There are so many amazing nonprofits working to provide much-needed resources and improve the lives of Memphians. You probably donate to some of them here and there throughout the year, but have you ever wished you could do more? Ever wish you could give away $50,000, or so? Well, you can for just $365.
GiVE 365 is the Community Foundation’s giving circle that lets you combine your contribution of $365 — a dollar a day — with other donors for a greater collective impact. Since its founding in 2010, GiVE 365 has granted more than half a million dollars to 62 distinct local organizations.
How It Works
- GiVE 365 members donate $365 into a giving fund. You can do a one-time donation or pay that in monthly installments.
- Members can submit ideas for a grantmaking theme, and then everyone votes. The theme for 2018 was Pathways to Success: programs that provide workforce training and career development.
- Every member has the option to join a grant review team.
- Nonprofits submit their grant applications.
- Applications are reviewed and nonprofits are researched. The applicants are narrowed down and some of them get to make presentations to the members.
- Members vote on which organizations receive a grant and for how much. GiVE 365 awarded $63,400 to eight nonprofits this year.
- Watch that money work! The Community Foundation will give you updates on the grantees, and there will be events where you can catch up with the nonprofits and the other GiVE 365 members.
Not only are you making a difference with your dollars, but you’re also learning about nonprofits you probably didn’t know about, and meeting people of all ages and from all over the city who share your passion for Memphis.
You can join online any time of year but the grant cycle begins in the fall. The GiVE 365 Annual Fall Welcome Party is on Thursday, October 24th, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Century House. You can go meet current and other prospective members and learn more about GiVE 365 over complimentary bites and drinks. Use your wits and share your voice to win prizes at interactive stations throughout the evening! RSVP HERE.
The GiVE 365 community is diverse. People join as individuals, as couples, and as families. Every household gets one vote. Members range in age from 20s to 70s, and come from more than 30 different zip codes across Memphis.
Every member can be as hands-on as they want to be in the process. Some simply contribute money to the pool while others join the advisory team or grant review teams. You can take a look at past grantees and learn more about GiVE 365’s impact here, and read what current members have to say about their experience below:
“I joined because the organization is approachable and straightforward and helped me learn more about our city and the nonprofits working to address the needs in our community. I stayed because it’s organized, consistent, and has a meaningful and transparent impact.” – Bevan Lee
“I get to learn about so many new nonprofits through things like grant review. Being able to do something to help the city that we want to be in does wonders for us. We want to be associated with good people and good things. It makes us feel good.” – Howell Evans
“What I love about GiVE 365 is the fact that not only is it funding these things, but I’m made aware of the broader context of good works in our city – which fleshes out my understanding of the need in our city. I can do all of that, collectively, with friends, in a way that grows a network of collaborators who are as fired up about Memphis as I am. That’s a win-win-win-win-win. It’s fun. It exposes me to the need and the opportunity.” – Marvin Stockwell
Learn more about GiVE 365 and join at give365memphis.org.
