Anyone who has taken a cross-country road trip is probably familiar with the Pilot Flying J brand of travel centers with gas station pumps and convenience stores. This is where the fortune of the Haslam family comes from, a family that has been named on Forbes’ list of the richest families in America. Jim Haslam, who founded Pilot Flying J, and his wife, Natalie, have traditionally moved their philanthropy through the Haslam Family Foundation, focusing their attention on Tennessee. But lately, philanthropic funding has also been coming from their son, Jimmy Haslam, the current CEO of Pilot Flying J, and Jimmy’s wife, Dee.
Here’s an update about Haslam grantmaking, which focuses on the states of Tennessee and Ohio.
Jimmy and Dee Haslam
Today, the Haslam family’s philanthropy is guided by Jimmy and Dee Haslam. The couple aren’t just connected to the Pilot Flying J company, but also to the Cleveland Browns — they have been managing partners for the team since purchasing it in 2013. They also run the Haslam Sport Group and have recent involvement with other investment opportunities within the sports and entertainment industries. Dee Haslam is a television producer who launched RIVR Media, where she transferred from her role as CEO to partner and executive producer in recent years. Jimmy and Dee Haslam have broad philanthropic interests and fund a variety of local causes.
A tale of two Haslam foundations
In 1998, Jim and Natalie Haslam (the parents of Jimmy Haslam) established the Haslam Family Foundation to support youth education and sports initiatives, primarily in Eastern Tennessee. Just a few years later in 2001, Jimmy and Dee Haslam created their own philanthropy, the Haslam 3 Foundation. Initially, Haslam 3 pursued broad interests in the arts, health and human services, mostly in the metro areas of Knoxville, Tennessee and Cleveland, Ohio. Today, Haslam family philanthropy is more consolidated and flows through Haslam Giving, which is “committed to helping children and families reach their full potential by removing barriers and providing equal access to quality education and community resources.”
Current Haslam priorities
The Haslams have refined their grantmaking interests and now have six different categories for giving. Education grants support high-quality education for all children via policy and systems reform in public education. Social justice grants support solutions for criminal justice and stronger community relations with police. Youth sports has always been important to the Haslam family, and they provide grants for everything from installing athletic fields to sports-related programming. Haslam Giving contributes to parks and public spaces for recreation, as well as to education programs at local arts organizations. The funder also backs health and human services needs.
Major geographic interests
Throughout recent transitions, Tennessee and Ohio continue to be the major geographic focal points for the Haslam family’s grantmaking. Organizations around Knoxville and Cleveland see the most support — these places have personal connections to the family. Both Jimmy and Dee Haslam were raised in Knoxville and still have strong ties there. Currently, they live in Cleveland, Ohio and have three children and six grandchildren.
See the press section of Haslam Giving’s website for updates on its activities.