Ned R McWherter Charitable Foundation
The Ned R McWherter Charitable Foundation is a private foundation based in Jackson, Tennessee. It makes grants to other organizations for charitable purposes rather than directly carrying out charitable programs.
Ned R McWherter Charitable Foundation at a glance
In short: Ned R McWherter Charitable Foundation gave $291K across 38 grants in 2025 (avg $8K), mostly in Tennessee. 31% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $291,211
- +4.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 38
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $7,663
- +4.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $3,000
- Total assets
- $3,886,336
- +40.8% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 31% first-time grantees (11 of 36, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Tennessee (92% 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 Ned R McWherter Charitable 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.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 1762, Jackson, TN 38302
Phone: (731) 423-3676
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Ned R McWherter Charitable Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was The Community Foundation of West Tennessee ($90K). Together the top 10 received $219K.
Grant Size Distribution
147 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 143 grants of 147 (97%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 92% of grant dollars went to recipients in Tennessee, 5% to Arkansas, and 3% to Oklahoma. Tennessee recipients included organizations in Jackson and other communities across the state.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 38 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Ned R McWherter Charitable Foundation open to new grantees?
31%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 11 of 36 grantees (31%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $11K; repeat grants $7K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $4K repeat.
- 67% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 23% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 97% 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 (2018–2025). 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 2018 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $55K (2018) to $291K (2025). In 2025 it made 38 grants totaling $291K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Community Foundation of West Tennessee Jackson, TN | For General Purposes | $90,000 |
| The Jackson Symphony Jackson, TN | For General Purposes | $35,000 |
| First Presbyterian Church Jackson, TN | For General Purposes | $25,000 |
| Clinton Foundation Little Rock, AR | For General Purposes | $15,000 |
| Swan Ball 2025 Nashville, TN | For General Purposes | $10,000 |
| Sunset Cemetery Dresden, TN | For General Purposes | $10,000 |
| Aspell Manor Jackson, TN | For General Purposes | $8,000 |
| Folds of Honor Edmond, OK | For General Purposes | $7,500 |
| Rifa Jackson, TN | For General Purposes | $7,500 |
| The Star Center Jackson, TN | For General Purposes | $7,500 |
Ready to take the next step with Ned R McWherter Charitable 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 | $3,886,336 | $1,469,057 | $342,103 | $291,211 | 38 | $291,211 | $1,252,609 | $299,244 |
| 2024 | $2,760,083 | $405,994 | $319,242 | $279,170 | 38 | $292,370 | $207,507 | $286,723 |
| 2023 | $2,673,360 | $280,560 | $244,371 | $203,450 | 28 | $220,225 | $105,068 | $235,859 |
| 2022 | $2,637,267 | $386,164 | $280,855 | $236,750 | 22 | $253,315 | $169,751 | $225,614 |
| 2021 | $2,532,135 | $388,239 | $196,531 | $155,450 | 21 | $185,669 | $201,466 | $232,912 |
| 2020 | $2,340,401 | $273,326 | $204,513 | $168,950 | 19 | — | $104,352 | $179,126 |
| 2019 | $2,273,095 | $295,186 | $134,557 | $96,000 | 11 | — | $141,156 | $170,117 |
| 2018 | $2,112,758 | $645,000 | $88,417 | $55,000 | 13 | — | $361,931 | $152,698 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Ned R McWherter Charitable Foundation reported a distributable amount of $299K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation states that it makes grants to organizations for charitable purposes. Its 2025 grants went to organizations whose own missions include education, cultural and historical preservation, agricultural education, religious outreach, and community services. For example, Discovery Park of America describes its work as operating a museum and educational institution focused in part on Northwest Tennessee’s cultural heritage and natural history; the Tennessee FFA Foundation says it supports agricultural education in Tennessee.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation made 38 grants totaling $291,211. Grants ranged from $500 to $90,000, with a median of $3,000. Its largest grants included $90,000 to The Community Foundation of West Tennessee, $35,000 to The Jackson Symphony, and $25,000 to First Presbyterian Church, all for general purposes. Other grants included $15,000 to the Clinton Foundation and $10,000 each to Swan Ball 2025 and Sunset Cemetery.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Michael R McWherter as president, Madelyn B Pritchett as secretary, and Mary Jane McWherter as director.
Ned R McWherter Charitable Foundation is led by Michael R. McWherter, President on every filing since 2018; 1 of 3 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Michael R. McWherter
President
On filings since 2018
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mary Jane McWherter
Director
On filings since 2018
No compensation reported
Madelyn B. Pritchett
Secretary
On filings since 2018
2 hrs/week
$12K (2018) → $12K (2025)
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2018–2025. "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 $12K, to Madelyn B Pritchett (Secretary).
Frequently asked questions about Ned R McWherter Charitable Foundation
How much does Ned R McWherter Charitable Foundation give each year?
Ned R McWherter Charitable Foundation gave $291K across 38 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $279K across 38 grants.
What is Ned R McWherter Charitable Foundation's typical grant size?
Ned R McWherter Charitable Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $3,000, and its average grant was $7,663, across 38 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Ned R McWherter Charitable Foundation that year got $11K on average.
Where does Ned R McWherter Charitable Foundation give grants?
Ned R McWherter Charitable Foundation gives mostly in Tennessee: 92% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Arkansas (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were Jackson, TN (12 grants), Nashville, TN (8 grants), Dresden, TN (6 grants) and Martin, TN (4 grants).
Does Ned R McWherter Charitable Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Ned R McWherter Charitable Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (38 of 38) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Ned R McWherter Charitable Foundation's largest grantees?
Ned R McWherter Charitable Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include The Community Foundation of West Tennessee ($90,000), The Jackson Symphony ($37,500 across 2 grants) and First Presbyterian Church ($25,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 52% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Ned R McWherter Charitable Foundation?
Ned R McWherter Charitable Foundation reported $3.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $291K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $299K (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 Ned R McWherter Charitable Foundation fund?
The foundation states that it makes grants to organizations for charitable purposes. Its 2025 grants went to organizations whose own missions include education, cultural and historical preservation, agricultural education, religious outreach, and community services. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Ned R McWherter Charitable 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 Ned R McWherter Charitable Foundation's EIN?
Ned R McWherter Charitable Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 62-1657841. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2018–2025.
Does Ned R McWherter Charitable 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 October 2026.
Data update history
(4)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2018 (received by the IRS November 15, 2019)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS July 13, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 5, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Ned R McWherter Charitable Foundation funds
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Ned R McWherter Charitable Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/ned-r-mcwherter-charitable-foundation-morg_218bf7e9fd3f44589359f664df44162b
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_621657841_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Ned R McWherter Charitable Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/ned-r-mcwherter-charitable-foundation-morg_218bf7e9fd3f44589359f664df44162b},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-20. 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 Ned R McWherter Charitable 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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