In 1995, when the Women’s Foundation for a Greater Memphis was officially established, a relatively small group of women gathered to set in motion their vision of making a positive difference in the Memphis community. The group hoped to achieve their vision by encouraging philanthropy and leadership among women, and supporting programs that enable women and children to reach their full potential.

Fifteen years later, it seems reasonable to ask if WFGM has, in fact, made a difference in increasing philanthropic activity, influenced response and advocacy, and helped to improve the economy among women.

WFGM serves as Memphis’ only united fund focused on women and philanthropy. As such, it has raised the profile of women as agents of change. Since its founding, the organization’s annual support has grown from $60,000 in 1995-1996 to over $1.2 million in 2009-2010; the number of donors and volunteers has expanded to more than 1,000.

WFGM has awarded more than $5.3 million in grants to local agencies by targeting five key areas: job readiness, career development, non-traditional job training, economic literacy and entrepreneurship. According to the Women’s Funding Network, WFGM ranks in the top 20 nationally for revenues raised by womens funds and in the top 10 for level of grant support going back into the community. 

In response to the critical need for effective strategies to move women out of poverty and into long-term economic security, in 2004, the Women’s Foundation became a key partner with the City of Memphis and the Memphis Housing Authority in securing $42 million grants from Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for community revitalization of two public housing locations, Lamar Terrace now University Place, and Legends Park, formerly Dixie Homes. The Women’s Foundation has raised $7.3 million to provide a new model for comprehensive community supportive services (CSS) for over 700 former public housing residents.

The future holds so much more. On June 2, 2010, the U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Assistant Secretary Raphael Bostic announced that the Memphis Housing Authority (MHA) will receive a $22 million HUD HOPE VI Revitalization Grant to transform the Cleaborn Homes public housing development into a mixed-income community. Community Supportive Services (CSS) will also be provided to all impacted families.

Women now comprise 1.3 million of the top wealth holders in the U.S., with a combined net worth of almost $1.8 trillion. Over the last 20 years, the number of women’s funds like WFGM has grown from 5 to more than 100, and yet less than 7% of all foundation grants in the U.S. are targeted towards women and girls.

At the heart of all of these efforts is women helping other women toward sustainable self-sufficiency. A great deal has been accomplished, but much still remains to be done. Financial contributions and volunteer involvement all play an important role in realizing WFGMs goals. To find out more about the range of possibilities, call the Women’s Foundation office at 901-578-9346 or continue exploring the Women's Foundation for a Greater Memphis website.