CFMT awards more than $2.8M in grants to organizations in 34 counties across Middle Tennessee

November 30, 2022

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee (CFMT), a charitable organization dedicated to enriching the quality of life in Middle Tennessee and beyond, announces $2,803,840 in grants to 435 local nonprofit organizations as part of its 2022 annual grantmaking process.

The grants will benefit nonprofits in 34 area counties: Bedford, Cannon, Cheatham, Coffee, Cumberland, Davidson, DeKalb, Dickson, Fentress, Franklin, Hickman, Houston, Humphreys, Jackson, Lawrence, Lincoln, Macon, Maury, Montgomery, Moore, Overton, Pickett, Putnam, Robertson, Rutherford, Smith, Stewart, Sumner, Trousdale, Warren, Wayne, White, Williamson and Wilson counties. 

The average grant size is $6,431. 

Grantees in Smith County are:

— 15th Judicial District Child Advocacy Center. To provide a child-friendly environment where abused children feel safe, supported, and feel believed during each child interviewed.

— Smith County Education Foundation-Imagination Library. Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is a free book-gifting program dedicated to sharing a love of reading with children ages birth-5.

— Smith County Humane Society. To provide spay/neuter and medically necessary services/treatments recommended by veterinarian or best practices for animals in need in Smith County. 

The largest grant allocations were made in the following categories: Human Services made up 26% of grants for a total of $736,860; Arts & Humanities made up 18% of grants for $508,170; Education made up 13% of grants for $368,851, and; Health made up 11% of grants for $318,175.

“Grantmaking is the heart and soul of The Community Foundation,” said Laundrea Lewis, CFMT Vice President of Grants. “Good work happens every day in our community through the efforts of dedicated and talented staff and volunteers of nonprofit organizations, and we are happy to support that work.

“We also want to say ‘thank you’ to the generous donors who make it possible for The Community Foundation to support our Middle Tennessee communities by connecting generosity with need,” she said.

The Community Foundation awards discretionary grants annually from its unrestricted and field-of-interest funds to Middle Tennessee nonprofits. Grants are awarded through an open application process for organizations addressing community needs and benefiting the well-being of residents through valuable programs and innovative services.

For more information on the grant process and for a complete list of 2022 grant recipients, go to www.CFMT.org/grants. And to learn about more than 2,000 of Middle Tennessee’s nonprofits and the wonderful work they do, go to the CFMT initiative GivingMatters.com.

About The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee

The Community Foundation exists to promote and facilitate giving in the 40 counties of Middle Tennessee and beyond. It does this by accepting gifts of any size from anyone at any time and by empowering individuals, families, companies, nonprofits, and communities to respond to needs and opportunities that matter. The Community Foundation works with people who have great hearts, whether or not they have great wealth, to craft solutions that reflect the intentions and goals of their charitable endeavors. For more information, call 615-321-4939 or visit www.cfmt.org.