About United Way of Middle Tennessee
We unite the community and mobilize resources so that every child, individual and family thrives.
Focus Areas
Poverty alleviationEducation and youth successHealthBasic needs (housing, food)Disaster relief and recoveryVolunteer mobilization
Who They Fund
nonprofit organizations (sub-recipients)
Funding Style
sub-recipient / pass-through grantsprogram operations (CIF) supportdonor-directed designationsrestricted / designated funding
About United Way of Middle Tennessee
United Way of Middle Tennessee Inc channels very large, repeated awards to a network of Nashville-area nonprofit partners, with several multi-year relationships standing out in the recent grants list. Safe Haven Family Shelter appears in three consecutive years, including $1,633,681 in 2025, while Catholic Charities of Tennessee also received seven-figure support across 2023, 2024, and 2025. That pattern points to a funder working through sustained community partnerships rather than isolated one-time awards. The grant list also shows support for organizations meeting urgent housing, food, and crisis needs, alongside education, health, and poverty-alleviation work. In practice, the foundation funds sub-recipients, community investment partners, and donor-directed designations, so much of its grantmaking is routed through local nonprofit intermediaries that deliver services in the service region. The recent awards range from substantial operating-style support to program-centered funding, with organizations such as The Help Center and St Luke's Community Center among the larger recipients. Across the list, the foundation’s role is less about single grants and more about maintaining a local nonprofit infrastructure around basic needs, family stability, and community wellbeing.
What United Way of Middle Tennessee Funds
In housing and crisis support, the foundation gave $2,208,282 to Safe Haven Family Shelter in 2023 and then continued support in 2024 and 2025, reflecting sustained attention to shelter and stability. For food security and basic-needs response, it awarded $2,611,880 to The Help Center in 2023, one of the largest recent grants on file. Community health also appears in the recent grants through Nashville Cares, which received $808,961 in 2024 and $827,802 in 2025. Education and youth success is part of the funding mix as well: St Luke's Community Center received $984,947 in 2024 and $864,839 in 2025, indicating continued support for organizations serving children and families in the region. These awards sit alongside the foundation’s strategic pillars for poverty alleviation, building strong healthy communities, and meeting neighbors’ basic needs.
How United Way of Middle Tennessee Gives
Typical grant size is moderate relative to the funder’s overall scale: the p25 is $9,330, the median is $23,671, and the p75 is $81,500. The recent grants list shows both large, repeated partner awards and smaller designation-style payments, which suggests a mix of portfolio funding and directed support. Several recipients appear across multiple years, including Safe Haven Family Shelter, Catholic Charities of Tennessee, St Luke's Community Center, and Nashville Cares, indicating recurring relationships rather than mostly one-off grants. The foundation is classified as a regular funder and does not fund individuals. Its active programs also show that some funding is unsolicited while other streams, such as community investment and certain emergency-response funds, are channelled through partner structures.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$29M
Total Assets
$70.3M
Total Revenue
$46.2M
Total Expenses
$46.5M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $9K and $82K, with a median of $24K.
25th Percentile
$9K
Median
$24K
75th Percentile
$82K
Geographic Reach
Local17 states funded
About 94% of grants go to recipients in TN.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
SUMMOR PENNINGTON
Accepts unsolicited proposals
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