The Dan and Margaret Maddox Fund is hiring a Senior Program Associate. The Senior Program Associate is an integral member of the small Maddox team, serving as a relational anchor for our community partners and the engine for our grants and data operations. This role primarily supports the Executive Director and is dedicated to managing the majority of the Fund’s portfolio (Youth), ensuring operational excellence across the Youth program area.

The full job description is linked below. Interested candidates should submit a brief cover letter and
resume to careers@maddoxfund.org by Friday, January 9, 2026.

This year at the Maddox Fund, I’ve found myself returning to an image offered by futurist and pathfinder Mia Birdsong: seeds planted in toxic soil. What does it mean to cultivate hope when the ground beneath us feels depleted, stripped by years of systemic injustice, environmental degradation, and philanthropic practices that too often extract more than they restore?

What we have learned again and again from our grantee partners is this: in even the most desolate landscapes, healing is possible. Like native plants that remediate poisoned ground, our partners are doing the slow, steady work of restoration. They are transforming harmful conditions into ecosystems where justice can take root and hope can grow.

In a philanthropic landscape marked by volatility, scarcity, and shifting priorities, we chose a different path. This year, the Grant Committee made the intentional decision not to consider new proposals. Instead, we deepened our investment in the organizations already in partnership with us. In an unstable environment for nonprofits, we saw this as a practice of sustainability—a way of nourishing the roots rather than constantly seeking new growth. This is what trust looks like in practice.

Our North Stars, guiding us toward a world in which people and planet flourish together in regenerative systems free from oppression and threat, remained at the center of every discussion. Our funding areas of youth and the natural environment also held steady. And in the spirit of transparency, we continue to make five years of past grantmaking decisions available on our website.

We believe transparency is a necessary condition for cultivating authentic relationships.  So that data can become knowledge that transforms our actions, we offer this analysis of our 2025 grants to date:

At Maddox, we believe that liberation is only as permanent as our practice. We are committed to continuing the internal work required to ensure that equity, justice, and liberation are not just values we name but truths we live.

As we look to the horizon, we’re excited to announce that we will release a refreshed Request for Proposals (RFP) in the first quarter of 2026. This new RFP will reflect lessons learned from our current partners, emerging needs in the field, and our refined grantmaking priorities. What will not change is our unwavering commitment to our North Stars and to the communities who inspire us every day with their courage and creativity.

To our partners: thank you for being the ones who transform poisoned soil into sacred ground. Thank you for teaching us what it means to hold fast to hope.

Let us keep planting, even when the ground feels unsteady.

For quarterly updates on the Maddox Fund, be sure to subscribe to our newsletter!

In 2024, the Dan & Margaret Maddox Fund brought together a community group of composed of young environmental professionals and activists to distribute $100,000 in grants to Middle Tennessee organizations working to protect the natural environment. This was our first participatory grantmaking initiative to focus specifically on the environment. Previous years had focused on high school youth, HBCUs, and LGBTQ+ youth. This year’s group met regularly over the course of six months to learn about grantmaking and different nonprofit organizations to make the follow grants:

• $30,000 to The Tennessee Aquatic Project
• $30,000 to Brooklyn Heights Community Garden
• $20,000 to the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition
• $10,000 to Recycle Reinvest
• $10,000 to Tennessee Ancient Sites Conservancy

This Advisory Board wanted to fund organizations and initiatives focused on increasing access to green space, climate justice, and food justice. When looking at the applications, they prioritized applications that embodied Indigenous and racial justice, intersectionality, advocacy & direct service.

Since 2008, the Dan and Margaret Maddox Fund has partnered with nonprofit organizations in Middle Tennessee to improve the lives of young people across Middle Tennessee.  Core to this work is our commitment to addressing the systemic injustices that have marginalized communities and continue to leave many behind.  School vouchers will be a detriment to ensuring that all children can access high-quality educational opportunities.

School vouchers divert resources away from already underfunded public schools and further burden families facing poverty.   Public schools in Tennessee lack the resources they need for students to thrive and vouchers would magnify the problem. It is expected that the voucher proposal will cost the state of Tennessee over $1.1 billion over the next five years. 51% of public school students will get less in state funding than voucher recipients will.

Private schools are also not accountable for serving students and families with the greatest needs.  Private schools are not required to offer the same protections and services that guarantee safe environments and equitable education opportunities for all students  including students with disabilities, English language learners, and LGBTQ+ students. Vouchers also fail to benefit rural students where private school options are limited.

Most importantly, data shows that vouchers do not lead to better academic outcomes. MNPS students outperformed voucher users in Nashville. ESA/voucher participants in Nashville.

Here are some resources from our partners to learn more about vouchers:

The Education Trust

Statewide Organizing for Community eMpowerment

Nashville Public Education Foundatoin

Rev. Jen Bailey is ordained in the African Methodist Episcopal Church, a public theologian and leader in the multi-faith movement for justice. She was the founding Executive Director of Faith Matters Network, an innovative Womanist-led organization accompanying spiritually grounded leaders on their journey to heal themselves and their communities.  She has been an Ashoka Fellow, New Pluralist Field Builder, Aspen Ideas Scholar, On Being Fellow and a Truman Scholar.

Jen has served on the boards of the Jessie Ball DuPont Fund, The Fetzer Institute and was recently the chair of The Healing Trust board in Nashville.

“We are thrilled to have Jen lead the foundation into the next season of justice and liberation work in Middle Tennessee,” said Indira Dammu incoming board chair. “Jen brings a wealth of nonprofit and foundation experience to Maddox.”

“We believe Jen’s understanding of the Beloved Community is expansive and includes our sacred obligation to care for the planet that nurtures us,” said David Esquivel, chair of the search committee. “She is the right leader to help us live into our vision of people and planet flourishing together.”

“I am so honored to step into this role. Our focus on youth and the natural world are a public declaration of our unwavering commitment to work toward building for the better future and leave this world better than we found it. My deepest gratitude to Rev. Kaki Friskics-Warren and the Maddox team for the incredible foundation you have laid. And my heartfelt thanks to the Maddox Board for your trust in me. I am so excited to help shape this next chapter of our work alongside our partners.” Rev. Jen Bailey

Jen assumes the role as Executive Director on February 3, 2025. Jen will oversee the vision and operations of the foundation.  She succeeds Rev. Kaki Friskics-Warren who has served the foundation since 2009.

About the Maddox Fund

Maddox Mission: We seek a world in which people and planet flourish together in regenerative systems free from oppression and threat.  The Maddox Fund supports youth and environmental work in Middle Tennessee through program and advocacy grants.  Information on our grantmaking can be found at maddoxfund.org. For more information:  kaki@maddoxfund.org; 615-385-1006

The Maddox Fund Environmental Participatory Grant Advisory Board, composed of young environmental professionals and activists, seeks inquiries from Middle Tennessee nonprofits regarding environmental grants available Q4 of 2024.

Grants of up to $30,000 will be made in the following areas:

Access to Green Space—including but not limited to, environmental equity-focused activities and programs, liberatory outdoor teaching practices, preventing loss of natural space, access to natural space.

Climate Justice—including but not limited to, reparations for communities impacted by climate change including community resiliency, just transition from fossil fuel to renewable, safe and affordable energy, mitigation of invasive insects and diseases caused by climate change, mitigation of flooding caused by climate related severe weather.

Food Justice—including but not limited to addressing agricultural land loss, advancing food justice for marginalized communities, land justice for marginalized communities.

Schedule 

• November 4: Inquiries due
• November 15:  Notification of next phase
• December 5:  Full proposal due (not to exceed xxx pages or composed of xx questions)
• December 20:  Anticipated announcement

Format for Inquiry: One page, including program/organization description, area of interest (green space, climate justice, and/or food justice), skeleton budget, and requested amount

Send to:  participatory@maddoxfund.org by November 4

Total Funds Available:  $100,000

Inquiry Evaluation Lenses: Indigenous and racial justice, intersectionality, advocacy & direct service

Who is the Maddox Fund:  The Maddox Fund is a Middle Tennessee foundation that works to better our community through partnerships that improve the lives of young people and protect the natural environment.

What is Participatory Grantmaking: PGM a shift in power. Participatory grantmaking processes engage those who are directly affected by the issues at hand in the decision-making process.

Composition of Environmental Participatory Grant Advisory Board

Members of the advisory board were recruited from Maddox partner organizations and environmental advocates.  The advisory board includes:

• 5 African American Females
• 1 African American Male
• 3 White Females
• 8 Cis Gender
• 1 Agender

Send letters of inquiry to participatory@maddoxfund.org.  If you have any questions about the grant opportunity, please email kaki@maddoxfund.org or call the Maddox office at 615-385-1006.