Letter from the Board Chair and President

For 30 years, the Memorial Foundation has embraced our charge to support nonprofit organizations as they better the lives of people in our community. We believe it is more than our responsibility. It is our honor.

The charge we honor was originated by Nashville Memorial Hospital, a beacon of care for the community of Madison for nearly 30 years. When the hospital was sold in 1994 and the corpus of the sale was used to establish the Memorial Foundation, we lifted the hospital’s torch.

Thanks to our trusted nonprofit partners and the people they serve, our flame burns more brightly today than ever. Since inception, we’ve distributed a total of $191 million to nonprofits in Davidson, Sumner, and Robertson counties, including $5.4 million in 2023. In turn, our nonprofit partners have worked tirelessly to provide equal access to quality health and human services, education, and important intervention services for all members of our community. 

In our 2023 Annual Report, we share some of the moments that have enriched our 30-year history and will help guide us into the future. 

Included are snapshots of the work being done by several of our trusted partners. They represent 12 visionary organizations working daily to improve the quality of life for our neighbors. This anniversary is theirs as much as ours. 

Also included are renderings of our new offices on Skyline Ridge Drive in Madison, which we expect to occupy in 2024 – an exciting new beginning and a return to our roots. 

These pages also honor our longtime torchbearers Bill Puryear, founding board chair, and Charles Fentress, founding board member, who both died in 2023; as well as our longstanding Vice President of Finance, Judy Milliken, who retired after a combined 50 years of service at both Nashville Memorial Hospital and the Foundation.

Finally, we are entering our next decade after much reflection that has not only produced a strategic plan to further strengthen our mission, but a new vision encapsulated in these words: 

to help create a community where all people are healthy, whole and safe. 

Looking ahead, we remain mindful that honoring our charge requires persistence and progress. As always, we trust the steadfast leadership of our board and nonprofit partners to light the way. 

Sincerely,

Scott S. Perry and David E. McKee