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Plinth
Foundation Dossiers
Plinth

· Private foundation

Marlene and Spencer Hays Foundation

Its FY2019 filing reports that it accepted unsolicited grant applications.

$5.1M
Granted FY2019
62
Grants FY2019
6
States reached
$1.0M
Largest
01What you fundRead
02The needRead
03Your fieldRead
01What you fund
01FY2019 · 62 grants

Where the money goes

Your grants by size, and where they go.

By grant size · FY2019

  • Under $10k1 grant · $8k
  • $10k–50k22 grants · $556k
  • $50k–250k37 grants · $3.3M
  • $250k+2 grants · $1.3M
$53,900
Median grant
6
States reached
$119M
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
Tennessee State Museum Foundation$1,000,000
Cumberland Heights Foundation$250,000
TN Immigrant and Refugee Rights$228,000
Art Institute of Chicago$200,000
The Mary Parrish Center$175,000
Hill School of Ft Worth$175,000
Bunker Labs$155,000
Lantern Lane Farm$127,500
Youth Villages of Middle TN$122,000
Cook Childrens Health Foundation$100,000
Nashville General Hospital Found$100,000
The Refuge Center for Counseling$100,000
Renewal House$100,000
Cumberland University$95,000
Alive Hospice Inc$95,000
02The need
02

Do your dollars go where the need is?

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

show:

Your human-services grants (FY19–19, $530k) land where the poverty rate runs at 12%, against an area that typically sits at 11%. 72% of those dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Most of your grants land in higher-need ZIPs.

area typical 11%The Refuge Center for Counseling: $100k → 4%Ridin High Inc: $30k → 15%Hope Farm: $50k → 11%Heaven South dba The Store: $26k → 14%The Mary Parrish Center: $175k → 14%Mother to Mother Inc: $54k → 14%Alive Hospice Inc: $95k → 14%0%20%40%50%more need →
grant to an above-average-need area below average· circle size = grant amount

Matched: human-services grants are those whose grantee’s IRS cause code is Human Services. Placed by people below the poverty linein the grantee’s ZIP, averaged from the tracts in that ZIP; grantee ZIP can differ from where services are delivered.

US grants placed by each grantee’s ZIP, which can differ from where services are actually delivered. Need from public data — U.S. Census/ACS, CDC PLACES, Eviction Lab, USDA — shown as context about the area, never attributed to your giving.

03Your field

The map has a center of gravity: the average direction from the rest of the sector toward the organizations the foundation funds — the shape of its giving. Scoring every nonprofit along that direction surfaces the ones that look most like the portfolio. These are the closest matchesthat aren’t grantees — a resemblance in what they say they do, not a recommendation.

1
Tennessee Performing Arts Center (Tpac) Management Corporation

To provide facilities, services, and programs of the highest quality for the greatest benefit of the people, institutions, and communities of the state, and to take a leadership role in fostering the performing arts, arts education,…

Arts & Culture
2
Nashville Cares

Nashville cares exists to end the hiv epidemic, promote comprehensive sexual health and end sexual health stigmatization and discrimination through prevention, education, treatment, support, advocacy, and strategic partnership.

Health
3
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
4
Girls Write Nashville

Girls write nashville empowers expression through songwriting, production, mentorship and creative community for teen artists. we are an artist and educator-led 501(c)(3) creative youth development program in nashville, tn allied with…

Arts & Culture
5
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
6
Arts and Business Council of Greater Nashville Inc

Arts & business council of greater nashville supports and promotes the arts by driving collaboration between arts and business that contribute to the creativity, vitality, and prosperity of greater nashville/the regions/the city.

Crime & Legal
7
Tennessee Health Care Association

To maintain high standards for nursing homes in the state of tennessee and to seek the solutions to problems common to members of the association.

—
8
Nashville Zoo Inc

In fulfillment of our mission to inspire a culture of understanding and discovery of our natural world through conservation, innovation and leadership, our goal is to build a first class zoo for middle tennessee and to develop a facility…

Animals
9
Nashville Technology Council

Ntc mission is to advance the diverse technology ecosystem by connecting and promoting members, attracting, growing and retaining tech talent, and providing opportunities to reinvest in the greater nashville community.

Community Improvement
10
Nashville Repertory Theatre Inc

Nashville repertory theatre exists to serve through creating "ah-ha!" moments that inspire empathy, prod intellectual and emotional engagement, and expand the creative capacity of audience and artists though the dynamic connection unique…

Arts & Culture
11
New York School of Interior Design

New york school of interior design provides the most innovative, immersive, and transformative interior design education in the world, demonstrating the impact of professionally designed interiors on the health, happiness, and well-being…

Education
12
Museum of Arts and Design

To collect, display and interpret objects in craft art and design.

Arts & Culture

For reference, the grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is Nashville Safe Haven Family Shelter Inc and the most unlike its peers is Ridin High Inc. Resemblance is measured on each organization’s own IRS 990 mission text; it reflects how work is described, not its quality or impact.

Your grantees are a median of 36 years old; the field is 16. You back the established end — and your money leans older still.

THE FIELDby orgYOUR GRANTEESby number21%0%<5yr14%5%5–10yr20%16%10–20yr20%30%20–35yr12%27%35–55yr12%23%55yr+
THE FIELDby orgYOUR MONEYby value21%0%<5yr14%2%5–10yr20%11%10–20yr20%25%20–35yr12%42%35–55yr12%21%55yr+

The field is 21% startups (under 5 years old) — 0% of your grantees by number, and just 0% of your money.

Closures · last 5 years

The orgs you fund almost never close — 0.0% lost their exemption, against 12% of the field you don’t fund.

orgs you fund
0.0%0/48
the rest of the field
12%
4,305/34,577

Age = years since IRS exemption (a founding proxy). “Closed” = auto-revocation for 3 years of non-filing — a floor on closure, not proof, and bigger established orgs lapse least. Association, not causation.

03the grantee network

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

Each one resolved to its own IRS returns and tracked year by year — your grant beside their revenue from every source. Association, dated; never a causal claim.

Counted here: distinct organizations you funded across 2017–2025, not grant rows in a single year — so this will not match the grant count on the cover. 47 of the 62 grantees resolved in that span have returns of their own we could reconcile; the rest are funded organizations whose filings we could not track year by year.

0
Load-bearing (≥25% of a budget)
15
Early backer (in before they grew)
46/47
Grantees still filing
39/47
Grew since you first funded

Where your money sits — by cause, then by grantee

TENNESSEE STATE MUSEUM FOUNDATION INC — $1,000,000 · Arts & CultureTENNESSEE STATE MUSEUM FOUNDATION …CHEEKWOOD BOTANICAL GARDEN AND MUSEUM OF ART — $87,000 · Arts & CultureCHEEKWOOD BOTANICAL GARDEN AND MUS…NASHVILLE PUBLIC RADIO — $76,000 · Arts & CultureCREATIVETS — $75,000 · Arts & Culture+8 more — $305,000 · Arts & Culture+8 moreBUNKER LABS NFP INC — $155,000 · OtherBUNKER LABS NFP INCYouth Villages of Middle TN — $122,000 · OtherYouth Villages of Middle TNCook Childrens Health Foundation — $100,000 · OtherCook Childrens Health FoundationNashville General Hospital Found — $100,000 · OtherNashville General Hospital FoundCUMBERLAND UNIVERSITY — $95,000 · OtherCUMBERLAND UNIVERSITYTHISTLE FARMS INC — $85,000 · OtherTHISTLE FARMS INCSecond Harvest Food Bank — $80,000 · OtherMental Health Assn of Middle TN — $70,000 · OtherVanderbilt Eye Institute — $60,000 · OtherMonroe Carrel Childrens Hospital — $60,000 · OtherUnited Way — $60,000 · OtherMary Moore Foundation — $57,000 · OtherOASIS CENTER INC — $70,000 · OtherPARK CENTER INC — $55,000 · OtherNASHVILLE FOOD PROJECT INC — $54,000 · Other+12 more — $320,000 · Other+12 moreCUMBERLAND HEIGHTS FOUNDATION INC — $250,000 · HealthCUMBERLAND HE…LANTERN LANE FARM INC — $127,500 · HealthLANTERN LANE …RENEWAL HOUSE INC — $100,000 · HealthRENEWAL HOUSE…SEXUAL ASSAULT CENTER — $60,000 · HealthSEXUAL ASSAUL…HOSPITAL HOSPITALITY HOUSE CORPORATION — $40,000 · HealthHOSPITAL HOSP…+1 more — $10,000 · HealthTHE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO — $200,000 · EducationTHE ART INST…THE HILL SCHOOL OF FORT WORTH INC — $175,000 · EducationTHE HILL SCH…NASHVILLE PUBLIC LIBRARY FOUNDATION — $50,000 · EducationNASHVILLE PU…UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF NASHVILLE — $50,000 · EducationUNIVERSITY S…THE HARPETH HALL SCHOOL — $49,160 · EducationTHE HARPETH …+2 more — $26,000 · EducationTHE MARY PARRISH CENTER — $175,000 · Human ServicesTHE MARY PAR…THE REFUGE CENTER FOR COUNSELING INC — $100,000 · Human ServicesTHE REFUGE C…ALIVE HOSPICE INC — $95,000 · Human ServicesALIVE HOSPIC…MOTHER TO MOTHER INC — $53,900 · Human ServicesMOTHER TO MO…HOPE FARM INC — $50,000 · Human ServicesHOPE FARM IN…RIDIN HIGH INC — $30,000 · Human ServicesRIDIN HIGH I…THE STORE INC — $26,000 · Human Services+1 more — $7,500 · Human ServicesTENNESSEE IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE RIGHTS COALITION — $228,000 · Civil RightsCARING FOR CHINAS ORPHANS INC — $80,000 · International
Arts & Culture$1,543,000Other$1,543,000Health$587,500Education$550,160Human Services$537,400Civil Rights$228,000International$80,000

Each org by its size and your share of it — top-left is where you’re load-bearing

25%50%75%100%$1.0M$10M$100Mgrantee revenue →↑ your share of their budgetCUMBERLAND HEIGHTS FOUNDATION INC — $250,000 over 1y, 0.7% of budgetTENNESSEE IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE RIGHTS COALITION — $228,000 over 1y, 7.2% of budgetTHE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO — $200,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetTHE HILL SCHOOL OF FORT WORTH INC — $175,000 over 1y, 5.2% of budgetTHE MARY PARRISH CENTER — $175,000 over 1y, 25% of budgetLANTERN LANE FARM INC — $127,500 over 1y, 16% of budgetRENEWAL HOUSE INC — $100,000 over 1y, 4.5% of budgetTHE REFUGE CENTER FOR COUNSELING INC — $100,000 over 1y, 4.0% of budgetCUMBERLAND UNIVERSITY — $95,000 over 1y, 0.2% of budgetALIVE HOSPICE INC — $95,000 over 1y, 0.3% of budgetCHEEKWOOD BOTANICAL GARDEN AND MUSEUM OF ART — $87,000 over 1y, 0.8% of budgetTHISTLE FARMS INC — $85,000 over 1y, 1.8% of budgetNASHVILLE PUBLIC RADIO — $76,000 over 1y, 0.9% of budgetOASIS CENTER INC — $70,000 over 1y, 1.4% of budgetSEXUAL ASSAULT CENTER — $60,000 over 1y, 1.9% of budgetPARK CENTER INC — $55,000 over 1y, 1.0% of budgetNASHVILLE FOOD PROJECT INC — $54,000 over 1y, 2.3% of budgetMOTHER TO MOTHER INC — $53,900 over 1y, 3.3% of budgetHOPE FARM INC — $50,000 over 1y, 3.9% of budgetNASHVILLE PUBLIC TELEVISION INC — $50,000 over 1y, 0.9% of budgetBACKFIELD IN MOTION — $50,000 over 1y, 5.6% of budgetNASHVILLE PUBLIC LIBRARY FOUNDATION — $50,000 over 1y, 0.9% of budgetMETROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART — $50,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetUNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF NASHVILLE — $50,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetNASHVILLE OPERA ASSOCIATION — $50,000 over 1y, 1.2% of budgetTHE HARPETH HALL SCHOOL — $49,160 over 1y, 0.2% of budgetHOSPITAL HOSPITALITY HOUSE CORPORATION — $40,000 over 1y, 2.0% of budgetFRIST ART MUSEUM — $40,000 over 1y, 0.3% of budgetNASHVILLE ACADEMY THEATRE AND NASHVILLE CHILDREN'S THEATRE ASSOC — $40,000 over 1y, 2.1% of budgetUNITED WAY OF TARRANT COUNTY — $32,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetRIDIN HIGH INC — $30,000 over 1y, 20% of budgetTHE STORE INC — $26,000 over 1y, 1.1% of budgetThe Frick Collection — $25,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetNashville Symphony Association — $25,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetNASHVILLE SAFE HAVEN FAMILY SHELTER INC — $20,000 over 1y, 0.5% of budgetKIPP NASHVILLE — $16,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetThe Heimerdinger Foundation Inc — $10,000 over 1y, 2.8% of budgetFUND FOR PARK AVENUE NEW YORK INC — $10,000 over 1y, 0.8% of budgetNASHVILLE BALLET — $10,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetCAMDEN MILITARY ACADEMY — $10,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetFAMILY FOUNDATION FUND INC — $7,500 over 1y, 2.5% of budget
Go grantee by grantee — a decade per org, and how each moved after you funded them

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

The grantmakers whose grantees overlap with yours far more than size alone predicts. Each orbits closer the stronger the alignment; the arcs between them show where they also fund each other. Here it reads as a tightly interlocked camp — most of these funders back each other's grantees too.

Memorial Foundation I…The Community Foundat…Hca Healthcare Founda…The Frist FoundationDettwiller FoundationDorothy Cate and Thom…The Steven & Laurie E…Joe C Davis FoundationEbs FoundationThe Healing Trust For…Vanderbilt UniversityNashville Predators F…
Memorial Foundation IncTN52.7× affinity23 shared granteesties to 11 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: Memorial Foundation Inc · The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee Inc · Hca Healthcare Foundation · The Frist Foundation · Dettwiller Foundation · Dorothy Cate and Thomas F Frist Foundation · The Steven & Laurie Eskind Family Foundation · Joe C Davis Foundation · Ebs Foundation · The Healing Trust Formerly Baptist Healing Hospital Trust · Vanderbilt University · Nashville Predators Foundation

Affinity is a Gamma-Poisson posterior co-funding rate, re-centered on the typical rate, so thin evidence shrinks toward no signal. A research starting point: overlap is association, not proof of shared intent.

Government reliance of your grantees

Every dot is one organization Marlene and Spencer Hays Foundation funds. Left–right is the share of its income from government; up–down is the share from you. Bigger dots raise more. Filter to federal or a single department — and drag the year to watch it move.

2024
’20’21’22’23’24’25
no gov · 00%0%1%3%5%your share of their income ↑0%23%45%68%90%share of the org’s income from government →
    no gov moneyreceives it· size = income
    0get no government money at all
    16report government grants on their 990 we could not trace to a source (not plotted)
    0rely on government for over half their income
    ⤢ axis zoomed · 0–90%
    typical government reliance, FY20–25

    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 your grant caused the public funding. Coverage is precision-first — a floor, not 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 12–24 months.

    On method. Every financial figure here is read directly from IRS e-file XML — your own 990/990-PF and the multi-year returns of the 62 grantees we resolved across every year we hold, several hundred filings in all (a different count from the grant rows on the cover, which are one fiscal year)— each linked to its source. Grantee achievements and outcomes are each organization’s own program-service reporting (Form 990, Part III); we read these as association with sustained funding — the foundation is one of several forces — suppress low-confidence name matches rather than guess, and say so where a figure rests on a single grant or filing. Not everything on this page is a filed figure, and the difference matters. Filed is what you reported on your 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. How we build these →

    Generated from your IRS Form 990-PF e-file return for fiscal year 2019, released 2019. Filings run roughly 12–24 months behind; figures are dated accordingly.

    Source object · view filing

    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 camps
    funders cluster by geography, not ideology
    By state
    where grant money is based, and what stays home
    State money flows
    the interactive map of money crossing state lines