The Kemmons Wilson Family Foundation
The Kemmons Wilson Family Foundation is a private family foundation based in Memphis, Tennessee, established in 1961. The foundation focuses on creating tangible and transformational changes for families in Memphis through strategic grantmaking and community partnerships.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$39.8M
+2.8% YoY
Annual Giving
$1.9M
+34.9% YoY
Grant Count
54
-1.8% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$36K
+37.4% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's mission is to positively impact and transform the Memphis community through grantmaking in the following categories:
- Community outreach
- Youth development and advancement
- Education enrichment
- Faith-based ministries
- Health and research-related organizations
The foundation operates through three primary initiatives: Building Strong Families, Innovation Grants, and Big Bets.
Grantmaking
Grant Range
s & Activity:**
Review Cycle
January 15 and August 15
How to Apply
**
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grantmaking is concentrated in Tennessee, with grant recipients primarily located in the state.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
- Total Assets: $39.8 million (as of 2023-2024)
- Total Assets (2023): $38.7 million
- Annual Income: $22.6 million
- Total Giving (2024): $1,929,177
- Revenue (2023): $801,000
- Expenses (2023): $2.29 million
- Total Liabilities (2023): $57,500
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $39,762,949 | $38,685,232 | $36,539,189 |
| Revenue | $7,705,366 | $801,384 | $1,181 |
| Expenses | $2,892,535 | $2,286,207 | $2,186,944 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $2,323,690 | $1,829,517 | $1,717,423 |
| Net Investment Income | $7,195,819 | $341,605 | $236,207 |
| Distributable Amount | $1,603,590 | $1,843,947 | $1,933,460 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
249 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from The Kemmons Wilson Family Foundation
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Principal Officer: Carrie Burke
- The foundation is governed by 12 officers and trustees
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| TATE WILSON | PRESIDENT/CEO | 40 | $50,000 |
| CAROLE WILSON WEST | CHAIRPERSON OF THE BOARD | 0.5 | — |
| KEVIN GESHKE | FINANCE CHAIR | 0.25 | — |
| ADRIAN C BLACKNEY | DIRECTOR | 0.25 | — |
| MARGARET W HODGES | DIRECTOR | 0.25 | — |
| WILSON MOORE | DIRECTOR | 0.25 | — |
| MCLEAN T WILSON | DIRECTOR | 0.25 | — |
| ROBERT A WILSON | DIRECTOR | 0.25 | — |
| STEPHANIE B WILSON | DIRECTOR | 0.25 | — |
| SUSAN C WILSON | DIRECTOR | 0.25 | — |
| WEBB WILSON | DIRECTOR | 0.25 | — |
Contact Information
- Address: 802 Rozelle Street, Memphis, TN 38104-5052
- Phone: (901) 346-8800
- Website: www.kwff.org
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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