Grant funders / Tennessee / Higher Education
Higher Education Grant Funders in Tennessee
820 foundations with a documented higher education focus have made grants to Tennessee nonprofits in recent years, together directing $548.3M to organizations across the state. Below are the most active — every funder links to a full giving profile, and Bespoke Grants will match all 820 against your nonprofit's specific mission, for free.
820
Higher education funders
$548.3M
Given to Tennessee nonprofits
6,782
Grants on record
2026
Most recent giving
Most active higher education funders in Tennessee
| # | Funder | Based in | Total Tennessee giving | Grants | Latest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Memphis Foundation | Tennessee | $67.6M | 8 | 2024 |
| 2 | University of Chattanooga | Tennessee | $51.9M | 6 | 2024 |
| 3 | East Tennessee State University | Tennessee | $48.7M | 6 | 2023 |
| 4 | Haslam Family Foundation Inc | Tennessee | $27.8M | 21 | 2024 |
| 5 | Governors Rural Education | Tennessee | $27.5M | 2 | 2025 |
| 6 | Auxiliary Services Foundation | Tennessee | $26.3M | 3 | 2024 |
| 7 | American Educational Assistance | Tennessee | $22.8M | 6 | 2024 |
| 8 | The Gary W Rollins Foundation | Georgia | $19.1M | 4 | 2024 |
| 9 | United Negro College Fund Inc | District of Columbia | $18.1M | 21 | 2025 |
| 10 | Lettie Pate Whitehead Foundation Inc | Georgia | $13.0M | 65 | 2024 |
| 11 | Bill and Crissy Haslam Foundation | Tennessee | $9.1M | 15 | 2024 |
| 12 | The Day Foundation | Tennessee | $8.9M | 23 | 2024 |
| 13 | Promethean Foundation Inc | Tennessee | $8.6M | 69 | 2024 |
| 14 | Mikeroweworks Foundation | California | $7.7M | 6 | 2024 |
| 15 | Chattanooga State Community | Tennessee | $6.5M | 8 | 2025 |
This list is ranked by size. Yours should be ranked by fit.
The funders above are the biggest higher education funders in Tennessee — not necessarily the right ones for you. Bespoke Grants ranks all 820 against your nonprofit's actual mission, service area, and budget, and shows you why each one matches. Free, no credit card.
Rank these funders for my nonprofit →Higher Education funders in other states
Other causes funded in Tennessee
How this list is built. Bespoke Grants indexes 13M+ grants from public IRS Form 990 filings. This page shows foundations whose giving carries a documented higher education focus and that have funded Tennessee nonprofits. Giving figures reflect each funder's total recent grants to Tennessee recipients. IRS data publishes on a 1–2 year lag; figures are current through the most recent available filings.