“They Love On Them Like They’re Theirs”

A Responsive Grant helps North Memphis arts organization AngelStreet meet record enrollment—and rising need

Among the recipients of the Community Foundation’s Responsive Grants is AngelStreet, a Memphis arts organization led by Ruth Abigail Gardner. Since 2013, AngelStreet has mentored Black girls in North Memphis through music, fostering confidence, courage, sisterhood, and leadership. Through weekly rehearsals, performances, and one-on-one mentoring, the organization helps young women discover their unique purpose—and their power.

AngelStreet fills a distinct gap: it is the only female-focused arts program in the neighborhood it serves. Today, more than 60 students are enrolled, representing dozens of families who are impacted by the challenges facing their community. That enrollment is growing, with new students showing interest in joining on a regular basis.

Yet even as demand rises, the organization navigates a difficult landscape for nonprofits. As strategic communications entrepreneur and Community Foundation Board member Judith Black Moore noted in a fall 2025 Tri-State Defender article about AngelStreet, “In today’s climate, nonprofits without visibility are often overlooked…It’s the paradox most small nonprofits face: heart and impact on one hand, limited capacity to share that story on the other.”

Gardner herself has spoken plainly about the barriers her organization faces. She shared with Black Moore, “Some people don’t want to pour into small er nonprofits because they don’t have the infrastructure. That is why it is helpful to resource leaders so nonprofits get to the point where they are investible.”

An unanticipated delay in disbursement from another significant funder and growing concerns about how law enforcement engages with the communities AngelStreet serves have added pressure to an already challenging environment. A $25,000 Responsive Grant is helping the organization hold steady—so its work can continue uninterrupted.

The impact is perhaps best captured by one AngelStreet parent: “They take these girls and they love on them like they’re theirs, and just encourage them and tell them that ‘You are greater than whatever it is that’s going on around you.’”

Upcoming AngelStreet events