The Ellen C Lawson Foundation

Private foundation · Grantmaker Franklin, TN EIN: 36-5063276

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.

Key facts about The Ellen C Lawson Foundation

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.

EIN
36-5063276
Latest 990 filing
Form 990-PF, 2024
Annual giving (2024)
$117,000
Grants made (2024)
12
Average grant
$9,750
Median grant
$8,000
Total assets
$8,476,434
Primary geography
Tennessee (100% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
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. Full details ↓

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$8.5M

+20.0% YoY

Annual Giving

$117K

Grant Count

12

Avg Grant Size

$10K

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.

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.

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.

How to Apply

The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.

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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

1state

Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 12 itemized grants.

States

Cities

NashvilleAntioch

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$50K$100K$150K0 grants2023 12 grants2024

In 2024 it made 12 grants totaling $117K.

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Cathedral of the Incarnation: $30KCathedral of the Incarnation$30KBackfield in Motion: $8KBackfield in Motion$8KHomework Hotline: $8KHomework Hotline$8KJunior Achievement: $8KJunior Achievement$8KExplore: $8KExplore$8KRocketshipdream Community Prep: $8KRocketshipdream Community Prep$8KWo Smith Music School: $8KWo Smith Music School$8KThe Land Trust: $8KThe Land Trust$8KStars: $8KStars$8KArts at the Airport: $8KArts at the Airport$8K

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

12<$50K$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 12 grants of 12 (100%).

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Cathedral of the Incarnation Nashville, TNMinistry Support$30,000
Backfield in Motion Nashville, TNEducational Programs$8,000
Homework Hotline Nashville, TNAcademic Support$8,000
Junior Achievement Nashville, TNEducational Programs$8,000
Explore Nashville, TNEducational Programming$8,000
Rocketshipdream Community Prep Antioch, TNEducational Programming$8,000
Wo Smith Music School Nashville, TNEducational Programming$8,000
The Land Trust Nashville, TNLand Preservation$8,000
Stars Nashville, TNSchool Based Programs$8,000
Arts at the Airport Nashville, TNPublic Art Programs$8,000

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Filing year Grants given Number of grants
2024 $117,000 12
Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$2.5M$5M$7.5M$10M2023 2024
Metric20242023
Total Assets$8,476,434$7,063,483
Revenue$1,685,683$7,602,212
Expenses$221,621$24,113
Qualifying Distributions$128,250—
Net Investment Income$752,657$434,113
Distributable Amount$400,650$111,082

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 14, 2024)
  2. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 18, 2025)
  3. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2023–2024

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

Jeff Williams — Secretary: $5KJeff WilliamsSecretary$5KAlex Fisch — Treasurer: $5KAlex FischTreasurer$5KBeth Torres — Board Chair: $5KBeth TorresBoard Chair$5KBen Wheeler — Board Member: $5KBen WheelerBoard Member$5KPam Bryant — President: $3KPam BryantPresident$3K

The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $5K, to Jeff Williams (Secretary). 5 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.

Contact

Mailing address: 226 Stonehaven Cir, Franklin, TN 37064
Phone: (615) 721-4909

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.

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