Next Gen Philanthropic Initiative

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.

Purposeful giving for the next generation

The Next Gen Philanthropic Initiative is the Community Foundation of Greater Memphis’s signature philanthropic education and advising program for individuals preparing to become significant givers in our community.

Offered on a bi-annual basis, Next Gen brings together a small, intentional cohort to explore values-driven philanthropy, strategic grantmaking, and long-term community impact.

A group of thirteen adults stands smiling in two rows in front of a white house with large windows and greenery. Most are wearing business casual attire, gathered for a Next Gen Philanthropic Initiative outdoors in the early evening.

Participants gain the tools, confidence, and local insight needed to move from informal giving to a more focused, effective approach—supported every step of the way by Community Foundation advisors and trusted community leaders.

The Next Gen experience

A months-long experience that includes a multi-day retreat, facilitated group sessions, and a closing grantmaking presentation alongside your cohort.

Two one-on-one advising sessions with a Community Foundation philanthropic advisor to refine your giving goals and select a nonprofit partner.

Graduates join the Next Gen Alumni Network, with access to continued learning opportunities, donor events, and peer connection.

Who Next Gen is for

Next Gen is designed for Mid-Southerners who are ready to be more intentional and strategic about their philanthropy and who see giving as an important part of their leadership and legacy.

Participants often include individuals and couples who are building or managing significant financial resources and want a thoughtful, locally grounded approach to giving. While the program is not intended for everyone, it is an ideal fit for those who value learning, collaboration, and purposeful community engagement.

Four people sit around a table covered with various photographs, looking at them and smiling. Office supplies and coffee are in the background, as name cards suggest this gathering is part of a Next Gen philanthropic initiative. — Next Gen participants completing a values exercise

If you are looking for a guided, high-touch philanthropic experience—and a trusted partner to help you navigate your giving journey—Next Gen may be the right next step.

What participants gain

Philanthropic clarity

Define your philanthropic values and develop a personal giving framework aligned with what matters most to you.

A simple black outline of two hands held up, palms facing inward, with a heart shape above them, symbolizing care, support, or giving—a perfect emblem for a Next Gen philanthropic initiative.

Strategic grantmaking skills

Learn how to assess nonprofits, identify impact, and make intentional grant decisions rooted in community needs.

A speech bubble containing three check marks, each followed by a horizontal line, representing a checklist or completed tasks in a Next Gen Philanthropic Initiative conversation.

Trusted local perspective

Gain insight into Memphis and Mid-South challenges, opportunities, and philanthropic trends from local experts.

Peer connection

Build meaningful relationships with like-minded peers committed to long-term community investment.

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Commitment and community investment

In lieu of a traditional tuition fee, each participant commits to making a minimum $2,500 grant to a nonprofit selected through the program’s guided grantmaking process. At the conclusion of the cohort, participant grants are matched with an additional $2,500 through the generous support of the Hyde Family Foundation—doubling each individual’s community impact.

The next Next Gen Philanthropic Initiative cohort will run November 2026 – April 2027. Interested? Contact Managing Director of Philanthropic Services Caroline Kuebler, linked below.

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[Cohort participants] are from all different walks of life, which I really appreciate…it's an opportunity to really define our strategic philanthropy goals. For me, it was helpful because I was able to frame out the vision we have as a family for our gift giving. “