Five Grants to Celebrate National Tennessee Day

Editor’s Note: This is part of a series recognizing each of the 50 states by providing state specific grants for each. These articles follow the National Day Calendar Year. The calendar began celebrating each state in the order they entered the union in 2017 starting the week of Independence Day. Tennessee was the 16th state to join the union and is celebrated on Oct. 26.

So, in honor of National Tennessee Day, GrantWatch is sharing some of its favorite grants below that are specifically for the state.

As the birthplace of country music, Tennessee is famous for its music scene and has influenced many genres specifically bluegrass, country and rock. This includes the Grand Ole Opry, a weekly American country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee. According to the Recording Industry Association of America, Nashville’s music industry contributes $5.5 billion to the local economy.

Along with its influence in music, Tennessee also has a rich history. Hattie Caraway, a Tennessee native, was the first woman ever to be named a United States Senator. Other significant natives include Dolly Parton, Samuel L. Jackson, Aretha Franklin, Justin Timberlake, Davy Crockett, Morgan Freeman and Kathy Bates. The state is even known as the Volunteer State due to its strong tradition of military service. During the War of 1812, it sent around 1,500 volunteer soldiers to fight.

In addition to these interesting facts about the state, here are a few other facts you might not know about Kentucky.

10 Facts About the Volunteer State

1. Elvis Presley’s house, Graceland, Tennessee is the second most visited house museum in the U.S. after the White House. The house museum sees over 600,000 visitors a year.
2. It is also the home of Mountain Dew.
3. The 33-story AT&T building, known around the world as the “Batman Building,” is the tallest skyscraper in Tennessee.
4. Tennessee is the birthplace of the tow truck.
5. And it ties with Missouri for the most neighborly state since it is bordered by 8 other states.
6. The Memphis Cotton Exchange handles roughly one third of the United States’ entire cotton crop.
7. The state animal for Tennessee is a raccoon.
8. It is also home to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the country’s most visited national park.
9. In addition, the Tennessee Aquarium is the biggest fresh water aquarium in the world.
10. In Paris, Tennessee, there’s a seven-story replica of the Eiffel Tower.

Five Tennessee Specific Grants

1. Grants to Tennessee nonprofit arts organizations in eligible regions for activities that will enrich the local arts and cultural environment. Funding is for operating, project, and capital support to strengthen arts and culture, education and leadership, environment, health and human services, and financial literacy in the community. Eligible projects should promote excellence and enrichment in the arts in Shelby County.
2. There are also awards to Tennessee individual artists to recognize the impact of their work. Eligible art disciplines include crafts, dance, literary arts, media, music, and visual arts. The program is to acknowledge local artists whose creative work has added to the cultural vitality of the state.
3. In addition, there are in-kind grants of new water fountains to Tennessee middle schools. Funding is to reduce the consumption of sugary beverages by replacing old drinking fountains with new water fountains and bottle-filling stations. Applicants will submit a creative project or video highlighting how water is good for health and teeth, why their school needs the bottle filling station, or what makes a healthy smile.
4. Grants of up to $20,000 to Tennessee nonprofits to strengthen humanities programs and operations during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) health crisis. Funding is to support and retain jobs, keep humanities organizations open, and assist the sector in its response to and recovery from the pandemic.
5. Finally, there are grants to Tennessee nonprofits and government agencies to improve housing availability for low-income communities. Funding is for new construction and major rehabilitation, stabilization, education, and assistance programs. Applicants must be located in Knoxville.

GrantNews Notes

Want to celebrate National Tennessee Day with more grants? Be sure to check out GrantWatch’s website dedicated exclusively to grants for Tennessee. And for grants from all 50 states, check out our complete category list over at GrantWatch.

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