Giving Back to SMASHVILLE

Through an annual grant cycle, the Nashville Predators Foundation gives out hundreds of thousands of dollars to local charities for projects and programs benefiting youth and their families in Nashville and Middle Tennessee. In 2024, the foundation distributed $825,995 to 183 charitable organizations.

Additional Information

Important Dates
  • Helper Grants Open: Oct. 8, 2024
  • Grant Deadline: Jan. 8, 2025 at midnight
  • Mid-Year Report Due: Oct. 24, 2025 at midnight
  • Final Report Due: Feb. 27, 2026 at midnight
Grant Guidelines
  • Applicant must be a 501c3 organization or government agency serving the Nashville or Middle Tennessee area
  • Projects/programs must benefit youth and their families
  • Each organization can only submit ONE application.
  • Grants may range from $500 to a maximum of $10,000. Average 2024 grant was $4,500
  • Projects with a detailed itemized list of grant expenses are more likely to be funded.
  • Organizations looking to partner with the Nashville Predators and the Nashville Predators Foundation beyond funding are given stronger consideration.
  • Organizations whose operating budget is under $2.0 million will receive priority consideration.
  • Organizations that have received funding in three consecutive years will be considered but organizations that have not received grants in consecutive years may receive priority consideration.

What Do We Fund?

  • Specific projects involving youth and families
  • Durable goods
  • One time programs

What We Do Not Fund

  • General operating costs (including building/facility repairs and updates)
  • Staff salaries & benefits, program per diems
  • Sponsorship or fundraising of any kind
  • Capital campaigns
  • Endowments or reserve funds or grants to individuals
  • PTAs, PTOs or Booster Clubs (We do donate items to auctions & raffles, please see information on donations here.)

Foundation grants are reviewed and approved by the Board of Directors, which consists of individuals from the Nashville community and team representatives. All applicants are notified in late April via email and funding is distributed by early May. For this reason, we do not accept requests for funding projects in April or May of that year. It is however acceptable to request funding for a project in April or May of the following year. If funding needs change after grant is approved, please contact us. All grant recipients must submit a midyear and final report by the preset deadline.

2024 Grant Recipient Reminders

Click here to view your application and submit your midyear and final report.

All funding must be used by Feb. 28, 2025 (unless a special request is submitted). Reports are available to view and submit on the grant application site prior to the deadline.

  • Mid-Year Report due Oct. 25, 2024
  • Final Report due Feb. 28, 2025
2024 Grant Recipients

100 Black Men of Middle Tennessee, Inc.

4:13 Strong

A Soldier's Child Foundation

ABLE Youth

Act Too Players Foundation

ADROIT

Agape Animal Rescue and Training Center

Alive Hospice

All Hands On Deck (A.H.O.D.)

Aloe Family, The

American Heart Association

American Special Hockey Association

Amputee Blade Runners

Archie's Promise

Area 16 Special Olympics

Armed Services YMCA Fort Campbell

Art Helps Cancer

Arts at Center Street, The

Assistance League of Nashville

Assurance Mamas, Inc.

Austin Peay State University, Department of Chemistry

Autism Career Training (ACT)

Backfield in Motion

Beads of Courage, Inc.

Beautiful Spirited Women

Begin Anew of Middle Tennessee

BELL Garden (Bellevue Edible Learning Lab)

Best Buddies in Tennessee

Bethlehem Centers of Nashville

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Clarksville

Black Lemonade

Blind Visually Impaired Early Services of Tennessee

Book'em

Borderless Arts Tennessee

Boys & Girls Clubs of Rutherford County

Bradley Academy - An Arts-Integrated STEM School

Bridges Domestic Violence Center

BrightStone, Inc.

Building Block School for the Arts, The

Cafe Momentum Nashville

Camp Kesem at Vanderbilt University

Candle Wishes Foundation

CASA of Maury County

Catholic Charities, Diocese of Nashville

Centennial High School Hockey Club

Center for the Arts, Inc.

Characters of Character NFP

Children Are People Inc

Communities In Schools of Tennessee

Community Child Care Services, Inc

Community Resource Center

Cooper Trooper Foundation

Corner to Corner

Cottage Cove Urban Ministries

Cumberland River Compact

Daughters of the King

Davis House Child Advocacy Center

East Nashville Hope Exchange

Easterseals Tennessee

Edgehill Neighborhood Partnership, DBA: Empowering Neighborhood Partnerships

Elmington Elevates

Empower Me Center

Endure Athletics Foundation

Feed America First

Food for the Soul

Foreseeable Future Foundation

Forrest Spence Fund Nashville

Foster180 Inc.

Franklin Baseball Club

FrankTown Open Hearts

Freedom Reigns Ranch

Friends Life Community

Friends of Green Hills Park

Friends of Sumner Regional Medical Center

Friends of Warner Parks

Gateway Chamber Orchestra

GiGi's Playhouse Nashville

Gilda's Club Middle Tennessee

Girls Write Nashville

Global Education Center

GraceWorks

Green Interchange

Greenhouse Ministries

Habitat for Humanity of Sumner County

Habitat for Humanity Williamson Maury

Hallway Hero Project, The

Harpeth Conservancy

Harvest Hands Community Development Corporation

Heimerdinger Foundation, The

High Hopes Development Center

Hispanic Family Foundation

Historic Rock Castle

Homesafe Of Sumner, Wilson, And Robertson Counties-incorporated

Homework Hotline, Inc.

Hope Hohenwald Inc

Hospice of the Highland Rim Foundation, Inc.

Humanities Tennessee

Imagination Library of Coffee County

Inspiritus, Inc.

Interfaith Dental

Jazz Empowers

Journey Home, The

Junior Achievement of Middle Tennessee

just keep livin Foundation

King's Daughters Child Development Center

Lipscomb University

Make-A-Wish Middle Tennessee

Manchester City Schools

McNeilly Center for Children

Men of Valor

Middle Tennessee State Men's Ice Hockey

Mother To Mother

MOVE Inclusive Dance

Move! Music City

Music City Marauders Hockey Association

Music City Youth in the Arts, Inc

My Bag My Story

Nashville African American Wind Symphony, Inc.

Nashville Ballet

Nashville Book Connection

Nashville Children's Alliance

Nashville Diaper Connection

Nashville Dolphins

Nashville Figure Skating Club

Nashville Freedom School Partnership

Nashville Inner City Ministry, Inc.

Nashville Pipes & Drums

Nashville Public Education Foundation

Nashville Repertory Theatre, Inc

Nashville Rescue Mission

Nashville Tree Foundation

Nashville Wolverines Hockey Foundation

National Museum of African American Music

National Wheelcats Inc (Jr Sled Preds)

Nations Ministry Center

Needs of Our Kids

One Generation Away

Operation Rose

Operation Stand Down Tennessee

Owl's Hill Nature Sanctuary

Path United

PENCIL Foundation

People Loving Nashville

Pinson Hospital Hospitality House

Project C.A.M.P. Inc. dba The Center for Courageous Kids

Project E3

Read To Achieve

Read To Succeed

Rocketown of Middle Tennessee

Rocklife Youth (COTR Nashville)

Ronald McDonald House Charities of Nashville

Rutherford County Schools Coordinated School Health

Saddle Up!

Samaritan Recovery Community

Scott Hamilton Skating Club

Shower Up

Soles4Souls

Southeast Community Ventures

St. Luke's Community House

STARS

Support and Training for Exceptional Parents (TNSTEP)

Team CJ Colas Uterine Cancer Foundation

Tennessee Alliance for Kids

Tennessee Association of Craft Artists (DBA Tennessee Craft)

Tennessee Golf Foundation

Tennessee Hemophilia Bleeding Disorder Foundation

Tennessee State Parks Conservancy

TenThirtyFive

Theater Bug, The

Transformation Life Center

Trevecca Nazarene University

Tullahoma South Jackson Civic Association

Turnip Green Creative Reuse

United Service Organizations, Incorporated

Vanderbilt University Medical Center (DBA Vanderbilt Children's CHAMPions Adaptive Sports)

Vine Branch Fellowship

Wayne Reed Christian Childcare Center

West Nashville Dream Center D/B/A Dream Streets

Why We Can't Wait, Inc.

YAIPak Outreach

You Have the Power...Know How to Use It, Inc.

Youth Encouragement Services

Youth Incorporated

Grant Amount Given by Year
  • 2024 - $825,995
  • 2023 - $800,040
  • 2022 - $775,000
  • 2021 - $735,000
  • 2020 - $700,000
  • 2019 - $675,962
  • 2018 - $607,639
  • 2017 - $500,103
  • 2016 - $450,772
  • 2015 - $415,020
  • 2014 - $410,652
  • 2013 - $405,000
  • 2012 - $350,269
  • 2011 - $325,059
  • 2010 - $305,000
  • 2009 - $260,000
  • 2008 - $250,524
  • 2007 - $240,110
  • 2006 - $149,348
  • 2005 - $54,152
  • 2004 - $146,040
  • 2003 - $154,980
  • 2002 - $211,729
  • 2001 - $226,048
  • 2000 - $250,850
  • 1999 - $145,927

About Helper Grants

In 2022 the Preds Foundation renamed their grants program to Helper Grants empowered by SmileDirectClub after former Preds Senior VP & Advisor Gerry Helper. Helper retired after 40-plus years in the NHL, including 24 with Nashville, where he ended his career as Preds Foundation Chairman of the Board.

Helper Grants in Action

Every summer, the Foundation visits some of the Helper Grant recipients to see the grants in action! Check out the stories of how local organizations have been able to utilize the grants and keep up with our visits at the link below.