. The 2025 grants include capital campaigns and operational support, as well as support for a school-community initiative and a food bank’s mobile program and operations. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from Milton and Denice Johnson Family?

The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑

What is Milton and Denice Johnson Family's EIN?

Milton and Denice Johnson Family's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 85-6607033. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.

Does Milton and Denice Johnson Family accept unsolicited proposals?

No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑

Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.

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