Private foundation · Nashville
Thomas & Mamie Houser Charitable Foundation
In 2025 it gave 44 grants worth $168,900 to Tennessee groups. A typical grant was $250 to $3,000. Most often for: “To support charity”.
Invitation only: it picks who to fund. Don't send a proposal. Look for a connection through its board. See its board and officers below: do you or your board know any of them?
Key facts
- Grants in Tennessee
- 44 totaling $168,900
- Typical grant How we figure this
- $250 to $3,000 (the middle half of its Tennessee grants)
- A realistic first ask How we figure this
- About $250: the middle grant to the 8 Tennessee groups it funded for the first time in 2025.
- Where it gives
- Davidson County, Williamson County, Maury County · plus 4 grants outside Tennessee
- Buildings & equipment
- None of its Tennessee grants in this filing were for buildings or equipment
- Funds new groups? How we figure this
- 18% of the Tennessee groups it funded in 2025 were new (not funded in 2023–2024): 8 of 44.
- Total giving that year
- $175,000
Giving by year
| Tax year | Total grants paid | To Tennessee | Tennessee grants |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $175K | $169K | 44 |
| 2024 | $175K | $166K | 45 |
| 2023 | $158K | $147K | 37 |
All grants paid To Tennessee
How to apply
The foundation's filing doesn't describe how to apply. Look for a website, or send a short letter asking whether it accepts requests.
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.
- Britton NielsenPresident
- Noni NielsenBoard
- Marguerite N OrndorffSecretary
- Britt N AndersonBoard
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
- To support charity (37 grants)
- To support conservation (3 grants)
- To support ministry (2 grants)
- To support education (1 grant)
- To support literacy (1 grant)
How big its Tennessee grants are
| Grant size | Grants |
|---|---|
| Under $1,000 | 15 |
| $1,000 to $4,999 | 19 |
| $5,000 to $9,999 | 4 |
| $10,000 to $24,999 | 5 |
| $25,000 to $99,999 | 1 |
From its 2025 IRS filing. Small groups: look at how many grants sit in the bands you'd ask for.
Tennessee organizations it funded
Largest first. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preston Taylor Ministries | Nashville, Davidson County | To support ministry | $40K |
| Oasis Center | Nashville, Davidson County | To support charity | $20K |
| Harpeth Hall School | Nashville, Davidson County | To support education | $14K |
| Nashville Food Project | Nashville, Davidson County | To support charity | $10K |
| Nashville Tree Foundation | Nashville, Davidson County | To support conservation | $10K |
| Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle TN | Nashville, Davidson County | To support charity | $10K |
| Cumberland Heights | Nashville, Davidson County | To support charity | $7,500 |
| Westminster Home Connection | Nashville, Davidson County | To support charity | $7,500 |
| YWCA of Middle Tennessee | Nashville, Davidson County | To support charity | $5,250 |
| United Way of Metropolitan Nashville | Nashville, Davidson County | To support charity | $5,000 |
| Harding Academy | Nashville, Davidson County | To support charity | $3,000 |
| Brightstone | Franklin, Williamson County | To support charity | $2,500 |
| Monroe Harding | Nashville, Davidson County | To support charity | $2,500 |
| Nashville Parks Fdn | Nashville, Davidson County | To support charity | $2,500 |
| Nashville Public Library Foundation | Nashville, Davidson County | To support literacy | $2,500 |
| Nashville Zoo | Nashville, Davidson County | To support charity | $2,500 |
| Room in the Inn | Nashville, Davidson County | To support ministry | $2,500 |
| Safe Haven | Nashville, Davidson County | To support charity | $2,500 |
| Unicycle | Nashville, Davidson County | To support charity | $2,500 |
| Friends of Radnor Lake | Nashville, Davidson County | To support conservation | $2,250 |
| Westminster Presbyterian Church | Nashville, Davidson County | To support charity | $2,100 |
| Friends of Warner Parks | Nashville, Davidson County | To support conservation | $1,250 |
| American Heart Association | Nashville, Davidson County | To support charity | $1,000 |
| Crowded Table | Nashville, Davidson County | To support charity | $1,000 |
| Ancora TN - End Slavery TN | Nashville, Davidson County | To support charity | $1,000 |