Middle Tennessee has experienced remarkable growth in recent years, powered by a thriving economy, our central location, a rich cultural scene, and a welcoming community spirit. However, as our region grows and remains a place more people want to call home, disparities in access to resources, opportunities, and representation have widened. The result is that far too many individuals feel disconnected from the prosperity happening around them. This sense of exclusion not only undermines their well-being but also impedes the collective growth and success of our region.
Recognizing the inherent right of every person to have access to the opportunities needed to thrive and tapping into the existing strengths of Middle Tennesseans, CFMT is committed to championing the nonprofit organizations that promote a greater sense of connection, inclusion, and belonging.
Focus and Alignment
To better reflect the intent and purpose of our grantmaking strategy, we are pleased to announce our Community Impact Grants (formerly Discretionary Grants). These grants will support partners whose primary mission centers on the following focus areas:
We believe these focus areas:
- Are essential for Middle Tennesseans to thrive and experience greater belonging;
- Align with CFMT’s unique ability to make an impact;
- Reflect the generosity of donors who have endowed funding aligned with these critical areas of focus over the past 30 years.
All of our Community Impact grants will be given as unrestricted operating support. We know that by awarding unrestricted grants to our partners, it allows them to strategize the best use of those funds to achieve their missions.
Lastly, as a commitment to making deeper investments in our nonprofit partners work average grant sizes will be larger than in years past. For example, last year CFMT’s average grant size was $5,000 to 438 nonprofit organizations. In 2024, we will award an average grant size of $20,000 to approximately 150 organizations. In order to make meaningful change in our focus areas, we believe that deeper investments in the issue areas we focus on are essential.
See below to learn more and apply. For additional questions, please review our FAQS.
Have additional questions?
Join us for a Virtual Info Sessions:
- Friday, June 7 from 10 to 11 am – General Information (Register)
- Monday, June 10 from 3 to 4 pm – Arts & Creative Culture (Register)
- Friday, June 14 from 10 to 11 am – Child/Youth Development & Education (Register)
- Friday, June 14 from 12pm to 1 pm – Positive Mental Health & Quality of Life (Register)
Grant Requests
Community Impact Grants are classified as unrestricted operating support. Funds can be used at the discretion of the organization to cover any costs necessary to carry out its core mission work within one of CFMT’s focus areas.
Applicants may only apply to ONE focus area. Please choose the focus area that best describes your organization’s mission aligned work.
Grants are awarded for one-year terms and requests must stay within our guidelines based upon the total size of the organization’s operating budget.
| Budget Size | Maximum Amount Awarded |
| Under $500,000 | $15,000 |
| $500,000 to $1,500,000 | $20,000 |
| $1,500,000 to 3,000,000 | $25,000 |
| $3,000,000 to $5,000,000 | $30,000 |
While CFMT prioritizes supporting organizations whose total operating budget is less than $5,000,000, organizations with budgets above that amount are still eligible to apply.
Timeline for Community Impact Grants
- June 3-June 30: Application is open for submission
- July 7- Sept 6: Applications under review
- Oct 1: Grants Awarded
