The numbers are notable, but the story behind them matters more.
The First Horizon Foundation, the charitable arm of Memphis-headquartered First Horizon Corp., has surpassed $200 million in total grants since its founding, with a significant share flowing back into the city where the bank was born. As reported this week by the Memphis Business Journal, the foundation has grown from a local giving program into a multi-state operation, now supporting organizations across a dozen states as First Horizon’s footprint has expanded.
What They’re Actually Building
The foundation’s giving spans arts and culture, education and leadership, environmental sustainability, financial literacy, and health and human services. In Memphis, that’s meant support for institutions like the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, National Civil Rights Museum, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Operation Hope, and Junior Achievement of Memphis and the Mid-South.
This year, the foundation distributed $500,000 in ArtsFirst grants through ARTSmemphis, including to the Carpenter Art Garden in Binghampton, a recipient since 2020.
“Our relationship with the First Horizon Foundation has felt truly genuine and community-centered from the beginning,” said Ayanna Murray, interim executive director at the Carpenter Art Garden. “They don’t just talk about investing in communities, they actively show up, build relationships, and support the work in meaningful ways.”
The foundation’s leaders describe the giving model as intentional. They’re not writing checks into a void.
“We look at them as strategic partners, not just writing checks,” said Beth Ardoin, foundation president. “That partnership experience is really about evaluating the vitality of that organization. ‘What type of leadership is in place? Are they sustainable?’ and evaluating the outcome of their work.”
Bo Allen, Mid-South regional president for First Horizon, put it plainly: “For us to be successful, the markets that we operate in need to be successful.”
How to Apply
Memphis nonprofits can apply through the First Horizon Foundation’s online grant portal. The cycle typically opens in the fall, with decisions announced the following February.
