The Louie M. & Betty M. Phillips Foundation Grants

The Louie M. & Betty M. Phillips Foundation, established in 1978, is a private foundation based in Nashville, Tennessee, dedicated to supporting nonprofit organizations that contribute significantly to the well-being of the local community. Since its inception, the Foundation has distributed over $14 million to various Nashville area nonprofits. Its work is guided by the founders' legacy of philanthropy and civic engagement, and the Foundation is managed by a Committee on Beneficiaries. The Foundation also includes a Junior Advisory Board, comprising descendants of the founders who are over the age of ten, aimed at instilling values of giving and preparing the next generation for board service. The Foundation supports a wide range of causes across the fields of health, human services, civic affairs, education, and the arts. It prioritizes funding for organizations with established relationships with the Foundation or its founders. Other applicants are evaluated based on the type of services offered, the number of clients served, organizational financial health, and the general need. The Foundation seeks to ensure broad community impact by balancing funding across its priority sectors and encouraging applications from organizations that demonstrate clear outcomes and strong governance. Grants are awarded in two cycles per year, with deadlines on the last business days of May and October. Funding decisions are made in June and November, respectively. The Foundation accepts proposals via email and does not utilize a standard application form. Instead, applicants are asked to submit a concise two-page letter detailing their organization’s mission and achievements, program objectives, target beneficiaries, amount requested relative to total program need, and how the funds would be applied. For organizations not listed on GivingMatters.com, additional documentation such as a current annual report (if available), IRS 501(c)(3) determination letter, and marketing materials must be included. Only one request per organization will be considered each calendar year. The Foundation offers several types of grant support: general operating support for select organizations making significant contributions to the Nashville area; project-specific or programmatic grants with clear objectives and one-year timeframes; and capital grants, though the Foundation is not currently accepting multi-year capital funding requests. Director Designated grants are initiated internally by members of the Committee and are not open for external proposals. All funded grants require evaluation at the end of the performance period. Restrictions include the Foundation’s legal inability to fund individuals, private foundations, political activities, advertising, or sponsorships. As a matter of policy, it also avoids supporting projects serving small or narrow audiences, disease-specific organizations, clinical or biomedical research, and tax-supported institutions. Applicants are notified of funding decisions within ten business days following the June and November committee meetings. For inquiries, proposals should be sent to Allison Buntin at [email protected]. The Foundation’s office is located at 4400 Harding Pike, Suite 310, Nashville, TN 37205, and can be reached by phone at 615-714-3370.