Women's Fund of East Tennessee

Founded in 1986, East Tennessee Foundation ( ETF ) is a public, nonprofit, community foundation created for the purpose of building charitable resources to make communities stronger and lives better through thoughtful giving.This 501 ( c ) ( 3 ) organization was established through a merger of Community Foundation of East Tennessee and Business Trust for the Arts and began with assets of $625, 000 making grants to contiguous counties. The Foundation serves as a vehicle for philanthropy by connecting donors with the causes they care about most. A wide variety of assets in any amount can be accepted to serve almost any charitable purpose. ETF is a collection of hundreds of individual charitable funds and supporting organizations established by individuals, families, businesses, and other nonprofits and foundations. The Foundation is governed by a volunteer board of directors composed of leaders from throughout the region and managed by a professional staff. Under the watchful eye of the Board and staff, assets are wisely invested to provide a valuable source of grantmaking dollars for important projects and programs in our region, as well as elsewhere in the nation and the world. Essentially, a community foundation does three things: 1 ) receives money 2 ) manages and invests money and 3 ) gives money. There are over 650 community foundations nationwide and they are one of the fastest growing forms of philanthropy in the United States.

Founded in 1988, Project GRAD Knoxville is a collaborative partnership between Knox County Schools and the private sector to help improve the academic performance and future options of more than 121,900 children in Knoxville schools. It also operates in Akron, Alaska, Atlanta, Brownsville, Cincinnati, Lorain, Los Angeles, Newark, and Long Island. The project s mathematics program is a teaching system that promotes a balance between the student s understanding of mathematical concepts and computational fluency in kindergarten through grade eight. The program also includes the knowledge of algebra. Additionally, it conducts surveys on various issues and operates a classroom management program. It also offers social services and provides scholarships to students.