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The Grant Center was formed in 1992 by concerned community leaders who recognized that the needs and challenges of Memphis far outweighed the financial resources available locally. The Center initially addressed this problem by researching and providing information on national grant opportunities to local public and private nonprofits. Many local organizations did not apply for funding, however, because they lacked the resources to develop competitive proposals. The Center expanded its services, and offers training and technical assistance, in addition to research and information, in program planning, proposal writing, collaboration, fundraising and grants management. Building the organizational capacity of nonprofits to successfully compete for funding has become central to our mission.
The Grant Center is the only nonprofit agency in the country helping all types of organizations with the entire grant process, from researching funding to managing grants. The Center requires its clients to have well-developed program plans and methods of accountability for projects seeking grant funds. The Center has been very successful in bringing together diverse organizations, many which had previously viewed themselves as competitors, to apply jointly for funds.
THE GRANT CENTER REACHES $100 MILLION MILESTONE
The Grant Center's thirteen years of diligent work providing technical assistance, information, and training have paid off for the Mid-South community. Along the way, agencies throughout The Center’s service area have gained funding for programs ranging from basic human services to art and recreation. On October 20, The Grant Center reached the major milestone of having helped to bring $100 million in national funding to agencies in the Mid-South.
In 1993, one year after its creation, The Grant Center assisted Porter-Leath Children's Center in securing a grant from the Department of Health and Human Services for an adoption program for special needs children. This grant award marked the first national dollars that The Center helped to bring to the Mid-South. In 2004, The Grant Center guided Rhodes College through the process of applying to the Department of Housing and Urban Development for a Community Outreach Partnership Center grant. This successful application earned the college a grant to establish and operate the Rhodes Hollywood Springdale Partnership to provide community renewal in the urban area surrounding its campus. Their award included the one hundred millionth national dollar that The Grant Center has helped to win for agencies in the Mid-South.
The Grant Center’s success stories touch every corner of Memphis, from Frayser to Soulsville, and reach beyond Shelby County into Mississippi and Arkansas. Grantees who have received assistance from The Center include the Downtown Memphis Ministry, Cooper Young Development Corporation, Whitehaven-Southwest Mental Health Center, Memphis Botanic Gardens, Rust College, East Arkansas Family Health Center, and the Cities of Germantown and Olive Branch. The Grant Center recently worked with Christ Community Health Services on a successful grant application for a New Access Point in Frayser, and, in 2001, helped Soulsville, U.S.A. to secure over a million dollars from the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Both Memphis City and Shelby County Schools have received assistance from The Grant Center on successful federal grant applications. The Grant Center also facilitated a collaborative effort among colleges, universities, and community colleges in three states to improve minority participation in science and mathematics with funding from the National Science Foundation.
Schools and colleges are not the only organizations to benefit from The Grant Center’s assistance and expertise. The Center’s members offer services that touch every aspect of life in the Mid-South, whether meeting the most basic needs of health care and housing or celebrating the unique culture and history of the region.
Recently, The Grant Center helped The Regional Medical Center at Memphis to secure a prestigious grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Urgent Matters program to study issues affecting the health care safety net in Memphis. Another federal grant funded the Memphis/Shelby County Health Department’s Healthy Start program. The Center has also worked with the City of Memphis and Memphis Area Legal Services, Inc. on successful applications for funding to enforce fair housing initiatives, fight lead hazards in homes, and help public housing residents to become more self-sufficient.
The Grant Center also provides assistance to organizations that preserve unique cultural and recreation opportunities in the Memphis area. One of the first national grants that The Center helped to secure went to the Memphis in May International Festival in 1993. Another brought funding to the Memphis Arts Council for outreach to senior citizens. More recent success stories include a federal grant to the City of Memphis Park Services Division for an urban parks and recreation program.
Although reaching this milestone affords The Grant Center an opportunity to look back on thirteen years of success, The Center’s work continues to emphasize the need to secure a better future for Memphis and the Mid-South. Many of the $100 million dollars that The Center now celebrates have gone to programs that reach out to children to prevent gang violence, encourage abstinence, and provide early childhood education. A large award from the Lilly Foundation benefited the Sustaining Pastoral Excellence Program at the Memphis Theological Seminary, which supports the local faith-based community. Among The Center’s most recent success stories is the Memphis Biotech Foundation’s multi-million dollar grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration, which will encourage the development of this fast-growing industry for the benefit of the Mid-South economy.