William H Frist Family Foundation
The William H Frist Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Nashville, Tennessee. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, universities, a medical college, and other organizations, with the stated grant purpose of promoting religious, charitable, scientific, literary, and educational activities.
William H Frist Family Foundation at a glance
In short: William H Frist Family Foundation gave $1.3M across 18 grants in 2025 (avg $72K), mostly in Tennessee. 72% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,298,750
- +88.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 18
- +50.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $72,153
- +25.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $12,500
- Total assets
- $3,912,814
- +5.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 72% first-time grantees (13 of 18, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Tennessee (83% 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 William H Frist Family Foundation
- 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: PO Box 150099, Nashville, TN 37215
Phone: (615) 320-7888
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who William H Frist Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Middle Tennessee State University Foundation ($300K). Together the top 10 received $1.2M.
Grant Size Distribution
63 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 45 grants of 63 (71%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 83% of grant dollars went to recipients in Tennessee. Other recipient-state shares were 9% in the District of Columbia, 6% in New York, and 1% each in Montana and Virginia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 18 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is William H Frist Family Foundation open to new grantees?
72%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 13 of 18 grantees (72%) were first-time recipients. With only 18 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $52K; repeat grants $124K. How we count
Medians: $15K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 28% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 89% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 168% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $50K (2023) to $1.3M (2025). In 2025 it made 18 grants totaling $1.3M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Middle Tennessee State University Foundation Murfreesboro, TN | To promote religious, charitable, scientific, literary and educational activities. | $300,000 |
| The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee Nashville, TN | To promote religious, charitable, scientific, literary and educational activities. | $300,000 |
| Austin Peay State University Foundation Clarksville, TN | To promote religious, charitable, scientific, literary and educational activities. | $232,500 |
| The National Trust for Historic Preservation Washington, DC | To promote religious, charitable, scientific, literary and educational activities. | $112,000 |
| Meharry Medical College Nashville, TN | To promote religious, charitable, scientific, literary and educational activities. | $100,000 |
| The Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research New York, NY | To promote religious, charitable, scientific, literary and educational activities. | $75,000 |
| Tennessee Wildlife Federation Nashville, TN | To promote religious, charitable, scientific, literary and educational activities. | $50,000 |
| Hope Through Healing Hands Nashville, TN | To promote religious, charitable, scientific, literary and educational activities. | $50,000 |
| American Prairie Reserve Bozeman, MT | To promote religious, charitable, scientific, literary and educational activities. | $15,000 |
| George Mason University Foundation Fairfax, VA | To promote religious, charitable, scientific, literary and educational activities. | $10,000 |
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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 | $3,912,814 | $1,577,546 | $1,384,358 | $1,298,750 | 18 | $1,298,750 | $1,500,751 | $771,404 |
| 2024 | $3,723,396 | $545,139 | $771,050 | $689,500 | 12 | $689,500 | $467,590 | $732,983 |
| 2023 | $3,949,217 | $88,989 | $126,706 | $50,000 | 5 | $50,000 | $29,781 | $576,354 |
| 2022 | $3,984,081 | $706,376 | $763,560 | $688,250 | 15 | $688,250 | $631,066 | $522,628 |
| 2021 | $4,044,153 | $3,475,185 | $518,798 | $455,500 | 13 | $455,500 | $513,195 | $485,421 |
| 2020 | $3,636,836 | $3,208,657 | $169,873 | $132,000 | 8 | — | $188,395 | $248,100 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, William H Frist Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $771K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No separate mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations working in education, community philanthropy, health, research, conservation, and historic preservation. For example, Middle Tennessee State University Foundation describes its work as fundraising for educational and related support of the university; Meharry Medical College says it works to improve health and healthcare in minority and underserved communities; and the Tennessee Wildlife Federation describes its work as conservation and education related to Tennessee’s wildlife and outdoors.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 18 grants totaling $1,298,750. Grant amounts ranged from $3,000 to $300,000, with a median of $12,500. The largest reported grants were $300,000 each to the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee and Middle Tennessee State University Foundation, and $232,500 to Austin Peay State University Foundation. Other notable grants included $112,000 to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, $100,000 to Meharry Medical College, and $75,000 to the Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.
The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee says it seeks to build a more thriving and inclusive community by turning generosity into positive change. Austin Peay State University Foundation says it provides scholarships, awards, and funds for other university purposes. The Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research says it funds research toward a cure and improved therapies.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
William H Frist is listed as a trustee on the 2025 filing.
William H Frist Family Foundation is led by William H. Frist, Trustee on every filing since 2020 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
William H. Frist
Trustee
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 William H Frist Family Foundation
How much does William H Frist Family Foundation give each year?
William H Frist Family Foundation gave $1.3M across 18 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $690K across 12 grants.
What is William H Frist Family Foundation's typical grant size?
William H Frist Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $12,500, and its average grant was $72,153, across 18 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from William H Frist Family Foundation that year got $52K on average.
Where does William H Frist Family Foundation give grants?
William H Frist Family Foundation gives mostly in Tennessee: 83% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were District of Columbia (9%) and New York (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Nashville, TN (10 grants) and Washington, DC (2 grants).
Does William H Frist Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 18 grants with a stated purpose on William H Frist Family Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are William H Frist Family Foundation's largest grantees?
William H Frist Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Middle Tennessee State University Foundation ($300,000), The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee ($300,000) and Austin Peay State University Foundation ($232,500), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 64% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is William H Frist Family Foundation?
William H Frist Family Foundation reported $3.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.3M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $771K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does William H Frist Family Foundation fund?
No separate mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations working in education, community philanthropy, health, research, conservation, and historic preservation. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from William H Frist Family Foundation?
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 William H Frist Family Foundation's EIN?
William H Frist Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 62-6271800. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does William H Frist Family 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 October 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 17, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 16, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS March 21, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 9, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 12, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 7, 2026)
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). William H Frist Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/william-h-frist-family-foundation-morg_3e325593983f4962ab95c8dae874ee26
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_626271800_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{William H Frist Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/william-h-frist-family-foundation-morg_3e325593983f4962ab95c8dae874ee26},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-24. 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 William H Frist Family 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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