Private foundation · Franklin
Nissan Foundation
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
- 11 totaling $385,000
- Typical grant
- $25,000 to $50,000 (the middle half of its Tennessee grants)
- A realistic first ask
- About $25,000, its middle Tennessee grant. First-time winners usually get less than repeat ones.
- Where it gives
- Davidson County, Rutherford County · plus 33 grants outside Tennessee
- Buildings & equipment
- None of its Tennessee grants in this filing were for buildings or equipment
- Funds new groups?
- 27% of the Tennessee groups it funded in 2024 were new (not funded in 2021–2023): 3 of 11.
- Total giving that year
- $1.3 million
Giving by year
| Tax year | Total grants paid | To Tennessee | Tennessee grants |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $1.3M | $385K | 11 |
| 2023 | $0 | — | 0 |
| 2021 | $848K | $287K | 9 |
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.
- Andrew J TaviPresident (as of 04/25)/director
- Chandra VasserPresident/director (thru 04/25)
- Glenn PlosaSecretary/director
- Jason BartlettTreasurer/director
- Ali TonnExecutive director/director
- David EnglenDirector (as of 01/25)
- Bryan HornDirector
- Seth JacksonDirector
- Mark KaczynskiDirector
- Keri KellyDirector (thru 04/25)
- Andre MedeirosDirector
- Jeffrey MillsDirector
- Brooke NooneDirector (thru 04/25)
- Terence PorterDirector
- Anna SerraDirector (as of 04/25)
- Allesandra TharpDirector
- Calandra TurnerDirector
- Terri WelchDirector
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
- Celebrate chinese new year in Nashville
- Kids first
- Maria magdalena campos-pons: behold exhibition programming
- Passport to understanding
- Conversations @npl
- Next door neighbors:2024-2025
- 43rd annual Tennessee indian education pow wow
- International teen outreach program (itop)
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 Television | Nashville, Davidson County | Next door neighbors:2024-2025 | $75K |
| Discovery Center | Murfreesboro, Rutherford County | Kids first | $70K |
| Nashville Public Library Foundation | Nashville, Davidson County | Conversations @npl | $50K |
| Frist Art Museum | Nashville, Davidson County | Maria magdalena campos-pons: behold exhibition programming | $30K |
| Global Education Center | Nashville, Davidson County | Passport to understanding | $25K |
| Native American Indian Association of Tennessee | Nashville, Davidson County | 43rd annual Tennessee indian education pow wow | $25K |
| Oasis Center | Nashville, Davidson County | International teen outreach program (itop) | $25K |
| Stars Nashville | Nashville, Davidson County | Promoting respect & understanding to support a diverse & inclusive society | $25K |
| Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition | Nashville, Davidson County | Internashional night market: celebrating nashvilles diverse immigrant and... | $25K |
| YWCA Nashville & Middle Tennessee | Nashville, Davidson County | Stand against injustice: YWCA nashvilles lunch & learn series & anti-racism... | $25K |
| Chinese Arts Alliance of Nashville | Nashville, Davidson County | Celebrate chinese new year in Nashville | $10K |
Grants approved for future years
In its tax-year 2024 IRS Form 990-PF the foundation listed grants it had approved but not yet paid: 9 to Tennessee groups totaling $230,000, and 28 elsewhere. These are multi-year commitments, so they show what it has promised to keep funding. Some may have been paid since.
| Recipient | Where | Purpose | Amount | Tax year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville Pbs | Nashville, Davidson County | Next door neighbors 2025 - 2026 | $50K | 2024 |
| Discovery Center at Murfree Spring | Murfreesboro, Rutherford County | Kids first | $45K | 2024 |
| Cheekwood Estate and Gardens | Nashville, Davidson County | Celebrating middle tennessees cultures at cheekwood | $25K | 2024 |
| Frist Art Museum | Nashville, Davidson County | Education and community engagement programs for the exhibition "new african... | $20K | 2024 |
| Global Education Center | Nashville, Davidson County | Passport to understanding school outreach | $20K | 2024 |
| Native American Indian Association of Tennessee | Nashville, Davidson County | 44th annual Tennessee indian education pow wow | $20K | 2024 |
| Stars Nashville | Nashville, Davidson County | Promoting respect & understanding to support a diverse & inclusive society | $20K | 2024 |
| YWCA Nashville & Middle Tennessee | Nashville, Davidson County | Stand against injustice: YWCA nashvilles community education program in 2025-2026 | $20K | 2024 |
| Chinese Arts Alliance of Nashville | Nashville, Davidson County | Celebrate chinese new year in Nashville with caan in 2026 | $10K | 2024 |
| Cleveland Music Foundation Inc. Dba Grammy Museum Mississippi | Cleveland, MS | Exploring the soul of the movement | $40K | 2024 |
| Detroit Pbs | Wixom, MI | Expanding connections: one detroit and american black journal | $40K | 2024 |
| Foundation for Mississippi History | Jackson, MS | Support for the two mississippi museums school visits program | $40K | 2024 |
| Brooklyn Children's Museum | Brooklyn, NY | Cultural festivals | $25K | 2024 |
| Midori & Friends | Manhattan, NY | Celebrate! Music | $25K | 2024 |
| Queens Public Library Foundation | Queens, NY | Cultural programming at flushing library and the langston hughes community... | $25K | 2024 |
| Arab American National Museum | Dearborn, MI | 2025-26 public and educational programming series | $20K | 2024 |
| Dreamyard Project | The Bronx, NY | Real team ( racial equity arts liaison project) | $20K | 2024 |
| Educational Video Center Inc. | New York, NY | Youth media arts (yma) | $20K | 2024 |
| Facing History & Ourselves | Manhattan, NY | Professional development and classroom resources for new york educators | $20K | 2024 |
| Interfaith Leadership Council of Metropolitan Detroit | West Bloomfield, MI | Journeys - world religions in metropolitan detroit (formerly religious... | $20K | 2024 |
| One to World Inc. | Manhattan, NY | Fostering intercultural awareness & appreciation in the next generation of... | $20K | 2024 |
| The Jewish Museum | New York, NY | Movies that matter: film screenings for schools | $20K | 2024 |
| We Are Groundswell | Santa Ana, CA | Bridges: building bridges of understanding in schools and communities | $20K | 2024 |
| Atlanta Historical Society Inc. | Atlanta, GA | 2026 juneteenth community day | $15K | 2024 |
| Autry Museum of the American West | Los Angeles, CA | Autry education programs and the american indian arts festival | $15K | 2024 |
Showing 25 of 37: Tennessee first, then the largest.
Data: GivingTuesday Data Commons, ODbL
Foundation website All its IRS filings (ProPublica) Sign in to save