Funding Amount

Not stated

Deadline

Deadline not published

Grant Type

Foundation

Can we apply?

Check your organization against each line. Taken from the listing; confirm with the funder's guidelines.

Eligible organizations

  • The Foundation’s support of private, tuition-based K-12 educational institutions is now limited to Montgomery Bell Academy and Harpeth Hall School, where the Foundation primarily funds need-based scholarships for academically promising students.

Other requirements

  • The Foundation’s primary areas of focus are education, healthcare, and community and social services.
  • Geographically, the Foundation’s focus is the Nashville, Tennessee area.

Not eligible / not funded

  • Not eligible: Individuals
  • Not eligible: Support of
  • Not eligible: To purchase tickets to
  • Not eligible: Charitable fundraising events
  • Not eligible: Dinners
  • Not eligible: The arts
  • Not eligible: Environmental causes
  • Not eligible: Religious activities

Overview

The Joe C. Davis Foundation Grant focuses on supporting charitable organizations that embody core values such as personal initiative, hard work, and education. With an emphasis on education, healthcare, and community services, the Foundation primarily supports initiatives in Nashville, Tennessee. It funds a variety of programs, from K-12 education to healthcare services, and prefers one-time grants that enhance existing programs or create new ones with sustainable financial models.

Joe C. Davis Foundation Grant
The Foundation makes contributions to charitable organizations exemplifying the core values of Joe C. Davis: the importance of personal initiative, perseverance, hard work, education, and entrepreneurship.
The Foundation’s primary areas of focus are education, healthcare, and community and social services. Geographically, the Foundation’s focus is the Nashville, Tennessee area.
Education
The Foundation supports a wide range of education-related organizations.
In recent years, the Foundation’s support of public K-12 educational programs has focused primarily on recruitment and development of top talent in the education sector, and on increasing the supply of high-performing charter schools. The Foundation’s support of private, tuition-based K-12 educational institutions is now limited to Montgomery Bell Academy and Harpeth Hall School, where the Foundation primarily funds need-based scholarships for academically promising students.
The Foundation supports a variety of early childhood programs, after-school programs, adult education programs, and workforce development programs. The Foundation has also supported a limited number of post-secondary institutions, most notably Vanderbilt University, but also a few others from time to time, particularly in specialized areas of training.
Healthcare
The Foundation supports a broad array of healthcare organizations and endeavors. These have included medical training, health and wellness initiatives, medical clinics serving the underinsured, addiction services, mental health services, and crisis services. Within these areas, the Foundation has, from time to time, funded facilities, research, technology, and routine services. At Vanderbilt University Medical Center, the Foundation has primarily supported research and medical training.
Community and Social Services
The Foundation supports a wide variety of social service organizations, with a particular focus on helping children reach their highest potential and helping adults become self-sufficient. Programming areas include such things as youth mentoring, parent education, workforce development, affordable housing, and community resource centers.
The Foundation awards one-time grants to advance major capacity-building initiatives, expand organizational impact, or support capital projects. Transformational grants are typically awarded to organizations with a strong track record, demonstrated financial stability, and alignment with the Foundation’s priorities.

Eligibility

The Foundation provides funds only to charitable organizations described in Section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code and does not provide grants to individuals.The Foundation’s primary areas of focus are education, healthcare, and community and social services.Geographically, the Foundation’s focus is the Nashville, Tennessee area.

Ineligibility

The Foundation does not make grants for support of, or to purchase tickets to, charitable fundraising events or dinners.Excluded Categories:Except as may be incidental to other programs, the Foundation does not provide funding for the arts,environmental causes, or religious activities.

What Joe C Davis Foundation actually gave

Source: IRS Form 990-PF, 2025

Grants in 2025
108
Total given
$8.21M
Median grant
$23K
Range
$500–$2.2M
  • By dollars: Tennessee 73%, Massachusetts 27%, Georgia <1%. Top recipient cities: Nashville, TN; Memphis, TN; Antioch, TN.
  • 83% of grants with a stated purpose were for general or operating support.
  • 9% of recipients were new grantees, not repeat recipients.

Example grants

  • Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program · Boston, MA

    Program support

    $2.2M

  • Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee · Nashville, TN

    Capital & operating support

    $550K

  • Aventura Community School · Nashville, TN

    Capital support

    $504K

  • Volunteer Schools DBA Nashville Incubator · Nashville, TN

    Operating support

    $500K

  • Little Wonders Early Learning Center · Nashville, TN

    Capital & capacity building support

    $375K

IRS Form 990-PF, 2025. Amounts as reported by the funder. Full 990 history →

Focus Areas & Funding Uses

Fields of Work

  • Nonprofits
  • Education
  • K-12 schools
  • Charter schools
  • Healthcare
  • Community services
  • Workforce development

Categories

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