Just before Memorial Day a team of Memphis neighborhood leaders shared their knowledge with community leaders from across the country at the 50th Anniversary Neighborhoods USA conference held in Jacksonville, Florida.
One way that Mayor Paul Young’s focus on strengthening neighborhoods is made real through the work of the Division of Housing & Community Development, led by Director Ashley Cash.
Our Office of Neighborhood Engagement led by Senior Manager Joyce Cox, was the creative force behind the creation of a cohort of four community development corporations (CDCs) for the purpose of hands-on learning in how to create a case for support. This “case” is at the heart of fundraising for all nonprofits, and as a way of strengthening Memphis CDCs, HCD brought Mel Shaw and Pearl Shaw of Saad&Shaw together with these CDCs in a shared on-line learning environment.
“HCD wants to give the grantees and nonprofits an opportunity to do more than apply for grants. We wanted to give them the information they need to make their case for funding to individuals, businesses, corporations, and foundations. The cohort was successful in its work, and then we took our show on the road.”
Cox is referring to the 50th Anniversary Neighborhoods USA conference held in Jacksonville, Florida last month. Cox and Sherman Robinson, the City’s Neighborhood Redevelopment Coordinator, brought neighborhood leaders from Memphis to the NUSA conference and shared the case for support cohort experience with a room full of neighborhood leaders from across the country.
“During our conference recap session one of the planning committee members said, “And they saved the best for last,” referring to our workshop which was held at the end of the day. “And they were right. I was so proud of our Memphis leaders as they shared the presentations they created as part of the cohort.” Dee Franklin, the executive director of Binghampton Development Corporation, shared how she refined her organization’s message to clearly communicate the multiple fronts on which they work – commercial development, workforce development, and the fact that 68% of their revenue comes from earned income. “We invest in people and property as two ways of working toward the goal of a stronger and more self-sustaining future. In all our work, we manage to two bottom lines – financial responsibility and highest use of assets.”
Rebecca Matlock Hutchison, the executive director of SCORE CDC in South Memphis also presented, sharing their vision to “develop a wholistic community where everyone thrives.” While SCORE is busy partnering with organizations across the community, Hutchinson was able to categorize their work into four primary areas: leadership development, economic development, community engagement, and youth engagement. As a relatively new CDC, SCORE shared its accomplishment and the process of working together to clearly communicate their work so people could more easily understand their focus and provide funding.
These Memphis employees and neighborhood leaders are an example of how we all can work together to strengthen our communities and share our processes with each other and with peer organizations from across the country.
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© 2025 Mel and Pearl Shaw, authors of “Prerequisites for Fundraising Success.” We provide fundraising counsel to higher education, nonprofits, and philanthropy. Video conferencing always available. Visit www.saadandshaw.com.
