Supporting Our Community
Nonprofit Support
We come alongside what’s working.
We support nonprofit partners doing the daily, relational work that keeps Nashville standing—food, housing stability, education and workforce pathways, health and healing, recreation and the support systems families rely on when life gets tight.
What support looks like:
• Flexible funding that strengthens your core work (not just a shiny new idea)
• Respect for proximity and expertise—you know your community; we listen first
• Practical collaboration when it’s useful: problem-solving, connecting dots, and reducing friction
• Long-view partnership when values and outcomes align
What we look for:
• A mission that’s grounded in dignity
• Clear evidence you deliver real help in real life
• Strong stewardship—good work, sound practices, honest numbers
• Leaders who stay close to the people they serve
How to know if it’s a fit:
We fund what holds up in real life: dignity-first support, practical outcomes, and programs that get delivered—again and again. If additional funding will strengthen delivery in measurable ways (not add red tape), we’re interested. We look for stewardship you can explain, mission alignment you can show, and a track record of showing up.
Individual Support
Support that helps life regain momentum.
Through Charlie’s Fund, the Martin Foundation supports Davidson County individuals and families when pressure is building and stability is at risk. Our focus is not on quick fixes. It’s on creating traction—removing a barrier, strengthening decision-making, and helping a household move from surviving to steadier footing.
What support looks like:
• A structured grant designed to stabilize—not to reward, rescue, or subsidize discretionary upgrades
• Clear agreements about purpose, participation, and follow-through
• Financial learning in community as a core expectation—practical tools, shared accountability, and a non-shaming environment
• Respect-forward process that protects privacy and honors agency while keeping standards clear
What Charlie’s Fund is designed to do:
We want to help a household regain footing, reduce the chance of repeat setbacks, and build a stronger path forward—through both resources and learned skills. We focus on stabilizing the immediate moment while also strengthening the next steps: clearer budgeting, better planning, and practical tools that hold up under real-life pressure.
Charlie’s Fund is built for the space between “we’re okay” and “we’re in crisis”—when a setback threatens stability, but the right support can prevent a spiral. We aim to reduce harmful tradeoffs and help families protect the basics: housing, transportation, work, childcare, and health.
What We Don’t Do
Clarity is part of dignity.
We want our support to be real, responsible, and built to last—so we’re honest about our lane. The Martin Foundation funds practical help and strengthens good work already underway. We don’t pretend to be everything, and we won’t take on roles that require specialized credentials, round-the-clock availability, or ongoing case management. When something is outside our scope, we’ll say so plainly—and when we can, we’ll help point you toward a better fit.
We don’t operate as an emergency-response agency or a 24/7 safety net.
We don’t provide individualized financial counseling, case management, or professional advice (investment, tax, legal, or insurance), and we don’t replace licensed professionals or prepare tax returns.
We don’t make open-ended commitments or become a long-term sponsor for one household or one organization.
We don’t fund work we can’t responsibly stand behind—including pass-through requests we can’t vet or track.
We don’t duplicate what trusted partners already do well; we’d rather strengthen them than reinvent them.
We don’t support anything that compromises dignity or safety—shame, coercion, discrimination, or exploitation.
We don’t promise “yes” or “fast” just because the need is urgent; stewardship requires process.
We don’t fund illegal or high-risk uses or requests that fall outside our guidelines.
A Final Thought
Social service philanthropy isn’t just charitable giving. It’s a form of local infrastructure—supporting the people and organizations who keep families from falling through the cracks and help neighbors regain footing with dignity. It underwrites the steady, often unseen work that makes stability possible: trusted relationships, skilled follow-through, practical problem-solving, and timely resources applied with care. In this space, impact isn’t always dramatic or linear; it often looks like a family staying housed, a job kept, a child cared for, a person choosing recovery again. Done well, this kind of giving strengthens the community’s ability to respond and helps people take the next step with real support beneath them.
“The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.”
— Pablo Picasso