Private foundation · Denver, CO (gives in Tennessee from out of state)
Gates Family Foundation
Takes applications. See how to apply below.
Key facts
- Grants in Tennessee
- 1 totaling $40,000
- Typical grant
- $40,000 (1 grant)
- A realistic first ask
- About $40,000, its middle Tennessee grant. First-time winners usually get less than repeat ones.
- Where it gives
- Shelby County · plus 373 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 2023–2024. Build a relationship before asking.
- Total giving that year
- $36.3 million
Giving by year
| Tax year | Total grants paid | To Tennessee | Tennessee grants |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $36.3M | $40K | 1 |
| 2024 | $37.3M | $35K | 1 |
| 2023 | $41.1M | $30K | 1 |
How to apply
- Contact
- Gates family foundation · denver · 3037221881
- What to send
- Capital grant applicants should use the common grant application available on the foundation's website: www.gatesfamilyfoundation.org. Please reference our website for more information about our initiated grant making.
- Deadlines
- Proposal deadlines: march 15 and september 1.
Next one: Mar 15, 2027 if the dates haven't changed since its 2025 filing - Limits
- The foundation supports capital projects, which are typically building purchase, construction, expansion, renovation, and/or land acquisition, as well as other forms of initiated grant making for capital, program, operating and other purposes in four priority areas - k-12 education, natural resources, community development, and informed communities. The foundation also makes recyclable commitments of capital in the form of program related investments in support of its objectives in the four priority areas for initiated activity.
As the foundation reported to the IRS for tax year 2025. Check its website or call before sending anything, because contacts and deadlines change.
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.
- Dane HarbaughTrustee
- Lauren DavisVice chair
- Wesley BrownTreasurer
- Richard G KielyChair
- Virginia C BaylessTrustee
- Rosemary RodriguezTrustee
- Ernest HouseTrustee
- Thomas A GougeonPresident, s
- Leslie SabinVp impact in
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
- Scholarships/fellowships
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diocese of Memphis Roman Catholic C | Cordova, Shelby County | Scholarships/fellowships | $40K |
Foundation website All its IRS filings (ProPublica) Sign in to save