Founding Vision
In 1963, a group of forward-thinking civic leaders recognized that Chattanooga needed an enduring philanthropic institution to respond to the community’s changing needs while stewarding generosity for the long term. Those seven civic leaders—Z. Cartter Patten, Sam Yarnell, John P. Guerry, Scotty Probasco, Robert Maclellan, Bill Brock, and E.Y. Chapin—believed that philanthropy should be accessible, purposeful, and organized for the enduring good of the community. They launched the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga with $348,000, creating a permanent home for charitable giving that could grow and evolve alongside Chattanooga itself.
Those founders established the Community Foundation to be a trusted partner for donors, a stable source of support for local nonprofit organizations, and a catalyst for collaboration and meaningful change. More than 60 years later, that vision continues to guide the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga (CFGC).
That early vision has matured into a community institution recognized for its stability, stewardship, and responsiveness. Today, CFGC manages more than $300 million in assets on behalf of individuals, families, and businesses, ensuring that generosity continues to benefit and strengthen the region for generations to come. Together with our donors, partners, and the nonprofit community, we work to transform generosity into lasting change toward a prosperous and just Chattanooga where all can thrive and achieve their full potential.
Over the decades, CFGC has awarded more than $496 million in cumulative grants since its founding, reflecting sustained investment in local nonprofits and in the areas and issues that shape the quality of life across the region.
Expanding Generosity, Strengthening Community
As Chattanooga has grown, the Foundation has expanded the ways individuals and families can engage in philanthropy. Through tools such as donor-advised funds, impact investing, legacy planning, and guidance on complex gifts, the Foundation helps donors align their values with impact, while providing reliable, long-term resources to nonprofits serving the region.
At the heart of this work is The Fund for Chattanooga, the Foundation’s permanent endowment dedicated to the collective good. The Fund for Chattanooga supports both urgent community needs and forward-looking initiatives in areas such as education, health, housing stability, economic mobility, and the vibrancy of local neighborhoods.
From Immediate Relief to Root Causes
As the area’s public foundation, CFGC works with a wide network of nonprofit partners that serve our neighbors and meet essential needs in our community. The Foundation remains committed to providing responsive support of organizations that are closest to the challenges and best positioned to meet the needs of our neighbors.
At the same time, the Foundation increasingly leads work to address the root causes that shape opportunity and long-term wellbeing. One example is the Eviction Prevention Initiative (EPI), which was created in partnership with the City of Chattanooga, Legal Aid of East Tennessee (LAET), and other community partners, and incubated by the Foundation to help stabilize housing for families and individuals during COVID 19. EPI provides legal representation to support housing stability for tenants, and coordinated support that makes landlords financially whole. After demonstrating success in helping hundreds of households and thousands of individuals avoid eviction and homelessness, CFGC transitioned the program to LAET for long-term stewardship.
Our collaborative work in the region has also drawn national attention. The Community Foundation partnered with The Pew Charitable Trusts (Pew) to study the impacts of consumer debt and court-enforced collections, advancing research-driven solutions that reduce financial strain, increase transparency and efficiency, and support economic stability for families and individuals across our region. This systems-oriented approach complements CFGC’s tradition of philanthropic partnership—helping the community respond to immediate needs while also shaping the policies and practices that influence long-term outcomes.
The Foundation’s Leadership Fund is the engine that powers this thoughtful, long-term progress: a flexible, enduring resource that allows CFGC to respond when crises emerge, seize opportunities before they close, and pursue the dedicated, systemic work that transforms a city over time.
Meeting Today's Challenges, Investing for Tomorrow
Today, our region continues to face challenges. As we experience growth in Chattanooga, many of our neighbors face ongoing barriers to stability and opportunity. The Foundation envisions a community where everyone has a safe place to call home, earn a living wage, and confidently imagine a brighter future for themselves and for their children. By lowering the costs that make life unstable for individuals and families, helping people get good jobs or start businesses, and creating real changes to build savings and wealth, we are working to make sure that everyone has the chance to benefit from Chattanooga’s growth. Our goal is to ensure that every neighbor has a genuine chance to thrive.
Affordable housing has emerged as one of the region’s most urgent challenges. Nearly half of renters in Hamilton County are cost burdened, placing pressure on families and limiting pathways to economic mobility. In 2024, the Foundation received a $5 million line of credit from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation—their first-ever investment in Chattanooga—to support this work. CFGC aligned this partnership with a $400,000 commitment of its own assets, leveraging philanthropic capital and working to attract public and private partners to build a more stable housing landscape. In addition, the CFGC launched the Affordable Housing Fund, a long-term strategy to protect, preserve and produce affordable homes and strengthen local development capacity.
Our Accelerator Loan Fund (ALF) supports the development and growth of promising small business enterprises in Chattanooga and Hamilton County by expanding access to capital for entrepreneurs who have historically been excluded from traditional funding pathways. This allows entrepreneurs to strengthen their businesses, build wealth, and benefit the community.
These investments reflect the Foundation’s broader focus on economic mobility and demonstrate how philanthropy can work alongside public and private partners to address long-term challenge like housing affordability.
Looking Ahead
For more than six decades, the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga has remained a trusted steward of generosity and a catalyst for community progress. With a growing endowment, deep local knowledge, and strong partnerships, CFGC is positioned to meet the challenges of today while preparing for those of tomorrow and continues the work of ensuring a more just, prosperous, and connected community where everyone can thrive.