The Clayton Family Foundation
Knoxville, TN · EIN 58-1970851. Reported 211 grants totalling $33.2M to 109 recipients across tax years 2021-2024. This foundation did not tell the IRS it funds only preselected organizations.
Does this foundation accept applications?
Yes -- on its own tax return. Form 990-PF asks every private foundation whether it makes grants only to organizations it selects itself. Of the 91,758 foundations in our data that made a grant and answered, 78% said yes -- and applying to those is wasted effort. The Clayton Family Foundation did not check that box on its most recent filing, which puts it in the minority that is at least open to being approached.
How big are its grants?
The median grant is $5,000. Half of everything it gave fell between $2,500 and $18,700; the smallest was $100 and the largest $11.0M. If you are asking for materially more than the top of that range, you are asking the wrong foundation.
Every organization it funded
This is the complete list from its filings, largest first. Recipients are grouped by name and state as they were written on the returns, so an organization entered under two different names appears twice. Years funded is the number of separate tax years in which that name received money.
| Organization | Location | Total received | Grants | Years funded | Last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund | Boston, MA | $21.0M | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Fidelity Investment Charitable Gift Fund | Boston, MA | $7,500,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| United Way of Greater Knoxville | Knoxville, TN | $1,020,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Knoxville Science Museum | Knoxville, TN | $570,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Knoxville Museum of Art | Knoxville, TN | $402,500 | 5 | 4 | 2024 |
| Episcopal School of Knoxville | Knoxville, TN | $400,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Knoxville Symphony Orchestra | Knoxville, TN | $270,000 | 5 | 4 | 2024 |
| Tn State Collab on Reforming Educ | Nashville, TN | $225,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Muse Knoxville | Knoxville, TN | $140,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| YWCA | Knoxville, TN | $120,000 | 6 | 4 | 2024 |
| Horatio Alger Association | Alexandria, VA | $100,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Knox Education Foundation | Knoxville, TN | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Knox Education Foundaton | Knoxville, TN | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Maryville College | Maryville, TN | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Motlow College Foundation | Lynchburg, TN | $100,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Webb School of Knoxville | Knoxville, TN | $88,050 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Blount County Childrens Advocacy Center | Maryville, TN | $75,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Tennessee State Collaborative on Reforming Education | Nashville, TN | $75,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Great Smoky Mountain Council BSA | Knoxville, TN | $70,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Knoxville Zoological Gardens Inc | Knoxville, TN | $51,500 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Pellissippi State Foundation | Knoxville, TN | $50,500 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Pellissippi State Comm College Fdn | Knoxville, TN | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Boy Scouts Great Smoky Mountain Council | Knoxville, TN | $35,000 | 2 | 1 | 2021 |
| First United Methodist Church Knoxv | Knoxville, TN | $30,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Cleveland Clinic Foundation | Cleveland, OH | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Knoxville Botanical Gardens and Arboretum | Knoxville, TN | $25,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Boys and Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley | Knoxville, TN | $24,000 | 2 | 1 | 2021 |
| Bryant's Bridge Inc | Knoxville, TN | $21,000 | 5 | 4 | 2024 |
| Empty Stocking Fund Knoxville News Sentinel Charities | Knoxville, TN | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Grace Christian Academy | Knoxville, TN | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Interfaith Health Clinic | Knoxville, TN | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Knoxville Montessori School | Knoxville, TN | $18,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Clayton-Bradley STEM Academy | Maryville, TN | $17,500 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Second Harvest Food Bank East Tn | Maryville, TN | $16,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Beech Park Baptist Church | Oliver Springs, TN | $15,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| East Tennessee Community Design Ctr | Knoxville, TN | $15,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Great Smoky Mountains Institute | Townsend, TN | $15,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Knoxville Children's Theatre | Knoxville, TN | $15,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Museum of Appalachia | Clinton, TN | $15,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Shangri-La Therapeutic Academy | Lenoir City, TN | $14,500 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Young-Williams Animal Ctr of E Tn ' | Knoxville, TN | $13,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Leadership Knoxville | Knoxville, TN | $12,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Empty Stocking Fund | Cleveland, TN | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| First United Methodist Church | Knoxville, TN | $10,000 | 3 | 1 | 2021 |
| Kct Knoxville Childrens Theatre | Knoxville, TN | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Parkwest Church | Knoxville, TN | $10,000 | 2 | 1 | 2021 |
| Smoky Mountain Animal Care Fdn | Maryville, TN | $10,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Young Life | Colorado Springs, CO | $10,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Country Music Foundation Inc | Nashville, TN | $7,500 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| East Tennessee Community Design Center | Knoxville, TN | $7,500 | 2 | 1 | 2021 |
| Helen Ross Mcnabb Center | Knoxville, TN | $7,500 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Appalachian Ballet Company | Maryville, TN | $5,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Beta Theta Boule Foundation | Knoxville, TN | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Crossroads Community Church | Knoxville, TN | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| East Tennessee Historical Society | Knoxville, TN | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Family Promise of Knoxville | Knoxville, TN | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Knox Heritage Inc | Knoxville, TN | $5,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Metro Drug Coalition | Knoxville, TN | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| River & Rail Theatre Company | Knoxville, TN | $5,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Sig Ep | Richmond, VA | $5,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Smoky Mountain Animal Care Foundation | Alcoa, TN | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| University of Tennessee Clarence Brown Theatre | Knoxville, TN | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Young Williams Animal Center of East Tn | Knoxville, TN | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| L & N STEM Academy | Knoxville, TN | $4,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| St John's Episcopal Cathedral | Knoxville, TN | $4,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Washington Policy Center | Seattle, WA | $4,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Adopt a Golden Knoxville | Knoxville, TN | $3,500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| East Tennessee Children's Hospital | Knoxville, TN | $3,500 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Computer Museum of America | Roswell, GA | $3,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Hardin Valley Academy Foundation | Knoxville, TN | $3,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Pacific Northwest Ballet Foundation | Seattle, WA | $3,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Sacred Heart Cathederal School | Knoxville, TN | $2,748 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Discovery Park of America Inc | Union City, TN | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Helen Ross Mcnabb Foundation | Knoxville, TN | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Helping Mamas Knoxville | Knoxville, TN | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Houston Museum of Natural Science | Houston, TX | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Joni & Friends | Agoura Hills, CA | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Perot Museum | Dallas, TX | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Smoky Mountain Service Dogs | Loudon, TN | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| The Center for Family Resources | Marietta, GA | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Variety of Eastern Tennessee | Knoxville, TN | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| American Heart Association Inc | Dallas, TX | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Georgia Museums Inc | Cartersville, GA | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Halls High School | Knoxville, TN | $2,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Women's Fund of East Tennessee | Knoxville, TN | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Emerald Youth Foundation | Knoxville, TN | $1,500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Fellowship Evangelical Free Church | Knoxville, TN | $1,500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Second Harvest Food Bank East Tennessee | Knoxville, TN | $1,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| The Mend House | Knoxville, TN | $1,500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Aspiring Youth Academy | Scottsdale, AZ | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Calvary Baptist Church | Alcoa, TN | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Friends of Nc State Museum of N Sci | Raleigh, NC | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Hospitality Pantries Inc Dba Fish | Knoxville, TN | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Kaleideum | Winston Salem, NC | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Middlesettlements Methodist Church | Maryville, TN | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Pacific Northwest Ballet | Seattle, WA | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| South Doyle High School | Knoxville, TN | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Two Bikes | Knoxville, TN | $800 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| American Legion Auxiliary Unit 2 | Knoxville, TN | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Branville Baptist Church | Knoxville, TN | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Friends of Literacy | Knoxville, TN | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Grow Free Tn Community Coalition Against Human Traf | Knoxville, TN | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Joy of Music | Knoxville, TN | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Restoration Church | Maryville, TN | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| St Jude Childrens Research Hospital | Memphis, TN | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Tn Wesleyan University | Athens, TN | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Guadalupe Center | Immokalee, FL | $250 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Sequoyah Hills Presbyterian Church | Knoxville, TN | $100 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Sevier Heights Baptist Church | Knoxville, TN | $100 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
45 of 109 (41%) received money in more than one year over the 4 years we hold.
Measured the way we measure every foundation -- what share of one year's grantees are funded again the next -- this one retains 65%, across 3 year-to-year transitions. The median foundation retains about 67%, so this one is about typical. This measures how often it paid the same organizations again. It says nothing about whether it would consider a new one.
What the money was for
Taken verbatim from the purpose field of its filings. This is the closest thing to a statement of what this foundation cares about, in its own words.
- Knoxville Science Museum
SITE DEMOLITION FOR NEW BUILDING - United Way of Greater Knoxville
IMPROVING LIVES IN THE COMMUNITY - Episcopal School of Knoxville
CAPITAL BUILDING CAMPAIGN - Knox Education Foundation
GREAT SCHOOLS PARTNERSHIP - Maryville College
CLAYTON PERFORMING ARTS CENTER - Knoxville Symphony Orchestra
CHRISTMAS CONCERT & ENDOWMENT
What kind of organizations it funds
By the activity category the IRS assigns each recipient, for the 110 grants where we could match the recipient to a registered organization. The categories are the IRS's. The match, made from the name and address on the return, is ours.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants | Total | Median grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 63 | $8,812,398 | $5,000 |
| 2022 | 51 | $1,077,850 | $5,000 |
| 2023 | 50 | $12.2M | $5,000 |
| 2024 | 47 | $11.1M | $5,000 |
Tax years, not calendar years, and the most recent year is usually incomplete -- filings arrive about a year late, so a low final year means late paperwork rather than a foundation winding down.
Where its money goes
86% of its giving went to organizations in Massachusetts. If your organization is based elsewhere, look in the recipient list for grants to your area before writing.
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Funders that support the same organizations
These funders gave to organizations this one also funded -- some private foundations, some community foundations and other grantmaking charities. Shared grantees are a sign of overlapping priorities and nothing more: they do not show that any of these funders would consider a new organization. Each page says what its filings show.
How to approach this foundation
- Check you are its size. The median grant is $5,000. A request many times that size asks for something it has rarely or never given.
- Check you are in its geography. Its giving is concentrated in Massachusetts.
- Read the recipient list above for organizations like yours. If nothing on it resembles your work, that is a real answer, and a cheap one to get.
- Look up the current filing before writing. The 990-PF names the foundation's officers and, where one exists, its application procedure. We link it below.
Related guides
Where these numbers come from
Everything above is taken from The Clayton Family Foundation's own Form 990-PF filings, which the IRS publishes in bulk. We used 4 returns (tax years 2021-2024). Grant figures are from its returns. Matching recipients to registered organizations, their IRS classifications, the retention rate and the funders that support the same organizations are our own calculations, described in how we build this.
Address of record on the latest return: Po Box 11885, Knoxville, TN, 37939. This is the address the foundation gave the IRS; many small foundations file through an accountant or a bank trust department, so it may not be where post to a programme officer should go.
EIN 58-1970851 · See the original filings on ProPublica · How we build this
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