The Frist Foundation
At a glance
Key takeaways
- The Frist Foundation supports nonprofits working on housing, food insecurity, childcare access and collaborative community efforts, with a priority on strengthening nonprofit capacity, and it also funds capital grants for construction, renovation and land acquisition; its geographic focus is Davidson County, with priority given to Nashville and the broader Middle Tennessee area, so applicants should primarily serve Davidson County residents, be registered 501(c)(3) organisations, have operated for at least three years and have a budget of at least $250,000.
- About eight in ten of its 571 grants to organisations fall between $1,500 and $175,000, and the median grant is $15,000, so a modest request in that range is realistic.
- New applicants begin with the Eligibility Quiz, and those who pass are prompted to create a Temelio account and submit a Request Summary setting out the project's need, scope and budget; operating support is by invitation only, so an unsolicited request for core operating funds would not fit, and agencies seeking technology-specific support are encouraged to contact GeekCause first.
- Just over half of its grant dollars in its latest filing went to organisations it had also funded in the two prior filings, which points to some relationship-building with existing partners over time.
- It does not fund individuals, private foundations, political activities, advertising or sponsorships, event sponsorships, endowment or scholarship funding, individual schools, hospitals or nursing homes, religious organisations for religious purposes, or statewide initiatives.
Overview
The Frist 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 Frist Foundation invests in nonprofit organisations to sustain and improve quality of life in Nashville and the broader Middle Tennessee area. It focuses on agencies addressing significant community challenges in comprehensive and collaborative ways, including housing, food insecurity and access to childcare, and on organisations leading collaborative community efforts. It prioritises grants that strengthen nonprofit capacity and expand reach and impact. Capacity-building support can cover strategic planning, earned revenue development, technology and organisational effectiveness; capital grants support construction, renovation and land acquisition. Operating grants provide flexible support for core expenses and internal capacity, but are by invitation only. Eligible organisations should primarily serve Davidson County residents, be registered 501(c)(3) organisations, have operated for at least three years and have a budget of at least $250,000.
Themes
- Housing
- Food insecurity
- Childcare access
- Collaborative community work
- Nonprofit capacity-building
Geographic Focus
Davidson County. Priority: Nashville; Middle Tennessee area.
What They Don't Fund
- Individuals or their projects
- Private foundations
- Political activities
- Advertising or sponsorships
- Unsolicited operating requests
- Event sponsorships
- Endowment or scholarship funding
- Individual schools
- Hospitals or nursing homes
- Religious organizations for religious purposes
- Statewide initiatives
How to apply
New partners begin with the Eligibility Quiz; those who pass are prompted to create a Temelio account and submit a Request Summary outlining the project's need, scope and budget.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 51% 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 571 grants to organisations were $15,000 or less.
What the foundation says:
- Agencies should address significant community challenges comprehensively and collaboratively.
- Applicants should primarily serve Davidson County residents, be registered 501(c)(3) organisations, have operated for at least three years and have a budget of at least $250,000.
- Agencies seeking technology-specific support are encouraged to contact GeekCause before applying.
- The foundation prioritises grants that strengthen nonprofit capacity and expand its reach and impact.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
6 other states: <1%
- The largest single recipient received 23% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 51% of grant dollars went to organisations The Frist Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- 30% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 174 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $20,000 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Goldman Sachs Philanthropy Fund · Frist foundation donor advised fund gift$23,547,6322024 tax year
- Frist Art Museum · Annual operating gift$6,452,4572024 tax year
- Nashville Public Library Foundation · Support for the begin bright program$5,000,0002024 tax year
- Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee · To support the launch of the nashville early education coalition (neec)$5,000,0002024 tax year
- Ywca Of Nashvillemiddle TN · Support for capital upgrades and renovations of the weaver domestic violence center$3,000,0002024 tax year
- Habitat for Humanity of Greater Nashville · Capital support for bella terra community in antioch$3,000,0002024 tax year
- Goldman Sachs Philanthropy Fund · Frist foundation donor advised fund gift$1,357,3252024 tax year
- Frist Art Museum · Capital support$1,100,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Anne Reeves Axe — Secretary
- Colette Easter — Treasurer
- Corinne Bergeron — Executive Director And CEO
- Lauren Elcan Ingram — Director
- William R Frist — Director
- Thomas F Frist III — Director
- Julie Frist — Director
- Jennifer Frist — Director
- Charles Elcan — Director
- Patricia Frist Elcan — President And Chairman
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $31,322,490 | $29,154,282 | $556,606,806 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $20,889,281 | $18,211,653 | $608,889,754 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $60,582,599 | $58,226,615 | $621,174,921 | Filing 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
Registers and filings
Other sources
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Applying to The Frist Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required