The Robert E & Jenny D Kirkland

Foundation · Grantmaker UNION CITY, TN EIN: 13-4228589

The Robert E & Jenny D Kirkland Foundation is a private independent foundation established in 2004 and based in Union City, Tennessee. The foundation was created by Robert and Jenny Kirkland following their success in founding Kirkland's, a home decor retail chain. The foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) organization and serves as a significant philanthropic institution in West Tennessee.

Key facts about The Robert E & Jenny D Kirkland

EIN: 13-4228589
Latest 990 filing: Form 990-PF, 2024
Annual giving (2024): $11,211,385
Grants made (2024): 46
Average grant: $243,726
Median grant: $2,500
Total assets: $301,097,450
Primary geography: Tennessee (99% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
Accepts unsolicited proposals: No
How to apply: The foundation operates on an invitation-only basis and only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations.

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated June 2026. Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Who The Robert E & Jenny D Kirkland funds

By grant dollars, the top recipient states for The Robert E & Jenny D Kirkland's 46 itemized 2024 grants were Tennessee (99%). The most frequent recipient cities were Union City, TN (12 grants), Nashville, TN (12 grants), Lebanon, TN (11 grants) and Paducah, KY (2 grants). None of its 46 grants with a stated purpose were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Homes for Low Income" (3 grants).

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$301.1M

+5.5% YoY

Annual Giving

$11.2M

+9.2% YoY

Grant Count

+12.2% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$244K

-2.7% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Robert E & Jenny D Kirkland reported a distributable amount of $11.2M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation's primary focus areas include:

Education: Supporting educational initiatives and institutions, particularly through Discovery Park of America
Scholarships: Providing daycare scholarships to qualifying applicants through the Promethean Foundation to increase social, moral, and educational opportunities for children
Community Services: Supporting service projects in the local community
Affordable Housing: Funding homes for low-income families
Sports Accessibility: Supporting tennis initiatives through the Cincinnati Tennis Foundation, with a belief that tennis should be accessible to all
Global Initiatives: Addressing solutions for the worldwide water crisis

Grantmaking

The foundation makes grants exclusively to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited applications.

Grant Range

$1,000 to $8.1M

Average Grant

Approximately $267,000 to $324,000

How to Apply

Your AI grants department

Ready to take the next step with The Robert E & Jenny D Kirkland?

Assess fit for your org Draft an LOI Find open RFPs

Fully replaces Grant database subscriptions Instrumentl · Foundation Directory · GrantStation & similar

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation's grantmaking is concentrated primarily in:

Obion County, Tennessee
Northwest Tennessee
Tennessee, Kentucky, and Ohio

Grant Distribution by State

Tennessee $49.4M (100%)

Florida $92K (0%)

Ohio $88K (0%)

California $10K (0%)

Kentucky $10K (0%)

Texas $5K (0%)

New York $4K (0%)

Georgia $2K (0%)

States

California Florida Georgia Kentucky New York Ohio Tennessee Texas

Cities

Union CityLebanonNashvilleFranklinKnoxvilleCincinnatiJacksonBoca GrandeCastalian SpringsMurfreesboroPaducahAtlantaBrentwoodDallasEnglewoodMasonMill ValleyMt JulietNew York

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of 2024:

Total Assets: $301,097,450
Annual Revenue: $18,742,183
Total Expenses: $15,216,896
Annual Giving: $11,211,385
Number of Employees: 7

Asset Growth: Total assets have grown significantly from $45.8M in 2011 to $301.1M in 2024.

Historical Giving: Annual giving grew from $8.2M in 2020 to $20.1M in 2022.

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$301,097,450	$285,400,021	$270,455,265
Revenue	$18,742,183	$16,870,044	$10,828,232
Expenses	$15,216,896	$13,353,299	$12,865,428
Qualifying Distributions	$11,211,385	$10,268,774	$10,041,429
Net Investment Income	$12,413,398	$9,711,786	$4,012,537
Distributable Amount	$11,211,385	$10,277,188	$10,041,429

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

199 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest recipients include Discovery Park of America ($8,664,085), Charitable - Promethean Foundation ($2,288,300), Union City Rotary Foundation ($59,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
Discovery Park of America Union City, TN	Education	$8,664,085
Charitable - Promethean Foundation UNION CITY, TN	PROVIDE DAYCARE FOR AT RISK CHILDREN	$2,288,300
Union City Rotary Foundation Union City, TN	Scholarships and other service proj	$59,000
The Cincinnati Tennis Foundation Mason, OH	Make tennis accessible & change lives	$48,000
Univ of TN Foundation Knoxville, TN	Scholarships	$15,000
Boca Grande Women's Scholarship Club Boca Grande, FL	Make a difference through community service	$12,000
Cumberland University Lebanon, TN	Provide quality/affordable education	$10,000
Imagine Worldwide Mill Valley, CA	Empowering children around the globe to build literacy & numeracy skills	$10,000
Preston Taylor Ministries Nashville, TN	Christian Youth Ministry	$10,000
Inland Waterways Museum Paducah, KY	Stimulate curiousity & understanding of our Nations river system	$5,000

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Robert E. Kirkland: Principal officer and founder (deceased 2015)
Jenny D. Kirkland: Co-founder (deceased 2019)
The foundation is currently led by their children and governed by 3 officers and trustees

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
Christopher Kirkland	Pres/Director	2	$100,000
Macy D Kirkland	Director	2	$100,000
Bedford F Kirkland	Sec/Director	2	$100,000

Recent News & Activity

Recent developments and announcements

2026

**2026 Discovery Awards Gala:**

Robert E. and Jenny D. Discovery Awards Gala benefits Kirkland Scholarship

2026

On March 21, 2026, Discovery Park of America hosted the annual Robert E. and Jenny D. Kirkland Discovery Awards Gala, welcoming over 200 thought leaders, policymakers, and philanthropists. The event recognized individuals making meaningful impact in their communities while supporting Discovery Park's mission to provide educational access for students across the region. Funds raised help cover admission costs for students from schools where at least 50 percent of the student population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch.

Robert E. and Jenny D. Kirkland Foundation - Hinchilla

2026

The 2026 honorees were Allison DeMarcus, Mike Cox, and Lee Marshall.

**Discovery Park of America:**

2013

The foundation made a transformational $100 million founding gift to create Discovery Park of America, an education center and tourist attraction that opened in Union City in 2013. The park's mission is to enhance children and adults' educational experiences and inspire them to reach their full potential through exhibits and programs focused on nature, science, technology, history, and art.

Subject Areas

Focus areas based on grantmaking activity

Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking

Frequently Asked Questions

What does The Robert E & Jenny D Kirkland fund?

The foundation's primary focus areas include: • **Education**: Supporting educational initiatives and institutions, particularly through Discovery Park of America • **Scholarships**: Providing daycare scholarships to qualifying applicants through the Promethean Foundation to increase social, moral, and educational opportunities for children • **Community Services**: Supporting service projects in the local community • **Affordable Housing**: Funding homes for low-income families • **Sports Acce…

How do I apply for a grant from The Robert E & Jenny D Kirkland?

The foundation makes grants exclusively to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited applications. **Grant Activity:** • Total grants made: 143 grants totaling $38.2M (historical data) • Recent grants: 31 grants in 2024 • Grant range: $1,000 to $8.1M • Average grant size: Approximately $267,000 to $324,000 • Median grant: $2,000 **Application Process:** The foundation operates on an invitation-only basis and only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizat…

Where does The Robert E & Jenny D Kirkland make grants?

The foundation's grantmaking is concentrated primarily in: • Obion County, Tennessee • Northwest Tennessee • Tennessee, Kentucky, and Ohio

What size grants does The Robert E & Jenny D Kirkland award?

In 2024, The Robert E & Jenny D Kirkland awarded 46 grants totaling $11.2M — an average of about $244K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is The Robert E & Jenny D Kirkland required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Robert E & Jenny D Kirkland reported a distributable amount of $11.2M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

What is The Robert E & Jenny D Kirkland's EIN?

The Robert E & Jenny D Kirkland's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-4228589. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.

Does The Robert E & Jenny D Kirkland accept unsolicited proposals?

No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. The foundation operates on an invitation-only basis and only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations.