The Community Foundation of Middle
The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee (CFMT) is a 501(c)(3) community foundation headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded in 1991 by civic leaders including Ellen Eskind Lehman, CFMT has grown into one of Tennessee's largest philanthropic organizations. The foundation connects donors with nonprofit organizations and community needs across Middle Tennessee and Southern Kentucky, providing customized philanthropic solutions and grantmaking services.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$832.0M
+21.8% YoY
Annual Giving
$107.1M
+79.3% YoY
Grant Count
2,450
+94.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$44K
-7.6% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission: Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee strives to build a more thriving and inclusive community—today and for generations to come—by transforming thoughtful generosity into positive change.
Core Values:
- Listen and Learn: Understanding "the why" and recognizing that every voice has meaning
- Ground the Work in Trust: Sharing information widely and communicating with kind and bold honesty
- Show Up for Each Other and the Community: Offering dependable support and being present
- Find the Good and Praise It: Recognizing unique gifts and connecting people with opportunities to thrive
Funding Areas:
- Arts & Culture
- Community Development
- Education
- Environment
- Health
- Social & Human Services
- Program Support
- Emergency Funds
Grantmaking
CFMT manages over 1,600 charitable funds and operates a donor-advised fund program, allowing donors to direct the distribution and investment of funds.
Grant Range
** $1,000 - $30,000 (Community Impact Grants average $22,000)
Review Cycle
- Recent major grants include $19.5 million to The Nashville Catalyst Fund for affordable housing, $5 million to Feeding America for disaster relief efforts, and $4.5 million to Montgomery Bell Academy for undesignated support
How to Apply
**
Ready to take the next step with The Community Foundation of Middle?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
CFMT serves 40 counties in Middle Tennessee and 3 counties in Southern Kentucky.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of 2024:
- Total Assets: $831,994,324
- Total Revenues: $239,914,601
- Total Expenses: $129,670,728
- Annual Giving: $60+ million (with record $103 million granted in 2024)
Historical Context: Since inception, the foundation has distributed over $1 billion to nonprofit organizations across Middle Tennessee and Southern Kentucky.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $831,994,324 | $683,009,799 | $563,085,962 |
| Revenue | $239,914,601 | $169,682,165 | $67,323,570 |
| Expenses | $129,670,728 | $87,243,890 | $70,636,592 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $23,008,968 | $20,527,269 | $8,465,920 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
250 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
97 open opportunities from The Community Foundation of Middle
A.D. and Peggy Hewlett and Colonel David R. Inman Medical Scholarship Grant
THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF MIDDLE
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Ann Buchanan Scholarship Fund Grant
THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF MIDDLE
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Archie Hartwell Nash Memorial Scholarship Fund Grant
THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF MIDDLE
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Austin Peay State University Foundation ($2,000,000), Palestine Childrens Relief Fund ($250,000), United Way of Greater Nashville ($200,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| DELTA WATERFOWL FOUNDATION | PREDATOR MANAGEMENT PROGRAM | $5,000 |
| PEOPLE'S CHURCHCHURCH OF THE CITY FRANKLIN, TN | ANNUAL YEAR END GIVING (ATTENDS COTC DOWNTOWN) | $10,000 |
| ELIZABETH'S CHILD CARE CLARKSVILLE, TN | FOR PROGRAM ENHANCEMENTS AND EQUIPMENT TO INCREASE CAPACITY, STRENGTHEN QUALITY AND PROMOTE COMPLIANCE WITH LICENSING STANDARDS | $5,000 |
| UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN FOUNDATION ANN ARBOR, MI | $5,000 DESIGNATED TO LAW SCHOOL AND $5,000 DESIGNATED TO NURSING SCHOOL (314007) | $10,000 |
| THE BEAT OF LIFE ANTIOCH, TN | FOR THE IMPACT YOUTH OUTREACH PROGRAM | $10,000 |
| WITTENBERG UNIVERSITY SPRINGFIELD, OH | 2024 SUPPORT | $10,000 |
| NASHVILLE OPERA ASSOCIATION NASHVILLE, TN | 2024 SUPPORT | $5,000 |
| CENTER FOR NONPROFIT EXCELLENCE OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE NASHVILLE, TN | SUPPORT OF BOARD FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN | $10,000 |
| BOYS AND GIRLS CLUBS OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE NASHVILLE, TN | ANNUAL DONATION TO THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUBS OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE | $5,000 |
| MONTEAGLE SUNDAY SCHOOL ASSEMBLY MONTEAGLE, TN | 2024 SUPPORT FOR ANNUAL FUND | $5,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
CEO: Hal Cato (succeeded founder Ellen Lehman in 2022)
Founder: Ellen Eskind Lehman
Staff: 58 employees (as of 2024)
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| HAL CATO | CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER | 50 | $263,822 |
| LYLE BEASLEY | BOARD CHAIR | 1.3 | — |
| CHRISTINE KARBOWIAK VANEK | VICE CHAIR | 1.3 | — |
| GAIL WILLIAMS | SECRETARY | 1.3 | — |
| MILTON JOHNSON | TREASURER | 1.3 | — |
| SARA FINLEY | CHAIR ELECT | 1.3 | — |
| WILL ALEXANDER | DIRECTOR | 1.3 | — |
| HARRY ALLEN | DIRECTOR | 1.3 | — |
| WAVERLY CRENSHAW JR | DIRECTOR | 1.3 | — |
| BETH DEBAUCHE | DIRECTOR | 1.3 | — |
| JIM GINGRICH | DIRECTOR | 1.3 | — |
| TREY HARWELL | DIRECTOR | 1.3 | — |
| JOHARI MATTHEWS | DIRECTOR | 1.3 | — |
| ANDY MAY | DIRECTOR | 1.3 | — |
| JIM MEADE | DIRECTOR | 1.3 | — |
| WILL MORROW | DIRECTOR | 1.3 | — |
| DR TURNER NASHE JR | DIRECTOR | 1.3 | — |
| PERRI DUGARD OWENS | DIRECTOR | 1.3 | — |
| LINDA REBROVICK | DIRECTOR | 1.3 | — |
| COURTNEY ROSS | DIRECTOR | 1.3 | — |
| DR PAUL STUMB | DIRECTOR | 1.3 | — |
| JAY WILLIAMS | DIRECTOR | 1.3 | — |
| ALAN YOUNG | DIRECTOR | 1.3 | — |
| DEBI TATE | TRUSTEE CO-CHAIR | 1.3 | — |
| JERRY WILLIAMS | TRUSTEE CO-CHAIR | 1.3 | — |
| JAMIE CHEEK | TRUSTEE | 1.3 | — |
| JANA DAVIS | TRUSTEE | 1.3 | — |
| SHARI DENNIS | TRUSTEE | 1.3 | — |
| FARZIN FERDOWSI | TRUSTEE | 1.3 | — |
| RAY GUZMAN | TRUSTEE | 1.3 | — |
| CARL HALEY | TRUSTEE | 1.3 | — |
| AUBREY HARWELL | TRUSTEE | 1.3 | — |
| CATHERINE JACKSON | TRUSTEE | 1.3 | — |
| DECOSTA JENKINS | TRUSTEE | 1.3 | — |
| KEVIN LAVENDER | TRUSTEE | 1.3 | — |
| ELLEN LEHMAN | TRUSTEE | 1.3 | — |
| ROBERT LIPMAN | TRUSTEE | 1.3 | — |
| DONNA NICELY | TRUSTEE | 1.3 | — |
| LARRY PAPEL | TRUSTEE | 1.3 | — |
| SUSAN SIMONS | TRUSTEE | 1.3 | — |
| CHARLIE TROST | TRUSTEE | 1.3 | — |
| JACK TURNER | TRUSTEE | 1.3 | — |
| BETSY WALKUP | TRUSTEE | 1.3 | — |
| JAMES MUNCH | CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER | 50 | $201,306 |
| BENJA HUTCHENS | VP OF HR AND ADMIN | 50 | $142,394 |
| KELLY WALBERG | VP OF COMMUNICATIONS | 50 | $134,022 |
| RONDAL RICHARDSON | SR ENTERTAIN. & DON. REL. | 50 | $130,764 |
| AMY FAIR | SR MGR PHILANTHROPIC RELAT | 50 | $133,939 |
| BELINDA DINWIDDIE-HAVRON END 1024 | DIR DONOR ENGAGEMENT (END 10/24) | 50 | $117,381 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
In 2024, CFMT achieved historic milestones with $223 million in contributions and $103 million in grants distributed to nonprofits across the region. The foundation has evolved its grantmaking approach under CEO Hal Cato's leadership to focus on deeper partnerships with fewer organizations, increasing the average grant size.
CFMT Awards 264 Grants Totaling $2,839,256 in 2024 Grant ...Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does The Community Foundation of Middle fund?
**Mission:** Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee strives to build a more thriving and inclusive community—today and for generations to come—by transforming thoughtful generosity into positive change. **Core Values:** • Listen and Learn: Understanding "the why" and recognizing that every voice has meaning • Ground the Work in Trust: Sharing information widely and communicating with kind and bold honesty • Show Up for Each Other and the Community: Offering dependable support and being present
How do I apply for a grant from The Community Foundation of Middle?
**Grant Range:** $1,000 - $30,000 (Community Impact Grants average $22,000) **Application Process:** • Application Window: July 1-31 annually • Decision Timeline: Approximately 3-4 months (July application to November notification) **Recent Activity:** • In 2024, CFMT achieved record-breaking numbers with $223 million contributed and $103 million granted to nonprofits—the largest single-year totals in their history • Awarded 264 grants totaling $2,839,256 in the 2024 grant cycle • Recent major …
Where does The Community Foundation of Middle make grants?
CFMT serves 40 counties in Middle Tennessee and 3 counties in Southern Kentucky.
What size grants does The Community Foundation of Middle award?
In 2024, The Community Foundation of Middle awarded 2,450 grants totaling $107.1M — an average of about $44K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
What is The Community Foundation of Middle's EIN?
The Community Foundation of Middle's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 62-1471789. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Community Foundation of Middle's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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