Our History
The Harnisch Foundation was founded in 1998 by Ruth Ann Harnisch. Most of The Harnisch Foundation’s early grants were awarded to nonprofits in Middle Tennessee because of the founder’s familiarity with the people, the needs, and the institutions there. (Since 1973, Ruth Ann Leach, as she was formerly known, was a media personality and community leader in the area.)
Operating on the idea that “If people knew better, they’d do better,” grants were designed to help people improve their own lives. Hundreds of grants were awarded to a staggering range of nonprofits to support creative, multi-dimensional programs that addressed several facets of a challenging situation.
For example:
- Catholic Charities of Nashville - Spanish-speaking immigrants received laptops, English lessons, and child care to help them improve their job prospects.
- Magdalene – Former prostitutes recovering from addiction were provided with health care, coaching, job training, micro-savings assistance, housing, and help in regaining custody of their children.
- Book ‘Em! – Elementary school children received free books, volunteer readers were connected to classrooms, to encourage reading for pleasure, leading to skill-building.
The Harnisch Foundation moved into bolder philanthropy through the nonprofit More Than Money, an educational organization serving wealthholders who were determined to use their money in alignment with their highest values. The Harnisch Foundation’s gift of one million dollars was the largest in the organization’s history and helped upgrade its publications and outreach. The entire archive of More Than Money Magazine is available for online viewing at no charge.
The coaching program at More Than Money inspired The Harnisch Foundation’s bold forays into funding the relatively new field of professional coaching, which is emerging worldwide as a contributing factor to personal transformation. Because there are few funders focusing on this field, The Harnisch Foundation’s investments are significant and unique.
While The Harnisch Foundation honors its history by continuing to award grants designed to help people improve their own lives, our grantmaking is now largely concentrated on innovative projects in the areas of philanthropy itself, coaching, and journalism. A complete history of our grantmaking is available here, and a highlight of some of our grantees is available here