The Brethen Foundation
The Brethen Foundation is a private foundation based in Lenoir City, Tennessee. Its 2024 filing reports 13 grants totaling $50,134 to organizations working in areas including health care, cancer research, children’s services, animal care, and other charitable activities.
The Brethen Foundation at a glance
In short: The Brethen Foundation gave $50K across 13 grants in 2024 (avg $4K), top state Missouri. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $50,134
- +377.5% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 13
- +116.7% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $3,856
- +120.4% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $2,000
- Total assets
- $814,511
- +120.8% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- Missouri (40% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026.
How to apply to The Brethen Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The filing names David M. Brethen as the contact. It says there is no required form or format; an application should provide enough information for the trustee to assess the need and proposed use of funds and determine that the stated award restrictions will not be violated. Awards are limited to government entities for exclusively public purposes or qualifying organizations operated exclusively for religious, charitable, scientific, literacy, or educational purposes.
- Review Cycle
- The filing states there are no submission deadlines.
- Deadline
- The filing states there are no submission deadlines.
- Contact
Application contact: David M Brethen
Mailing address: 1359 Zepher Drive, Lenoir City, TN 37772-1476
Phone: (937) 287-6906
Email: dmbrethen@celstargroup.com
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Brethen Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Cardinal Glennon Childrens Foundation ($20K across 3 grants). Together the top 10 received $50K.
Grant Size Distribution
19 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 19 grants of 19 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s 2024 grant dollars went to recipients in Missouri (40%), Tennessee (24%), Virginia (23%), Ohio (11%), and Illinois (1%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
Cities
How The Brethen Foundation gives
- 10% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 174% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (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 2023 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $11K (2023) to $50K (2024). In 2024 it made 13 grants totaling $50K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Univeristy of Tennessee Foundation Knoxville, TN | Donation for Academic Achievement | $10,000 |
| Cardinal Glennon Childrens Foundation St. Louis, MO | Donation to Support Patient Care | $10,000 |
| Cardinal Glennon Childrens Foundation St. Louis, MO | Donation to Support Patient Care | $10,000 |
| NRA Foundation Inc Fairfax, VA | Donation to Support Operations | $6,000 |
| Pelotonia Columbus, OH | Donation for Cancer Research | $5,000 |
| Toys for Tots Triangle, VA | Donations for Underprivileged Children | $5,000 |
| Smoky Mountain Service Dogs Loudon, TN | Donation to Support Dog Rescue and Care | $2,000 |
| Rikki's Refuge Animal Shelter Rapidan, VA | Donation to Support Animal Rescue and Care | $500 |
| Habitat for Humanity Dayton, OH | Donation to Support Operations | $500 |
| American Alzheimer's Association Chicago, IL | Donation for Alzheimers Research | $500 |
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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 | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $814,511 | $409,477 | $55,430 | $50,134 | 13 | $50,134 | $4,409 | $28,743 |
| 2023 | $368,922 | $345,833 | $15,878 | $10,500 | 6 | $10,500 | $1,695 | $7,964 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Brethen Foundation reported a distributable amount of $29K 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
The foundation’s filing does not state a mission. Its 2024 grants included support for health care and patient care, cancer research, academic achievement, children, animal rescue and care, and organizational operations.
Among its grantees, Cardinal Glennon Children’s Foundation describes its mission as revealing “the healing presence of God” through health care services. Pelotonia says it works to engage and inspire a community committed to accelerating innovative cancer research. Smoky Mountain Service Dogs describes its work as training and providing mobility assistance dogs to disabled veterans.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 13 grants totaling $50,134. Grant amounts ranged from $119 to $10,000, with a median grant of $2,000.
Notable grants included $10,000 to the University of Tennessee Foundation for academic achievement; two $10,000 grants to Cardinal Glennon Children’s Foundation for patient care; $6,000 to NRA Foundation Inc. to support operations; $5,000 to Pelotonia for cancer research; and $5,000 to Toys for Tots for underprivileged children. Other reported awards included $2,000 to Smoky Mountain Service Dogs for dog rescue and care, and $500 to Habitat for Humanity to support operations.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists David M. Brethen and Colleen G. Brethen as directors.
The Brethen Foundation's 2024 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Colleen G. Brethen
Director
On filings since 2023
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
David M. Brethen
Director
On filings since 2023
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2023–2024. "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 The Brethen Foundation
How much does The Brethen Foundation give each year?
The Brethen Foundation gave $50K across 13 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $11K across 6 grants.
What is The Brethen Foundation's typical grant size?
The Brethen Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $2,000, and its average grant was $3,856, across 13 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Brethen Foundation give grants?
The Brethen Foundation's top state is Missouri, with 40% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Tennessee (24%) and Virginia (23%). The most frequent recipient cities were St. Louis, MO (3 grants) and Loudon, TN (2 grants).
Does The Brethen Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 13 grants with a stated purpose on The Brethen Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Donation to Support Patient Care" (3 grants).
Who are The Brethen Foundation's largest grantees?
The Brethen Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Cardinal Glennon Childrens Foundation ($20,275 across 3 grants), The Univeristy of Tennessee Foundation ($10,000) and NRA Foundation Inc ($6,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 72% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Brethen Foundation?
The Brethen Foundation reported $815K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $50K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $29K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Brethen Foundation fund?
The foundation’s filing does not state a mission. Its 2024 grants included support for health care and patient care, cancer research, academic achievement, children, animal rescue and care, and organizational operations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Brethen Foundation?
The filing names David M. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Brethen Foundation's EIN?
The Brethen Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 88-4398160. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2023–2024.
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 2023–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Brethen Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-brethen-foundation-morg_42eb3cecfb574206bdd1dc3b287491f6
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_884398160_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Brethen Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-brethen-foundation-morg_42eb3cecfb574206bdd1dc3b287491f6},
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 The Brethen 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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