Public charity · Chicago, IL (gives in Tennessee from out of state)
Elks National Foundation Inc.
Its tax filing doesn't say how to apply. Check its website or call before sending anything.
Key facts
- Grants in Tennessee
- 27 totaling $363,820 · 1 in Hamblen County
- Typical grant
- $9,000 to $10,000 (the middle half of its Tennessee grants)
- A realistic first ask
- About $9,500, its middle Tennessee grant. First-time winners usually get less than repeat ones.
- Where it gives
- Lawrence County, Williamson County, Hamilton County, Knox County, Madison County, Henry County, Washington County, Gibson County and 17 more · plus 1507 grants outside Tennessee
- Buildings & equipment
- None of its Tennessee grants in this filing were for buildings or equipment
- Funds new groups?
- Rarely: every Tennessee group it funded in 2025 had also been funded in 2024. Build a relationship before asking.
- Total giving that year
- $37 million
Giving by year
| Tax year | Total grants paid | To Tennessee | Tennessee grants |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $37M | $364K | 27 |
| 2024 | $32.3M | $354K | 28 |
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.
- Roger R TrueChairman
- James L NichelsonVice chairman
- John D AmenSecretary
- F Louis SulsbergerTreasurer
- James M McquillanAsst secretary
- Michael F SmithTrustee
- Robert L DuitsmanTrustee
- James O'kelley IIIDirector
- Deborah Kahler DolesAsst director
As listed in its 2025 IRS filing. Many foundations decide through their board, so a personal connection often matters more than a perfect application.
What it funds most often
- Community investments program
- State charitable grant
Tennessee organizations it funded
Hamblen 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morristown TN Lodge No 1667 | Morristown, Hamblen County | Community investments program | $8,000 |
| Tennessee Elks Charitable Trust | Lawrenceburg, Lawrence County | State charitable grant | $128K |
| Lewis County TN Lodge No 2883 | Hohenwald, Lewis County | Community investments program | $11K |
| Oak Ridge TN Lodge No 1684 | Oak Ridge, Anderson County | Community investments program | $10K |
| Gallatin TN Lodge No 2547 | Gallatin, Sumner County | Community investments program | $10K |
| Nashville-Franklin TN Lodge No 72 | Franklin, Williamson County | Community investments program | $10K |
| Chattanooga TN Lodge No 91 | Chattanooga, Hamilton County | Community investments program | $10K |
| Knoxville TN Lodge No 160 | Knoxville, Knox County | Community investments program | $10K |
| Jackson TN Lodge No 192 | Jackson, Madison County | Community investments program | $10K |
| Johnson City TN Lodge No 825 | Johnson City, Washington County | Community investments program | $10K |
| Pulaski TN Lodge No 1827 | Pulaski, Giles County | Community investments program | $10K |
| Elizabethton TN Lodge No 1847 | Elizabethton, Carter County | Community investments program | $10K |
| Gatlinburg TN Lodge No 1925 | Gatlinburg, Sevier County | Community investments program | $10K |
| Paris TN Lodge No 816 | Paris, Henry County | Community investments program | $9,500 |
| Athens TN Lodge No 1927 | Athens, McMinn County | Community investments program | $9,500 |
| Erwin TN Lodge No 1985 | Erwin, Unicoi County | Community investments program | $9,500 |
| Camden TN Lodge No 2156 | Camden, Benton County | Community investments program | $9,500 |
| Waverly TN Lodge No 2289 | Waverly, Humphreys County | Community investments program | $9,500 |
| Cumberland County TN Lodge No 2751 | Crossville, Cumberland County | Community investments program | $9,500 |
| Fayetteville TN Lodge No 1792 | Fayetteville, Lincoln County | Community investments program | $9,000 |
| Huntingdon TN Lodge No 2152 | Huntingdon, Carroll County | Community investments program | $9,000 |
| Dresden TN Lodge No 2373 | Dresden, Weakley County | Community investments program | $9,000 |
| Lawrenceburg TN Lodge No 2206 | Lawrenceburg, Lawrence County | Community investments program | $8,000 |
| Trenton TN Lodge No 1279 | Trenton, Gibson County | Community investments program | $6,000 |
| Cleveland TN Lodge No 1944 | Cleveland, Bradley County | Community investments program | $6,000 |
Foundation website All its IRS filings (ProPublica) Sign in to save