Create and support one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth.
A $3,000,000 capital-support grant to Dream Big Fund Trust stands out in Big Brothersbig Sisters of Middle Tn’s recent giving. That award suggests a funder that is willing to back infrastructure or long-range organizational needs alongside its core youth work. The foundation’s stated mission is to create and support one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth, and its recent grants show that mission carried through a statewide network of local Big Brothers Big Sisters affiliates in Tennessee. In 2024, it made repeated awards to organizations in Knoxville, Chattanooga, Memphis, and Clarksville, all within the state. The grant list points to a structure that supports youth-serving organizations directly rather than individual recipients, with most awards tied to youth programs. Within that pattern, the larger capital grant from Nashville signals a different kind of support than the program grants, giving a fuller picture of how the foundation combines ongoing service delivery funding with capital support for affiliated organizations.
Youth development is the clearest funding theme in the recent grant list. Big Brothersbig Sisters of Middle Tn gave $260,041 and $247,500 to Bbbs of East Tntri-cities in Knoxville for youth programs, showing repeated support for the same affiliate. In Chattanooga, it made two more youth-program grants: $205,530 and $135,000 to Bbbs of Chattanooga. Education support appears through the foundation’s broader stated focus, though the recent grants themselves are framed around youth programs rather than school-based awards. Volunteer engagement is also part of the foundation’s stated focus areas, aligning with the one-to-one mentoring model in its mission. Across the list, the recipients are youth-serving organizations rather than individuals, and the grants are concentrated in Tennessee affiliates that deliver mentoring services locally.
Typical grant size sits at $84,068 at the 25th percentile, $170,265 at the median, and $250,635 at the 75th percentile, with the recent list showing one very large outlier at $3,000,000. The pattern is recurring rather than one-off: several affiliates appear more than once in the 2024 grants, including Knoxville, Chattanooga, and Clarksville. The foundation is a local funder, gives entirely in Tennessee, and does not fund individuals. It also does not make program-related investments. The grants shown are mostly program grants, with one capital-support award in the recent list.
$4M
$3.3M
$5.2M
$8.1M
Most grants fall between $84K and $251K, with a median of $170K.
25th Percentile
$84K
Median
$170K
75th Percentile
$251K
About 100% of grants go to recipients in TN.
MELISSA HUDSON-GANT
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All recent grants in the provided list went to recipients in Tennessee, matching the foundation’s local geographic scope and 100% in-state giving. Knoxville appears twice, Chattanooga twice, and Clarksville twice; Memphis appears once, and Nashville appears as the recipient city for the capital-support grant. The foundation’s giving therefore reaches several Tennessee cities, with the strongest repeat presence in Knoxville and Chattanooga.
It funds youth-serving organizations, especially Big Brothers Big Sisters affiliates. The recent grants list includes youth-program support for affiliates in Knoxville, Chattanooga, Memphis, and Clarksville, alongside a capital-support grant to Dream Big Fund Trust in Nashville.
Its grant-size distribution is $84,068 at the 25th percentile, $170,265 at the median, and $250,635 at the 75th percentile. The recent list also includes a $3,000,000 capital-support grant that is far above that range.
No. The recipient-country distribution is entirely US, and 100% of the grants in the provided data went to recipients in Tennessee. The recent grants all list Tennessee cities, including Knoxville, Chattanooga, Memphis, Clarksville, and Nashville.
Yes. Several organizations appear more than once in the 2024 list: Bbbs of East Tntri-cities received two grants, Bbbs of Chattanooga received two grants, and Bbbs of Clarksville received two grants. That points to repeated support for affiliates rather than one-time awards only.
Its stated focus is one-to-one mentoring for youth, with related themes in youth development, education support, and volunteer engagement. The mission says it exists to create and support one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth.
2024
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2024.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DREAM BIG FUND TRUST | NASHVILLE, TN | $3,000,000 | 2024 | CAPITAL SUPPORT |
| BBBS OF EAST TNTRI-CITIES | KNOXVILLE, TN | $260,041 | 2024 | YOUTH PROGRAMS |
| BBBS OF EAST TNTRI-CITIES | KNOXVILLE, TN | $247,500 | 2024 | YOUTH PROGRAMS |
| BBBS OF CHATTANOOGA | CHATTANOOGA, TN | $205,530 | 2024 | YOUTH PROGRAMS |
| BBBS OF CHATTANOOGA | CHATTANOOGA, TN | $135,000 | 2024 | YOUTH PROGRAMS |
| BBBS OF THE MID SOUTH | MEMPHIS, TN | $97,500 | 2024 | YOUTH PROGRAMS |
| BBBS OF CLARKSVILLE | CLARKSVILLE, TN | $43,771 | 2024 | YOUTH PROGRAMS |
| BBBS OF CLARKSVILLE | CLARKSVILLE, TN | $30,000 | 2024 | YOUTH PROGRAMS |
DREAM BIG FUND TRUST
$3,000,000CAPITAL SUPPORT
BBBS OF EAST TNTRI-CITIES
$260,041YOUTH PROGRAMS
BBBS OF EAST TNTRI-CITIES
$247,500YOUTH PROGRAMS
BBBS OF CHATTANOOGA
$205,530YOUTH PROGRAMS
BBBS OF CHATTANOOGA
$135,000YOUTH PROGRAMS
BBBS OF THE MID SOUTH
$97,500YOUTH PROGRAMS
BBBS OF CLARKSVILLE
YOUTH PROGRAMS
BBBS OF CLARKSVILLE
$30,000YOUTH PROGRAMS