To accelerate revitalization of disinvested neighborhoods to create a thriving Memphis for all.
Community Lift Corp’s most distinctive recent activity is a $360,000 grant to River City Capital for the Surdna Grant, which sits alongside a broader portfolio built around Memphis neighborhood revitalization. The foundation supports community development corporations, grassroots leaders, and local organizations working in under-resourced neighborhoods, with a clear emphasis on improving housing quality, strengthening civic participation, and advancing economic mobility. Its grants also reach creative placemaking work, where arts and cultural projects are tied to neighborhood engagement and place-based development. Recent awards show both project support and capacity-building. Promise Development Corp received funding for pre-development and for CDC capacity; BLDG Memphis also appears in multiple years, reflecting continued support for the local CDC ecosystem. Smaller grants under the Memphis Empowerment Fund support community work that improves quality of life in Memphis’ under-resourced neighborhoods, while the creative placemaking cohort and scholarship programs support current and former grantees working in that field. Across these activities, the foundation’s pattern is local, Memphis-centered, and focused on organizations positioned to shape neighborhood conditions directly.
Community Lift Corp supports neighborhood revitalization through several connected program areas. In housing and development work, it gave $40,000 to Promise Development Corp for pre-development, covering site assessment, feasibility, design, planning, and community engagement. For organizational strength, it awarded $36,960 to the same grantee for CDC capacity, reflecting a separate line of support for community development corporations. The foundation also funds creative placemaking. In 2023, Cheers Creative LLC received $10,000 through the ArtUp Project, and Townsend Food Services and the Law office of Lee E Rankin PC each received $10,000 through the same program. Civic participation is another thread: the Memphis Empowerment Fund provides up to $2,500 for community-supported projects, and its cohort model adds training and capacity-building for grantees working on civic engagement and advocacy.
Community Lift Corp’s typical grants are modest and project-oriented: p25 is $7,850, median is $10,150, and p75 is $15,900. The distribution includes a few much larger awards, including the $360,000 grant to River City Capital. Several recipients appear across multiple years, such as Promise Development Corp, BLDG Memphis, Oasis of Hope, and Score CDC, which points to recurring support rather than one-time giving. The foundation operates local programs for Memphis organizations, and its structure includes both unsolicited and invited opportunities depending on the program. The Memphis Empowerment Fund and CDC Capacity Fund accept unsolicited requests, while other cohort and scholarship programs do not.
$515K
$2.3M
$542K
$1.2M
Most grants fall between $8K and $16K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$8K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$16K
Luther Mercer
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Community Lift Corp gives locally and exclusively in Tennessee. All recent grants in the dataset went to US recipients, and the foundation’s grantmaking is concentrated in Memphis, with additional awards in Cordova. Memphis organizations such as River City Capital, Promise Development Corp, BLDG Memphis, and Score CDC account for most of the recent activity. Cordova appears as the city for Oasis of Hope and Bluff City Com Develop Corp, showing that the foundation’s reach extends beyond Memphis proper while staying within the same state.
The foundation funds community development corporations, community-based organizations, local artists and cultural entrepreneurs, and neighborhood-focused groups. Recent grant records include support for CDC capacity, pre-development, creative placemaking, and community empowerment projects in Memphis and Cordova.
Typical grants cluster in the five-figure range: p25 is $7,850, the median is $10,150, and p75 is $15,900. The recent list also includes smaller awards under the Memphis Empowerment Fund and a larger $360,000 grant to River City Capital.
Recent grants center on CDC capacity, pre-development, neighborhood revitalization, creative placemaking, and community empowerment. The dataset also shows project support tied to housing quality and affordability, economic mobility, and civic engagement.
Yes, in some programs. The Memphis Empowerment Fund accepts unsolicited requests, and the CDC Capacity Fund and CDC Pre-Development Fund also accept unsolicited applications. Other cohort and scholarship programs listed here do not.
The foundation’s giving is local and all recent grants in the dataset went to Tennessee recipients. Memphis is the main city of activity, and Cordova also appears in the grant list.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Current and upcoming funding from Community Lift that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Residents, business or property owners, neighborhood associations, grassroots leaders, and organizations may apply for community-supported projects benefiting Memphis’ under-resourced neighborhoods.
Deadline: The 2027 Memphis Empowerment Grant Application opens October 22, 2026; no closing deadline is stated.
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Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| River City Capital Investment | Memphis, TN | $180,000 | 2026 | CDC |
| Score CDC | Memphis, TN | $42,500 | 2026 | CDC |
| Midsouth Genesis CDC | Memphis, TN | $25,000 | 2026 | CDC |
| Legacy of Legends CDC | Memphis, TN | $25,000 | 2026 | CDC |
| Whitehaven Economic Develop | Memphis, TN | $25,000 | 2026 | CDC |
| Victoria Village CDC | Memphis, TN | $25,000 | 2026 | CDC |
| Alcy Ball CDC | Memphis, TN | $25,000 | 2026 | Empowerment |
| United Housing | Memphis, TN | $25,000 | 2026 | CDC |
| Uplift Westwood CDC | Memphis, TN | $20,000 | 2026 | CDC |
| Klondike Smokey City CDC | Memphis, TN | $20,000 | 2026 | CDC |
| Binghampton Develp Corp | Memphis, TN | $20,000 | 2026 | CDC |
| MINC | Memphis, TN | $15,000 | 2026 | CDC |
| Black Coalition for Housing | Chicago, IL | $15,000 | 2026 | CDC |
| Building Memphis | Memphis, TN | $15,000 | 2026 | CDC |
| Oasis of Hope | Memphis, TN | $15,000 | 2026 | CDC |
| Blues Cty ComR Jones | Memphis, TN | $15,000 | 2026 | CDC |
| Glenview-Edgewood Manor Area Assoc | Memphis, TN | $7,500 | 2026 | CDC |
| River City Capital | Memphis, TN | $360,000 | 2025 | Surdna Grant |
| Promise Development Corp | Memphis, TN | $40,000 | 2025 | Pre-Development |
| Building Memphis | Memphis, TN | $15,900 | 2025 | CDC |
| Bluff City Com Develop Corp | Cordova, TN | $12,600 | 2025 | CDC |
| Needs Incorporated | Memphis, TN | $10,000 | 2025 | EDA Funds |
| Score CDC | Memphis, TN | $10,000 | 2025 | Accelerate Neighborhood |
| Victoria Village CDC | Memphis, TN | $8,960 | 2025 | CDC/Cr. Placemaking |
| Klondike Smokey City CDC | Memphis, TN | $8,900 | 2025 | CDC/Creat. Placemaking |
| Arts Cafe | Memphis, TN | $7,500 | 2025 | Empowerment |
| Melodies of Color | Memphis, TN | $7,500 | 2025 | Empowerment |
| Promise Development Corp | Memphis, TN | $36,960 | 2024 | CDC Capacity |
| Oasis of Hope | Cordova, TN | $17,300 | 2024 | CDC Capacity |
| Alcy Ball Comm Devel Corp | Memphis, TN | $17,300 | 2024 | CDC Capacity |
| Klondike Smokey City | Memphis, TN | $15,900 | 2024 | CDC Capacity |
| BLDG Memphis | Memphis, TN | $15,900 | 2024 | CDC Capacity |
| Victorian Village CDC | Memphis, TN | $15,840 | 2024 | CDC Capacity |
| Uplift Westwood CDC | Memphis, TN | $15,840 | 2024 | CDC Capacity |
| Memphis Medical District Collaborative | Memphis, TN | $14,400 | 2024 | CDC Capacity |
| RESPECT The Haven | Memphis, TN | $12,800 | 2024 | CDC Capacity |
| MINC | Memphis, TN | $10,300 | 2024 | CDC Capacity |
| Score CDC | Memphis, TN | $5,001 | 2024 | CDC Capacity |
| BLDG Memphis | Memphis, TN | $32,550 | 2023 | Assisi:CDC |
| Townsend Food Services | Memphis, TN | $10,000 | 2023 | Artup Project |
| Cheers Creative LLC | Memphis, TN | $10,000 | 2023 | Artup Project |
| Law office of Lee E Rankin PC | Memphis, TN | $10,000 | 2023 | Artup Project |
| NHO Management | Memphis, TN | $6,000 | 2023 | Assisi:CDC |
| Alcy Ball Community Development Corp | Memphis, TN | $6,000 | 2023 | Kresge:CDC |
| Promise Development Corp | Memphis, TN | $6,000 | 2023 | Assisi:CDC |
| Oasis of Hope | Cordova, TN | $6,000 | 2023 | Assisi:CDC |
| South City Opportunity | Memphis, TN | $5,326 | 2023 | Kresge:CDC |
River City Capital Investment
$180,000CDC
Score CDC
$42,500CDC
Midsouth Genesis CDC
$25,000CDC
Legacy of Legends CDC
$25,000CDC
Whitehaven Economic Develop
$25,000CDC
Victoria Village CDC
$25,000CDC
Empowerment
United Housing
$25,000CDC
Uplift Westwood CDC
$20,000CDC
Klondike Smokey City CDC
$20,000CDC
MINC
$15,000CDC
Black Coalition for Housing
$15,000CDC
Building Memphis
$15,000CDC
Oasis of Hope
$15,000CDC
Blues Cty ComR Jones
$15,000CDC
Glenview-Edgewood Manor Area Assoc
$7,500CDC
River City Capital
$360,000Surdna Grant
Promise Development Corp
$40,000Pre-Development
Building Memphis
$15,900CDC
Bluff City Com Develop Corp
$12,600CDC
Needs Incorporated
$10,000EDA Funds
Score CDC
$10,000Accelerate Neighborhood
Victoria Village CDC
$8,960CDC/Cr. Placemaking
Klondike Smokey City CDC
$8,900CDC/Creat. Placemaking
Arts Cafe
$7,500Empowerment
Melodies of Color
$7,500Empowerment
Promise Development Corp
$36,960CDC Capacity
Oasis of Hope
$17,300CDC Capacity
Klondike Smokey City
$15,900CDC Capacity
BLDG Memphis
$15,900CDC Capacity
Victorian Village CDC
$15,840CDC Capacity
Uplift Westwood CDC
$15,840CDC Capacity
Memphis Medical District Collaborative
$14,400CDC Capacity
RESPECT The Haven
$12,800CDC Capacity
MINC
$10,300CDC Capacity
Score CDC
$5,001CDC Capacity
BLDG Memphis
$32,550Assisi:CDC
Townsend Food Services
$10,000Artup Project
Cheers Creative LLC
$10,000Artup Project
Law office of Lee E Rankin PC
$10,000Artup Project
NHO Management
$6,000Assisi:CDC
Promise Development Corp
$6,000Assisi:CDC
Oasis of Hope
$6,000Assisi:CDC
South City Opportunity
$5,326Kresge:CDC
