The Goodfriend Foundation
The Goodfriend Foundation is a private foundation based in Knoxville, Tennessee. It gave $726,750 through 13 grants in 2025, supporting charitable organizations in Tennessee and California.
The Goodfriend Foundation at a glance
In short: The Goodfriend Foundation gave $727K across 13 grants in 2025 (avg $56K), mostly in Tennessee. 15% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $726,750
- +49.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 13
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $55,904
- +49.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $20,000
- Total assets
- $3,104,943
- -8.4% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 15% first-time grantees (2 of 13, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Tennessee (93% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Goodfriend Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 22726, Knoxville, TN 37933
Phone: (865) 692-6294
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Goodfriend Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Tennessee Wesleyan University ($388K). Together the top 10 received $721K.
Grant Size Distribution
67 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 48 grants of 67 (72%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 93% of grant dollars went to recipients in Tennessee and 7% to recipients in California.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Goodfriend Foundation open to new grantees?
15%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 2 of 13 grantees (15%) were first-time recipients. With only 13 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $6K; repeat grants $65K. How we count
Medians: $6K first-time, $25K repeat.
- 85% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 116% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 467% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $337K (2022) to $727K (2025). In 2025 it made 13 grants totaling $727K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Tennessee Wesleyan University Athens, TN | Support Business School at TWU | $387,500 |
| Univ of Tennessee Foundation Knoxville, TN | Goodfriend Tennis Reno | $110,000 |
| United Way of Greater Knoxville Knoxville, TN | General Support for Mission | $50,000 |
| East Tennessee Children's Hospital Knoxville, TN | Buildings/Imprvt to Facilities | $50,000 |
| Knoxville Jewish Alliance Knoxville, TN | General Support for Mission | $36,000 |
| Jewish Federation of the Desert Rancho Mirage, CA | General Support for Mission - Religi | $25,250 |
| Rancho Mirage Writers Festival Rancho Mirage, CA | General Support | $20,000 |
| United Way of McMinnmeigs Counties Athens, TN | General Support for Mission | $17,500 |
| Temple Beth-El Knoxville, TN | Gen Support for Mission - Religious | $15,000 |
| Lady Vol Booster Club Inc Knoxville, TN | General Purposes | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Goodfriend Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $3,104,943 | $481,634 | $767,761 | $726,750 | 13 | $726,750 | $481,634 | $155,614 |
| 2024 | $3,391,070 | $737,433 | $524,282 | $485,500 | 13 | $485,500 | $91,906 | $199,514 |
| 2023 | $3,177,919 | $332,153 | $470,550 | $434,325 | 14 | $434,325 | $85,616 | $190,794 |
| 2022 | $3,316,316 | $-32,527 | $375,214 | $337,000 | 15 | $337,000 | $85,413 | $154,475 |
| 2021 | $3,724,057 | $130,044 | $629,963 | $592,600 | 12 | $592,600 | $68,360 | $216,404 |
| 2020 | $4,223,976 | $201,349 | $746,734 | $707,000 | 14 | — | $34,154 | $296,551 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Goodfriend Foundation reported a distributable amount of $156K for 2025 — 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 2025 grants included support for a university business school, a university tennis facility, community and children’s health organizations, Jewish organizations, and a writers festival.
The grantees describe their own work in varied terms: Tennessee Wesleyan University says it provides education and prepares students for leadership and service; United Way of Greater Knoxville says it strengthens communities and addresses systemic issues; East Tennessee Children’s Hospital describes itself as a regional pediatric health care system; Knoxville Jewish Alliance says it serves Jewish people locally and worldwide; and Rancho Mirage Writers Festival says it organizes an annual festival for writers and readers.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation awarded 13 grants totaling $726,750. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $387,500, with a median of $20,000.
The largest reported grants were $387,500 to Tennessee Wesleyan University for support of its business school; $110,000 to the University of Tennessee Foundation for “GOODFRIEND TENNIS RENO”; $50,000 each to United Way of Greater Knoxville for general mission support and East Tennessee Children’s Hospital for facility improvements; and $36,000 to Knoxville Jewish Alliance for general mission support. Other listed awards included $25,250 to Jewish Federation of the Desert, $20,000 to Rancho Mirage Writers Festival, and $17,500 to United Way of McMinnmeigs Counties.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Robert M Goodfriend, Wendy S Goodfriend, Jeffrey A Goodfriend, Stacey G Hodulich, Harold I Apolisky, and Leigh A Kaylor as directors.
The Goodfriend Foundation's 2025 filing lists 6 officers; none of the 6 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Harold I. Apolisky
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Jeffrey A. Goodfriend
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Leigh A. Kaylor
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Robert M. Goodfriend
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Stacey G. Hodulich
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Wendy S. Goodfriend
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 Goodfriend Foundation
How much does The Goodfriend Foundation give each year?
The Goodfriend Foundation gave $727K across 13 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $486K across 13 grants.
What is The Goodfriend Foundation's typical grant size?
The Goodfriend Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $20,000, and its average grant was $55,904, across 13 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Goodfriend Foundation that year got $6K on average.
Where does The Goodfriend Foundation give grants?
The Goodfriend Foundation gives mostly in Tennessee: 93% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was California (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Knoxville, TN (7 grants), Rancho Mirage, CA (4 grants) and Athens, TN (2 grants).
Does The Goodfriend Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 69% of The Goodfriend Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (9 of 13) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Goodfriend Foundation's largest grantees?
The Goodfriend Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Tennessee Wesleyan University ($387,500), Univ of Tennessee Foundation ($110,000) and United Way of Greater Knoxville ($50,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 75% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Goodfriend Foundation?
The Goodfriend Foundation reported $3.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $727K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $156K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Goodfriend Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for a university business school, a university tennis facility, community and children’s health organizations, Jewish organizations, and a writers festival. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Goodfriend Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Goodfriend Foundation's EIN?
The Goodfriend Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-3791086. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Goodfriend 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
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 8, 2024)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 12, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Browse active grant opportunities in The Goodfriend Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Goodfriend Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 4, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-goodfriend-foundation-morg_bae65acf785145a1b8e0f354a5616010
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_203791086_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Goodfriend Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-goodfriend-foundation-morg_bae65acf785145a1b8e0f354a5616010},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-04. 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 Goodfriend 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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