The Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga Inc
The Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga Inc is a public charity based in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Founded in 1963, it connects donors with causes and supports scholarships, grants, and impact investing aimed at community needs and lasting change.
The Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga Inc at a glance
In short: The Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga Inc gave $25.8M across 810 grants in 2024 (avg $32K). 24% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $25,778,536
- +15.7% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 810
- +26.4% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $31,825
- -8.5% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $245,328,670
- +8.3% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 24% first-time grantees (83 of 348, 2024)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga Inc
- Invitation Only
-
Contact the Community Investment team to discuss a proposal idea. Staff will email an application invitation and follow up after reviewing the application.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1400 Williams Street, Chattanooga, TN 37408
Phone: (423) 265-0586
Website: https://cfgc.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from The Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga Inc
Who The Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was YMCA of Metropolitan Chattanooga ($1.6M across 7 grants). Together the top 10 received $9.0M.
Organizations only. It also paid 5 individual scholarships ($51,500), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
4,543 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 4,119 grants of 4,543 (91%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation is based in Chattanooga and describes its work as serving Chattanooga and surrounding counties. For the Fund for Chattanooga’s community grantmaking, organizations primarily serving Hamilton County residents are eligible to apply.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Is The Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga Inc open to new grantees?
24%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 83 of 348 grantees (24%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $22K; repeat grants $90K. How we count
Medians: $12K first-time, $26K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2020–2024). 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 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $19.4M (2022) to $25.8M (2024). In 2024 it made 810 grants totaling $25.8M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| General Conference of Seventh Day Adventists | Donor Advised Fund | $1,100,000 |
| North Atlantic Salmon Fund | Unrestricted | $951,303 |
| YMCA of Metropolitan Chattanooga | Unrestricted | $803,554 |
| Community Foundation of Cleveland and Bradley County | Donor Advised Fund | $700,000 |
| YMCA of Metropolitan Chattanooga | Capital Campaign | $650,000 |
| Sweet Briar Institute | Reunion Gift | $600,000 |
| Skyuka Hall | Unrestricted | $554,000 |
| United Way of Greater Chattanooga | Unrestricted | $527,102 |
| Sweet Briar Institute | Unrestricted | $502,500 |
| Community Foundation of Northwest Georgia Inc | Donor Advised Fund | $500,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga Inc?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $245,328,670 | $48,049,930 | $31,066,028 | $25,778,536 | 810 | $18,556,626 |
| 2023 | $226,608,341 | $40,039,198 | $29,127,013 | $22,287,115 | 641 | $17,643,273 |
| 2022 | $209,491,622 | $43,156,399 | $26,150,391 | $19,442,619 | 624 | $16,712,714 |
| 2021 | $242,437,300 | $52,106,763 | $26,114,909 | $20,174,212 | 670 | $13,516,947 |
| 2020 | $203,018,326 | $41,204,298 | $21,658,526 | $20,914,221 | 1,798 | $14,054,738 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s mission is to transform generosity into lasting change toward “a prosperous and just Chattanooga where all can thrive and achieve their full potential.”
Its stated areas of support include scholarships; affordable housing and shelter; mental wellbeing; access to affordable healthcare; workforce development; educational, civic, and cultural programs; and addressing hunger. Its community investment materials also describe support for work that addresses root causes and inequity while responding to the needs of vulnerable neighbors.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation reported 810 grants totaling $25,778,536. Grant amounts ranged from $50 to $1,100,000, with a median of $10,000.
Among the largest reported grants were $1,100,000 to General Conference of Seventh Day Adventists for a donor-advised fund; $951,303 to North Atlantic Salmon Fund for unrestricted support; $803,554 to YMCA of Metropolitan Chattanooga for unrestricted support; and $700,000 to Community Foundation of Cleveland and Bradley County for a donor-advised fund. Other large grants included $650,000 to YMCA of Metropolitan Chattanooga for a capital campaign and $527,102 to United Way of Greater Chattanooga for unrestricted support.
The Fund for Chattanooga’s community grantmaking page identifies affordable housing, health and wellness, and workforce development as priorities and says organizations primarily serving Hamilton County residents are eligible to apply. The foundation describes a process in which applicants first discuss a proposal idea with staff; staff may then invite them to complete an application and follow up after review. A separate program description says the foundation is offering unrestricted grants of up to $30,000, but does not specify eligibility details.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Dallas Joseph as Chair, Dr. Ruth Liu as Chair Elect, Cheryl Key and Lorie Runge as Vice Chairs, Skip Schwartz as Treasurer, and Charlie Brock as Ex-Officio Chair. It also lists Andrea Hardaway, Ben Brown, Chris McKee, and Daniela Peterson as directors. The foundation’s website identifies Maeghan Jones as its President.
The Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga Inc is led by Maeghan Jones, President & CEO since 2022 (on filings since 2020); 4 of 20 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Maeghan Jones
President & CEO
President → President & CEO, 2022
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$184K (2020) → $222K (2024)
Charlie Brock
Ex-Officio Chair
Director → Chair, 2022
Chair → Ex-Officio Chair, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Dallas Joseph
Chair
Vice Chair → Chair, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ben Brown
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Daniela Peterson
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Dave Bhattacharya
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Andrea Hardaway
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Gene Geiger
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Le Andrea Ware
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Chris McKee
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Martha Leiper
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tejani Niti
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Caroline Von Kessler
Vice President of Philanthropy
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$113K (2023) → $120K (2024)
Rebecca Underwood
Vice President of Finance & Administration
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$144K (2023) → $144K (2024)
Quentin Lawrence
Vice President & Community Investment
New on the 2024 filing
40 hrs/week
$100K (2024)
Ansley Moses
Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Cheryl Key
Vice Chair
Director → Vice Chair, 2021
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lorie Runge
Vice Chair
Director → Treasurer, 2021
Treasurer → Vice Chair, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ruth Liu
Chair Elect
Director → Vice Chair, 2022
Vice Chair → Chair Elect, 2024
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Skip Schwartz
Treasurer
Director → Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (11)
- Former: Greg Willett (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Ray Ryan (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Rondell Crier (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Shewanee Howard-Baptiste (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Marisa Ogles (2023) — Senior Director of Donor Services
- Former: Barry Large (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Julie Stowe (2020–2021) — Ex-Officio
- Former: Silvia Ramos (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Elizabeth Williams (2020) — Vice Chair
- Former: Gladys Pineda (2020) — Director
- Former: Travis Lytle (2020) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $222K, to Maeghan Jones (President and CEO). 4 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga Inc
How much does The Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga Inc give each year?
The Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga Inc gave $25.8M across 810 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $22.3M across 641 grants.
What is The Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga Inc's typical grant size?
The Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga Inc's median grant in 2024 was $10,000, and its average grant was $31,825, across 810 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga Inc that year got $22K on average.
Does The Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 40% of The Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga Inc's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (321 of 810) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990. Recurring purposes include "Capital Campaign" (13 grants), "Land, Building, and Equipment" (6 grants) and "Annual Campaign" (6 grants).
Who are The Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga Inc's largest grantees?
The Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga Inc's largest 2024 grantees include YMCA of Metropolitan Chattanooga ($1,565,554 across 7 grants), Sweet Briar Institute ($1,127,500 across 3 grants) and General Conference of Seventh Day Adventists ($1,100,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. It also paid 5 individual scholarships ($51,500), which are not listed by name. Together they received 15% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga Inc?
The Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga Inc reported $245.3M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $48.0M.
What does The Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga Inc fund?
The foundation’s mission is to transform generosity into lasting change toward “a prosperous and just Chattanooga where all can thrive and achieve their full potential.” See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga Inc?
Contact the Community Investment team to discuss a proposal idea. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
Where does The Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga Inc make grants?
The foundation is based in Chattanooga and describes its work as serving Chattanooga and surrounding counties. For the Fund for Chattanooga’s community grantmaking, organizations primarily serving Hamilton County residents are eligible to apply.
What is The Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga Inc's EIN?
The Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 62-6045999. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 11, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 10, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 14, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 13, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
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