Owen Foundation
Owen Foundation is a private foundation based in Cookeville, Tennessee. Its 2024 filing says its principal activity is selecting qualified charitable organizations to receive its charitable gifts.
Owen Foundation at a glance
In short: Owen Foundation gave $366K across 23 grants in 2024 (avg $16K), mostly in Tennessee. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $365,930
- +214.8% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 23
- +91.7% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $15,910
- +64.2% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $6,000
- Total assets
- $7,812,414
- -1.2% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- Tennessee (94% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Owen 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: 345 S Jefferson Ave Ste 403, Cookeville, TN 38501
Phone: (931) 260-6767
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Owen Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Mustard Seed Ranch ($227K). Together the top 10 received $332K.
Grant Size Distribution
35 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 33 grants of 35 (94%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 94% of grant dollars went to recipients in Tennessee. The remaining shares were 3% to Montana, 2% to New York, 1% to Maryland, and less than 1% to Virginia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 23 itemized grants.
Cities
How Owen Foundation gives
- 30% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 96% 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 (2024). 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 2023 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $116K (2023) to $366K (2024). In 2024 it made 23 grants totaling $366K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Mustard Seed Ranch Cookeville, TN | Home for Abused Children | $227,300 |
| First Presbyterian Church Nashville, TN | Support Church Activities | $30,000 |
| Cookeville Pregnancy Clinic Cookeville, TN | Support Pregnancy Crisis | $11,000 |
| Heart of the Cumberland Inc Cookeville, TN | Support Grieving Children, TEENS,AND Adults Through Peer Support | $10,180 |
| Cookeville Regional Charitable Foundation Cookeville, TN | Supporting Local Residents with Medical Needs | $10,000 |
| Life Church Cookeville, TN | Support Church Activities | $10,000 |
| TTU Foundation Cookeville, TN | Serving Educational Needs | $10,000 |
| Yellowston Club Community Foundation Big Sky, MT | Providing Grant and Sponsorship Funding | $10,000 |
| Cavalier Football Foundation Cookeville, TN | Support High School Football | $7,000 |
| Pinson Hospital Hospitality House Nashville, TN | Providing low cost medical housing and services for caregivers and critically ill family members | $7,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $7,812,414 | $395,846 | $469,942 | $365,930 | 23 | $365,930 | $385,625 | $379,401 |
| 2023 | $7,909,183 | $8,050,158 | $140,975 | $116,250 | 12 | $116,250 | $149,243 | $231,642 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Owen Foundation reported a distributable amount of $379K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation does not state a separate mission in the information provided. Its 2024 grants included $227,300 to Mustard Seed Ranch, whose mission is to provide a Christ-centered home for children who are neglected, abused, orphaned, or in need of a healthy family environment. Heart of the Cumberland, which received $10,180, says its mission is to facilitate grief peer-support groups for people who have lost a loved one.
Other 2024 grantees included CASA Inc, which says it trains and supports court-appointed volunteers advocating for abused and neglected children; Young Life, which describes its work as a ministry for adolescents; and Food to the Rescue, which says it provides food for children in need during school breaks.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 23 grants totaling $365,930. Grant amounts ranged from $250 to $227,300, with a median of $6,000.
Notable grants included $227,300 to Mustard Seed Ranch; $30,000 to First Presbyterian Church in Nashville; $11,000 to Cookeville Pregnancy Clinic; $10,180 to Heart of the Cumberland; and $10,000 each to Cookeville Regional Charitable Foundation, Life Church, TTU Foundation, and Yellowston Club Community Foundation.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Garry McNabb as chairman, Kim Lyles as treasurer, Jim Darter as secretary, and Jonathan McNabb as vice president.
Owen Foundation is led by Garry McNabb, Chairman on every filing since 2023; none of the 4 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Garry McNabb
Chairman
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jim Darter
Secretary
On filings since 2023
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jonathan McNabb
Vice President
On filings since 2023
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kim Lyles
Treasurer
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2023–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Owen Foundation
How much does Owen Foundation give each year?
Owen Foundation gave $366K across 23 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $116K across 12 grants.
What is Owen Foundation's typical grant size?
Owen Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $6,000, and its average grant was $15,910, across 23 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Owen Foundation give grants?
Owen Foundation gives mostly in Tennessee: 94% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Cookeville, TN (14 grants) and Nashville, TN (4 grants).
Does Owen Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 23 grants with a stated purpose on Owen Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are Owen Foundation's largest grantees?
Owen Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Mustard Seed Ranch ($227,300), First Presbyterian Church ($30,000) and Cookeville Pregnancy Clinic ($11,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 73% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Owen Foundation?
Owen Foundation reported $7.8M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $366K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $379K (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 Owen Foundation fund?
The foundation does not state a separate mission in the information provided. Its 2024 grants included $227,300 to Mustard Seed Ranch, whose mission is to provide a Christ-centered home for children who are neglected, abused, orphaned, or in need of a healthy family environment. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Owen 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 Owen Foundation's EIN?
Owen Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 93-1944346. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2023–2024.
Does Owen 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
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2023–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Owen Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/owen-foundation-morg_7b1fa093029649609bcd3fee4778f975
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_931944346_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Owen Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/owen-foundation-morg_7b1fa093029649609bcd3fee4778f975},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. 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 Owen 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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