Watkins Family Foundation Inc
Watkins Family Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Knoxville, Tennessee. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations in Tennessee, including organizations working in the arts, youth programs, public gardens and parks, social services, and therapeutic services.
Watkins Family Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Watkins Family Foundation Inc gave $95K across 11 grants in 2025 (avg $9K), mostly in Tennessee. 0% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $95,000
- -19.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 11
- -21.4% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $8,636
- +2.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $1,660,428
- -1.8% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 0% first-time grantees (0 of 11, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Tennessee (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Watkins Family Foundation Inc
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 8907 Linksvue Dr, Knoxville, TN 37922-5254
Phone: (865) 522-5500
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Watkins Family Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Knoxville Museum of Art ($15K). Together the top 10 received $90K.
Grant Size Distribution
39 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 39 grants of 39 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars in 2025 went to recipients in Tennessee.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 11 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Watkins Family Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
0%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 0 of 11 grantees (0%) were first-time recipients. With only 11 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 9 points. How we count
- 100% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 114% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2023–2025). 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 2023 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $95K (2025) to $170K (2023). In 2025 it made 11 grants totaling $95K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Knoxville Museum of Art Knoxville, TN | Art Museum | $15,000 |
| Boys & Girls Club of the TN Valley Knoxville, TN | Youth Programs | $10,000 |
| Helen Ross McNabb Foundation Knoxville, TN | Elevate Recovery High School | $10,000 |
| Knoxville Botanical Gardens Knoxville, TN | Public Gardens | $10,000 |
| Lakeshore Park Conservancy Knoxville, TN | Public Park | $10,000 |
| YWCA Knoxville Knoxville, TN | Social Services for Women | $10,000 |
| Zoo Knoxville Knoxville, TN | Support of Zoo | $10,000 |
| Emerald Youth Foundation Knoxville, TN | Youth Leadership Programs | $5,000 |
| Legacy Parks Foundation Knoxville, TN | Public Parks & Trails | $5,000 |
| Shangri-La Therapeutic Academy Lenoir City, TN | Therapy for Disabled Persons | $5,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1,660,428 | $67,026 | $96,729 | $95,000 | 11 | $95,020 | $53,703 | $83,450 |
| 2024 | $1,690,131 | $57,458 | $119,988 | $117,500 | 14 | $117,520 | $31,236 | $86,178 |
| 2023 | $1,752,661 | $15,634 | $172,135 | $170,000 | 14 | $170,000 | $948 | $93,067 |
| 2022 | $1,909,162 | $1,911,057 | $1,895 | — | — | — | $722 | $74,405 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Watkins Family Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $83K for 2025 — 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 2025 grants show support for a range of organizations. For example, the Knoxville Museum of Art describes its purpose as promoting public interest, knowledge, and education in the visual arts in East Tennessee. Knoxville Botanical Gardens says it provides and maintains gardens for the public, while Legacy Parks Foundation says it works to support recreational opportunities, natural beauty, and open spaces. Emerald Youth Foundation describes serving young people through faith, education, and sports programs.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation gave $95,000 through 11 grants. Grants ranged from $5,000 to $15,000, with a median grant of $10,000.
The largest grant was $15,000 to Knoxville Museum of Art. Grants of $10,000 each went to Boys & Girls Club of the Tennessee Valley, Helen Ross McNabb Foundation, Knoxville Botanical Gardens, Lakeshore Park Conservancy, YWCA Knoxville, and Zoo Knoxville. Grants of $5,000 each went to Emerald Youth Foundation, Legacy Parks Foundation, Shangri-La Therapeutic Academy, and The Joy of Music School.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Deborah A Watkins as president, Christi W Branscom as secretary, Ronald A Watkins Jr as treasurer, and Ronald A Watkins Sr as chairman.
Watkins Family Foundation Inc is led by Deborah A. Watkins, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Deborah A. Watkins
President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ronald A. Watkins Sr.
Chairman
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Christi W. Branscom
Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ronald A. Watkins Jr.
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Watkins Family Foundation Inc
How much does Watkins Family Foundation Inc give each year?
Watkins Family Foundation Inc gave $95K across 11 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $118K across 14 grants.
What is Watkins Family Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Watkins Family Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $8,636, across 11 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Watkins Family Foundation Inc give grants?
Watkins Family Foundation Inc gives mostly in Tennessee: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Knoxville, TN (10 grants).
Does Watkins Family Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 11 grants with a stated purpose on Watkins Family Foundation Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are Watkins Family Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Watkins Family Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Knoxville Museum of Art ($15,000), Boys & Girls Club of the TN Valley ($10,000) and Helen Ross McNabb Foundation ($10,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 37% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Watkins Family Foundation Inc?
Watkins Family Foundation Inc reported $1.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $95K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $83K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Watkins Family Foundation Inc fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for a range of organizations. For example, the Knoxville Museum of Art describes its purpose as promoting public interest, knowledge, and education in the visual arts in East Tennessee. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Watkins Family Foundation Inc?
The foundation states that it 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 Watkins Family Foundation Inc's EIN?
Watkins Family Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 86-1574125. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Watkins Family Foundation Inc 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
(5)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS February 23, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS February 20, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS January 30, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS February 2, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Watkins Family Foundation Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Watkins Family Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 4, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/watkins-family-foundation-inc-morg_70b389f535d342529caf2eca9d7ab755
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_861574125_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Watkins Family Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/watkins-family-foundation-inc-morg_70b389f535d342529caf2eca9d7ab755},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-04. 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 Watkins Family Foundation Inc'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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