Public charity · Goodlettsville
Dollar General Literacy Foundation
Its tax filing doesn't say how to apply. Check its website or call before sending anything.
Key facts
- Grants in Tennessee
- 81 totaling $2.5 million
- Typical grant
- $8,000 to $18,000 (the middle half of its Tennessee grants)
- A realistic first ask
- About $10,000, its middle Tennessee grant. First-time winners usually get less than repeat ones.
- Where it gives
- Davidson County, Shelby County, Knox County, Rutherford County, Williamson County, Scott County, Sullivan County, Sumner County and 9 more · plus 483 grants outside Tennessee
- Buildings & equipment
- 1 of its Tennessee grants went to buildings, renovations or equipment, e.g. “Building bilingual l”
- Funds new groups?
- 44% of the Tennessee groups it funded in 2025 were new (not funded in 2024): 35 of 79.
- Total giving that year
- $18.7 million
Giving by year
| Tax year | Total grants paid | To Tennessee | Tennessee grants |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $18.7M | $2.5M | 81 |
| 2024 | $18.1M | $3.4M | 70 |
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.
- Todd VasosChairman
- Rhonda TaylorSecretary
- Rod WestDirector
- Kathy ReardonDirector
- Anita ElliottTreasurer
- Barbara SpringerDirector
- Steve BrophyDirector
- Jeff RiceVice preside
- Cal Turner JrChairman eme
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
- English as a second
- Atoz family
- Literacy support for
- Bim family literacy
- Literacy changes liv
- Family literacy day
- Youth literacy partn
- Club read-murfreesbo
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville Public Library Foundation | Nashville, Davidson County | Limitless libraries | $500K |
| YWCA Nashville & Middle Tennessee | Nashville, Davidson County | YWCA Nashville's fam | $230K |
| Pencil Foundation | Nashville, Davidson County | Dg pencil box: provi | $200K |
| Nashville Adult Literacy Council I | Nashville, Davidson County | Donor appreciation e | $185K |
| YMCA of Middle Tennessee | Nashville, Davidson County | YMCA youth literacy | $175K |
| Governor's Early Literacy Foundatio | Nashville, Davidson County | Librotad | $80K |
| Tennessee College Access and Succes | Nashville, Davidson County | Goal collective (gro | $75K |
| Communities in Schools of Tennessee | Nashville, Davidson County | Integrated students | $50K |
| Greenbrier Elementary School | Greenbrier, Robertson County | Kellanova reading re | $50K |
| Raising Readers Nashville | Nashville, Davidson County | Raising readers nash | $50K |
| Martha O'bryan Center | Nashville, Davidson County | Mobc adult education | $48K |
| Nashville International Center for | Nashville, Davidson County | Nice - adult and fam | $48K |
| Nashville Public Television | Nashville, Davidson County | Learning to read int | $40K |
| Teach for America | Nashville, Davidson County | Tackling literacy in | $30K |
| Backfield in Motion | Nashville, Davidson County | Bim family literacy | $28K |
| Fiftyforward | Nashville, Davidson County | Foster grandparent p | $25K |
| Project Transformation Tennessee I | Nashville, Davidson County | Project transformati | $25K |
| Tennessee Performing Arts Center | Nashville, Davidson County | Tpac education - art | $25K |
| Glencliff High School | Nashville, Davidson County | Glencliff pace acade | $20K |
| Homework Hotline | Nashville, Davidson County | Homework hotline mat | $20K |
| Gallatin Shalom Zone Inc. | Gallatin, Sumner County | English as a second | $18K |
| Nashville Pbs | Nashville, Davidson County | Npt family literacy | $18K |
| Read to Succeed | Murfreesboro, Rutherford County | Family literacy | $18K |
| Book Em | Nashville, Davidson County | Youth literacy partn | $15K |
| Centro Hispano De East Tennessee | Knoxville, Knox County | Centro hispano's esl | $15K |
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