About Tucker Foundation
The Tucker Foundation concentrates its giving in southeastern Tennessee, directing large, multi-hundred-thousand-dollar gifts to regional community foundations and a major local medical center. Much of its support appears to be endowment- or fund-creation through intermediaries (e.g., "The Tucker Fund" at community foundations), with a secondary emphasis on health/medical institution support at Vanderbilt. The foundation gives few but very large grants, preferring capacity-building and long-term community impact over many small awards.
Focus Areas
Endowed donor funds at local community foundations (e.g., "The Tucker Fund" in Chattanooga)Strengthening regional philanthropic infrastructure in Cleveland & Bradley CountyMajor institutional support for medical/healthcare initiatives at Vanderbilt Medical Center
Who They Fund
children and youth (Hamilton County youth, teen survivors of trauma)low‑income and need‑based familiesK–12 students and scholarship recipients (college‑bound students)at‑risk/noncustodial parents
About Tucker Foundation
A defining feature of Tucker Foundation’s recent giving is the recurring use of donor-advised style intermediaries to build permanent local assets, including a $2,497,600 grant to the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga for The Tucker Fund. That approach sits alongside substantial support for regional institutions, from a $500,000 gift to Vanderbilt Medical Center to a $817,819 grant to the Community Foundation of Cleveland and Bradley Co. The foundation’s active grant programs also point to a clear mission: nonprofits that build character and life skills in young people, and organizations that conserve essential elements of the natural environment. Recent awards show a foundation that mixes broad community support with targeted institutional funding. It has backed youth development organizations such as On Point, educational work through the Young Women’s Leadership Academy Foundation, and environmental initiatives through land trusts and conservation groups. The Tucker Foundation also funds individuals, and its grantmaking includes scholarship support, program support, and capital-related awards. With annual grants of $9,127,974 and total assets of $68,685,316, it operates at a scale that allows for both large anchor gifts and smaller program awards within the same regional footprint.
What Tucker Foundation Funds
Youth development is a central thread in the Tucker Foundation’s giving. It awarded $192,550 to On Point for increasing social-emotional health and academic support for Hamilton County youth of great promise, and $75,000 to Teach for America for the Ignite Tutoring Fellowship. The foundation also supported a Montessori elementary program through the Young Women’s Leadership Academy Foundation with a $250,000 grant for Montessori Elementary at Highland Park. Education support extends beyond classroom programs. Tucker Foundation gave $125,000 to the Building and Construction Workforce Center for a construction career center, and $70,000 to Trousdale School for a scholarship fund request. In the arts and culture category, it supported Lee University with $150,000 for String Theory Season XVI (2024-25) and $60,000 for String Theory. Environmental giving includes $250,000 to Open Space Institute Land Trust for the Southern Appalachia Land Protection Fund and $186,000 to The Nature Conservancy of Tennessee for acquisitions for the Ocoee Gateway and the Pain Rock River National Wildlife Refuge.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$4.8M
Total Assets
$68.7M
Total Revenue
$6.2M
Total Expenses
$5.7M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $5K and $50K, with a median of $12K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$12K
75th Percentile
$50K
Geographic Reach
Regional13 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
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