Make a Gift or Start a Fund

It’s about taking what you can give and making it meaningful for both you and those who will ultimately benefit. It’s not about the size of the gift; every gift matters.

Give to support a cause, address an issue or help a charitable organization. You can start your own fund, give to an existing fund, or give directly to Middle Tennessee nonprofits.

Historic Preservation and Environment Funds

  • African American Museum Endowment Fund Established 2007

    The African American History Foundation of Nashville seeks to promote, create and build a museum to serve as a repository for artifacts of local, state, national, and international range representing African American culture. The museum will honor the contributions of African Americans to music, arts and culture and will serve as an educational facility and community anchor. Hand in hand with the effort to build such an important addition to our community is an effort to protect its future once it is built. Its founders have already begun this Endowment to ensure that there are always funds available to support its operation.

     
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  • Betty Brown Fund to Benefit Nashville Tree Foundation Established 2012

    Betty Brown planted thousands of trees never expecting to enjoy their shade. Nashvillians have her to thank for green spaces and shaded spots throughout the city. Within The Community Foundation, her legacy lives on through an endowed Fund to benefit the Nashville Tree Foundation. Now, there’s a permanent stream of support for the continued planting of seeds, and to carry on Betty’s commitment to the needs of generations to come.

     
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  • Lucius Burch, Jr. Wildlife Habitat Fund Established 1996

    Lucius Burch Jr. helped improve the quality of life in this state for all its citizens. At Burch, Porter and Johnson law firm in Memphis, he argued landmark cases, defending Martin Luther King Jr., among others. In addition to his love for the law, Lucius was "mindful of the generations that follow us and their just claim upon this good earth that is our heritage," as he put it. This Fund was established in his memory by Shirley Caldwell-Patterson, to ensure that his lifelong commitment to the earth became a portion of his legacy.

     
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  • The Clement Railroad Hotel Museum Endowment Fund Established 2010

    In downtown Dickson, Tennessee, the Clement Railroad Hotel Museum, previously known as the Hotel Halbrook, is one of the very few examples of a railroad hotel in the state. The museum's historical display panels tell stories about railroad construction during the Civil War, the history of local industries and other area community histories, such as Promise Land that was founded by freed blacks. Governor Frank Clement was born in the hotel while his parents lived there and managed its operations. Items belonging to his family and artifacts from Mr. Clement's life are on display in exhibit rooms. This endowment will ensure the future funding of the Clement Railroad Hotel Museum.

     
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  • Fort Campbell Historical Foundation, Inc. Endowment Fund Established 2007

    Drawing on the legendary heritage of the 101st Airborne, Special Operations soldiers and Fort Campbell, The Fort Campbell Historical Foundation supports the "Wings of Liberty" Museum in Clarksville. The museum is a tribute to the traditions of soldier patriots, preserving their history and reminding each visitor that these heroes are not just soldiers, they are sons, daughters, husbands, and wives who have served to protect Americans' freedom. The Foundation seeks to educate young and old, inspire patriotism, and build a bridge between the military and civilian communities. This Fund seeks to ensure that it always can.

     
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  • Friends of Warner Parks Endowment Fund Established 1994

    The Friends of Warner Parks was organized to preserve, protect and exercise stewardship over Percy and Edwin Warner Parks. It advocates protection of the natural integrity of the Parks; promotes educational programs; provides a wide range of recreational programs consistent with the Parks' natural and historical integrity; and maintains and enhances the beauty of the Parks and their historic structures.

     
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  • GAIA Community Fund Established 1992

    The GAIA Fund is a Field-of-Interest Fund established by Shirley Caldwell-Patterson, the LifeWorks Foundation and Elizabeth Queener to endow environmental enrichment of the Middle Tennessee area. Named for Mother Earth, this Fund has initiated several seminars and educational fora.

     
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  • Tennessee Holocaust Commission Endowment Fund Established 1995

    This Fund was established to endow the activities of the Tennessee Holocaust Commission, Inc., which develops and implements programs in Holocaust education for Tennessee's public and private secondary schools, colleges, universities, and citizens of all ages.

     
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  • Humanities Tennessee Endowment Established 1999

    For nearly 30 years, Humanities Tennessee has been a leader in creating civic dialogue and public programming in the humanities across the state. Among its initiatives are grants in support of humanities programs; Teacher Awards for outstanding teachers of the humanities; Museums on Main Street, which promotes a broader and deeper understanding of Tennessee's history and cultural life; the Southern Festival of Books; a family literacy program; and a week-long summer program at Austin Peay State University. Humanities Tennessee also makes grants for film, video and radio programs on southern history and culture.

     
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  • Robert M. Jones Designated Fund Established 2000

    Robert Jones was born and reared in Fentress County, but like several of his brothers, he ended up in Toledo, Ohio, where he was a successful carpenter and builder. When Robert died in 1998, as he wished, he was laid to rest in the beautiful countryside near Jamestown in the Range Cemetery, along with many of his ancestors and a host of Fentress Countians. Prior to his death, Robert provided in his Will for the establishment of this Fund, which finances the upkeep of the Range Cemetery, so it will always be a beautiful place and a testament to rich tradition.

     
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  • Lucille Courtney Memorial Fund for St. John Church Established 1995

    Alyne Massey and Elizabeth Queener established this Fund to ensure the ongoing architectural and historic integrity of St. John's Church and Cemetery and to commemorate the life of their sister, Lucille Courtney. The cemetery, known as The Bishop's Graveyard, is the final resting place of many noted Episcopal bishops. Founded in the 1840s by the family of Leonidas Polk, the Bishop of Louisiana, the church is remarkable for its Gothic structure. Following the Battle of Franklin, five Confederate Generals were buried there.

     
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  • Historic Mansker's Station Agency Endowment Fund Established 2000

    Mansker's Station Historic Site is a staffed, living-history locale maintained by the City of Goodlettsville. The site is a reproduction, built at one-third scale, of the station developed by Kasper Mansker in the late 18th Century as a respite for weary pioneers traveling west. To make sure this educational site is maintained for all time.

     
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  • Nashville Music Garden Fund Established 2009

    The Nashville Music Garden, located in the Walk of Fame Park in downtown Nashville, is a 4,500 square foot, one-of-a-kind, public, flower garden. The idea for this garden evolved when country music legend Barbara Mandrell gave her namesake rose to her friend, Pat Bullard, who recognized it as a way to acknowledge the music and artists synonymous with Nashville and also to beautify Music City. This Fund was created to endow the future care and support of the garden.

     
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  • Historic Nashville City Cemetery Endowment Fund Established 2007

    This is a Fund established to preserve the past for the future. Opened in 1822, the City Cemetery is the oldest continuously operated public cemetery in Nashville. The stories of 20,000 individuals and families from the 1820s to the present day, including city mayors and some of Nashville's founders, are told through the gravestones - both simple and ornate. The City Cemetery is listed in the National Register of Historic Places for its historical and architectural significance, and this Fund will help maintain its grandeur for future generations.

     
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  • Oral History Fund Established 1995

    This Fund was established by the board of The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee to collaborate with agencies and individuals in Nashville and Middle Tennessee to preserve the past and present for the future. One critical aspect of life here is our rich historical tradition and the tapestry of personal contributions that have given it strength, complexity and meaning. Copies of the individual oral histories are shared with the public through the Nashville Room at the Public Library and the Tennessee State Archives.

     
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  • The Conservancy for The Parthenon and Centennial Park Endowment Established 2009

    Begun as the Athena Fund in 1985, when nickels and dimes were collected by schoolchildren and adult visitors to pay for the creation of the statue Athena, The Conservancy for the Parthenon and Centennial Park today is a moving community force in Nashville's premier urban park. The scope of the organization now includes stewardship of the Parthenon, its programs, and the park surrounding it. In conjunction with Metro Parks and Recreation, The Conservancy seeks to strengthen, enhance, restore and preserve these outstanding Nashville landmarks.

     
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  • Pitcher Spring Fund to benefit The LandTrust of Tennessee Established 2010

    The very reason many people live in Tennessee - its rich history, green rolling hills, scenic landscapes, open farmland, and rural back roads - must now actively be preserved or these precious characteristics will be lost. The Land Trust works with willing landowners to find ways to preserve the scenic and natural value of their land. The Land Trust allows a landowner to achieve three important goals: retain ownership of the land, preserve the important assets of the land through customized restrictions on future development, and obtain certain tax advantages.

     
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  • planetFISH Ocean Fund Established 2002

    For the Franck Family, a love of fishing has led to an even deeper love of the waterways - be it ocean, marsh, lake or stream - that support so many kinds of life and allow us all to enjoy the great outdoors. It was this love that led to the publication of "Fish - A Fishing Journal for the Waters We Love," proceeds of which will be used in part to support this Fund. The Fund primarily supports marine awareness programs and efforts to preserve healthy coastal, ocean and related habitats.

     
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  • The Shofner Luthern Chapel Fund Established 2010

    In 1808, Martin Shofner migrated with his family from the state of North Carolina to settle a tract of land, given to him for services rendered in the American Revolutionary War. Being a devout German Lutheran, Martin dedicated an acre of this land for a church constructed of logs, with a cemetery beside it. It became the first Lutheran church in Tennessee and the "Mother Church" of the denomination in the area west of the Great Smokey Mountains. This Fund was established to ensure it will be around to serve successive generations of the Shofner family, by endowing annual support for the maintenance of the historic building and grounds.

     
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  • Elias Skovron Fund Designated to Benefit the Cordell Hull Museum and the Friends of Cordell Hull Established 2004

    Through the intervention of Secretary of State Cordell Hull, Elias Skovron was one of 250 people from Poland to enter the United States in 1938. Hull, at the request of his personal friend Judge John Gore, wrote to the American Ambassador in Poland asking that Skovron receive a visa, which was granted immediately. This Fund is a lasting tribute to the intercession of Cordell Hull and benefits the people of Pickett County, Tennessee.

     
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  • Elias Skovron Fund Designated to Benefit Jackson County Historical Society & the Memory of Judge John Gore Established 2004

    As a personal friend of Lillian Glean Bogatzky, the donor's aunt, Judge John Gore played an integral role in the immigration of Elias Skovron from Poland to the United States on the brink of World War II. This Fund was established to honor Judge Gore as one of the benefactors who helped this man escape the realities of wartime Poland and enjoy a very long and happy life in Nashville, Tennessee.

     
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  • Tennessee Beautification Fund Established 1999

    We Tennesseans spend a lot of time extolling the virtues of our state and the quality of life we enjoy here, and former Governor Don and Martha Sundquist wanted to help ensure that we always have those same bragging rights. The goal of the Tennessee Beautification Fund, which they established, is to create a mechanism to encourage and enhance protection of our environment. Projects may include the planting of wildflowers, the collection of litter, the beautification of town squares, the involvement of civic clubs and school children, and the planting of trees to shade future generations.

     
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  • Tennessee Parks and Greenways Foundation Endowment Fund Established 1999

    The Tennessee Parks and Greenways Foundation is a statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving Tennessee's natural treasures. The Foundation believes the identification, preservation and protection of the most ecologically rich, historically significant and incredibly beautiful places in Tennessee are vital to protecting wildlife, improving water and air quality, providing close-to-home recreation opportunities, and creating sustainable communities and regions.

     
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  • The TN Fund for Sustainability Established 2006

    As Middle Tennessee expands and Nashville increasingly earns recognition as one of the most desirable places to live, no one questions that the region is well positioned for continued prosperity. This Fund was established by a group of people who believe that sustainable design principles will help this region continue to thrive. The Tennessee Fund for Sustainability promotes the advancement of sustainable design principles and technologies that deliver greener built environments, more effective manufacturing processes, and more equitable community development initiatives.

     
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  • The Watkins Family Cemetery Designated Fund Established 2010

    In an effort to preserve and perpetuate the Watkins Family Cemetery in Loudon, Tennessee, William Watkins established this Fund to serve as a permanent endowment. By working to ensure the cemetery is available for generations to come, William also hopes to teach the younger Watkins generation the importance of preserving the rich family heritage.

     
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  • Historic Zion Cemetery & Church Preservation Fund Established 1994

    Alyne Massey established this Fund to ensure the ongoing architectural and historic integrity of Zion Presbyterian Church. The property, established in 1802 by rice and indigo planters from South Carolina, includes the church, the cemetery, an outbuilding used originally as a school, and a slave cemetery. Among the boxwoods are the remains of 11 Revolutionary War veterans, 11 from the War of 1812, and 107 from the War Between the States. In addition, a monument marks the grave of Ben, an African Prince and colonial slave who, although he was hanged three times by the British, lived to be almost 100 years old. For his loyalty in not betraying the Colonials, he was awarded a gold doubloon by the British and is included in the Maury County Roster of Revolutionary Soldiers.

     
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The Community Foundation
of Middle Tennessee

3833 Cleghorn Ave, Ste 400, Nashville, TN 37215-2519

888-540-5200 or 615-321-4939 or 615-327-2746 (fax)

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