VF Foundation
VF Foundation is a private foundation based in Hermitage, Tennessee. In its 2024 filing, it reported making 22 grants totaling $326,500 to charitable organizations.
VF Foundation at a glance
In short: VF Foundation gave $327K across 22 grants in 2024 (avg $15K), top state Tennessee. 23% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $326,500
- +8.8% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 22
- +15.8% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $14,841
- -6.0% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $11,500
- Total assets
- $6,441,907
- +7.0% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 23% first-time grantees (5 of 22, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Tennessee (39% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to VF Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 237, Hermitage, TN 37076
Phone: (615) 377-4600
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who VF Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Elevate Ethiopia ($38K). Together the top 10 received $223K.
Grant Size Distribution
91 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 91 grants of 91 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 filing reports that 39% of grant dollars went to recipients in Tennessee, 9% to California, 8% to New York, and 8% to Georgia. The filing also lists 7% under “?” without identifying a state.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 22 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is VF Foundation open to new grantees?
23%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 5 of 22 grantees (23%) were first-time recipients. With only 22 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $7K; repeat grants $17K. How we count
Medians: $6K first-time, $13K repeat.
- 77% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 25% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 105% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $173K (2020) to $327K (2024). In 2024 it made 22 grants totaling $327K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Elevate Ethiopia Hermitage, TN | To Promote Scientific, Educational, and Other Charitable Activities. | $37,500 |
| Equal Chance for Education Nashville, TN | To Promote Scientific, Educational, and Other Charitable Activities. | $35,000 |
| Hope Inc San Francisco, CA | To Promote Scientific, Educational, and Other Charitable Activities. | $25,000 |
| Hype - Hope for Youth Atlanta, GA | To Promote Scientific, Educational, and Other Charitable Activities. | $25,000 |
| Bethany Christian Services Grand Rapids, MI | To Promote Scientific, Educational, and Other Charitable Activities. | $20,000 |
| Ethiopia Education Initiatives New York, NY | To Promote Scientific, Educational, and Other Charitable Activities. | $20,000 |
| Selamta Family Project Lebanon, TN | To Promote Scientific, Educational, and Other Charitable Activities. | $20,000 |
| Epic Girl Nashville, TN | To Promote Scientific, Educational, and Other Charitable Activities. | $15,000 |
| Hope for the Fatherless Castle Pines, CO | To Promote Scientific, Educational, and Other Charitable Activities. | $12,500 |
| Justice and Hope USA NFP Roscoe, IL | To Promote Scientific, Educational, and Other Charitable Activities. | $12,500 |
Ready to take the next step with VF 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 | $6,441,907 | $237,183 | $396,323 | $326,500 | 22 | $330,100 | $170,960 | $314,296 |
| 2023 | $6,019,299 | $245,914 | $332,380 | $300,000 | 19 | $303,600 | $217,134 | $283,953 |
| 2022 | $5,643,541 | $108,398 | $358,394 | $323,000 | 21 | $326,600 | $106,068 | $297,231 |
| 2021 | $6,716,083 | $972,017 | $301,510 | $261,000 | 16 | $264,600 | $239,699 | $286,676 |
| 2020 | $5,388,193 | $2,456,676 | $189,578 | $172,600 | 13 | — | $443,113 | $149,017 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, VF Foundation reported a distributable amount of $314K 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
The filing lists grant purposes as promoting scientific, educational, and other charitable activities. The grantees’ stated missions show the kinds of organizations supported, including those working in education, family services, and support for children and youth. For example, Elevate Ethiopia says it works with families through empowerment and education programs; Equal Chance for Education says it provides scholarships for college education; and Bethany Christian Services says it provides social services to protect children, empower youth, and strengthen families. These are the grantees’ missions, not stated missions of the foundation.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation reported 22 grants totaling $326,500. Grant amounts ranged from $5,000 to $37,500, with a median of $11,500.
Notable 2024 grants included $37,500 to Elevate Ethiopia, $35,000 to Equal Chance for Education, $25,000 each to HOPE Inc and HYPE – Hope for Youth, and $20,000 each to Bethany Christian Services, Ethiopia Education Initiatives, and Selamta Family Project.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists William L Vallett Jr as trustee. Anita J Vallett, William L Vallett III, and Alexandra Mai Vallett are listed as trust committee members.
VF Foundation's 2024 filing lists 4 officers; 1 of 4 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
William L. Vallett Jr.
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
William L. Vallett III
Trust Committee Member
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
$3K (2020) → $4K (2024)
Alexandra Mai Vallett
Trust Committee Member
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Anita J. Vallett
Trust Committee Member
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $4K, to William L Vallett III (Trust Committee Member).
Frequently asked questions about VF Foundation
How much does VF Foundation give each year?
VF Foundation gave $327K across 22 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $300K across 19 grants.
What is VF Foundation's typical grant size?
VF Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $11,500, and its average grant was $14,841, across 22 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from VF Foundation that year got $7K on average.
Where does VF Foundation give grants?
VF Foundation's top state is Tennessee, with 39% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were California (9%) and New York (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Nashville, TN (3 grants).
Does VF Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 22 grants with a stated purpose on VF Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are VF Foundation's largest grantees?
VF Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Elevate Ethiopia ($37,500), Equal Chance for Education ($35,000) and Hope Inc ($25,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 30% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is VF Foundation?
VF Foundation reported $6.4M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $330K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $314K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does VF Foundation fund?
The filing lists grant purposes as promoting scientific, educational, and other charitable activities. The grantees’ stated missions show the kinds of organizations supported, including those working in education, family services, and support for children and youth. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from VF Foundation?
The foundation 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 VF Foundation's EIN?
VF Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 81-6200122. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does VF 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
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in VF Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). VF Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/vf-foundation-morg_107b9891017d4ba68a827dd765cf71d0
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_816200122_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{VF Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/vf-foundation-morg_107b9891017d4ba68a827dd765cf71d0},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. 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 VF 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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