Community Foundation of Greater Memphis

Each year, the Association of Fundraising Professionals – Memphis Chapter honors those who embody the spirit of giving through the Crystal Awards. This year’s honorees remind us how generosity can take many forms.

When a group of local Black nonprofit leaders gathered for a town hall in 2023, the room filled with energy, urgency, and hope. From that moment, the Black-Led Nonprofit Leadership Alliance was born—a coalition of 18 executive directors committed to helping funders better advance racial equity in philanthropy.

We asked Rob Hughes, Vice President of Development at Porter-Leath and a Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy®, to share some tips on making charitable gifts through your estate plan.

October 28 is National Immigrants Day, first established by President Ronald Reagan as a time to recognize the achievements and contributions of immigrants who have enriched our nation’s cultural, social, and economic landscape. In Memphis, five percent of residents are immigrants or refugees, strengthening our communities through their skills, businesses, and traditions.

October 20 kicks off National Estate Planning Awareness Week—a reminder that intentionality can help create a legacy that includes not just your assets, but also the values and causes you care about. Jason Salomon, attorney with Harkavy McDaniel Kaplan & Salomon, says charitable giving is an essential part of his estate planning conversations with clients.

We asked Harris Shelton estate attorney Chad Roberts to share what he wishes people would know about estate planning.

As we approach year-end financial planning, the Community Foundation encourages you to take a thoughtful, strategic approach to your charitable giving. Memphians are generous by nature—but too often, gifts are made in response to the latest request rather than with a clear plan.

Celebrating its 30 anniversary this year, Hope House has, for three decades, been a haven for Memphis families affected by HIV and poverty. It began as a daycare for children living with HIV, offering love and care when others turned them away.

On August 22, more than 200 people gathered for the Community Foundation’s inaugural Powered by Us: Black Generosity in Memphis Symposium. The event was designed to uplift, center, and celebrate the voices and leadership of Black givers in our city.

This Hispanic Heritage Month, we’re celebrating Su Casa Family Ministries, a current grantee of GiVE 365, the Community Foundation’s dollar-a-day giving circle.