Tennessee State Museum Foundation Inc logo

Tennessee State Museum Foundation Inc

Public charity · Grantmaker Nashville, TN EIN: 51-0200584 Website

To support and extend activities of the tn state museum

Key facts about Tennessee State Museum Foundation Inc

EIN
51-0200584
Latest 990 filing
Form 990, 2025
Total assets
$2,829,839

Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026.

Financial Overview

From 2025 IRS Form 990 · View filing

Total Assets

$2.8M

+5.4% YoY

Revenue

$477K

+123.8% YoY

Net Investment Income

$71K

+141.1% YoY

Expenses

$288K

+61.8% YoY

How Tennessee State Museum Foundation Inc gives

  • Giving fell 75% from 2020 to 2023. Method

From the foundation's IRS Form 990 filings. Methodology.

About Tennessee State Museum Foundation Inc

Based on IRS filings

Tennessee State Museum Foundation Inc is a public charity focused on Arts, Culture & Humanities, based in Nashville, TN. IRS filing data is available from 2019 through 2025. As of 2025, the organization holds $2.8M in total assets. Net investment income was $71K.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

Grant Distribution by State

1state

States

Cities

Nashville

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$2M$4M$6M$8M1 grants20191 grants20201 grants20211 grants20221 grants20230 grants20240 grants2025

From 2019 to 2023, annual grant giving ranged from $1.6M (2023) to $6.5M (2020). In 2023 it made 1 grant totaling $1.6M.

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Grant Size Distribution

3 grants across all recorded years

<$50K$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M2$1–5M1$5M+

The most common grant size was in the $1–5M range: 2 grants of 3 (67%).

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

No grants recorded for 2025.

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Revenue
Expenses
Net Investment Income
$0$2M$4M$6M$8M2019202020212022202320242025
Metric202520242023
Total Assets$2,829,839$2,685,027$2,529,744
Revenue$477,135$213,244$295,947
Expenses$287,917$177,985$1,696,399
Net Investment Income$71,312$29,582$11,384

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS June 9, 2021)
  2. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 17, 2021)
  3. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 16, 2022)
  4. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 15, 2023)
  5. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 15, 2024)
  6. Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 15, 2026)

Leadership & Key People

Officers and directors from IRS filings

Tennessee State Museum Foundation Inc is led by Thomas S. Smith, Chairman since 2023 (on filings since 2022); none of the 16 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • Thomas S. Smith

    Chairman

    Voted Chair → Chairman, 2023

    On filings since 2022

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Ashley Howell

    Secretary

    Museum Executive Director & Acting Secretary → Museaum Executive Director & Acting Secretary, 2023

    Museaum Executive Director & Acting Secretary → Secretary, 2024

    On filings since 2019

    4 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Mary Pearce

    Board Member

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Pamela Lewis

    Board Member

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • The Hon Howard Gentry

    Board Member

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Trudy Caldwell Byrd

    Board Member

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Douglas Ch Henry

    Vice Chair

    Vice Chair & Acting Chair → Acting Chair, 2022

    Acting Chair → Vice Chair, 2023

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Senator Dawn White

    Board Member

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Robert P. Thomas

    Board Member

    On filings since 2023

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Bill Hickerson

    Board Member

    On filings since 2024

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Emily Reynolds

    Board Member

    On filings since 2024

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Ginger Terry

    Board Member

    On filings since 2024

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Michael Curcio

    Board Member

    On filings since 2024

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • David Hill

    Board Member

    New on the 2025 filing

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Jennifer Verner

    Board Member

    New on the 2025 filing

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Joe Emert

    Board Member

    New on the 2025 filing

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

Former officers (19)
  • Former: Claire Armistead (2019–2023) — Board Member
  • Former: Representative Michael Curcio (2021–2023) — Board Member
  • Former: Charles B. Welch Jr. (2019–2021) — Treasurer
  • Former: Cristine Karbowiak (2019–2021) — Board Member
  • Former: David Preston (2019–2021) — Vice Chair
  • Former: Dianne Neal (2019–2021) — Secretary
  • Former: Mary Ann Clark (2019–2021) — Board Member
  • Former: Mike Kelly (2019–2021) — Board Member
  • Former: Ruth Johnson (2019–2021) — Board Member
  • Former: Mayor Bill Ketron (2020–2021) — Board Member
  • Former: Angel Cropper (2019–2020) — Board Member
  • Former: Paul McCombs (2019–2020) — Board Chair
  • Former: Chairman Michael Curcio (2020) — Board Member
  • Former: Pat Kerr Tigrett (2020) — Board Member
  • Former: Commissioner Many Bears Grinder (2019) — Board Member
  • Former: Howard Herndon (2019) — Board Member
  • Former: Rep Gerald McCormick (2019) — Board Member
  • Former: Rich Roberts (2019) — Board Member
  • Former: Senator Bill Ketron (2019) — Board Member

Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 Tennessee State Museum Foundation Inc

How large is Tennessee State Museum Foundation Inc?

Tennessee State Museum Foundation Inc reported $2.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $477K.

What is Tennessee State Museum Foundation Inc?

Tennessee State Museum Foundation Inc is a public charity focused on Arts, Culture & Humanities, based in Nashville, TN. It holds $2.8M in total assets as of 2025.

Where does Tennessee State Museum Foundation Inc operate?

Tennessee State Museum Foundation Inc has awarded grants in Tennessee.

What is Tennessee State Museum Foundation Inc's EIN?

Tennessee State Museum Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 51-0200584. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.

Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings.

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