Speer Foundation
The Speer Foundation is a private foundation based in Brentwood, Tennessee. It describes itself as a Christian-based foundation and says it contributes to spiritual, medical, educational, and other community, national, and worldwide needs.
Speer Foundation at a glance
In short: Speer Foundation gave $8.7M across 60 grants in 2025 (avg $145K), top state Florida. 32% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $8,678,672
- +27.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 60
- +1.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $144,645
- +25.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $37,500
- Total assets
- $141,156,422
- +7.5% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 32% first-time grantees (19 of 60, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Florida (46% 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 Speer 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: 1537 Franklin Rd Ste 201, Brentwood, TN 37027
Phone: (615) 884-8673
Website: https://speerfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Speer Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Young Mens Christian Association of Greater St Petersburg ($3.0M). Together the top 10 received $6.4M.
Grant Size Distribution
294 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 128 grants of 294 (44%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation is based in Brentwood, Tennessee. Its 2025 grants went to recipients in Florida, Tennessee, Arizona, California, and North Carolina, with the largest shares of grant dollars going to Florida and Tennessee.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 60 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Speer Foundation open to new grantees?
32%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 19 of 60 grantees (32%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $54K; repeat grants $187K. How we count
Medians: $25K first-time, $50K repeat.
- 57% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+9%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 144% 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.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $6.8M (2024) to $8.7M (2025). In 2025 it made 60 grants totaling $8.7M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Young Mens Christian Association of Greater St Petersburg St Petersburg, FL | Operating Support | $3,000,000 |
| Tennessee Wildlife Federation Inc Nashville, TN | Operating Support | $505,000 |
| Cumberland Heights Foundation Inc Nashville, TN | Operating Support | $500,000 |
| Habitat for Humanity of Greater Nashville Nashville, TN | Operating Support | $500,000 |
| Christ Presbyterian Church Inc Nashville, TN | Operating Support | $450,000 |
| Presidential Prayer Team Inc Scottsdale, AZ | Operating Support | $400,000 |
| Lighthouse Media NA Inc Temple City, CA | Operating Support | $375,000 |
| Nashville Zoo Inc Nashville, TN | Operating Support | $330,000 |
| Practical Christianity Foundation Odessa, FL | Operating Support | $200,000 |
| Hope International Ministries Inc Tampa, FL | Operating Support | $157,200 |
Ready to take the next step with Speer Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Filing-year figures are reported below.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $141,156,422 | $11,580,142 | $10,649,756 | $8,678,672 | 60 | $9,338,491 | $10,268,877 | $6,476,822 |
| 2024 | $131,248,892 | $8,419,323 | $9,695,716 | $6,827,225 | 59 | $7,462,508 | $6,198,632 | $6,550,963 |
| 2023 | $123,677,361 | $6,876,925 | $10,648,352 | $7,595,800 | 57 | $8,288,777 | $4,515,634 | $7,733,435 |
| 2022 | $160,979,713 | $8,246,449 | $11,024,649 | $7,979,700 | 59 | $8,678,904 | $5,802,123 | $9,075,867 |
| 2021 | $189,101,707 | $11,917,861 | $9,890,396 | $7,387,100 | 59 | — | $9,727,955 | $8,613,214 |
| 2020 | $149,246,920 | $2,653,108 | $10,150,588 | $7,761,500 | 57 | — | $2,026,586 | $7,528,778 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Speer Foundation reported a distributable amount of $6.5M 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’s stated mission is “to witness for Jesus Christ by contributing to causes that enrich the spiritual, medical, educational, and other needs of our communities, our nation, and our world.” Its website also says it selects grantees in furtherance of spreading the Gospel, providing Christian education, honoring members of the military, and alleviating suffering for minors, and improving spiritual life according to biblical standards.
Its 2025 grants show support for organizations working in a range of areas. For example, the YMCA of Greater St. Petersburg describes its mission as putting Judeo-Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind, and body. Tennessee Wildlife Federation says it works on wildlife conservation, natural-resource policy, and environmental education. Habitat for Humanity of Greater Nashville says it brings people together to build homes, communities, and hope, while Cumberland Heights Foundation says it provides hope and healing to people affected by addiction. These are the grantees’ descriptions of their own missions.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 60 grants totaling $8,678,672. Grant amounts ranged from $879 to $3,000,000, with a median of $37,500. The largest award was $3,000,000 to the YMCA of Greater St. Petersburg for operating support. Other large awards included $505,000 to Tennessee Wildlife Federation, $500,000 each to Cumberland Heights Foundation and Habitat for Humanity of Greater Nashville, and $450,000 to Christ Presbyterian Church; each was listed for operating support.
The foundation also awarded $400,000 to Presidential Prayer Team, $375,000 to Lighthouse Media NA, $330,000 to Nashville Zoo, $200,000 to Practical Christianity Foundation, and $157,200 to Hope International Ministries. Its 2025 grant dollars went primarily to Florida (46%) and Tennessee (41%), followed by Arizona (5%), California (4%), and North Carolina (2%).
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Lynnda L. Speer and Richard M. Speer as trustees, Mark Walker as treasurer and secretary, and Cabot P. Pyle as executive director.
Speer Foundation is led by Cabot P. Pyle, Executive Director on every filing since 2021; 2 of 4 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Cabot P. Pyle
Executive Director
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$101K (2021) → $316K (2025)
Lynnda L. Speer
Trustee
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Richard M. Speer
Trustee
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mark Walker
Treasurer & Secretary
On filings since 2020
20 hrs/week
$54K (2020) → $118K (2025)
Former officers (1)
- Former: Richard W. Baker (2020–2021) — Executive Director
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $316K, to Cabot P Pyle (Ex. Director). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Speer Foundation
How much does Speer Foundation give each year?
Speer Foundation gave $8.7M across 60 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $6.8M across 59 grants.
What is Speer Foundation's typical grant size?
Speer Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $37,500, and its average grant was $144,645, across 60 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Speer Foundation that year got $54K on average.
Where does Speer Foundation give grants?
Speer Foundation's top state is Florida, with 46% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest state was Tennessee (41%). The most frequent recipient cities were Nashville, TN (22 grants), New Port Richey, FL (6 grants), St Petersburg, FL (3 grants) and Tampa, FL (2 grants).
Does Speer Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Speer Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (60 of 60) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Speer Foundation's largest grantees?
Speer Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Young Mens Christian Association of Greater St Petersburg ($3,000,000), Tennessee Wildlife Federation Inc ($505,000) and Cumberland Heights Foundation Inc ($500,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 46% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Speer Foundation?
Speer Foundation reported $141.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $9.3M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $6.5M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Speer Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated mission is “to witness for Jesus Christ by contributing to causes that enrich the spiritual, medical, educational, and other needs of our communities, our nation, and our world.” See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Speer 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 Speer Foundation's EIN?
Speer Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 81-6922938. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Speer 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
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS April 14, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS December 17, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS December 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS February 29, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS March 10, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 7, 2026)
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Speer Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Speer Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/speer-foundation-morg_1fc3d03f053e42ae8b450626c338c6ff
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_816922938_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Speer Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/speer-foundation-morg_1fc3d03f053e42ae8b450626c338c6ff},
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 Speer 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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