Skynyrd Foundation
Skynyrd Foundation is a private foundation based in Nashville, Tennessee. It reported 15 grants totaling $224,000 in 2024 to charitable organizations in several states, including organizations supporting education, health, emergency assistance, and community activities.
Skynyrd Foundation at a glance
In short: Skynyrd Foundation gave $224K across 15 grants in 2024 (avg $15K), mostly in Florida. 36% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $224,000
- -1.9% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 15
- +66.7% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $14,933
- -41.1% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $225,133
- New grantees (estimate)
- 36% first-time grantees (5 of 14, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Florida (77% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Skynyrd Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1600 West End Ave Ste 900, Nashville, TN 37203
Phone: (615) 242-8880
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Skynyrd Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Uf Foundation ($65K across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $204K.
Grant Size Distribution
55 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 50 grants of 55 (91%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, Florida organizations received 77% of the foundation’s grant dollars, Maryland organizations 12%, Tennessee organizations 9%, and South Carolina organizations 2%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 15 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Skynyrd Foundation open to new grantees?
36%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 5 of 14 grantees (36%) were first-time recipients. With only 14 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. First grants averaged $11K; repeat grants $19K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 36% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−11%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $87K (2022) to $250K (2021). In 2024 it made 15 grants totaling $224K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Uf Foundation Gainesville, FL | Fellowships with Melissa Elder, MD and Pediatric Rheumatology | $50,000 |
| Highpoint Community Church Organge Park, FL | General Purpose | $30,600 |
| Breakthrough T1D Hagerstown, MD | General Purpose | $27,500 |
| St Michael's Soldiers Middleburg, FL | General Purpose | $20,900 |
| Duncan U Fletcher High School Band Boosters Assoc Neptune Beach, FL | General Purpose | $20,000 |
| Uf Foundation Gainesville, FL | Ross a. Schilling Internship Endowment Fund | $15,000 |
| Beaches Emergency Assistance Ministry Jacksonville Beach, FL | General Purpose | $10,000 |
| Clay High School Green Cove Springs, FL | For the Band/Music Program | $10,000 |
| The Midnight Pass Society II Inc Sarasota, FL | General Purpose | $10,000 |
| St Jude Memphis, TN | General Purpose | $5,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $225,133 | $241,851 | $227,960 | $224,000 | 15 | $224,000 | $11,335 |
| 2023 | — | $259,213 | $229,274 | $228,311 | 9 | $228,311 | $9,986 |
| 2022 | — | $125,964 | $87,376 | $86,500 | 6 | $86,500 | $6,324 |
| 2021 | — | $116,478 | $251,241 | $250,365 | 15 | $250,365 | $12,354 |
| 2020 | — | $8,018 | $116,876 | $116,000 | 10 | — | $16,641 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Skynyrd Foundation reported a distributable amount of $11K 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
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for a range of organizations and purposes, including fellowships and an internship endowment at the University of Florida Foundation, school band and music programs, and organizations receiving grants for general purposes.
Among the grantees, Beaches Emergency Assistance Ministry describes its mission as providing emergency assistance and a path to economic stability through financial assistance, food assistance, and case management. NASHVILLEHEALTH describes its mission as building a culture of health and wellbeing in Nashville by convening partners, aligning resources, and developing a plan for the city’s health needs.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation gave $224,000 through 15 grants. Grants ranged from $5,000 to $50,000, with a median grant of $10,000.
Notable 2024 grants included $50,000 to the University of Florida Foundation for fellowships with Melissa Elder, MD, and pediatric rheumatology; $30,600 to Highpoint Community Church for general purposes; $27,500 to Breakthrough T1D for general purposes; $20,900 to St Michael’s Soldiers for general purposes; and $20,000 to the Duncan U Fletcher High School Band Boosters Association for general purposes. The University of Florida Foundation also received $15,000 for the Ross A. Schilling Internship Endowment Fund. Other listed grants included $10,000 each to Beaches Emergency Assistance Ministry, Clay High School for its band/music program, and The Midnight Pass Society II; and $5,000 each to St Jude, the Country Music Hall of Fame, and Make-A-Wish South Carolina. NashvilleHealth also received $5,000 in 2024.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Officers and directors listed on the 2024 filing are Judy Van Zant, vice-president; Ken Levitan, president; William Harper, secretary/treasurer; and Dale Rossington, vice-president.
Skynyrd Foundation is led by Ken Levitan, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 4 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Ken Levitan
President
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Judy Van Zant
Vice President
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
William Harper
Secretary & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Dale Rossington
Vice President
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Gary Rossington (2020–2023) — Vice President
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "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 Skynyrd Foundation
How much does Skynyrd Foundation give each year?
Skynyrd Foundation gave $224K across 15 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $228K across 9 grants.
What is Skynyrd Foundation's typical grant size?
Skynyrd Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $10,000, and its average grant was $14,933, across 15 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Skynyrd Foundation that year got $11K on average.
Where does Skynyrd Foundation give grants?
Skynyrd Foundation gives mostly in Florida: 77% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Maryland (12%) and Tennessee (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were Nashville, TN (3 grants) and Gainesville, FL (2 grants).
Does Skynyrd Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 80% of Skynyrd Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (12 of 15) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Skynyrd Foundation's largest grantees?
Skynyrd Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Uf Foundation ($65,000 across 2 grants), Highpoint Community Church ($30,600) and Breakthrough T1D ($27,500), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 55% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Skynyrd Foundation?
Skynyrd Foundation reported $225K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $224K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $11K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Skynyrd Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Skynyrd Foundation?
The foundation states that it 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 Skynyrd Foundation's EIN?
Skynyrd Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 27-2761116. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Skynyrd 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 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Skynyrd Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/skynyrd-foundation-morg_301a09e5acc1475393693ec64458ad45
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_272761116_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Skynyrd Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/skynyrd-foundation-morg_301a09e5acc1475393693ec64458ad45},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Skynyrd 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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