Memphis Leadership Foundation

Celebrating 25 Years of Empowering Leaders

When we started MLF 25 years ago, our intent was to create an “umbrella” from under which urban ministries, urban leaders and area churches could create, grow and sustain holistic, Christ centered ministry in Memphis’ most under resourced communities in order to impact the shalom or well being of the whole city. Originally, this was a difficult concept to grasp.  Folks were used to someone starting a nonprofit that focused, for example, on urban youth evangelism or providing housing for the homeless.  But the creation of an umbrella and leadership organization that could ‘facilitate’ the growth of urban ministry and the development of urban leaders had never been done.

Well… it has worked and continues to leverage huge ministry in our city. Currently, MLF not only continues to incubate and train urban leaders, creating solid platforms for urban ministry but also provides the administrative ‘back office’ support for a number of great ministries in our city, thus reducing duplication of services and associated costs.

Looking back, the idea not only worked but has leveraged huge impact in our city that possibly would never have happened without the leadership, administrative support, financial assistance, training and encouragement provided by MLF over these past 25 years.

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Memphis Leadership Foundation Compassion Capital Fund

Memphis Leadership Foundation (MLF) is one of few organizations nationwide that has been awarded the Compassion Capital Fund (CCF) Demonstration Grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Community Services - Administration for Children and Families.  Established to expand the role that faith-based and community groups play in providing social services to those in need, the CCF Demonstration Grant funds intermediary organizations like the Memphis Leadership Foundation that provide capacity-building assistance to faith-based and community organizations. Serving as a bridge between the federal government and faith-based and community organizations, MLF will use the grant award to provide training, technical assistance, and coaching to a number of local grassroots faith-based and community organizations.  In addition, MLF will be making grants to faith-based and community organizations as part of the program.  Capacity building training and technical assistance will be provided in the areas of: 

• Leadership Development
• Organizational Development
• Program Development
• Revenue Development
• Community Engagement

As a leading faith-based nonprofit organization in the City of Memphis, MLF is committed to the empowerment of grassroots faith-based and community organizations.  This award reflects the administration's recognition that faith-based and community organizations are uniquely situated to partner with the government in serving under-resourced and low-income individuals and families, particularly those with the greatest needs.  It is Memphis Leadership Foundation’s goal to empower non-profit organizations to increase their effectiveness, enhance their ability to provide holistic services in under-served communities, expand their organizational capacity, diversify their funding sources, and create collaborations to better serve those in need.  For more information about MLF’s upcoming capacity building training opportunities for local faith-based and community grassroots organizations, visit our Equipping Leaders - CCF link on our website or please contact:

Larry Lloyd
Founder/President
Resource Development
Memphis Leadership Foundation
Email: larry@mlfonline.org

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NHO Receives a $1.5 Million Grant to Stabilize Homes

The Tennessee Housing Development Agency (THDA) has awarded Neighborhood Housing Opportunities (NHO) program a Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) grant in the amount of $1.5 million.  These funds will be used to build quality affordable housing for very low to low income families in the Frasyer community.

“I am very pleased and excited about these additional funds that have come available to assist us in continuing our mission of building homes for urban families in need of decent affordable housing”, said Howard Eddings, CEO of NHO.

The Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) was established in 2008 as Title III of Division B of the Housing Economic Recovery Act (HERA).  NSP funds provide emergency assistance to state and local governments to acquire and redevelop foreclosed properties that might otherwise become sources of abandonment and blight within their communities. THDA administers the federally funded NSP on behalf of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

NHO was founded in 1988 with the mission of holistically empowering low- to moderate-income families toward spiritual and economic stability through the provision of homeownership.  Since its inception, NHO has built 276 homes that were sold at a value of more than $21million.

For more information about NHO, please visit Building Homes link on our website.