930 FRIENDS concentrates its philanthropy on Tennessee-based institutions with a strong emphasis on vision/eye-health services and support for the University of Tennessee. Grants are typically unrestricted or “various support,” suggesting a preference for general operating or program flexibility, and recipients include both medical providers and community service organizations.
Concentrated giving: a small number of mid-to-large grants with heavy weighting toward one primary beneficiary (University of Tennessee receives the majority and repeat grants). Funding is predominantly general/program support to health and education organizations with a regional (Memphis/Tennessee) orientation.
A single $100,000 grant to the University of Tennessee in Knoxville stands out in 930 Friends’ recent giving and helps define the foundation’s pattern: concentrated support for Tennessee institutions, often with broad "various support" language rather than narrow project restrictions. The foundation’s recent grants connect higher education, eye care, and community health, with recipients including Hamilton Eye Institute, World Cataract Foundation, and Mid-South Lions. That mix suggests a funder that backs both institutional infrastructure and specialized services tied to vision care. The University of Tennessee appears as a recurring recipient, with another grant of $39,927 in a later year, indicating repeated support rather than a one-time gift. Other awards are smaller but still substantial, including mid-five-figure grants to Memphis-based organizations. Across the file, the grants are local to Tennessee and entirely U.S.-based, reinforcing a place-based pattern of giving centered on institutions and service organizations the foundation appears to know well.
Higher education is one of 930 Friends’ clearest funding areas. In 2023, it gave $100,000 to the University of Tennessee for various support, and it followed with another $39,927 grant to the same institution in 2024. Vision care is another major thread: Hamilton Eye Institute received $28,690 in 2025 for various support, pointing to direct backing for ophthalmology-related services. The foundation also supported blindness prevention and cataract treatment through a $25,530 grant to World Cataract Foundation in 2024. Community health service shows up as well, with a $20,000 grant to Mid-South Lions in 2025 for various support. Together, these grants show a narrow geographic footprint but a multi-sector mix spanning education, clinical eye care, and civic service.
930 Friends gives at a relatively narrow grant-size band. The typical award sits around a $28,690 median, with the middle half ranging from $25,530 to $39,927; one larger grant of $100,000 sits above that range. The recipients in the recent file recur across years: the University of Tennessee received grants in both 2023 and 2024, which points to repeat support rather than isolated awards. The foundation is structured as a traditional grantmaker, not one that funds individuals or makes program-related investments. Its recent grants are described as various support, suggesting flexibility in use of funds rather than tightly specified project-only grants.
$214K
$558K
$62K
$59K
Most grants fall between $26K and $40K, with a median of $29K.
25th Percentile
$26K
Median
$29K
75th Percentile
$40K
About 100% of grants go to recipients in TN.
JAMES C FLEMING MD
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Notable grantees: University of Tennessee, Hamilton Eye Institute, World Cataract Foundation, Mid‑South Lions
930 Friends gives locally, and every recent grant in the file went to recipients in Tennessee. Knoxville appears through the University of Tennessee, while Memphis appears through Hamilton Eye Institute, World Cataract Foundation, and Mid-South Lions. The recipient-country distribution is entirely U.S.-based, with 5 grants recorded in the United States. The pattern is statewide but concentrated in two Tennessee cities, with Memphis showing multiple recipients and Knoxville anchored by the university grant.
The recent grants point to Tennessee institutions, especially higher education and eye-health related organizations. Recipients include the University of Tennessee, Hamilton Eye Institute, World Cataract Foundation, and Mid-South Lions, with grants described as various support.
The recent grant file shows a local Tennessee pattern: 100% of grants went to recipients in the foundation’s HQ state, and the recipient-country distribution is entirely U.S.-based.
The middle of the distribution is fairly tight: p25 is $25,530, the median is $28,690, and p75 is $39,927. One recent grant of $100,000 is above that range.
Yes. The University of Tennessee received a $100,000 grant in 2023 and another $39,927 grant in 2024, showing repeat support across years.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HAMILTON EYE INSTITUTE | MEMPHIS, TN | $28,690 | 2025 | VARIOUS SUPPORT |
| MID-SOUTH LIONS | MEMPHIS, TN | $20,000 | 2025 | VARIOUS SUPPORT |
| UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE | KNOXVILLE, TN | $39,927 | 2024 | VARIOUS SUPPORT |
| WORLD CATARACT FOUNDATION | MEMPHIS, TN | $25,530 | 2024 | VARIOUS SUPPORT |
| UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE | KNOXVILLE, TN | $100,000 | 2023 | VARIOUS SUPPORT |
HAMILTON EYE INSTITUTE
$28,690VARIOUS SUPPORT
MID-SOUTH LIONS
$20,000VARIOUS SUPPORT
UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE
$39,927VARIOUS SUPPORT
WORLD CATARACT FOUNDATION
$25,530VARIOUS SUPPORT
UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE
$100,000VARIOUS SUPPORT