Public charity · Woodbridge, NJ (gives in Tennessee from out of state)
The Bessemer Giving Fund
In 2024 it gave 21 grants worth $1.2 million to Tennessee groups, 3 of them in Hamilton County. A typical grant was $10,000 to $25,000.
100% of its grant money in 2024 went out through donor-advised funds: individual donors chose those grants, not staff, so there is no application for them.
Key facts
- Grants in Tennessee
- 21 totaling $1.2 million · 3 in Hamilton County
- Typical grant How we figure this
- $10,000 to $25,000 (the middle half of its Tennessee grants over $5,000, the only ones its filing lists)
- A realistic first ask How we figure this
- About $10,000: the middle grant to the 14 Tennessee groups it funded for the first time in 2024. Its filing lists only grants over $5,000, so smaller first grants aren't counted.
- Where it gives
- Davidson County, Shelby County, Hamilton County, Knox County, Jefferson County, Fentress County, Williamson County, Lewis County · plus 1632 grants outside Tennessee
- Buildings & equipment
- 1 of its Tennessee grants went to buildings, renovations or equipment, e.g. “Capital campaign”
- Funds new groups? How we figure this
- 67% of the Tennessee groups it funded in 2024 were new (not funded in 2023): 14 of 21.
- Total giving that year
- $141.9 million
Giving by year
| Tax year | Total grants paid | To Tennessee | Tennessee grants |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $141.9M | $1.2M | 21 |
| 2023 | $128.9M | $513K | 12 |
All grants paid To Tennessee
How to apply
Public charities don't report how to apply on their IRS return. Check its website for open grant rounds, or search GrantMe for its programs.
Board and officers
Does your board know anyone here?
Checked in your browser only. The names are kept on this device for other foundation pages and are never sent to GrantMe.
- Bessemer Trust CompanyTrustee
As listed in its 2024 IRS filing. Many foundations decide through their board, so a personal connection often matters more than a perfect application.
What it funds most often
- Capital campaign (1 grant)
How big its Tennessee grants are
| Grant size | Grants |
|---|---|
| Under $1,000 | 0 |
| $1,000 to $4,999 | 0 |
| $5,000 to $9,999 | 4 |
| $10,000 to $24,999 | 11 |
| $25,000 to $99,999 | 4 |
| $100,000 or more | 2 |
From its 2024 IRS filing. Grants of $5,000 or less aren't listed on the form public charities file (Schedule I), so small grants are missing here.
Tennessee organizations it funded
Hamilton County grants are listed first, then the largest. Past winners are good people to ask what the foundation looks for. Select a group to see who else funds it.
| Past winner | Where | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jewish Community Federation of Greater Chattanooga | Chattanooga, Hamilton County | General support | $25K |
| Church of the Good Shephard | Lookout Mountatin, Hamilton County | General support | $10K |
| The Launch Pad | Chattanooga, Hamilton County | General support | $5,793 |
| St Jude Children's Research Hospital | Memphis, Shelby County | General support | $637K |
| Friends of the Warner Parks Inc. | Nashville, Davidson County | General support | $301K |
| Centerstone's Foundation Inc. | Nashville, Davidson County | Capital campaign | $50K |
| Ducks Unlimited Inc. | Memphis, Shelby County | General support | $27K |
| Highlander Research & Education Center | New Market, Jefferson County | General support | $25K |
| Odd Man Inn Animal Refuge | Jamestown, Fentress County | General operating support | $22K |
| Episcopal School of Nashville | Nashville, Davidson County | General support | $21K |
| The Convention of the Protestant Episcopal Church Diocese of Tenn | Nashville, Davidson County | General support | $16K |
| Village Chapel Inc. | Nashville, Davidson County | General support | $15K |
| American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities Inc. | Memphis, Shelby County | General support | $10K |
| Hardin Valley Church of Christ | Knoxville, Knox County | General support | $10K |
| Refuge Center for Counseling | Franklin, Williamson County | General support | $10K |
| The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee | Hohenwald, Lewis County | General support | $10K |
| United Way of Greater Nashville | Nashville, Davidson County | General support | $10K |
| Westminster Presbyterian Church | Nashville, Davidson County | General support | $10K |
| University of Nashville Montgomery Bell Academy | Nashville, Davidson County | Annual fund | $6,500 |
| Cheekwood | Nashville, Davidson County | General support | $6,000 |
| Nashville Symphony Association | Nashville, Davidson County | General support | $5,600 |