The Hacker and Kitty Caldwell
The Hacker and Kitty Caldwell is a private foundation based in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Its 2025 grants supported organizations working in areas including the arts, wetland conservation, education, community services, and religious life.
The Hacker and Kitty Caldwell at a glance
In short: The Hacker and Kitty Caldwell gave $169K across 27 grants in 2025 (avg $6K), mostly in Tennessee. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $168,504
- -54.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 27
- -50.9% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $6,241
- -6.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,000
- Total assets
- $173,752
- -59.5% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Tennessee (79% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to The Hacker and Kitty Caldwell
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Its filing requests a typed letter of request not exceeding two pages and lists no restrictions on awards.
- Contact
Application contact: L Hardwick Caldwell Iii
Mailing address: Suite 1400 Truist Building 736, Market Street, Chattanooga, TN 37402
Phone: (423) 267-1430
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Hacker and Kitty Caldwell funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Stove Works ($68K). Together the top 10 received $156K.
Grant Size Distribution
219 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 213 grants of 219 (97%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 grant dollars were concentrated in Tennessee (79%) and Ohio (14%). The filing also reports shares for Washington, DC (1%), Florida (1%), and Virginia (1%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 27 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How The Hacker and Kitty Caldwell gives
- 81% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 66% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (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 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $30K (2021) to $501K (2022). In 2025 it made 27 grants totaling $169K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Stove Works Chattanooga, TN | General Operations | $67,504 |
| Hunter Museum of American Art Chattanooga, TN | Lindy Hop | $42,500 |
| Winous Point Marsh Conservancy Port Clinton, OH | General Operations | $24,000 |
| McCallie School Chattanooga, TN | General Operations | $5,000 |
| Church of the Good Shepherd Lookout Mountain, TN | General Operations | $4,000 |
| Lookout Mountain School Lookout Mountain, TN | General Operations | $3,000 |
| Metropolitan Ministries Chattanooga, TN | General Operations | $2,500 |
| Smithsonian Institution Washington, DC | General Operations | $2,500 |
| Holy Trinity Episcopal Church West Palm Beach, FL | General Operations | $2,500 |
| A Step Ahead Chattanooga Chattanooga, TN | General Operations | $2,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $173,752 | $-39,077 | $183,516 | $168,504 | 27 | $178,952 | — | $14,508 |
| 2024 | $429,032 | $296,451 | $374,446 | $367,026 | 55 | $371,639 | $515 | $23,066 |
| 2023 | $498,982 | $363,750 | $485,425 | $450,027 | 58 | $455,359 | — | $27,072 |
| 2022 | $594,757 | $164,948 | $525,581 | $500,850 | 73 | $504,721 | $71,044 | $34,768 |
| 2021 | $1,156,226 | $98,199 | $39,657 | $30,250 | 6 | — | $73,642 | $49,733 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Hacker and Kitty Caldwell reported a distributable amount of $15K 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 formal mission statement is available in the information provided. The foundation’s grants show support for a range of organizations. For example, Stove Works says its mission is to provide artists with a venue for producing and exhibiting contemporary art and for education through art. The Hunter Museum of American Art says it collects, preserves, and presents American art and connects the community through educational and visitor-focused experiences. Winous Point Marsh Conservancy says it works to protect and steward wetlands and to advance wetland conservation, restoration, research, and education.
Other 2025 grantees describe missions that include community well-being and wraparound services (Metropolitan Ministries), increasing and sharing knowledge (Smithsonian Institution), inspiring children to explore and create (Creative Discovery Museum), and supporting girls’ development and leadership (Girls Preparatory School).
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 27 grants totaling $168,504. Grants ranged from $150 to $67,504, with a median grant of $1,000. The largest awards included $67,504 to Stove Works for general operations, $42,500 to the Hunter Museum of American Art for “LINDY HOP,” and $24,000 to Winous Point Marsh Conservancy for general operations. Other notable grants included $5,000 to McCallie School and $4,000 to Church of the Good Shepherd, both for general operations.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists L Hardwick Caldwell III as president and board member; Katherine S Caldwell as secretary and board member; and Katherine C Nevin, Charlotte H Caldwell, Elizabeth C Cake, and Joseph Hardwick Caldwell as board members.
The Hacker and Kitty Caldwell is led by L. Hardwick Caldwell III, President & Board Member on every filing since 2021; none of the 6 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
L. Hardwick Caldwell III
President & Board Member
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Charlotte H. Caldwell
Board Member
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Elizabeth C. Cake
Board Member
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Joseph Hardwick Caldwell
Board Member
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Katherine C. Nevin
Board Member
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Katherine S. Caldwell
Secretary & Board Member
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "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 Hacker and Kitty Caldwell
How much does The Hacker and Kitty Caldwell give each year?
The Hacker and Kitty Caldwell gave $169K across 27 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $367K across 55 grants.
What is The Hacker and Kitty Caldwell's typical grant size?
The Hacker and Kitty Caldwell's median grant in 2025 was $1,000, and its average grant was $6,241, across 27 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Hacker and Kitty Caldwell give grants?
The Hacker and Kitty Caldwell gives mostly in Tennessee: 79% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Ohio (14%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chattanooga, TN (11 grants) and Lookout Mountain, TN (2 grants).
Does The Hacker and Kitty Caldwell give general operating support?
Yes: 85% of The Hacker and Kitty Caldwell's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (23 of 27) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Hacker and Kitty Caldwell's largest grantees?
The Hacker and Kitty Caldwell's largest 2025 grantees include Stove Works ($67,504), Hunter Museum of American Art ($42,500) and Winous Point Marsh Conservancy ($24,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 80% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Hacker and Kitty Caldwell?
The Hacker and Kitty Caldwell reported $174K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $179K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $15K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Hacker and Kitty Caldwell fund?
No formal mission statement is available in the information provided. The foundation’s grants show support for a range of organizations. For example, Stove Works says its mission is to provide artists with a venue for producing and exhibiting contemporary art and for education through art. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Hacker and Kitty Caldwell?
The foundation 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 Hacker and Kitty Caldwell's EIN?
The Hacker and Kitty Caldwell's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-1245843. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
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 2021–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Hacker and Kitty Caldwell funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-hacker-and-kitty-caldwell-morg_b85c832072ad4f9d984f5949a1edb09e
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_201245843_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Hacker and Kitty Caldwell funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-hacker-and-kitty-caldwell-morg_b85c832072ad4f9d984f5949a1edb09e},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 Hacker and Kitty Caldwell'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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