The Danner Foundation
The Danner Foundation is a private foundation located in Nashville, Tennessee. Its 2024 filing reports 30 grants totaling $444,500, supporting organizations including environmental, youth, arts, education, and community-service nonprofits.
The Danner Foundation at a glance
In short: The Danner Foundation gave $445K across 30 grants in 2024 (avg $15K), mostly in Tennessee. 13% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $444,500
- -13.8% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 30
- -9.1% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $14,817
- -5.2% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $8,131,670
- -2.5% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 13% first-time grantees (4 of 30, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Tennessee (89% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Danner Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. No specific form is required. An application should include a general description of the requesting organization, a statement explaining how it proposes to use the requested grant, and a copy of its IRS determination letter. The filing states that there are no restrictions on awards.
- Contact
Application contact: Raymond L Danner Jr
Mailing address: 1211 16Th Avenue S, Nashville, TN 37212
Phone: (615) 242-2000
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Danner Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Harpeth Conservancy ($50K). Together the top 10 received $325K.
Grant Size Distribution
193 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 184 grants of 193 (95%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 89% of grant dollars went to recipients in Tennessee, 9% to recipients in Texas, and 2% to recipients in Alabama.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 30 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Danner Foundation open to new grantees?
13%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 4 of 30 grantees (13%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $21K; repeat grants $14K. How we count
Medians: $20K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 63% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+16%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 91% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF 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 $384K (2021) to $516K (2023). In 2024 it made 30 grants totaling $445K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Harpeth Conservancy Brentwood, TN | $25,000 for General Purposes and $25,000 for Dorie Bolze Fund | $50,000 |
| YMCA Nashville and Middle Tennessee Nashville, TN | General Purposes | $50,000 |
| Hub Youth Cycling Incorporated Pegram, TN | General Purposes | $40,000 |
| Pediatrics Plus Community Connections Frisco, TX | General purposes | $40,000 |
| Nashville Urban Debate League Nashville, TN | General purposes | $30,000 |
| Middle Tennessee Council BSA Nashville, TN | Scoutreach program | $25,000 |
| Tennessee Performing Arts Center Nashville, TN | General Purposes | $25,000 |
| Harpeth Youth Cycling Inc Nashville, TN | General Purposes | $25,000 |
| Big Brothers Big Sisters Middle Tennessee Nashville, TN | General purposes | $20,000 |
| Williamson County Rescue Squad Franklin, TN | $10,000 for general purposes and $10,000 for the House Fund | $20,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Danner Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists 30 grants; the foundation reported 33 in 2023 and 54 in 2022.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $8,131,670 | $330,295 | $523,933 | $444,500 | 30 | $444,500 | $332,221 | $487,693 |
| 2023 | $8,343,607 | $302,807 | $590,729 | $515,650 | 33 | $515,650 | $236,611 | $441,066 |
| 2022 | $8,619,788 | $382,188 | $572,670 | $496,650 | 54 | $496,650 | $324,414 | $456,288 |
| 2021 | $8,797,274 | $753,728 | $498,855 | $384,105 | 38 | $389,005 | $639,074 | $518,331 |
| 2020 | $8,542,399 | $300,850 | $527,975 | $421,270 | 38 | — | $199,385 | $429,764 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Danner Foundation reported a distributable amount of $488K 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
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for a range of organizations. For example, Harpeth Conservancy describes its mission as restoring and protecting clean water and healthy river ecosystems in Tennessee, while Williamson County Rescue Squad says it provides firefighting and rescue services for county residents. Arts grantees include Nashville Symphony Association, whose stated mission is to inspire and engage the community through live orchestral music, and Nashville Ballet, which says it creates, performs, teaches, and promotes dance. Education-related grantees include PENCIL Foundation, which describes its work as linking community resources to Metro Nashville Public Schools to support students’ academic success and preparation for life.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 30 grants totaling $444,500. Individual grants ranged from $1,000 to $50,000, with a median of $10,000. Among the largest awards were $50,000 to Harpeth Conservancy and $50,000 to YMCA Nashville and Middle Tennessee; $40,000 each to Hub Youth Cycling Incorporated and Pediatrics Plus Community Connections; and $30,000 to Nashville Urban Debate League. Other notable awards included $25,000 each to Middle Tennessee Council BSA, Tennessee Performing Arts Center, and Harpeth Youth Cycling Inc.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Raymond L Danner Jr as Director and President, Gail Greil as Director, and Claiborne K McLemore III as Secretary.
The Danner Foundation is led by Raymond L Danner Jr., Director & President on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Raymond L Danner Jr.
Director & President
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Gail Greil
Director
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Claiborne K McLemore III
Secretary
On filings since 2022
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Judith B Danner (2020–2022) — Chairman & Vice President
- Former: Justin Luckett (2020–2021) — Secretary
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.
Frequently asked questions about The Danner Foundation
How much does The Danner Foundation give each year?
The Danner Foundation gave $445K across 30 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $516K across 33 grants.
What is The Danner Foundation's typical grant size?
The Danner Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $10,000, and its average grant was $14,817, across 30 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Danner Foundation that year got $21K on average.
Where does The Danner Foundation give grants?
The Danner Foundation gives mostly in Tennessee: 89% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Texas (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were Nashville, TN (23 grants) and Franklin, TN (3 grants).
Does The Danner Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 93% of The Danner Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (28 of 30) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Danner Foundation's largest grantees?
The Danner Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Harpeth Conservancy ($50,000), YMCA Nashville and Middle Tennessee ($50,000) and Hub Youth Cycling Incorporated ($40,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 31% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Danner Foundation?
The Danner Foundation reported $8.1M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $445K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $488K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does The Danner Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for a range of organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Danner Foundation?
The foundation states that it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Danner Foundation's EIN?
The Danner Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 58-1803926. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
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 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Danner Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-danner-foundation-morg_486548cba76d47e8bf3398188ee0e881
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_581803926_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Danner Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-danner-foundation-morg_486548cba76d47e8bf3398188ee0e881},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. 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 Danner 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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