Scarlett Family Foundation

Private foundation · EIN 20-1980932 · since 2006scarlettfoundation.org·Bedford County, Cannon County, Cheatham County, Clay County, Coffee County, Cumberland County, David…·Updated 13 October 2026

At a glance

$9.2M
Annual giving, 2024 tax year
From the Form 990-PF filing
$25,000 to $260k
Grant range
From grants in the 990-PF filings
$120k
Typical grant (median)
46 grants in the latest filing
Open to applications
Rolling, no deadlines · unsolicited applications welcome

Key takeaways

  • This Nashville-based foundation funds non-profit work across Middle Tennessee, so organisations serving that area should apply.
  • Its focus areas are career readiness, principal and teacher leadership, literacy and mentorship, so a project should align with some or all of these themes.
  • Most grants fall between $25,000 and $260,000, with a median of $100,000, so a request in that range is realistic; applicants should also meet the minimum operating budget threshold - $250,000 in Davidson or Williamson Counties, or $100,000 in the remaining 38 counties of Middle Tennessee - show at least two years of financial and programmatic results, and have at least three revenue sources.
  • The foundation does not fund building or capital campaigns, debt retirement, individuals, or legislative lobbying or other political activities, so organisations seeking support for these should not apply.
  • Application is via a rolling interest form reviewed by the foundation, and a large share of grant dollars continues to go to organisations it has funded before, so applicants should expect the process to be relationship-led rather than a quick one-off grant.

Overview

Scarlett Family Foundation is a US private foundation based in Nashville, TN.

What they fund

Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.

Priority Areas

The foundation’s cornerstone initiative is the Scarlett Scholars programme, providing need- and merit-based scholarships to students in Middle Tennessee. Its grants support non-profit organisations in alignment with career readiness, principal and teacher leadership, literacy, and mentorship. It partners with local non-profit organisations and institutions to help students, teachers, stakeholders, and communities, with a focus on access to high-quality education. Its career-readiness work prepares students for success after high school and expands access to higher education; it supports organisations developing diverse pipelines to recruit, train and retain high-quality school leaders and teachers, innovative literacy strategies in Middle Tennessee, and sustained youth-mentor pairings that consider the whole child.

Themes

  • Career readiness
  • Principal and teacher leadership
  • Literacy
  • Mentorship

Geographic Focus

Middle Tennessee: Bedford, Cannon, Cheatham and 37 more counties in Tennessee.

What They Don't Fund

  • Building and capital campaigns or debt retirement
  • Individuals
  • Legislative lobbying or other political activities

How to apply

Review the grant eligibility checklist and complete the interest form. The Foundation reviews the submission and contacts organisations whose projects align with its grantmaking guidelines to discuss further.

Application success factors

  • Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 80% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 or TY2023 filing.
  • Grant size: Across its TY2022, TY2023 and TY2024 filings, half of its 152 grants to organisations were $100,000 or less.

What the foundation says:

  • The proposed initiative should align with some or all of the Foundation’s key initiatives.
  • The proposal should have clear and measurable outcomes.
  • Applicants should be able to show at least two years of financial and programmatic results.
  • Applicants must meet the minimum operating budget for their county: $250,000 in Davidson or Williamson Counties or $100,000 in the remaining 38 counties of Middle Tennessee.
  • Organisations should have at least three revenue sources.

Where grants go

From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.

Grant dollars by state

Tennessee89%
New York6%
District of Columbia4%
California<1%
Ohio<1%
Florida<1%

1 other state: <1%

  • The largest single recipient received 5% of grant dollars to organisations.
  • In tax year 2024, 80% of grant dollars went to organisations Scarlett Family Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
  • No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
  • 3% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.

Grants

46 grants in the latest filing analysed · median $120k

How much do they typically give?

Share of 46 grants in tax year 2024 by size

$5k–$10k2%
$10k–$25k2%
$25k–$50k13%
$50k–$100k17%
$100k–$250k43%
$250k–$500k22%

Median $120k (tax year 2024)

The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:

  • Lipscomb University · Support for pioneros program and principal leadership program
    $443,7002024 tax year
  • Nashville Classical · Support for apprentice school leadership program and nashville classical west
    $395,0002024 tax year
  • Teach for America Nashville-Chattanooga · Support for programs
    $375,0002024 tax year
  • KIPP Nashville · Support for master teachers program and managing director of high schools
    $350,0002024 tax year
  • Purpose Preparatory Academy · Support for deans of curriculum and instruction and instruction leaders
    $344,0202024 tax year
  • Tennessee Educators of Color Alliance · Support for aspiring leaders program
    $285,0002024 tax year
  • Conexión Américas · Support for escalera & parents as partners
    $280,0002024 tax year
  • Oasis Center · Support for oasis college connection
    $252,4362024 tax year

Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.

Officers and directors

  • Jamie Woodson — Director
  • Keri Randolph — Director
  • Karla Jackson — Director
  • Michael Peacock — Director
  • Tom Parrish — Secretary
  • Jennifer Scarlett — Treasurer
  • Andrew S Scarlett — Director
  • Joseph H Scarlett JR — Chairman
  • Dorothy F Scarlett — Director
  • Tara Anne Scarlett — President / CEO

From the latest Form 990-PF filing

3 years of tax filings

YearTotal expensesGrants paidAssetsFiling document
2022 tax year$10,717,274$8,399,277$178,806,882Filing for 2022 tax year
2023 tax year$10,743,840$7,577,332$261,667,800Filing for 2023 tax year
2024 tax year$12,293,053$9,210,731$280,894,476Filing for 2024 tax year

Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.

Sources

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