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Mark and Martha Ezell Foundation at a glance

· Private foundation

Mark and Martha Ezell Foundation

Its FY2024 filing reports that it funds preselected organizations and did not take unsolicited requests; check the foundation's own site before ruling it out.

$56k
Granted FY2024still arriving
8
Grants FY2024still arriving
2
States reached
$10k
Largest
01What it fundsRead
02The needRead
03Its granteesRead
04Its fieldRead
01What it funds
0193% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2017 to 2024.

Education$150kFood & Nutrition$88kHuman Services$42kHealth$21kReligion$19kRecreation & Sports$18kArts & Culture$16kYouth Development$11kOther$0
02FY2024 · 8 grants

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

By grant size · FY2024

  • Under $10k5 grants · $26k
  • $10k–50k3 grants · $30k
$7,500
Median grant
2
States reached
$224k
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
PURITY MOOSIC CITY DAIRY DASH$10,000
JOVENES EN CAMINO$10,000
BILL DANCE FRIENDS AND FAMILY FOUNDATION$10,000
BELMONT UNIVERSITY$7,500
LIPSCOMB UNIVERSITY$7,500
HELLENIC MINISTRIES$5,000
THE STORE$5,000
MOUNTAIN WAYS$1,000
02The need
03

Does the money reach high-need areas?

Each grant placed by the hardship in its grantee’s ZIP, against the area’s typical level.

show:

Its human-services grants (FY17–24, $70k) land where the poverty rate runs at 11%, against an area that typically sits at 10%. 43% of those dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Its grants spread fairly evenly across need levels.

area typical 10%JOVENES EN CAMINO: $10k → 9%JOVENES EN CAMINO: $5k → 9%JOVENES EN CAMINO: $5k → 9%JOVENES EN CAMINO: $5k → 9%JOVENES EN CAMINO: $5k → 9%JOVENES EN CAMINO: $5k → 9%JOVENES EN CAMINO: $5k → 9%THE STORE: $25k → 14%THE STORE: $5k → 14%0%20%40%50%more need →
grant to an above-average-need area below average· circle size = grant amount
How this is measured
Matched: human-services grants are those whose grantee’s IRS cause code is Human Services. Placed by people below the poverty line in the grantee’s ZIP, averaged from the tracts in that ZIP.
How this is measured
US grants placed by each grantee’s ZIP, which can differ from where services are delivered. Need from public data (U.S. Census/ACS, CDC PLACES, Eviction Lab, USDA), shown as context about the area, never attributed to the funder’s giving.
03Its grantees
repeat funding

Who it funds again

Organizations funded in more than one year, against those funded once.

90%of every dollar goes to organizations it has funded before.
$342k · 13 repeat orgs$37k to everyone else

13 repeat relationships: 6 still active in FY2024, 7 since wound down; 2 grantees were first funded in FY2024 (too recent to call).

How the two cohorts compare

Re-uppedFunded once

Organizations

13
15

Total granted

$342k
$26k

Median revenue growth · since first grant

+86%
+123%

Still filing today

54%
40%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2024, 80% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $11k went to new ones.

50%100%’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24
RenewedFirst-time

Where new relationships form · theme of each grantee’s first grant

’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24
Human ServicesArts & CultureEducationYouth DevelopmentReligionInternationalOther
How this is measured
First-time means a grantee’s first year in the filing window; renewed means funded in an earlier year too. The renewed share climbs naturally as a portfolio matures, so the signal is a year that bucks it (a wave of new grantees). The earliest year is left-censored: relationships that predate the data read as new. Theme is the grantee’s IRS cause.

Backed again, and grew

  • BU
    Belmont University
    7× · 2017–2024 · $83k · revenue +86%
  • LU
    LIPSCOMB UNIVERSITY
    7× · 2017–2024 · $68k · revenue +44%
  • JE
    JUVENTUD EN CAMINO ASSOCIATION
    7× · 2017–2024 · $40k · revenue +285%

Funded once

  • PM
    PURITY MOSSIC CITY DAIRY DASH
    one grant, 2017 · $5k
  • NI
    NASHVILLE INNER CITY MINISTRY INCgraduated
    one grant, 2017 · $3k · revenue +123%
  • MC
    MONROE CARELL JR CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL AT VANDERBILT
    one grant, 2023 · $3k
How this is measured

Repeat means funded in two or more distinct years. Growth and survival are read from each grantee’s own subsequent IRS filings.

04Its field

Closest unfunded matches

The nonprofits that most resemble its grantees but are not funded by it, scored along the direction from the rest of the field toward the portfolio. A resemblance in what they say they do, not a recommendation.

1
Nashville Public Radio

Nashville public radio's mission is to be the most trusted & independent nashville voice, connecting our communities through non-partisan journalism, compelling storytelling, civil conversation and music discovery.

Arts & Culture
2
Nashville Public Media Inc

Nashville banner is a locally owned, community supported, civic news organization. we exist to empower the people of nashville to make informed decisions by providing non-partisan journalism from an independent, nonprofit newsroom. we are…

Arts & Culture
3
Union University

Union university provides christ-centered education that promotes excellence and character development in service to church and society.

Education
4
Houston Christian University

The mission of houston christian university is to provide a learning experience that instills in students a passion for academic, spiritual, and professional excellence as a result of our central confession, "jesus christ is lord."

—
5
Dallas International University

As a christian university, we provide education and research opportunities preparing global leaders to partner with local communities.

Education
6
Open Table of Nashville Inc

Open table of nashville is a non-profit, interfaith, community that disrupts the cycles of poverty, journeys with the marginalized and provides education about issues of homelessness.

Housing & Shelter
7
Christianity Today International

Christianity Today is a global community inspired by evangelical conviction to advance the stories and ideas of the kingdom of God. Our mission is to elevate the storytellers and sages of the global church.

Religion
8
Chattanooga Christian School Inc

To prepare students to lead and serve with distinction while representing christ and his kingdom in all areas of home, church, society and culture.

Education
9
Chattanooga Christian Community Foundation

We guide and encourage donors who are motivated toward kingdom-building generosity. our mission is carried out through four primary initiatives: providing donor-advised funds, inspiring and encouraging generosity within families along the…

Philanthropy
10
Kings Academy Nashville

King's academy is a pre-k-8th grade independent christian school in nashville, tennessee, providing a classically inspired education to a racially and socioeconomically balanced student body.

Education
11
East Tennessee Public Communications Corporation

Operation of public tv station.

Arts & Culture
12
Christ Led Communities Inc Formerly Christian Leadership Concepts

To equip men to initiate and lead for christ in their homes, churches, communities and the marketplace.

—
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee Inc; the most unlike its peers is City of Children. Resemblance is measured on each organization’s own IRS 990 mission text; it reflects how work is described, not its quality or impact.
04the grantee network

16 grantees tracked through their own filings, 2017–2025.

Each grant beside the grantee’s revenue from every source, year by year.

How this is measured

Counted here: distinct organizations funded across 2017 to 2025, not grant rows in a single year, so this will not match the grant count on the cover. 16 of the 32 grantees resolved in that span have returns of their own we could reconcile.

Each grantee is resolved to its own IRS returns. Association, dated; never a causal claim.

0
Load-bearing (≥25% of a budget)
8
Early backer (in before they grew)
16/16
Grantees still filing
14/16
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

LIPSCOMB UNIVERSITY: $67,500 · OtherLIPSCOMB UNIVERSITYPURITY MOOSIC CITY DAIRY DASH: $52,500 · OtherPURITY MOOSIC CITY DAIRY DASHVANDERBILT CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL: $17,500 · OtherVANDERBILT CHILDREN'S HOSPITALHELLENIC MINISTRIES: $10,000 · OtherBILL DANCE FRIENDS AND FAMILY FOUNDATION: $10,000 · Other+13 more: $33,850 · Other+13 moreBelmont University: $82,500 · EducationBelmont UniversityTENNESSEE SPORTS HALL OF FAME INC: $17,500 · EducationTENNESSEE SPORTS HALL OF FAME…JUVENTUD EN CAMINO ASSOCIATION: $40,000 · Human ServicesJUVENTUD EN CAMINO AS…THE STORE INC: $30,000 · Human ServicesTHE STORE INC+1 more: $1,000 · Human ServicesROCKETOWN OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE: $7,000 · Youth DevelopmentMOUNTAIN WAYS INC: $1,000 · Youth DevelopmentNASHVILLE PUBLIC TELEVISION INC: $1,300 · Arts & CultureOPPORTUNITY IN OVERALLS: $1,000 · Arts & CultureANDREW JACKSON FOUNDATION FKA LADIES' HERMITAGE ASSOCIATION: $1,000 · Arts & CultureNEVERTHIRST INC: $2,500 · InternationalCALEB GLOBAL: $2,000 · ReligionTULSA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION: $1,000 · PhilanthropyTHE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE INC: $1,000 · Philanthropy
Other$191,350Education$100,000Human Services$71,000Youth Development$8,000Arts & Culture$3,300International$2,500Religion$2,000Philanthropy$2,000

Each grantee by its size and the funder’s share of it; top left is load-bearing

25%50%75%100%$1.0M$10M$100Mgrantee revenue →↑ funder's share of their budgetBelmont University: $82,500 over 7y, 0.0% of budgetLIPSCOMB UNIVERSITY: $67,500 over 7y, 0.0% of budgetJUVENTUD EN CAMINO ASSOCIATION: $40,000 over 7y, 1.1% of budgetTHE STORE INC: $30,000 over 2y, 1.1% of budgetTENNESSEE SPORTS HALL OF FAME INC: $17,500 over 4y, 4.0% of budgetROCKETOWN OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE: $7,000 over 2y, 0.3% of budgetNASHVILLE INNER CITY MINISTRY INC: $2,500 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetNEVERTHIRST INC: $2,500 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetCALEB GLOBAL: $2,000 over 2y, 0.1% of budgetNASHVILLE PUBLIC TELEVISION INC: $1,300 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetCITY OF CHILDREN: $1,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetOPPORTUNITY IN OVERALLS: $1,000 over 1y, 13% of budgetTHE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE INC: $1,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetMOUNTAIN WAYS INC: $1,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetANDREW JACKSON FOUNDATION FKA LADIES' HERMITAGE ASSOCIATION: $1,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budget
Grantee by grantee: a decade per organization, before and after funding

A decade per grantee: revenue shaded, grants as bars, all rows on one timeline.

  • Who funds Belmont University ↗
  • Who funds LIPSCOMB UNIVERSITY ↗
  • Who funds JUVENTUD EN CAMINO ASSOCIATION ↗
  • Who funds THE STORE INC ↗
  • Who funds TENNESSEE SPORTS HALL OF FAME INC ↗
  • Who funds ROCKETOWN OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE ↗
  • Who funds NASHVILLE INNER CITY MINISTRY INC ↗
  • Who funds NEVERTHIRST INC ↗
  • Who funds CALEB GLOBAL ↗
  • Who funds NASHVILLE PUBLIC TELEVISION INC ↗
  • Who funds TULSA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION ↗
  • Who funds CITY OF CHILDREN ↗
  • Who funds OPPORTUNITY IN OVERALLS ↗
  • Who funds THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF MIDDLE TENNESSEE INC ↗
  • Who funds MOUNTAIN WAYS INC ↗
  • Who funds ANDREW JACKSON FOUNDATION FKA LADIES' HERMITAGE ASSOCIATION ↗

Co-funders

Grantmakers whose grantees overlap with this funder’s far more than size alone predicts. Closer means stronger alignment; arcs show where they also fund each other. Here they form a tightly interlocked group: most of these funders back each other's grantees too.

The Community Foundat…Purity FoundationRyman Hospitality Pro…Raymond James Charita…Ezell Foundation IncEnchiridion FoundationThe Frist FoundationMemorial Foundation I…Hca Healthcare Founda…Dollar General Litera…Servant FoundationAmerican Endowment Fo…
The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee IncTN20.3× affinity8 shared granteesties to 11 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee Inc · Purity Foundation · Ryman Hospitality Properties Foundation · Raymond James Charitable Endowment Fund · Ezell Foundation Inc · Enchiridion Foundation · The Frist Foundation · Memorial Foundation Inc · Hca Healthcare Foundation · Dollar General Literacy Foundation · Servant Foundation · American Endowment Foundation

How this is measured
Affinity is a Gamma-Poisson posterior co-funding rate, re-centered on the typical rate, so thin evidence shrinks toward no signal. Overlap is association, not proof of shared intent.

How much its grantees rely on government

Each dot is one organization Mark and Martha Ezell Foundation funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from Mark and Martha Ezell Foundation. Bigger dots raise more.

2024
’20’21’22’23’24’25
no gov · 00%1%4%8%15%funder's share of their income ↑0%4%8%11%15%share of the org’s income from government →median 11%
  • Tulsa Community Foundation: 11% of income from government
no gov moneyreceives it· size = income
0get no government money at all
5report government grants on their 990 we could not trace to a source (not plotted)
0rely on government for over half their income
⤢ axis zoomed · 0–15%
typical government reliance, FY20–25
How this is measured
Government income is each org’s traced federal awards (USASpending grants and contracts) plus state payments (open checkbooks) as a share of its total revenue (IRS Form 990); the self-reported government-grant line (990 line 1e) is carried for cross-check: a grantee that reports government grants we could not trace to a source is left off the chart rather than shown as receiving none. An association, not a claim that a grant caused the public funding. Coverage is precision-first, a floor rather than a census; state records exist for 9 states, so a grantee outside them shows no state figure (dimmed) rather than a false zero. Federal award amounts are obligations, which can span years, so a single-year share is indicative. 990 filings lag 12 to 24 months.

On method. Every financial figure here is read from IRS e-file XML, the funder’s own 990/990-PF, and from the multi-year returns of the 32 grantees we resolved, each linked to its source. Grantee outcomes are each organization’s own program-service reporting (Form 990, Part III), read as association with funding, never as caused by it. Low-confidence name matches are suppressed rather than guessed. How we build these →

How this is measured
Each figure carries one of six labels. Filed is what the funder reported on its return. Official is another government record about an organization, such as a federal award or a charity register, joined by name where no shared identifier exists. Resolved is an identity we worked out where the filing named a recipient without an EIN, kept only above a measured confidence threshold. Computed is arithmetic over those, like themes, portfolio clusters and co-funder strength. Context is a statistic about a place rather than about an organization, which is what the need overlay is: it describes the area a grantee’s address sits in, not where its work lands. Inferred is drawn by a model from text, like the partnerships read out of public news and organization websites. Each is labeled where it appears.

Generated from the IRS Form 990-PF e-file return for fiscal year 2024, released 2024. Filings run roughly 12 to 24 months behind; figures are dated accordingly.

Source object · view filing

Play a game based on Mark and Martha Ezell’s filings →

More from the funding graph

The unnamed billions
grants reported with no recipient in the public record
The regranting layer
51% of grant dollars land in the regranting layer
The DAF merry-go-round
$9.7B circulates between donor-advised funds
The endowment market
who holds foundation money, and what just moved
The camps
funders cluster by geography, not ideology
By state
where grant money is based, and what stays home