Three-day giving campaign launches on Dolly Day, September 25, and continues through September 27, supporting 20 local nonprofits and Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Middle Tennessee
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (September 23, 2026) – Inspired by Dolly Parton’s lifelong example of generosity, Give Like Dolly – Middle Tennessee invites people across the region to turn admiration into action by supporting local organizations helping children succeed, caring for neighbors, helping people heal, and opening doors through music and the arts.
The three-day giving campaign launches on Dolly Day, Friday, September 25, and continues through Sunday, September 27, giving Middle Tennesseans and Dolly fans everywhere an opportunity to carry her spirit of kindness forward through giving.
Give Like Dolly – Middle Tennessee is the local expression of a nationwide Give Like Dolly campaign led by The Dollywood Foundation. The Middle Tennessee campaign is presented by the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee and Music Community Foundation, with support from Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp, Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Office of Mayor Freddie O’Connell.
Together, the campaign connects donors with organizations and causes that reflect the many ways Dolly has invested in people and communities throughout her life.
That invitation resonated across the region. A total of 555 organizations submitted for consideration to participate in Give Like Dolly – Middle Tennessee. Following an eligibility review, five nonprofits were selected through a lottery for each of the giving areas.
Donors can give through one of four giving areas: Help a Child Succeed, Help Someone Heal, Help a Neighbor in Need, and Help Someone Find Their Song, or give directly to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Middle Tennessee through a fifth opportunity, Give a Child a Library of Their Own.
Donations to each of the four giving areas will be divided equally among the five participating nonprofits in that area, allowing one gift to support five organizations working toward a shared purpose across Middle Tennessee.
“Dolly Parton modeled a kind of generosity that was never about her. It was simply about seeing someone who needed a hand and offering one. Give Like Dolly Day is our chance to honor her by modeling that same kind of love,” said Hal Cato, CEO of Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. “It’s about carrying forward the spirit of giving that she exemplified throughout her life. ”
The 2026 Give Like Dolly – Middle Tennessee benefiting nonprofits are:
Help a Child Succeed
Supporting organizations helping students overcome barriers, stay engaged in school, and reach their full potential.
- Blind Early Services TN (BEST)
Helping young children who are blind or have vision loss gets a strong start. - Junior Achievement of Middle Tennessee
Helping students build the financial and career skills to shape their own future. - McNeilly Center for Children
Providing affordable early care and education in a child’s earliest years. - Nashville Freedom School Partnership
Helping children discover the joy of reading and the confidence to lead. - Sankofa Achievement Center
Helping young people dream bigger through entrepreneurship, the arts, and academics.
Help Someone Heal
Supporting organizations focused on health, healing, recovery, and families facing serious illness.
- Dickson Community Clinic
Making sure a lack of insurance does not mean going without care. - Friendship House
Creating a place where people do not have to face recovery alone. - The Heimerdinger Foundation
Delivering nourishment, comfort, and care during cancer treatment. - The Magnolia Foundation
Walking alongside parents after the loss of a child. - Nashville CARES
Helping people living with HIV access the care and support they need to thrive.
Help a Neighbor in Need
Supporting organizations meeting immediate needs such as food, housing, safety, and other critical assistance.
- American Red Cross of Tennessee River
Showing up when a neighbor’s world changes overnight. - Dismas House
Helping people coming home build a life beyond incarceration. - Ella’s House
Helping young parents pursue an education while building a future for their families. - Pawster Nashville
Keeping people and their pets together when crisis turns life upside down. - Upper Cumberland Habitat for Humanity
Helping families build, repair, and remain in a place they can call home.
Help Someone Find Their Song
Supporting organizations helping young people discover their gifts through music, arts, and creativity.
- 4.0 Movement Studios
Helping girls discover confidence, creativity, and their own way to shine through dance. - Girls Write Nashville
Giving young people a place to write their story and hear that their voice matters. - Nashville Children’s Theatre
Opening the curtain on imagination, empathy, and possibility. - The Quest Center for Art & Community Development
Putting instruments into young hands of children in rural communities, including those with disabilities, within reach. - Words & Music at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
Helping the next generation discover the power of putting their story into a song.
Give a Child a Library of Their Own
Donors can also give directly to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Middle Tennessee, continuing Dolly’s longstanding commitment to childhood literacy.
Few things reflect Dolly’s generosity more clearly than the idea that started with a simple wish: give children books of their own and help them dream bigger about what their lives could become.
Through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Middle Tennessee, children from birth to age five receive a high-quality, age-appropriate book in the mail every month at no cost to their families. Made possible locally through a partnership among The Dollywood Foundation, Governor’s Early Literacy Foundation, and United Way of Greater Nashville, the program puts books directly into children’s hands during some of the most important years of their development.
“Dolly’s generosity has never been defined by one cause. She has spent her life finding ways to help people, whether that means putting a book in a child’s hands, helping a family through a difficult time, or giving someone the opportunity to find their voice,” said Rondal Richardson, Executive Director of Music Community Foundation. “The Give Like Dolly campaign is our opportunity to follow that example. These organizations represent so much of what makes this community special, and we hope people across Middle Tennessee will find a giving area that speaks to them and join us.”
For participating nonprofits, the campaign provides direct financial support and an opportunity to introduce their work to new supporters across Middle Tennessee.
“Dolly has shown generations of young people, especially young women, that their stories and their voices matter,” said Jen Starsinic, Co-founder & Executive Artistic Director of Girls Write Nashville. “That idea is at the heart of what we do at Girls Write Nashville, where young artists are given free access to songwriting, music production, mentorship, and a creative community where they can find and share their own voices. Being part of Give Like Dolly – Middle Tennessee feels incredibly special, and this support will help us continue making those opportunities accessible to young people across Nashville.”
Give Like Dolly is one of several ways the community can participate in Dolly Day on September 25. Throughout Nashville and Middle Tennessee, businesses, musicians, residents, and visitors are encouraged to celebrate through acts of kindness and creative tributes to Dolly’s legacy.
Businesses can participate by donating a portion of September 25 sales or proceeds, while musicians and venues are encouraged to join a region-wide musical tribute by performing Dolly’s iconic “9 to 5” at 5 p.m.
For an updated list of Dolly Day activities and ways to get involved, visit visitmusiccity.com/dollyday. Businesses, organizations, and neighborhoods planning Dolly Day activities are encouraged to share their plans by contacting [email protected].
For more information about Give Like Dolly – Middle Tennessee, participating nonprofits, and ways to give September 25–27, visit giving9to5.com.
Media Contact:
Jamie Kent, The BAM Group
[email protected]
