About Blount Partnership
The mission of the Blount Partnership is to serve its members and stakeholders while promoting economic growth and stability, fostering community development and enhancing the overall quality of life in the region.
Focus Areas
Economic developmentWorkforce developmentTourism and visitor promotionSmall business supportIndustry/site recruitmentCommunity developmentEducation and training partnerships
Who They Fund
local employers / businesseslocal workforce / job seekersmunicipalities / local economic development agenciesprivate developers and investors
Funding Style
About Blount Partnership
A $9,000,000 grant to Smith and Wesson Brands Inc for facility improvements and new building construction stands out as the clearest signal of how Blount Partnership funds economic change: through large capital investments tied to job creation and new private-sector activity. The partnership also backed Arconic LLC with $1,500,000 for the same type of project, reinforcing a pattern of using grant dollars to support industrial expansion rather than broad, many-small-grant philanthropy. That approach fits its mission to promote economic growth, stability, and community development in the region. The organization works across economic development, workforce development, tourism and visitor promotion, small business support, industry and site recruitment, and education and training partnerships. Its active programs extend that mission into workforce readiness and skilled trades, including an eight-week training and paid internship program for young adults ages 18-26 who are unemployed or underemployed, plus a scholarship program for students in Blount County pursuing school or work expenses related to future building trades careers. Together, these grant and program choices show a funder focused on local employers, local workers, and the physical conditions that support long-term investment.
What Blount Partnership Funds
In workforce development, Blount Partnership supports both short-term training and longer-term credentials. Its Youth Workforce Readiness Training and Internship Program offers an eight-week training sequence plus a paid internship at a local manufacturer for young adults ages 18-26 who are unemployed or underemployed. The Foundation for Future Building Trades Scholarship helps students at Heritage High School, William Blount High School, and Maryville High School cover tuition, books, fees, tools, and boots, with awards up to $2,500. The funder also channels capital into industrial growth. In 2024 it gave $9,000,000 to Smith and Wesson Brands Inc for facility improvements and new building construction to create new jobs and encourage new capital investments. Another 2024 grant of $1,500,000 went to Arconic LLC for the same purpose. Those awards align with its stated focus on industry and site recruitment, job creation through physical investment, and commercial and industrial site development.
How Blount Partnership Gives
Blount Partnership’s recent grants are highly concentrated at the top end: the 25th percentile is $3,375,000, the median is $5,250,000, and the 75th percentile is $7,125,000. The two largest recent awards were $9,000,000 and $1,500,000, which shows a grantmaking style built around major capital commitments rather than small operating gifts. The organization does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments. Its active programs are separate from its capital grants and include unsolicited opportunities, such as the workforce readiness internship program and the building trades scholarship.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$10.5M
Total Assets
$4.1M
Total Revenue
$5M
Total Expenses
$4.8M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $3.4M and $7.1M, with a median of $5.3M.
25th Percentile
$3.4M
Median
$5.3M
75th Percentile
$7.1M
Geographic Reach
Local1 state funded
About 100% of grants go to recipients in TN.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
CHRIS SORO
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