Like yours, the Community Foundation’s world changed in March 2020. As the pandemic’s threat was just reaching Greater Memphis, we received a call asking us to lead the local philanthropic response. The result was the Mid-South COVID-19 Regional Response Fund. Over 20 months, the Fund raised and distributed $14.5 million for relief, recovery, and resilience efforts—and in that time, we learned a lot.
We really listened to the nonprofits on the front lines helping neighbors in need. While awarding grants to 212 organizations in 47 ZIP codes, we learned a lot.
First: The Mid-South will respond to a call to action. We are a generous city, and nearly 1,000 donations made a huge impact.
Second: The COVID crisis disproportionately affected communities of color, and it was important to support organizations by and for Black and brown Memphians.
Third: We’re not out of the woods. Nonprofits and small businesses are still feeling the effects and need support as much as ever.
Click here to read the Mid-South COVID-19 Regional Response Fund Impact Report.