THOUGHTFUL GIVING FOR
STRONGER  COMMUNITIES
AND BETTER LIVES

Mount Rest Fund

General Description

In 1894, Mount Rest Home was started by a group of forward-thinking women, at their own expense, as a residence for elderly ladies in Knoxville who had very little funds or family to care for them. The devoted women of the board of Mount Rest Home cooked and sold lunches at Thanksgiving to raise funds to support the home, and they tended to every need of the house and the ladies who lived there.  Although the lovely home eventually closed, many of the daughters and granddaughters of the original board members continued to provide for the welfare of women and children in Knox County.

They established the Mount Rest Foundation in 1994 and then the Mount Rest Fund of East Tennessee Foundation in 2004 to continue and secure their families’ legacy of caring for Knox County’s women, children, and youth. To learn more about the history of Mount Rest Fund, watch this video: Mount Rest Fund.

Application Process

For the 2023 Mount Rest Fund grant cycle, East Tennessee Foundation (ETF) will direct its grantmaking to support projects which can have an impact on root-cause community problems, especially those created by systemic racism and generational harms. Projects must specifically benefit women and/or children and youth in Knox County and must address one or more of the following focus areas:

  • Drivers of health
  • Prevention and/or mitigation of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)
  • Early childhood education

 

The online application will be available March 27, 2023.
The deadline to apply is April 19, 2023.

Grant Amounts and Terms

Grants will be awarded in June 2023 for two-year terms and will range from $5,000 – $20,000.

The grant term is June 15, 2023 – June 14, 2025.

Who May Apply

General Eligibility and Funding Criteria

Additional eligibility criteria specific to Mount Rest Fund:

  • Applicant organization must serve women and/or children and youth in Knoxville or Knox County; and
  • Under special circumstances, grants will be made to institutions outside Knox County for programs that are operated within or provide direct benefit to residents of the county.

Additional Information

Please direct your questions to:
Ashley Siferd Butler, Director of Competitive Grants, or
Rachel Cosby, Program Officer
East Tennessee Foundation
520 W. Summit Hill Drive, Suite 1101
Knoxville, TN 37902
Telephone: (865) 524-1223 or toll-free (877) 524-1223