The Ayers Foundation Trust
The Ayers Foundation Trust is a private foundation based in Parsons, Tennessee. In its 2025 filing, it reported 36 grants totaling $10,774,103.
The Ayers Foundation Trust at a glance
In short: The Ayers Foundation Trust gave $10.8M across 36 grants in 2025 (avg $299K), mostly in Tennessee. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $10,774,103
- +118.9% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 36
- +20.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $299,281
- +82.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $25,000
- Total assets
- $12,430,582
- +143.7% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Tennessee (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to The Ayers Foundation Trust
- How to Apply
-
No specific form is required. Applications are accepted at any time. The foundation says donations are primarily, but not exclusively, limited to organizations located in Davidson, Decatur, Henderson, Lawrence, Perry, and Unicoi counties in Tennessee.
- Contact
Application contact: Janet Ayers
Mailing address: 643 Tennessee Ave, Parsons, TN 38363
Phone: (731) 847-4962
Website: https://theayersfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Ayers Foundation Trust funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Decatur Co Board of Education ($5.0M). Together the top 10 received $10.4M.
Grant Size Distribution
69 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 44 grants of 69 (64%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s stated geographic preference is for organizations in Davidson, Decatur, Henderson, Lawrence, Perry, and Unicoi counties in Tennessee, though the restriction is not exclusive.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 36 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How The Ayers Foundation Trust gives
- 39% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (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 2023 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $113K (2023) to $10.8M (2025). In 2025 it made 36 grants totaling $10.8M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Decatur Co Board of Education Decaturville, TN | General/Operating | $5,000,000 |
| Community Foundation of Middle TN Nashville, TN | General/Operating | $1,784,000 |
| Belmont University Nashville, TN | General/Operating | $1,500,250 |
| Unicoi County United Way Erwin, TN | General/Operating | $1,020,000 |
| Bill Dance Friends and Family Foundation Jackson, TN | General/Operating | $250,000 |
| Vanderbilt University Medical Center Nashville, TN | General/Operating | $250,000 |
| East Tennessee State University Foundation Johnson City, TN | General/Operating | $200,000 |
| Freed-Hardeman University Henderson, TN | General/Operating | $200,000 |
| Lipscomb University College of Leadership Nashville, TN | General/Operating | $106,600 |
| State Collaborative on Reforming Education Nashville, TN | General/Operating | $100,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $12,430,582 | $15,587,415 | $13,383,170 | $10,774,103 | 36 | $19,507,430 | $95,438 |
| 2024 | $5,101,560 | $6,590,256 | $6,666,105 | $4,922,569 | 30 | $8,221,693 | $65,039 |
| 2023 | $2,739,045 | $1,517,174 | $149,204 | $113,000 | 3 | $149,174 | $3,892 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The available statements do not specify the foundation’s own mission. Its 2025 grants include support for educational institutions, community organizations, a medical center, and other nonprofits. For example, Belmont University describes its mission as providing a challenging education in a Christ-centered community, while Freed-Hardeman University says it prepares students for lives of service. Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee says its mission is to build girls’ courage, confidence, and character.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 36 grants totaling $10,774,103. Grant amounts ranged from $250 to $5,000,000, with a median of $25,000. Among the largest awards were $5,000,000 to Decatur County Board of Education, $1,784,000 to Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, $1,500,250 to Belmont University, and $1,020,000 to Unicoi County United Way. Each was listed for general or operating purposes.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Janet Ayers as president; Dr. Burton Williams as chief executive officer; Dr. Michael Price as vice president; and Dr. Agenia Clark as secretary. It also lists Jo Ann Lynn, Lin Howard Andrews, and Cassie Lynn Foote as directors. James W. Ayers is listed as chairman until April 1, 2025, and Kristy Ayers as a director until March 19, 2025. Lorisa Williams is listed as organizational effectiveness advisor.
The Ayers Foundation Trust is led by Burton Williams, Chief Executive Officer on every filing since 2023; 7 of 17 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Burton Williams
Chief Executive Officer
On filings since 2023
6 hrs/week
$18K (2024) → $30K (2025)
Janet Ayers
President
On filings since 2022
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
James W. Ayers
Chairman
On filings since 2022
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Cassie Lynn Foote
Director
Trustee → Director, 2023
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kristy Ayers
Director
Trustee → Director, 2023
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lee Ann Ingram
Director
Trustee → Director, 2023
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lin Howard Andrews
Director
Trustee → Director, 2023
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jo Ann Lynn
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Winnie Bunch
Director
Director From → Director, 2025
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Chris Lynn
Director From
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Michael Price
Vice President
Trustee → Vice President, 2023
On filings since 2022
16 hrs/week
$12K (2023) → $15K (2025)
Blake Dill
Chief Operating Officer
Grant Administrator & C.o.o. → Chief Operating Officer, 2024
On filings since 2023
6 hrs/week
$91K (2023) → $18K (2025)
Lorisa Williams
Org Effectiveness Advisor
Interim Director of Operations → Org Effectiveness Advisor, 2024
On filings since 2023
4 hrs/week
$240K (2023) → $18K (2025)
Shannon Haynes
Chief Prosperity Officer
On filings since 2023
39 hrs/week
$169K (2024) → $180K (2025)
James Troy Grant
C.s.o.
Chief Scholars Officer → C.s.o., 2025
On filings since 2024
6 hrs/week
$12K (2024) → $4K (2025)
Shawn Kimble
C.s.o. From
New on the 2025 filing
6 hrs/week
$4K (2025)
Agenia Clark
Secretary
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (16)
- Former: Jonathan Ayers (2022–2024) — Director
- Former: Susan Johnson Rhodes (2022–2023) — Executive Director
- Former: Angela Marshall (2023) — Senior Director - Expansion
- Former: Brianna Morton (2023) — Scholarship Director
- Former: Charles Long (2023) — Middle Tn Regional Director
- Former: Emily Chadwick (2023) — Director of Hr
- Former: Jesse Turner (2023) — It Director
- Former: Jodi Gilbert (2023) — East Tn Regional Director
- Former: Lisa Dipasquale (2023) — Director of Accounting
- Former: Marcia Rhodes (2023) — Director of Accounting
- Former: Mary Garner (2023) — Middle Tn Reg. Coordinator
- Former: Michael Meadows (2023) — Senior Director-Post Secondary
- Former: Recey Williamson (2023) — West Tn Regional Director
- Former: Taylor Dill (2023) — Data Manager
- Former: Troy Grant (2023) — Chief Scholars Officer
- Former: JoAnn Lynn (2022) — Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2022–2025. "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 $180K, to Shannon Haynes (Chief Prosperity Officer). 7 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The Ayers Foundation Trust
How much does The Ayers Foundation Trust give each year?
The Ayers Foundation Trust gave $10.8M across 36 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $4.9M across 30 grants.
What is The Ayers Foundation Trust's typical grant size?
The Ayers Foundation Trust's median grant in 2025 was $25,000, and its average grant was $299,281, across 36 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Ayers Foundation Trust give grants?
The Ayers Foundation Trust gives mostly in Tennessee: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Nashville, TN (16 grants), Jackson, TN (3 grants), Parsons, TN (3 grants) and Erwin, TN (2 grants).
Does The Ayers Foundation Trust give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Ayers Foundation Trust's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (36 of 36) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Ayers Foundation Trust's largest grantees?
The Ayers Foundation Trust's largest 2025 grantees include Decatur Co Board of Education ($5,000,000), Community Foundation of Middle TN ($1,784,000) and Belmont University ($1,500,250), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 77% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Ayers Foundation Trust?
The Ayers Foundation Trust reported $12.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Its revenue that year was $15.6M.
What does The Ayers Foundation Trust fund?
The available statements do not specify the foundation’s own mission. Its 2025 grants include support for educational institutions, community organizations, a medical center, and other nonprofits. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Ayers Foundation Trust?
No specific form is required. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Ayers Foundation Trust's EIN?
The Ayers Foundation Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 88-2961915. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2022–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(4)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 15, 2026)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 3, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2022–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Ayers Foundation Trust's focus areas in our free grants database
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Funders with grantees in common, and similar funders in Tennessee
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Ayers Foundation Trust funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-ayers-foundation-trust-morg_d0ef9514ed6b49348699a045ca55ba04
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_882961915_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Ayers Foundation Trust funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-ayers-foundation-trust-morg_d0ef9514ed6b49348699a045ca55ba04},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 The Ayers Foundation Trust'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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