The Keel Foundation
The organization is a private foundation dedicated to supporting various charitable causes, with a significant focus on education, community services, and food security. It provides funding primarily through general contributions and scholastic awards, indicating a commitment to enhancing educational opportunities and supporting local community organizations. The foundation serves a diverse range of recipients, including youth programs, food banks, and human services initiatives. Its funding activities are notably concentrated in Tennessee, where it supports local charities and community centers.
Source: Zeffy Agent · Mar 2026
Ideal Applicant
A small-to-midsize community nonprofit with programs in education, community services, or food/human services and a clear local connection to Tennessee (especially Morristown) or an existing relationship/referral to the foundation.
Good Fit
- • Organization operates in Tennessee (Morristown area) or serves that community.
- • Requests align with general operating or program support rather than a narrow research or policy ask.
- • Has an existing relationship, referral, or prior connection to a board member or previously funded organization.
- • Track record of local impact and concise, referral-ready materials.
Geography
Across observed years the foundation funded organizations in Tennessee, Maryland, and Georgia, but the most recent year’s giving was exclusively to a Tennessee recipient, indicating a primarily regional (state-focused) footprint with earlier out-of-state grants.
Recipient Variety
The foundation funded roughly 21 distinct recipients in both 2022 and 2023, showing broad variety historically, but the latest year collapsed to a single recipient; overall recipient variety is mixed rather than clearly high or very limited.
New Applicants
The public filing and profile state grants are by preselection/invitation only, which limits open solicitations, but prior years show many new grantees (about 15 new recipients in 2023), so unfamiliar applicants can sometimes be added though a public application route is not evident.
Source: Zeffy Agent · Mar 2026
