Seeding Success is a Memphis cradle-to-career partnership that seeks to ensure every child has the support and resources they need to succeed from cradle to career by aligning institutions, community organizations, policy, and funding.
Seeding Success centers its giving on a cradle-to-career partnership model, using funding to align institutions, community organizations, policy, and support systems around children in Memphis. The largest recent grants show that this work is not limited to direct program funding; it also includes infrastructure and programmatic sustainability for partner organizations. In 2023 and 2024, the foundation gave multiple seven-figure and near-seven-figure grants to Next Memphis, including two $1,000,000 grants and a $750,000 grant, all described as supporting infrastructure and programmatic sustainability. The same pattern appears in education-focused grants, where Seeding Success has backed full-service community schools and early childhood work as part of a broader local strategy. Recent recipients include Millington Municipal Schools for a full service community schools program and Tennesseans for Quality Early Education for quality early education. The grant list points to a funder that uses large local grants to strengthen systems, not just individual projects, with children from early childhood through school age as the beneficiary group.
A major thread in Seeding Success’s grantmaking is full-service community schools. Recent awards include $871,518 to Millington Municipal Schools, $593,315 to Communities in Schools of Memphis, $317,986 to the University of Memphis, $309,416 to Memphis Business Academy, $107,267 to Memphis-shelby County Schools, and $37,892 to Frayser Community Schools, each for a full service community schools program. Early childhood education is another clear focus: the foundation gave $800,000 to Tennesseans for Quality Early Education in 2023 and $700,000 in 2024, both to ensure children get quality early education. Its support also includes infrastructure-oriented funding, as shown by the grants to Next Memphis for supporting infrastructure and allowing for programmatic sustainability.
Typical grant size is large: the p25 is $313,701, the median is $700,000, and the p75 is $835,759. The recent grant list shows repeated support to the same organizations over multiple years, including Next Memphis in 2023 and 2024 and Tennesseans for Quality Early Education in 2023 and 2024. That repeat pattern suggests ongoing relationships rather than one-off awards. Seeding Success is classified as a Pure DAF Provider, and the available grants are programmatic, infrastructure, or sustainability-oriented rather than individual funding. The recipient mix in the provided list is local and entirely within Tennessee.
$2.9M
$18.7M
$29.9M
$23.6M
Most grants fall between $314K and $836K, with a median of $700K.
25th Percentile
$314K
Median
$700K
75th Percentile
$836K
About 100% of grants go to recipients in TN.
MARK STURGIS
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All of the recent grants shown land in Tennessee, and every listed recipient city is Memphis except Millington. Memphis appears repeatedly across the grant list, with awards to organizations such as Community and school partners located there. Millington Municipal Schools is the main non-Memphis recipient in the recent list, indicating some reach beyond the city while staying within the state. The distribution provided shows 100% of grants to recipients in Tennessee.
The recent grants show support for full-service community schools, quality early education, and infrastructure that allows for programmatic sustainability. The foundation also describes its broader focus areas as early childhood education, K-12 education, family and community supports, public policy and advocacy, workforce and economic mobility, and data sharing and analytics.
Yes. The grant list shows repeat awards to Next Memphis in 2023 and 2024, and to Tennesseans for Quality Early Education in 2023 and 2024. That pattern indicates ongoing support over multiple years rather than only one-time grants.
The typical grant size is substantial: p25 is $313,701, median is $700,000, and p75 is $835,759. The recent list also includes several seven-figure and high six-figure awards, such as $1,000,000 grants and an $871,518 grant.
Its giving is local and entirely in Tennessee. The recipient country distribution is 100% US, and the state distribution shows all grants going to recipients in Tennessee, with Memphis appearing most often and Millington also represented.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MILLINGTON MUNICIPAL SCHOOLS | MILLINGTON, TN | $744,867 | 2026 | FULL SERVICE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS PROGRAM |
| COMMUNITIES IN SCHOOLS OF MEMPHIS | MEMPHIS, TN | $728,782 | 2026 | FULL SERVICE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS PROGRAM |
| MEMPHIS BUSINESS ACADEMY | MEMPHIS, TN | $510,684 | 2026 | FULL SERVICE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS PROGRAM |
| FRAYSER COMMUNITY SCHOOLS | MEMPHIS, TN | $438,586 | 2026 | FULL SERVICE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS PROGRAM |
| UNIVERSITY OF MEMPHIS | MEMPHIS, TN | $290,703 | 2026 | FULL SERVICE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS PROGRAM |
| MEMPHIS-SHELBY COUNTY SCHOOLS | MEMPHIS, TN | $152,142 | 2026 | FULL SERVICE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS PROGRAM |
| MILLINGTON MUNICIPAL SCHOOLS | MILLINGTON, TN | $871,518 | 2025 | FULL SERVICE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS PROGRAM |
| COMMUNITIES IN SCHOOLS OF MEMPHIS | MEMPHIS, TN | $593,315 | 2025 | FULL SERVICE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS PROGRAM |
| UNIVERSITY OF MEMPHIS | MEMPHIS, TN | $317,986 | 2025 | FULL SERVICE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS PROGRAM |
| MEMPHIS BUSINESS ACADEMY | MEMPHIS, TN | $309,416 | 2025 | FULL SERVICE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS PROGRAM |
| MEMPHIS-SHELBY COUNTY SCHOOLS | MEMPHIS, TN | $107,267 | 2025 | FULL SERVICE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS PROGRAM |
| FRAYSER COMMUNITY SCHOOLS | MEMPHIS, TN | $37,892 | 2025 | FULL SERVICE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS PROGRAM |
| NEXT MEMPHIS | MEMPHIS, TN | $750,000 | 2024 | SUPPORTS INFRASTRUCTURE AND ALLOWS FOR PROGRAMMATIC SUSTAINABILITY |
| TENNESSEANS FOR QUALITY EARLY EDUCATION | MEMPHIS, TN | $700,000 | 2024 | TO ENSURE CHILDREN GET QUALITY EARLY EDUCATION |
| NEXT MEMPHIS | MEMPHIS, TN | $1,000,000 | 2023 | SUPPORTS INFRASTRUCTURE AND ALLOWS FOR PROGRAMMATIC SUSTAINABILITY |
| NEXT MEMPHIS | MEMPHIS, TN | $1,000,000 | 2023 | SUPPORTS INFRASTRUCTURE AND ALLOWS FOR PROGRAMMATIC SUSTAINABILITY |
| TENNESSEANS FOR QUALITY EARLY EDUCATION | MEMPHIS, TN | $800,000 | 2023 | TO ENSURE CHILDREN GET QUALITY EARLY EDUCATION |
MILLINGTON MUNICIPAL SCHOOLS
$744,867FULL SERVICE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS PROGRAM
COMMUNITIES IN SCHOOLS OF MEMPHIS
$728,782FULL SERVICE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS PROGRAM
MEMPHIS BUSINESS ACADEMY
$510,684FULL SERVICE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS PROGRAM
FRAYSER COMMUNITY SCHOOLS
$438,586FULL SERVICE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS PROGRAM
UNIVERSITY OF MEMPHIS
$290,703FULL SERVICE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS PROGRAM
MEMPHIS-SHELBY COUNTY SCHOOLS
$152,142FULL SERVICE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS PROGRAM
MILLINGTON MUNICIPAL SCHOOLS
$871,518FULL SERVICE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS PROGRAM
COMMUNITIES IN SCHOOLS OF MEMPHIS
$593,315FULL SERVICE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS PROGRAM
UNIVERSITY OF MEMPHIS
$317,986FULL SERVICE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS PROGRAM
MEMPHIS BUSINESS ACADEMY
$309,416FULL SERVICE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS PROGRAM
MEMPHIS-SHELBY COUNTY SCHOOLS
$107,267FULL SERVICE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS PROGRAM
FRAYSER COMMUNITY SCHOOLS
$37,892FULL SERVICE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS PROGRAM
NEXT MEMPHIS
$750,000SUPPORTS INFRASTRUCTURE AND ALLOWS FOR PROGRAMMATIC SUSTAINABILITY
TENNESSEANS FOR QUALITY EARLY EDUCATION
$700,000TO ENSURE CHILDREN GET QUALITY EARLY EDUCATION
NEXT MEMPHIS
$1,000,000SUPPORTS INFRASTRUCTURE AND ALLOWS FOR PROGRAMMATIC SUSTAINABILITY
NEXT MEMPHIS
$1,000,000SUPPORTS INFRASTRUCTURE AND ALLOWS FOR PROGRAMMATIC SUSTAINABILITY
TENNESSEANS FOR QUALITY EARLY EDUCATION
$800,000TO ENSURE CHILDREN GET QUALITY EARLY EDUCATION