Nashville Public Library Foundation
The foundation invests in programs that help nashville public library empower our community, ignite children's imaginations, and foster lifelong learning throughout nashville. At the foundation, we provide nashville public library with critical support that bridges the gap between public tax dollars and the additional funding that is required to make these programs possible. Founded in 1997, this public/private partnership has raised more than $68m to develop a dynamic library system that serves everyone in our community.
Nashville Public Library Foundation at a glance
In short: Nashville Public Library Foundation gave $595K across 1 grant in 2025 (avg $595K), mostly in Tennessee. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $595,198
- -5.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 1
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $595,198
- -5.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $595,198
- Total assets
- $39,476,177
- +33.8% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Tennessee (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026.
Who Nashville Public Library Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top recipient in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Nashville Public Library ($595K).
Grant Size Distribution
5 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $500K–1M range: 4 grants of 5 (80%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
Share of the 2025 grant dollars on its one itemized grant.
States
Cities
How Nashville Public Library Foundation gives
- Giving fell 40% from 2022 to 2025. Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990 filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $595K (2025) to $1.8M (2020). In 2025 it made 1 grant totaling $595K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Nashville Public Library Nashville, TN | To enhnace and support the programs & facilities of the library | $595,198 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $39,476,177 | $14,194,953 | $4,718,337 | $595,198 | 1 | $1,604,598 |
| 2024 | $29,509,287 | $13,347,426 | $3,855,435 | $630,900 | 1 | $588,076 |
| 2023 | $18,214,277 | $3,604,244 | $3,498,745 | $708,610 | 1 | $54,045 |
| 2022 | $16,798,581 | $4,652,543 | $3,917,990 | $991,632 | 1 | $1,063,106 |
| 2021 | $18,451,200 | $5,404,129 | $3,541,592 | $1,026,336 | 1 | $1,826,331 |
| 2020 | $15,230,451 | $4,291,281 | $4,174,526 | $1,817,105 | 1 | $354,607 |
| 2019 | $14,744,834 | $5,657,965 | $3,690,888 | $1,171,402 | 1 | $386,198 |
About Nashville Public Library Foundation
Based on IRS filings
Nashville Public Library Foundation is a public charity focused on Education, based in Nashville, TN. IRS filing data is available from 2019 through 2025. As of 2025, the organization holds $39.5M in total assets. In 2025, it awarded 1 grant totaling $595K. Net investment income was $1.6M.
Focus Areas
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Nashville Public Library Foundation is led by Shawn Bakker, President since 2024 (on filings since 2019); 1 of 32 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Shawn Bakker
President
Nplf President - Non-Votin → President, 2024
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$132K (2019) → $154K (2025)
Lucy Haynes
Chair
Board Member → Chair, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Don Holmes
Board Member
Chairman of the Board → Chair, 2024
Chair → Board Member, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Joyce Espy Searcy
Board Member
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kate Ezell
Board Member
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Katy Varney
Board Member
Board Member → Treasurer, 2024
Treasurer → Board Member, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Christi Turner
Board Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Meg Harris
Board Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ronette Adams-Taylor
Secretary
Board Member → Secretary, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Alvaro Manrique Barrenechea
Board Member
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Maria Salas
Board Member
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Matt Kisber
Board Member
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Neil Krugman
Board Member
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rhonda Taylor
Board Member
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tricia Carswell
Board Member
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kasar Abdulla
Board Member
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Melinda Balser
Board Member
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Nahed Zehr
Board Member
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ryan McLaughlin Wood
Board Member
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Brant Phillips
Board Member
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Frank Loughlin
Board Member
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Imaan Ferdowsi
Board Member
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
McLean Barbieri
Board Member
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Patrick Theobald
Treasurer
Board Member → Treasurer, 2025
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kristin Paine
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lonnell Matthews Jr.
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Michelle Gaskin Brown
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Monica Cintado
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Nathan Green
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Samantha Boyd
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sara Thomas
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tamika Williams
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (37)
- Former: Bonnie Dow (2019–2024) — Board Member
- Former: Kevin Orndorff (2019–2024) — Board Member
- Former: Senton Pojani (2019–2024) — Board Member
- Former: Tyson Moore (2019–2024) — Board Member
- Former: Cristina Oakeley (2022–2024) — Board Member
- Former: Renata Soto (2022–2024) — Board Member
- Former: Freddie Oconnell (2024) — Board Member
- Former: Jillian D. Robinson (2024) — Board Member
- Former: Billy Eskind (2019–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Libby Page (2019–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Mayor John Cooper (2020–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Betsy Wills (2022–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Virginia McCuen (2022–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Kent Oliver (2019–2022) — Library Director
- Former: Ben May (2019–2021) — Board Member
- Former: David Esquivel (2019–2021) — Former Chairman
- Former: David Fox (2019–2021) — Board Member
- Former: Grace Awh (2019–2021) — Secretary
- Former: Jerry Johnson (2019–2021) — Board Member
- Former: Missy Eason (2019–2021) — Board Member
- Former: Kailey Hand (2020–2021) — Board Member
- Former: Harry Allen (2021) — Board Member
- Former: Jamie Redfearn (2021) — Ex-Officio
- Former: Beth Stein (2019–2020) — Board Member
- Former: Bob Higgins (2019–2020) — Board Member
- Former: Cassidy Bentley (2019–2020) — Board Member
- Former: Emily Freitag (2019–2020) — Board Member
- Former: Lee Molette (2019–2020) — Secretary
- Former: Beth Fortune (2019) — Board Member
- Former: Denine Torr (2019) — Board Member
- Former: Jafar Ware (2019) — Ex-Officio - Intern
- Former: Jean Ann Banker (2019) — Board Member
- Former: Jerry Williams (2019) — Board Member
- Former: Keith Meacham (2019) — Board Member
- Former: Kristine Lalonde (2019) — Board Member
- Former: Laura Anne Turner (2019) — Board Member
- Former: Mayor David Briley (2019) — Board Member
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 $154K, to Shawn Bakker (President).
Frequently asked questions about Nashville Public Library Foundation
How much does Nashville Public Library Foundation give each year?
Nashville Public Library Foundation gave $595K across 1 grant in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $631K across 1 grant.
How large is Nashville Public Library Foundation?
Nashville Public Library Foundation reported $39.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $14.2M.
What is Nashville Public Library Foundation?
Nashville Public Library Foundation is a public charity focused on Education, based in Nashville, TN. It holds $39.5M in total assets as of 2025.
Where does Nashville Public Library Foundation operate?
Nashville Public Library Foundation has awarded grants in Tennessee.
What is Nashville Public Library Foundation's EIN?
Nashville Public Library Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 62-1681766. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS January 14, 2020)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
Live grants for the work Nashville Public Library Foundation funds
Education Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Nashville Public Library Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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The filing figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0. About GrantGraph Open
Figures come from Nashville Public Library 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.
Nashville Public Library Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?