Summers Foundation

Private foundation · Grantmaker Brentwood, TN EIN: 46-1316531

Summers Foundation is a private foundation based in Brentwood, Tennessee. Its 2025 filing lists contributions to charitable organizations in areas including youth development, family support, arts education, and other causes.

Summers Foundation at a glance

In short: Summers Foundation gave $104K across 33 grants in 2025 (avg $3K), top state Arizona. 12% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

Annual giving (2025)
$104,432
+11.2% vs 2024
Grants made (2025)
33
+3.1% vs 2024
Average grant
$3,165
+7.8% vs 2024
Median grant
$1,000
Total assets
$1,118,165
-1.9% vs 2024
New grantees (estimate)
12% first-time grantees (4 of 33, 2025)
Primary geography
Arizona (37% 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 Summers Foundation

Accepts unsolicited proposals
No
How to Apply

The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds; it states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.

Contact

Mailing address: 5123 Virginia Way Ste B21, Brentwood, TN 37027
Phone: (615) 377-8735

Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Who Summers Foundation funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

Brightstone: $34KBrightstone$34KTrail Life USA: $15KTrail Life USA$15KFriendslife Community: $13KFriendslife Community$13KBacklight Productions: $7KBacklight Productions$7KNational Parents Organization: $5KNational Parents Organization$5KOn the Avenue Foundation of TN: $5KOn the Avenue Foundation of TN$5KTurning Point USA: $3KTurning Point USA$3KNashville Dolphins: $2KNashville Dolphins$2KVanderbilt University: $2KVanderbilt University$2KGrace Resources: $2KGrace Resources$2K

The largest 2025 recipient was Brightstone ($34K). Together the top 10 received $87K.

Grant Size Distribution

131 grants across all recorded years

130<$50K1$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 130 grants of 131 (99%).

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

In 2025, Arizona recipients received 37% of grant dollars, Tennessee recipients 34%, South Carolina recipients 14%, Massachusetts recipients 5%, and Virginia recipients 2%.

Grant Distribution by State

18states

Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 33 itemized grants.

Cities

NashvilleBrentwoodPhoenixColorado SpringsBeltonMamaroneckPlanoNewtonFairfaxHillsdaleJacksonvilleLos AngelesPark ForestScottsdaleWashingtonAlpharettaArlingtonFort CampbellPhiladelphiaBoone

Is Summers Foundation open to new grantees?

12%

first-time grantees, 2025

In 2025, 4 of 33 grantees (12%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $3K. How we count

Medians: $375 first-time, $1K repeat.

  • 79% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
  • Giving grew 28% from 2022 to 2025. Method
  • In 2025 it paid out 95% 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 (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

$0$50K$100K$150K13 grants2020 19 grants2021 18 grants2022 29 grants2023 32 grants2024 33 grants2025

From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $59K (2020) to $116K (2021). In 2025 it made 33 grants totaling $104K.

Grants by year

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Brightstone Phoenix, AZContribution$34,000
Trail Life USA Belton, SCContribution$15,000
Friendslife Community Nashville, TNContribution$12,500
Backlight Productions Brentwood, TNContribution$7,000
National Parents Organization Newton, MAContribution$5,000
On the Avenue Foundation of TN Nashville, TNContribution$5,000
Turning Point USA Phoenix, AZContribution$2,500
Nashville Dolphins Nashville, TNContribution$2,000
Vanderbilt University Nashville, TNContribution$2,000
Grace Resources Brentwood, TNContribution$1,500
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Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Figures from IRS filings, by filing year
Filing yearTotal AssetsRevenueExpensesGrants paidGrantsQualifying DistributionsNet Investment IncomeDistributable Amount
2025$1,118,165$95,530$116,869$104,43233$104,432$41,002$110,376
2024$1,139,504$94,036$104,116$93,90032$93,900$43,337$84,378
2023$1,149,584$98,029$97,168$91,10029$91,100$51,671$64,539
2022$1,148,723$246,807$90,266$81,72018$81,720$58,913$59,666
2021$992,182$263,881$122,993$116,49119$116,491$97,765$55,912
2020$851,294$120,263$65,799$59,30013—$31,387$45,577

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Summers Foundation reported a distributable amount of $110K for 2025 — 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 foundation mission statement is provided. The 2025 grants show support for organizations with varied missions. For example, Trail Life USA says its mission is to guide young men to honor God, lead with integrity, serve others, and experience outdoor adventure. Backlight Productions describes providing adults with special needs opportunities to learn in the arts and perform before live audiences. National Parents Organization says it works to protect children’s right to the love and care of both parents after separation or divorce.

Other 2025 recipients include organizations whose stated missions concern children’s learning differences, services for people experiencing homelessness, and civil liberties.

Grantmaking

In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 33 grants totaling $104,432. Grants ranged from $250 to $34,000, with a median grant of $1,000. The largest awards included Brightstone ($34,000), Trail Life USA ($15,000), FriendsLife Community ($12,500), and Backlight Productions ($7,000). Other notable grants were $5,000 each to National Parents Organization and On the Avenue Foundation of TN.

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2025 filing lists Thomas C Summers Jr and William H Summers as trustees.

Summers Foundation's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • Thomas C. Summers Jr.

    Trustee

    On filings since 2020

    No compensation reported

  • William H. Summers

    Trustee

    On filings since 2020

    No compensation reported

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.

Frequently asked questions about Summers Foundation

How much does Summers Foundation give each year?

Summers Foundation gave $104K across 33 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $94K across 32 grants.

What is Summers Foundation's typical grant size?

Summers Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $1,000, and its average grant was $3,165, across 33 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Summers Foundation that year got $2K on average.

Where does Summers Foundation give grants?

Summers Foundation's top state is Arizona, with 37% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Tennessee (34%) and South Carolina (14%). The most frequent recipient cities were Nashville, TN (10 grants), Brentwood, TN (5 grants) and Phoenix, AZ (3 grants).

Does Summers Foundation give general operating support?

Not in 2025: none of the 33 grants with a stated purpose on Summers Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Contribution" (33 grants).

Who are Summers Foundation's largest grantees?

Summers Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Brightstone ($34,000), Trail Life USA ($15,000) and Friendslife Community ($12,500), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 59% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.

How large is Summers Foundation?

Summers Foundation reported $1.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $104K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $110K (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 Summers Foundation fund?

No foundation mission statement is provided. The 2025 grants show support for organizations with varied missions. For example, Trail Life USA says its mission is to guide young men to honor God, lead with integrity, serve others, and experience outdoor adventure. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from Summers Foundation?

The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds; it states that it 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 Summers Foundation's EIN?

Summers Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 46-1316531. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.

Does Summers 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

(7)

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 11, 2021)
  2. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 12, 2022)
  3. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS February 27, 2023)
  4. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 23, 2024)
  5. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS August 13, 2025)
  6. Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 18, 2026)
  7. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

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Cite this profile

Grantable. (2026). Summers Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/summers-foundation-morg_343c88867c91409d89d5b8ce7b580703

BibTeX
@misc{grantable_461316531_2026,
  author       = {{Grantable}},
  title        = {{Summers Foundation funder profile}},
  howpublished = {GrantGraph},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://grantable.co/funders/summers-foundation-morg_343c88867c91409d89d5b8ce7b580703},
  note         = {Accessed 2026-10-14. 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 Summers 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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