The Day Foundation concentrates its giving on education and youth-focused human services in the Memphis area, providing large, strategic investments to a small set of organizations. Grants commonly fund operating support, scholarships, and scale/growth initiatives (e.g., Youth Villages’ national expansion), and the foundation shows a preference for faith-based and independent school partners as well as youth development providers. Its giving appears mission-driven and locally concentrated, favoring multi-year or repeat support to deepen impact rather than many small one-off gifts.
The Day Foundation’s largest recent grant is a recurring $3,000,000 commitment to Youth Villages for its national growth plan, a strong signal that the foundation sometimes backs expansion as well as local service delivery. Alongside that scale investment, it has made seven-figure and high six-figure gifts to Memphis institutions such as Rhodes College, Memphis Allies, and St Paul Catholic School. The pattern is not broad national dispersal; it is concentrated, place-based support with repeated funding to a relatively small circle of organizations. Recent grants show the foundation supporting youth services, education, and faith-linked schools through operating support, scholarships, and growth capital. The Day Foundation also uses multi-year support in several cases, including repeat grants to Youth Villages and Rhodes College, and continuing support for organizations such as Christian Brothers High School, Porter-leath Children’s Center, Visible Music College, and Binghampton Christian Academy. That mix suggests a funder that uses large grants to stabilize organizations, underwrite student aid, and help selected nonprofits scale or sustain core work.
Education is a central theme. The foundation awarded $2,000,000 to St Paul Catholic School for operating support and $1,220,000 to Rhodes College for scholarships, showing support for both K–12 institutions and higher education access. It also gave $173,667 to St Agnes Academy - St Dominic School for operating support, extending that education pattern across multiple school settings. Youth development and workforce readiness are another clear thread. Junior Achievement of Memphis received $800,000 for operating support, while Memphis Allies received $1,000,000 for operating support. In child welfare and family services, Porter-leath Children’s Center received $500,000 for operating support, and The Dorothy Day House received $110,000 for operating support. The foundation also backed New Day Schools Inc with $510,000 for operating support, reinforcing its focus on youth-serving institutions.
Typical grant size centers on mid-to-large awards: the 25th percentile is $23,750, the median is $87,500, and the 75th percentile is $212,500. The grant list shows a small number of very large awards above that range, including multi-million-dollar commitments and repeated operating-support gifts. The Day Foundation’s giving is recurrent rather than one-off. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including Youth Villages, Rhodes College, Christian Brothers High School, Porter-leath Children’s Center, Visible Music College, Binghampton Christian Academy, Mayo School of Health Sciences, and Memphis Allies. The foundation funds individuals through scholarships, but it does not make program-related investments. Its grantmaking is local and tightly managed rather than broadly distributed.
$11.5M
$159.5M
$15.7M
$13M
Most grants fall between $24K and $213K, with a median of $88K.
25th Percentile
$24K
Median
$88K
75th Percentile
$213K
About 96% of grants go to recipients in TN.
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Concentrated, high-dollar grants to a small number of repeat and strategic grantees; emphasis on operating support and growth/capital investments rather than a broad distribution of small grants.
Notable grantees: Youth Villages, Rhodes College, St. Paul Catholic School, Memphis Allies, Junior Achievement of Memphis
Grantmaking is overwhelmingly concentrated in Tennessee, with 96% of grants going to recipients in the HQ state. Memphis is the dominant city in the recipient list, including Rhodes College, Memphis Allies, Junior Achievement of Memphis, and Porter-leath Children’s Center. Outside Tennessee, only a small number of grants appear in the recent list, including Mayo School of Health Sciences in Rochester, Minnesota. The country distribution is entirely U.S.-based, with 59 grants to U.S. recipients.
The recent grants point to education, youth development, and child/family services. Examples include operating support for schools such as St Paul Catholic School, scholarships for Rhodes College, and operating support for youth-serving groups like Memphis Allies and Junior Achievement of Memphis.
Yes. Multiple recipients appear across more than one year, including Youth Villages, Rhodes College, Christian Brothers High School, Porter-leath Children’s Center, Visible Music College, Binghampton Christian Academy, Mayo School of Health Sciences, and Memphis Allies.
The grant size distribution centers on larger awards: the 25th percentile is $23,750, the median is $87,500, and the 75th percentile is $212,500. The recent list also includes several grants in the hundreds of thousands and multi-million-dollar commitments.
Very concentrated. 96% of grants go to recipients in Tennessee, and the recipient list is dominated by Memphis organizations. The recent grants are entirely U.S.-based.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| YOUTH VILLAGES | MEMPHIS, TN | $3,000,000 | 2025 | NATIONAL GROWTH PLAN |
| ST PAUL CATHOLIC SCHOOL | MEMPHIS, TN | $2,000,000 | 2025 | OPERATING SUPPORT |
| RHODES COLLEGE | MEMPHIS, TN | $1,220,000 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIPS |
| MEMPHIS ALLIES | MEMPHIS, TN | $1,000,000 | 2025 | OPERATING SUPPORT |
| JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT OF MEMPHIS | MEMPHIS, TN | $800,000 | 2025 | OPERATING SUPPORT |
| ALLIANCE HEALTHCARE SERVICES | MEMPHIS, TN | $500,000 | 2025 | OPERATING SUPPORT |
| PORTER-LEATH CHILDREN'S CENTER | MEMPHIS, TN | $500,000 | 2025 | OPERATING SUPPORT |
| CHRISTIAN BROTHERS HIGH SCHOOL | MEMPHIS, TN | $335,000 | 2025 | OPERATING SUPPORT |
| THE CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF MEMPHIS | MEMPHIS, TN | $287,500 | 2025 | OPERATING SUPPORT |
| MAYO SCHOOL OF HEALTH SCIENCES | ROCHESTER, MN | $250,000 | 2025 | OPERATING SUPPORT |
| CALVARY EPISCOPAL CHURCH | MEMPHIS, TN | $250,000 | 2025 | OPERATING SUPPORT |
| VISIBLE MUSIC COLLEGE | MEMPHIS, TN | $200,000 | 2025 | OPERATING SUPPORT |
| ST AGNES ACADEMY - ST DOMINIC SCHOOL | MEMPHIS, TN | $173,667 | 2025 | OPERATING SUPPORT |
| BINGHAMPTON CHRISTIAN ACADEMY | MEMPHIS, TN | $125,000 | 2025 | OPERATING SUPPORT |
| ROOM IN THE INN | MEMPHIS, TN | $100,000 | 2025 | OPERATING SUPPORT |
| CATHEDRAL OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION | MEMPHIS, TN | $100,000 | 2025 | OPERATING SUPPORT |
| COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF GREATER MEMPHIS | MEMPHIS, TN | $100,000 | 2025 | OPERATING SUPPORT |
| MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN | MEMPHIS, TN | $100,000 | 2025 | OPERATING SUPPORT |
| NATIONAL ORNAMENTAL METAL MUSEUM INC | MEMPHIS, TN | $100,000 | 2025 | OPERATING SUPPORT |
| REACH MEMPHIS | MEMPHIS, TN | $75,000 | 2025 | OPERATING SUPPORT |
| HARWOOD CENTER INC | MEMPHIS, TN | $70,000 | 2025 | OPERATING SUPPORT |
| IMMACULATE CONCEPTION CHURCH | MEMPHIS, TN | $41,827 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIPS |
| ANGELSTREET MEMPHIS | CORDOVA, TN | $25,000 | 2025 | OPERATING SUPPORT |
| NEW DAY SCHOOLS INC | MEMPHIS, TN | $25,000 | 2025 | OPERATING SUPPORT |
| MADONNA LEARNING CENTER | GERMANTOWN, TN | $25,000 | 2025 | OPERATING SUPPORT |
| RACHEL'S KIDS INC | MEMPHIS, TN | $15,000 | 2025 | OPERATING SUPPORT |
| A STEP AHEAD FOUNDATION | MEMPHIS, TN | $15,000 | 2025 | OPERATING SUPPORT |
| THE DOROTHY DAY HOUSE | MEMPHIS, TN | $10,000 | 2025 | OPERATING SUPPORT |
| ST PATRICK COMMUNITY OUTREACH INC | MEMPHIS, TN | $10,000 | 2025 | OPERATING SUPPORT |
| KARAT PLACE INC | MEMPHIS, TN | $5,000 | 2025 | OPERATING SUPPORT |
| MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART INC | MEMPHIS, TN | $4,000 | 2025 | OPERATING SUPPORT |
| YOUTH VILLAGES | MEMPHIS, TN | $3,000,000 | 2023 | NATIONAL GROWTH PLAN |
| RHODES COLLEGE | MEMPHIS, TN | $1,317,500 | 2023 | SCHOLARSHIPS |
| NEW DAY SCHOOLS INC | MEMPHIS, TN | $510,000 | 2023 | OPERATING SUPPORT |
| CHRISTIAN BROTHERS HIGH SCHOOL | MEMPHIS, TN | $320,000 | 2023 | OPERATING SUPPORT |
| MAYO SCHOOL OF HEALTH SCIENCES | ROCHESTER, MN | $250,000 | 2023 | OPERATING SUPPORT |
| PORTER-LEATH CHILDREN'S CENTER | MEMPHIS, TN | $250,000 | 2023 | OPERATING SUPPORT |
| SRVS | MEMPHIS, TN | $250,000 | 2023 | OPERATING SUPPORT |
| VISIBLE MUSIC COLLEGE | MEMPHIS, TN | $200,000 | 2023 | OPERATING SUPPORT |
| BINGHAMPTON CHRISTIAN ACADEMY | MEMPHIS, TN | $120,000 | 2023 | OPERATING SUPPORT |
| IMMACULATE CONCEPTION CATHEDRAL SCHOOL | MEMPHIS, TN | $110,173 | 2023 | SCHOLARSHIPS |
| THE DOROTHY DAY HOUSE | MEMPHIS, TN | $110,000 | 2023 | OPERATING SUPPORT |
| NEW BALLET ENSEMBLE AND SCHOOL | MEMPHIS, TN | $100,000 | 2023 | OPERATING SUPPORT |
| MOST (MEMPHIS OPPORTUNITY SCHOLARSHIP TRUST) | MEMPHIS, TN | $100,000 | 2023 | OPERATING SUPPORT |
| METAL MUSEUM | MEMPHIS, TN | $100,000 | 2023 | OPERATING SUPPORT |
| REACH MEMPHIS | MEMPHIS, TN | $75,000 | 2023 | OPERATING SUPPORT |
| THE CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF MEMPHIS | MEMPHIS, TN | $75,000 | 2023 | OPERATING SUPPORT |
| ANGELSTREET | CORDOVA, TN | $30,000 | 2023 | OPERATING SUPPORT |
| CATHEDRAL OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION | MEMPHIS, TN | $25,000 | 2023 | OPERATING SUPPORT |
| KARAT PLACE INC | MEMPHIS, TN | $25,000 | 2023 | OPERATING SUPPORT |
YOUTH VILLAGES
$3,000,000NATIONAL GROWTH PLAN
ST PAUL CATHOLIC SCHOOL
$2,000,000OPERATING SUPPORT
RHODES COLLEGE
$1,220,000SCHOLARSHIPS
MEMPHIS ALLIES
$1,000,000OPERATING SUPPORT
JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT OF MEMPHIS
$800,000OPERATING SUPPORT
ALLIANCE HEALTHCARE SERVICES
$500,000OPERATING SUPPORT
PORTER-LEATH CHILDREN'S CENTER
OPERATING SUPPORT
CHRISTIAN BROTHERS HIGH SCHOOL
$335,000OPERATING SUPPORT
THE CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF MEMPHIS
$287,500OPERATING SUPPORT
MAYO SCHOOL OF HEALTH SCIENCES
$250,000OPERATING SUPPORT
CALVARY EPISCOPAL CHURCH
$250,000OPERATING SUPPORT
VISIBLE MUSIC COLLEGE
$200,000OPERATING SUPPORT
ST AGNES ACADEMY - ST DOMINIC SCHOOL
$173,667OPERATING SUPPORT
BINGHAMPTON CHRISTIAN ACADEMY
$125,000OPERATING SUPPORT
ROOM IN THE INN
$100,000OPERATING SUPPORT
CATHEDRAL OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION
$100,000OPERATING SUPPORT
COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF GREATER MEMPHIS
$100,000OPERATING SUPPORT
MEMPHIS BOTANIC GARDEN
$100,000OPERATING SUPPORT
NATIONAL ORNAMENTAL METAL MUSEUM INC
$100,000OPERATING SUPPORT
REACH MEMPHIS
$75,000OPERATING SUPPORT
HARWOOD CENTER INC
$70,000OPERATING SUPPORT
IMMACULATE CONCEPTION CHURCH
$41,827SCHOLARSHIPS
ANGELSTREET MEMPHIS
$25,000OPERATING SUPPORT
NEW DAY SCHOOLS INC
$25,000OPERATING SUPPORT
MADONNA LEARNING CENTER
$25,000OPERATING SUPPORT
RACHEL'S KIDS INC
$15,000OPERATING SUPPORT
A STEP AHEAD FOUNDATION
$15,000OPERATING SUPPORT
THE DOROTHY DAY HOUSE
$10,000OPERATING SUPPORT
ST PATRICK COMMUNITY OUTREACH INC
$10,000OPERATING SUPPORT
KARAT PLACE INC
$5,000OPERATING SUPPORT
MEMPHIS BROOKS MUSEUM OF ART INC
$4,000OPERATING SUPPORT
YOUTH VILLAGES
$3,000,000NATIONAL GROWTH PLAN
RHODES COLLEGE
$1,317,500SCHOLARSHIPS
NEW DAY SCHOOLS INC
$510,000OPERATING SUPPORT
CHRISTIAN BROTHERS HIGH SCHOOL
$320,000OPERATING SUPPORT
MAYO SCHOOL OF HEALTH SCIENCES
$250,000OPERATING SUPPORT
PORTER-LEATH CHILDREN'S CENTER
$250,000OPERATING SUPPORT
SRVS
$250,000OPERATING SUPPORT
VISIBLE MUSIC COLLEGE
$200,000OPERATING SUPPORT
BINGHAMPTON CHRISTIAN ACADEMY
$120,000OPERATING SUPPORT
IMMACULATE CONCEPTION CATHEDRAL SCHOOL
$110,173SCHOLARSHIPS
THE DOROTHY DAY HOUSE
$110,000OPERATING SUPPORT
NEW BALLET ENSEMBLE AND SCHOOL
$100,000OPERATING SUPPORT
MOST (MEMPHIS OPPORTUNITY SCHOLARSHIP TRUST)
$100,000OPERATING SUPPORT
METAL MUSEUM
$100,000OPERATING SUPPORT
REACH MEMPHIS
$75,000OPERATING SUPPORT
THE CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF MEMPHIS
$75,000OPERATING SUPPORT
ANGELSTREET
$30,000OPERATING SUPPORT
CATHEDRAL OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION
$25,000OPERATING SUPPORT
KARAT PLACE INC
$25,000OPERATING SUPPORT