The Hartley Foundation
The Hartley Foundation is a private foundation based in Wilmington, Delaware. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, including organizations working on land conservation, outdoor recreation, basic needs, family housing, river stewardship, and music education.
The Hartley Foundation at a glance
In short: The Hartley Foundation gave $46K across 19 grants in 2025 (avg $2K), mostly in Tennessee. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $45,500
- +18.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 19
- -13.6% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $2,395
- +36.8% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,000
- Total assets
- $1,049,348
- +0.9% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Tennessee (63% 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 Hartley 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: Foundation Source 501 Silverside Rd, Wilmington, DE 19809-1377
Phone: (800) 839-1754
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Hartley Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Reflection Riding Arboretum and Nature Center ($10K). Together the top 10 received $39K.
Grant Size Distribution
41 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 41 grants of 41 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 grant dollars went to recipients in Tennessee (63%), Montana (18%), North Carolina (13%), Iowa (4%), and Illinois (2%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 19 itemized grants.
Cities
How The Hartley Foundation gives
- 72% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 96% 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 (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 2024 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $39K (2024) to $46K (2025). In 2025 it made 19 grants totaling $46K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Reflection Riding Arboretum and Nature Center Chattanooga, TN | General & Unrestricted | $10,000 |
| All Saints in Big Sky Big Sky, MT | General & Unrestricted | $5,000 |
| Tennessee River Gorge Trust Inc Chattanooga, TN | General & Unrestricted | $5,000 |
| Lula Lake Land Trust Lookout Mountain, TN | General & Unrestricted | $3,000 |
| Southern Off Road Bicycle Association Skyland, NC | General & Unrestricted | $3,000 |
| The Pisgah Conservancy Brevard, NC | General & Unrestricted | $3,000 |
| Chatt Foundation Chattanooga, TN | General & Unrestricted | $2,000 |
| Episcopal Relief and Development Boone, IA | General & Unrestricted | $2,000 |
| Family Promise of Greater Chattanooga Inc Chattanooga, TN | General & Unrestricted | $2,000 |
| Gallatin River Task Force Big Sky, MT | General & Unrestricted | $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 | $1,049,348 | $84,040 | $74,215 | $45,500 | 19 | $55,867 | $67,092 | $58,136 |
| 2024 | $1,039,523 | $82,261 | $66,199 | $38,500 | 22 | $48,462 | $66,191 | $54,843 |
| 2023 | $1,023,461 | $47,333 | $23,538 | — | — | $9,484 | $113,710 | $49,537 |
| 2022 | $999,666 | $1,005,368 | $5,702 | — | — | $5,500 | $921 | $10,775 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Hartley Foundation reported a distributable amount of $58K 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 foundation mission statement is provided. Its listed 2025 grants show support for organizations with varied activities. For example, Lula Lake Land Trust describes its mission as preserving natural and historic landscapes around Rock Creek through conservation, education, and low-impact recreation. The Pisgah Conservancy says it works with the U.S. Forest Service to provide resources for Pisgah and its visitors.
Other grantees describe work that includes maintaining mountain-bike trails (Southern Off Road Bicycle Association), protecting and restoring the Gallatin River (Gallatin River Task Force), helping meet basic needs and support self-sufficiency in Chattanooga (CHATT Foundation), housing families with children (Family Promise of Greater Chattanooga), and developing boys’ lives through music education and performance (Chattanooga Boys Choir).
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 19 grants totaling $45,500. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $10,000, with a median of $2,000.
Among the larger listed grants were $10,000 to Reflection Riding Arboretum and Nature Center; $5,000 each to All Saints in Big Sky and Tennessee River Gorge Trust; and $3,000 each to Lula Lake Land Trust, Southern Off Road Bicycle Association, and The Pisgah Conservancy. These grants were designated “General & Unrestricted,” except for a separate $2,000 grant to Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association for its Raccoon Mountain trail fund.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Alicia Hartley as a director and William T Hartley as director, president, secretary, and treasurer.
The Hartley Foundation is led by William T Hartley, Director, President, Secretary & Treasurer on every filing since 2022; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
William T Hartley
Director, President, Secretary & Treasurer
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Alicia Hartley
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2022–2025. "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 Hartley Foundation
How much does The Hartley Foundation give each year?
The Hartley Foundation gave $46K across 19 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $39K across 22 grants.
What is The Hartley Foundation's typical grant size?
The Hartley Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $2,000, and its average grant was $2,395, across 19 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Hartley Foundation give grants?
The Hartley Foundation gives mostly in Tennessee: 63% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Montana (18%) and North Carolina (13%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chattanooga, TN (9 grants), Big Sky, MT (3 grants) and Lookout Mountain, TN (2 grants).
Does The Hartley Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 89% of The Hartley Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (17 of 19) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Hartley Foundation's largest grantees?
The Hartley Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Reflection Riding Arboretum and Nature Center ($10,000), All Saints in Big Sky ($5,000) and Southern Off Road Bicycle Association ($5,000 across 2 grants), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 44% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Hartley Foundation?
The Hartley Foundation reported $1.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $56K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $58K (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 Hartley Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its listed 2025 grants show support for organizations with varied activities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Hartley 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 Hartley Foundation's EIN?
The Hartley Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 88-3687668. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2022–2025.
Does The Hartley 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
(5)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 5, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS July 11, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS October 9, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 12, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2022–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Hartley Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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