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For over 50 years, the Community Foundation has helped people give with purpose, strengthening Memphis and the Mid-South.

We make giving easier and more impactful by matching your generosity with the causes and community you care about most.

We offer solutions and resources to donors and the professionals who advise them to help you give smarter and do more good.

We offer funding opportunities that helps nonprofits and students create positive change and build futures.

When you get involved with the Community Foundation, you join a group of people committed to Memphis’s future.

Learn more about the philanthropic hub that connects capital with the solutions that make our community thrive.

News & Stories

Stay informed about our latest announcements, partnerships, and impact. Read media releases, funding news, and stories of donors and nonprofits shaping change across the Mid-South.

  • Four women stand outdoors holding packages from Sweet Cheeks Diaper Ministry, with more supplies on a table in front of them. They are smiling and wearing green clothing, suggesting participation in a community service or diaper ministry event.
    Community Spotlight

    Sweet Cheeks Diaper Ministry: One Mom’s Story, Thousands Helped

    We recognize the inspired leadership of Cori Smith, who turned her own struggle to afford diapers into a mission to help thousands of families.

  • Graphic for Forever Funds Community Solutions grants, highlighting the 2025 emphasis area: Safe and Resilient Places, on a blue background with subtle community-themed icons.
    Grantmaking

    Community Solutions grants awarded

    Launched May 2025, this multi-year initiative funds organizations creating innovative, tangible solutions for safer, more resilient communities.

  • A person wearing a black hoodie and cap smiles while holding up a keychain labeled Studio 2 close to the camera, highlighting the importance of support services for vulnerable populations.
    Philanthropy & Giving

    Supporting Vulnerable Populations

    Nonprofits face uncertainty from potential federal funding losses, rising service demand, and strained government ties—putting vulnerable communities at risk.

  • A large group of Soulsville students stands on steps outdoors, smiling and holding college banners, celebrating their future plans. Many wear shirts representing different colleges—shaping futures with strategic support. Trees and a building are in the background.
    Grantmaking

    How Strategic Support is Shaping Soulsville

    Pat Mitchell Worley’s path led her to lead Soulsville Foundation, expanding its mission to create music and education opportunities for Memphis youth.

  • Four adults and three children sit and play together on a rug, surrounded by green houseplants. The scene is calm and cheerful, reflecting the warmth and togetherness often found in families across the Mid-South.
    Philanthropy & Giving

    Supporting Women and Families for a Thriving Mid-South

    This International Women’s Day, we honor the vital role of women and families and the support they need to thrive.

  • Linda Hendershot, on her philanthropic journey, sits indoors by a window with closed blinds. With short, light brown hair and glasses, she appears focused as she reads a document in her dark top.
    Donor Profile

    Linda Hendershot’s Philanthropic Journey

    After retiring in 2023 from a 37-year career at St. Jude, Linda Hendershot looked for new ways to stay engaged in her community.

  • A group of 17 well-dressed young men pose in suits and formal attire around a podium with the UM logo, celebrating their achievements as HAAMI grant recipients, standing and sitting together on a stage in a formal setting.
    Grantmaking

    FOREVER Funds Grant Strengthens HAAMI

    For 10 years, HAAMI has supported African American men at UofM with mentorship and academic support, boosting retention, graduation, and success.

  • Antonio Tillis, in a blue suit with a red pocket square, stands outdoors with his arms crossed and smiling, reflecting his passion for giving back. Behind him are blooming pink flowers and green trees.
    Donor Profile

    Dr. Antonio Tillis’s Story of Giving Back

    South Memphis native Antonio D. Tillis, now Rutgers–Camden chancellor, opened a fund to give back and inspire his hometown community.

  • A man with short, light brown hair and glasses smiles at the camera. He is wearing a light blue, checkered button-up shirt against a plain beige background—Paul Shifflet shares insights on investing in Memphis.
    Donor Profile

    Investing in Memphis: Paul Shifflet

    Paul Shifflet has embraced Memphis as his home, engaging with the community through the Community Foundation and its collaborative approach to philanthropy.