The Joel C & Bernice W Gordon Family

Private foundation · Grantmaker Nashville, TN EIN: 62-1306906

The Joel C & Bernice W Gordon Family is a private foundation based in Nashville, Tennessee. Its 2026 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, all of which were in Tennessee.

Key facts about The Joel C & Bernice W Gordon Family

In short: The Joel C & Bernice W Gordon Family gave $193K across 19 grants in 2026 (avg $10K), mostly in Tennessee. 11% of 2026 grantees were new. Source: 2026 IRS Form 990-PF.

EIN
62-1306906
Latest 990 filing
Form 990-PF, 2026
Annual giving (2026)
$193,436
Grants made (2026)
19
Average grant
$10,181
Median grant
$2,500
New grantees (estimate)
11% first-time grantees (2 of 19, 2026; small sample)
Total assets
$1,834,474
Primary geography
Tennessee (100% of itemized 2026 grant dollars)
Accepts unsolicited proposals
No
How to apply
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds; it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Full details ↓

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2026; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Financial Overview

From 2026 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$1.8M

-3.4% YoY

Annual Giving

$193K

-41.5% YoY

Grant Count

19

-29.6% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$10K

-16.8% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Joel C & Bernice W Gordon Family reported a distributable amount of $203K for 2026 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Is The Joel C & Bernice W Gordon Family open to new grantees?

11%

first-time grantees, 2026

In 2026, 2 of 19 grantees (11%) were first-time recipients. With only 19 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $1K; repeat grants $11K. How we count

Medians: $1K first-time, $6K repeat.

  • 79% of 2026 grantees were also funded in 2025. Method
  • Giving held roughly steady from 2023 to 2026 (−6%). Method
  • In 2026 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 (2021–2026). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. 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 2026 grants include support for religious and community organizations, schools, arts and cultural organizations, and other Nashville-area nonprofits.

Some grantees describe their work as presenting exhibitions and educational programs (Frist Art Museum), inspiring discovery of the natural world through conservation and animal care (Nashville Zoo), supporting at-risk youth through watersports, outdoor adventure, and education (Water Walkers), and fostering community and civility through public programs about ideas, history, arts, and culture (Humanities Tennessee).

Grantmaking

In 2026, the foundation gave $193,436 across 19 grants. Awards ranged from $100 to $48,890, with a median grant of $2,500.

The largest reported grants were $48,890 to Jewish Federation of Nashville, $44,200 to The Temple, $24,000 to Vanderbilt Athletics, $18,000 to Frist Art Museum, and $12,500 to The University School of Nashville. Other reported grants included $10,000 to United Way of Greater Nashville, $9,000 to Tennessee Performing Arts Center, and $7,500 to Ensworth School.

How to Apply

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

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

All grant dollars reported for 2026 went to recipients in Tennessee.

Grant Distribution by State

15states

Share of 2026 grant dollars across all 19 itemized grants.

Cities

NashvilleWashingtonArlingtonNew YorkClarksburgNew OrleansAustinBaltimoreBrunswickCincinnatiDenverElkins ParkFranklinLexingtonLouisvilleMurfreesboroOak RidgeRancho MirageSalt Lake CityWest Palm Beach

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$200K$400K$600K56 grants2021 37 grants2022 33 grants2023 15 grants2024 27 grants2025 19 grants2026

From 2021 to 2026, annual grant giving ranged from $193K (2026) to $539K (2021). In 2026 it made 19 grants totaling $193K.

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2026

Jewish Federation of Nashville: $49KJewish Federation of Nashville$49KThe Temple: $44KThe Temple$44KVanderbilt Athletics: $24KVanderbilt Athletics$24KFrist Art Museum: $18KFrist Art Museum$18KThe University School of Nashville: $13KThe University School ofNashville$13KUnited Way of Greater Nashville: $10KUnited Way of GreaterNashville$10KTennessee Performing Arts Center: $9KTennessee Performing ArtsCenter$9KEnsworth School: $8KEnsworth School$8KGordon Jewish Community Center: $6KGordon Jewish Community Center$6KFriends of Warner Parks: $3KFriends of Warner Parks$3K

The largest 2026 recipient was Jewish Federation of Nashville ($49K). Together the top 10 received $183K.

Grant Size Distribution

131 grants across all recorded years

126<$50K3$50–100K2$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 126 grants of 131 (96%).

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Jewish Federation of Nashville Nashville, TNTo further one or more of the exempt purposes of the charity$48,890
The Temple Nashville, TNTo further one or more of the exempt purposes of the charity$44,200
Vanderbilt Athletics Nashville, TNTo further one or more of the exempt purposes of the charity$24,000
Frist Art Museum Nashville, TNTo further one or more of the exempt purposes of the charity$18,000
The University School of Nashville Nashville, TNTo further one or more of the exempt purposes of the charity$12,500
United Way of Greater Nashville Nashville, TNTo further one or more of the exempt purposes of the charity$10,000
Tennessee Performing Arts Center Nashville, TNTo further one or more of the exempt purposes of the charity$9,000
Ensworth School Nashville, TNTo further one or more of the exempt purposes of the charity$7,500
Gordon Jewish Community Center Nashville, TNTo further one or more of the exempt purposes of the charity$6,046
Friends of Warner Parks Nashville, TNTo further one or more of the exempt purposes of the charity$2,500

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Filing year Assets Revenue Expenses Grants
2026 $1,834,474 $145,995 $211,404 $193,436
2025 $1,899,883 $436,634 $338,162 $330,395
2024 $1,801,411 $547,122 $479,317 $470,225
Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$500K$1M$1.5M2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026
Metric202620252024
Total Assets$1,834,474$1,899,883$1,801,411
Revenue$145,995$436,634$547,122
Expenses$211,404$338,162$479,317
Qualifying Distributions$195,578$330,905$472,025
Net Investment Income$134,622$429,744$539,830
Distributable Amount$203,447$197,078$168,280

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2026 (received by the IRS August 21, 2026)
  2. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2026 filing lists Bernice W Gordon as president; Robert A Gordon, Julie S Gordon, and Gwen L Gordon as trustees; Frank E Gordon as secretary; and Gail Gordon Jacobs as trustee.

The Joel C & Bernice W Gordon Family is led by Bernice W. Gordon, President since 2023 (on filings since 2021); none of the 6 officers listed in 2026 report compensation.

Officers on the 2026 filing

  • Bernice W. Gordon

    President

    Secretary → President, 2023

    On filings since 2021

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Gail Gordon Jacobs

    Trustee

    On filings since 2021

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Gwen L. Gordon

    Trustee

    On filings since 2021

    0.5 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Julie S. Gordon

    Trustee

    On filings since 2021

    0.5 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Robert A. Gordon

    Trustee

    On filings since 2021

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Frank E. Gordon

    Secretary

    Trustee → Secretary, 2023

    On filings since 2021

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

Former officers (3)
  • Former: Alan J. Eisenman (2021–2025) — Trustee
  • Former: Sherrie Gordon Eisenman (2021–2025) — Trustee
  • Former: Joel C. Gordon (2021–2022) — President

Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2026. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.

Contact

Mailing address: 3102 West End Avenue 650, Nashville, TN 37203
Phone: (615) 385-3541

Frequently asked questions about The Joel C & Bernice W Gordon Family

How much does The Joel C & Bernice W Gordon Family give each year?

The Joel C & Bernice W Gordon Family gave $193K across 19 grants in 2026, according to its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2025 it gave $330K across 27 grants.

What is The Joel C & Bernice W Gordon Family's typical grant size?

The Joel C & Bernice W Gordon Family's median grant in 2026 was $2,500, and its average grant was $10,181, across 19 grants on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Joel C & Bernice W Gordon Family that year got $1K on average.

Where does The Joel C & Bernice W Gordon Family give grants?

The Joel C & Bernice W Gordon Family gives mostly in Tennessee: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Nashville, TN (19 grants).

Who are The Joel C & Bernice W Gordon Family's largest grantees?

The Joel C & Bernice W Gordon Family's largest 2026 grantees include Jewish Federation of Nashville ($48,890), The Temple ($44,200) and Vanderbilt Athletics ($24,000), according to its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 61% of its itemized 2026 grant dollars.

How large is The Joel C & Bernice W Gordon Family?

The Joel C & Bernice W Gordon Family reported $1.8M in total assets on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $196K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $203K (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 Joel C & Bernice W Gordon Family fund?

No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2026 grants include support for religious and community organizations, schools, arts and cultural organizations, and other Nashville-area nonprofits. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from The Joel C & Bernice W Gordon Family?

The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds; it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑

What is The Joel C & Bernice W Gordon Family's EIN?

The Joel C & Bernice W Gordon Family's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 62-1306906. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2026.

Does The Joel C & Bernice W Gordon Family 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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