Who are Chattanooga's top philanthropists?

photo Franklin Farrow

A businessman, a banker, two McCallie School students and a Chattanooga company were picked as the city's top philanthropists on Tuesday.

The Southeast Tennessee Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals named the selections on National Philanthropy Day.

Franklin Farrow, co-founder and chief operating officer of Independent Healthcare Properties LLC, was chosen as top philanthropist.

Farrow provides leadership and support to several area nonprofit organizations as a board member for the East Tennessee Symphony Orchestra, Samaritan Center Inc., Bible in the Schools board, the Southern Adventist University Board of Trustees and the Tennessee Advisory Board of the Trust for Public Land.

Keith Sanford, First Tennessee Bank's market president, was named volunteer fundraiser of the year.

Sanford has served as annual fund chairman at GPS, and he has helped raise money for Caldsted, Chattanooga Symphony, the Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce, Arts Build, Ballet Tennessee, Fairyland School PTO and others. He will chair the United Way campaign next year.

McCallie students Ralston Hartness and Thomas West were youth in philanthropy award recipients.

They are co-founders of ReGenerate, a new arts and leadership group for high school students, and the Let Beauty Awaken project, which raised more than $14,000 partly through a fundraising event with other musicians at the Chattanooga Theatre Center for Dalewood Middle School.

Hutton Cos. was picked as corporate philanthropist of the year.

The real estate, development and construction firm has one of the most active employee-led philanthropic efforts in the city. Also, Hutton employees give of their time and effort to organizations such as the Jordan Thomas Foundation.

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