The Robert H Brethen Foundation
The Robert H Brethen Foundation is a private foundation based in Lenoir City, Tennessee. Its 2024 grants supported organizations and purposes including healthcare programs, cancer research, community support, recreation, wildlife, animals, and children.
The Robert H Brethen Foundation at a glance
In short: The Robert H Brethen Foundation gave $240K across 10 grants in 2024 (avg $24K), mostly in Tennessee. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $240,000
- -61.6% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 10
- -44.4% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $24,000
- -30.9% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $12,500
- Total assets
- $10,818,508
- +31.5% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- Tennessee (69% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026.
How to apply to The Robert H Brethen Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation’s 2023 filing says there is no required form or format. An application should provide enough information for the trustee to assess the need and proposed use of the funds and determine whether the stated restrictions will be met. Contact David M Brethen. Awards are available to qualifying government entities for exclusively public purposes or to qualifying organizations operated exclusively for religious, charitable, scientific, literacy, or educational purposes. The filing also states that at least 65% of distributed funds shall be for use within the Greater Dayton, Ohio area.
- Review Cycle
- The 2023 filing states there are no submission deadlines.
- Deadline
- The 2023 filing states there are no submission deadlines.
- Contact
Application contact: David M Brethen
Mailing address: 1359 Zepher Drive, Lenoir City, TN 37772-1476
Phone: (937) 287-6906
Email: dmbrethen@celstargroup.com
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Robert H Brethen Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 9 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Fort Sanders Foundation ($100K). Together the top 9 received $240K.
Grant Size Distribution
82 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 73 grants of 82 (89%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s 2024 grants went to recipients in Tennessee (69% of grant dollars), Ohio (27%), and Florida (4%). Its 2023 filing states that at least 65% of distributed funds shall be for use within the Greater Dayton, Ohio area.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
Cities
How The Robert H Brethen Foundation gives
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−4%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 48% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $146K (2022) to $626K (2023). In 2024 it made 10 grants totaling $240K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Fort Sanders Foundation Knoxville, TN | Donation to Support Healthcare Programs | $100,000 |
| Pelotonia Columbus, OH | Donation for Cancer Research | $30,000 |
| The Dayton Foundation Dayton, OH | Donation to Support Dayton Community | $25,000 |
| The Brethen Foundation Lenoir City, TN | Donation to Support Lenoir City Community | $25,000 |
| Lenoir City Lenoir City, TN | Donation for Recreation Programs | $15,000 |
| Lenoir City Lenoir City, TN | Donation for Recreation Programs | $10,000 |
| Society for the Improvement of Conditions for Stray Animals Washington Township, OH | Donation to Support Animals | $10,000 |
| Tennessee Wildlife Federation Inc Nashville, TN | Donation to Support Wildlife Programs | $10,000 |
| Big Cat Habitat Sarasota, FL | Donation to Support Animals | $10,000 |
| Toys for Tots Knoxville, TN | Donations for Underprivileged Children | $5,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Robert H Brethen Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $10,818,508 | $572,256 | $356,689 | $240,000 | 10 | $240,000 | $137,410 | $499,427 |
| 2023 | $8,228,758 | $1,036,286 | $734,683 | $625,560 | 18 | $625,560 | $190,654 | $430,273 |
| 2022 | $7,353,272 | $614,316 | $235,628 | $146,200 | 19 | $146,200 | $93,015 | $379,964 |
| 2021 | $8,348,741 | $681,835 | $330,596 | $249,000 | 14 | — | $134,146 | $387,674 |
| 2019 | $5,933,524 | $495,560 | $276,754 | $201,500 | 21 | — | $170,892 | $269,724 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Robert H Brethen Foundation reported a distributable amount of $499K for 2024 — 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 mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for a range of purposes. For example, Pelotonia describes its mission as engaging, inspiring, and challenging a community committed to accelerating innovative cancer research. The Dayton Foundation says it operates for charitable, scientific, or educational purposes. The Tennessee Wildlife Federation describes its work as conservation, sound management, and wise use of Tennessee’s wildlife and outdoors, including education and natural-resource conservation.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 10 grants totaling $240,000. Grants ranged from $5,000 to $100,000, with a median of $12,500. Notable grants included $100,000 to Fort Sanders Foundation for healthcare programs, $30,000 to Pelotonia for cancer research, $25,000 to The Dayton Foundation to support the Dayton community, and $25,000 to The Brethen Foundation to support the Lenoir City community.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists David M Brethen as Secretary/Trustee and Karen B Johns as Trustee.
The Robert H Brethen Foundation's 2024 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
David M. Brethen
Secretary & Trustee
On filings since 2019
3 hrs/week
$8K (2022) → $0 (2024)
Karen B. Johns
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Robert H. Brethen (2019–2022) — President & Treasurer
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2023 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2023 filing was $8K, to David M Brethen (Secy/Trustee).
Frequently asked questions about The Robert H Brethen Foundation
How much does The Robert H Brethen Foundation give each year?
The Robert H Brethen Foundation gave $240K across 10 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $626K across 18 grants.
What is The Robert H Brethen Foundation's typical grant size?
The Robert H Brethen Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $12,500, and its average grant was $24,000, across 10 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Robert H Brethen Foundation give grants?
The Robert H Brethen Foundation gives mostly in Tennessee: 69% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Ohio (27%). The most frequent recipient cities were Lenoir City, TN (3 grants) and Knoxville, TN (2 grants).
Does The Robert H Brethen Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 10 grants with a stated purpose on The Robert H Brethen Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are The Robert H Brethen Foundation's largest grantees?
The Robert H Brethen Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Fort Sanders Foundation ($100,000), Pelotonia ($30,000) and Lenoir City ($25,000 across 2 grants), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 65% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Robert H Brethen Foundation?
The Robert H Brethen Foundation reported $10.8M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $240K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $499K (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 Robert H Brethen Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for a range of purposes. For example, Pelotonia describes its mission as engaging, inspiring, and challenging a community committed to accelerating innovative cancer research. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Robert H Brethen Foundation?
The foundation’s 2023 filing says there is no required form or format. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Robert H Brethen Foundation's EIN?
The Robert H Brethen Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 31-1213173. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS January 14, 2020)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Robert H Brethen Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-robert-h-brethen-foundation-morg_7a255230f1504b35af060a3f2c5f3897
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_311213173_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Robert H Brethen Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-robert-h-brethen-foundation-morg_7a255230f1504b35af060a3f2c5f3897},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-17. 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 Robert H Brethen Foundation'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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