The Ellen C Lawson Foundation
The Ellen C Lawson Foundation is a private foundation based in Franklin, Tennessee. Its 2024 filing reports grants to 12 organizations, all in Tennessee, for purposes including ministry support, education, academic support, land preservation, arts, and parks.
The Ellen C Lawson Foundation at a glance
In short: The Ellen C Lawson Foundation gave $117K across 12 grants in 2024 (avg $10K), mostly in Tennessee. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $117,000
- Grants made (2024)
- 12
- Average grant
- $9,750
- Median grant
- $8,000
- Total assets
- $8,476,434
- +20.0% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- Tennessee (100% 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 Ellen C Lawson Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 226 Stonehaven Cir, Franklin, TN 37064
Phone: (615) 721-4909
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Ellen C Lawson Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Cathedral of the Incarnation ($30K). Together the top 10 received $102K.
Grant Size Distribution
12 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 12 grants of 12 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars reported for 2024 went to recipients in Tennessee. The listed recipients were in Nashville or Antioch.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 12 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How The Ellen C Lawson Foundation gives
- In 2024 it paid out 32% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
In 2024 it made 12 grants totaling $117K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Cathedral of the Incarnation Nashville, TN | Ministry Support | $30,000 |
| Backfield in Motion Nashville, TN | Educational Programs | $8,000 |
| Homework Hotline Nashville, TN | Academic Support | $8,000 |
| Junior Achievement Nashville, TN | Educational Programs | $8,000 |
| Explore Nashville, TN | Educational Programming | $8,000 |
| Rocketshipdream Community Prep Antioch, TN | Educational Programming | $8,000 |
| Wo Smith Music School Nashville, TN | Educational Programming | $8,000 |
| The Land Trust Nashville, TN | Land Preservation | $8,000 |
| Stars Nashville, TN | School Based Programs | $8,000 |
| Arts at the Airport Nashville, TN | Public Art Programs | $8,000 |
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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 | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $8,476,434 | $1,685,683 | $221,621 | $117,000 | 12 | $128,250 | $752,657 | $400,650 |
| 2023 | $7,063,483 | $7,602,212 | $24,113 | — | — | — | $434,113 | $111,082 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Ellen C Lawson Foundation reported a distributable amount of $401K 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 mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included educational and academic programs, school-based programs, ministry support, land preservation, public art, visual art, and park support.
Among its grantees, Backfield in Motion describes its work as providing academic programs, homework assistance, tutoring, and athletic and recreational activities for low-income boys. Homework Hotline describes its mission as providing free one-on-one tutoring by phone to Tennessee students and their parents. Centennial Park Conservancy describes its work as supporting Metro Parks in revitalizing and activating Nashville’s Centennial Park for recreation, culture, education, and community connection.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation gave 12 grants totaling $117,000. Grants ranged from $7,000 to $30,000, with a median of $8,000. The largest was $30,000 to Cathedral of the Incarnation in Nashville for ministry support. Other listed grants included $8,000 each to Backfield in Motion, Homework Hotline, Junior Achievement, Explore, RocketshipDream Community Prep, WO Smith Music School, The Land Trust, STARS, Arts at the Airport, and Centennial Park Conservancy; Buchanon Arts Center received $7,000 for visual art programming.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Pam Bryant as president, Jeff Williams as secretary, Alex Fisch as treasurer, Beth Torres as board chair, and Ben Wheeler as a board member.
The Ellen C Lawson Foundation is led by Pam Bryant, President on every filing since 2023; all 5 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Pam Bryant
President
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
$3K (2024)
Beth Torres
Board Chair
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
$5K (2024)
Alex Fisch
Treasurer
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
$5K (2024)
Ben Wheeler
Board Member
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
$5K (2024)
Jeff Williams
Secretary
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
$5K (2024)
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $5K, to Jeff Williams (Secretary). 5 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The Ellen C Lawson Foundation
How much does The Ellen C Lawson Foundation give each year?
The Ellen C Lawson Foundation gave $117K across 12 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
What is The Ellen C Lawson Foundation's typical grant size?
The Ellen C Lawson Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $8,000, and its average grant was $9,750, across 12 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Ellen C Lawson Foundation give grants?
The Ellen C Lawson Foundation gives mostly in Tennessee: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Nashville, TN (11 grants).
Does The Ellen C Lawson Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 12 grants with a stated purpose on The Ellen C Lawson Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Educational Programming" (3 grants).
Who are The Ellen C Lawson Foundation's largest grantees?
The Ellen C Lawson Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Cathedral of the Incarnation ($30,000), Backfield in Motion ($8,000) and Homework Hotline ($8,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 39% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Ellen C Lawson Foundation?
The Ellen C Lawson Foundation reported $8.5M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $128K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $401K (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 Ellen C Lawson Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included educational and academic programs, school-based programs, ministry support, land preservation, public art, visual art, and park support. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Ellen C Lawson Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Ellen C Lawson Foundation's EIN?
The Ellen C Lawson Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-5063276. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2023–2024.
Does The Ellen C Lawson Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 18, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2023–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Ellen C Lawson Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-ellen-c-lawson-foundation-morg_e0e7581440be4e9ea689acca71afcede
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_365063276_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Ellen C Lawson Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-ellen-c-lawson-foundation-morg_e0e7581440be4e9ea689acca71afcede},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-24. 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 Ellen C Lawson 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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