MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — The Murfreesboro Committee on Contributions of the Murfreesboro Community Investment Trust invites eligible charitable applicants to once again submit requests for charitable grants in FY25-26. Deadline for submittal is 4:30 p.m., Oct. 31, 2024.
“The ultimate goal of the Trust is to change the lives of the people that the applicants serve to leave an impact on the City of Murfreesboro and its citizens,” said Community Investment Trust Committee on Contributions Chair Carl Montgomery. “The City wants to continue to ensure that funds from the sale of the electric utility is done responsibly and with long term benefits to the community. A portion of the proceeds has been set aside to go to the community through this grantmaking process.”
Beginning October 1 through Oct. 31, 2024, application requests for grant-funding can once again be made by utilizing the grant-making application process, available at https://www.murfreesborotn.gov/CommunityGrantApplication.The Charitable Contributions to Qualified Beneficiaries Award Announcement will be made online at www.murfreesborotn.gov by March 31, 2025.
Beneficiaries. In FY24-25, the Trust’s assets for charitable distributions are anticipated to be approximately $300,000 to $400,000.
Activities requesting funding from this application must take place between July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026. Requests for funding should not exceed $65,000. Average amounts awarded are anticipated to be between $10,000 to $25,000.
Applications will be screened and evaluated by the Committee on Contributions for eligibility, completeness, merit, and organizational capacity.
The Committee on Contributions will forward grant recommendations to the Board of Trustees by February 15, 2025, for approval before being submitted to City Council for final approval at a March 2025 Council meeting. The Murfreesboro Community Investment Trust was established in 2021 from the proceeds of the sale of the City-owned utility, Murfreesboro Electric Department, to Middle Tennessee Electric Cooperative.
The purposes of the Trust are set forth in the Trust Agreement as follows:
- To support projects and programs of the City or other nonprofit institutions that benefit the City’s inhabitants and improve or enhance the quality of life of the City’s inhabitants or aid civic or other public improvements;
- To promote and advance the social welfare of the inhabitants of the City;
- To promote and support educational and recreational programs, facilities, and opportunities within the City;
- To fund public works within or benefiting the City; and
- To advance the general welfare of the City and its residents
Members of the Committee on Contributions are as follows: Carl D. Montgomery, chair, John A. Hinkle, Jr., Lynn Lien, Lyle Lynch, Wade Hays, Ronnie Martin, Collier Andress Smith. The seven Members of the Committee on Contributions, appointed by the mayor and approved by Council, have previous participation with charitable and civic activities within the City.
To learn more about last year’s application and funding process, you can watch a 20-minute YouTube podcast featuring Committee Chair Carl Montgomery and City Grant Manager Karen Lampert https://youtu.be/M6zT9hiA1cc
