Rooted in Memphis, ready for what's next - Community Foundation of Greater Memphis

Rooted in Memphis, ready for what’s next

The Lichterman Loewenberg Foundation Finds Its Future

Three people, two women and one man, smile while sitting at a table outdoors. An amphitheater with a colorful lit arch, trees, and people in the background suggest a park or public event setting rooted in Memphis. — (l-r) Lichterman Loewenberg Foundation Fund advisors Freddi Felt, Barry Lichterman, and Lauren Lichterman

When you think of a local family foundation that was chartered in 1945, now has more than 100 family members involved, and is run by a committee that includes at least three generations, what do you envision? Conflict? Or at least confusion about processes, decision making and the causes the foundation supports?

None of that could be further from the truth of the Lichterman Loewenberg Foundation, which recently decided to partner with the Community Foundation of Greater Memphis by converting the private foundation to the Lichterman Loewenberg Foundation Fund, now managed here.

In fact, listening to three members of the fund’s distribution committee talk about their work for their family’s philanthropy, it’s clear that they continue to be guided by the principles it was founded on: Give where it makes a real difference, stay connected to what you fund, and keep the family connected across both generations and geography.

“We like to give to things that make the world a better place, which means we’re pretty broad,” said Freddi Felt, whose father and grandfather founded the foundation from the profits of their company, Southern Leather, which is still in existence. “And though most of our grantmaking is centered in this area, we have family members scattered across the country, so we have grants where they are, too.”

The family’s civic investment in Memphis goes back generations; they were involved on the ground level with organizations from what is now MLGW to St. Francis Hospital to the Assisi Foundation to the Harwood Center to Youth Villages to the Metal Museum, among others. The Lichterman Nature Center is part of the Memphis Museums of Science and History, and the Loewenberg College of Nursing at the University of Memphis is named for the family. The foundation’s founders gave to what was then the Jewish Welfare Fund, and the foundation established an endowed fund to benefit what is now the Memphis Jewish Federation.

Freddi took over the management of the foundation for her family in 1993, and “has done a phenomenal job making it everything that it is,” said Lauren Lichterman, 38, who lives in Texas and is part of its distribution committee, along with her uncle Barry Lichterman and Freddi, who is Barry’s second cousin.

“ I don’t think we’d be anywhere close to where we are today if not for her leadership and generosity. Not just her financial generosity and making sure the grants get out, but her generosity of spirit, generosity of knowledge, and everything she’s doing to make sure the foundation [fund] is in good hands for decades more to come.”

But last year, Freddi, who is 91, made the decision with the foundation’s executive committee to move it to the Community Foundation as a donor-advised fund, retaining the name and distribution committee structure while handing off the administrative burden. The reaction from the organizations it supports was enthusiastic, Freddi said.

Barry and the rest of the committee have been impressed with the resources the Community Foundation has been able to share with them, from systems and technology to make their funds distribution easier to more long-term planning.

“One of the main advantages to me of working with the Community Foundation is that they can help us do some strategic planning, which we haven’t done in a while,” said Barry, 72.

They see that kind of planning as “future proofing,” said Lauren, and an opportunity to engage other family members in the work of the fund.

“I don’t think there’s too much of a generational difference in the things that the family would prioritize, but right now, the most active participants are in the Barry and Freddi generations. One of the things the Community Foundation can help us explore is how we get more involvement from the younger generations.

Two black-and-white portraits of men in suits, both deeply rooted in Memphis. The left image shows a man wearing a straw hat and bow tie, labeled Ira J. Lichterman. The right image features William A. Loewenberg in a suit and tie, capturing the spirit of what’s next for this vibrant city. — Where it began: Foundation creators Ira J. Lichterman and William A. Loewenberg; Today: generations of the Lichterman Loewenberg family

A large group of people of various ages pose together outdoors on a wooden deck, with trees and a lit stage in the background, embodying a spirit that’s rooted in Memphis.

“This foundation is really, really important to our family,” she said. Lauren learned about tzedakah, the Jewish ethical obligation to give to those in need, at temple; that idea was uniquely part of her childhood, long before she realized what the foundation was. “It was so normal to be talking about how do we give, how do we support the community. It’s just always been a part of my life.”

Which is why she’s so eager to see the Lichterman Loewenberg Foundation Fund’s future unfold, with help from her family members and the Community Foundation.

“I can’t say enough about how excited I am to see how much we can help and how many more family members we can stay connected with.”

Excerpted from the 2026 Community Foundation Annual Report.

Learn more about Lichterman Loewenberg Foundation Fund grants