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Memphis Bar Foundation at a glanceAlso receives grants: funding profile →

· Public charity

Memphis Bar Foundation

The foundation provides a platform for attorneys and others in the legal community to give back to the community by promoting legal education, social justice promotion and supporting public awareness of the profession.

$76k
Granted FY2025still arriving
20
Grants FY2025still arriving
2
States reached
$5k
Largest
01What it fundsRead
02The needRead
03Its granteesRead
04Its fieldRead
05Through PlinthRead
01What it funds
01100% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2024 to 2025.

Crime & Legal$61kHuman Services$13kInternational$9kPhilanthropy$7kArts & Culture$5kEducation$5kCommunity Improvement$5kHealth$3kOther$0
02FY2025 · 20 grants

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

How this is measured
The 20 grants below total $43,000, the rows itemized in this filing. The $76,000 headline is the total grant expense on the return; the other $33,000 is giving the schedule does not break out (grants under the $5,000 itemization floor, grants to individuals, grants on other schedules). Every figure below describes the itemized rows only.
$2,000
Median grant
2
States reached
$547k
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
COMMUNITY LEGAL CENTER$5,000
MEMPHIS AREA LEGAL SERVICES$5,000
A WAY OUT MINISTRIES$2,000
MERITAN INC$2,000
SHELBY COUNTY DRUG COURT FOUNDATION$2,000
CASALUZ INC$2,000
REACH MEMPHIS$2,000
LATINO MEMPHIS$2,000
MID-SOUTH IMMIGRATION ADVOCATES$2,000
MEMPHIS DREAM CENTER$2,000
BRIDGES$2,000
MID-SOUTH COMMUNITY JUSTICE & MEDIATION CENTER$2,000
TENNESSEE INNOCENCE PROJECT$2,000
MEMPHIS PUBLIC INTEREST LAW CENTER$2,000
CRG FOUNDATION$2,000
02The need
03

Does the money reach high-need areas?

Each grant placed by the hardship in its grantee’s ZIP, against the area’s typical level.

show:

Its human-services grants (FY24–25, $23k) land where the poverty rate runs at 17%, against an area that typically sits at 12%. 100% of those dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Most of its grants land in higher-need ZIPs.

area typical 12%COMMUNITY LEGAL CENTER: $5k → 17%COMMUNITY LEGAL CENTER: $5k → 17%MERITAN INC: $3k → 17%MERITAN INC: $2k → 17%THISTLE BEE: $3k → 17%THISTLE BEE: $1k → 17%LATINO MEMPHIS: $3k → 17%LATINO MEMPHIS: $2k → 17%0%20%40%50%more need →
grant to an above-average-need area below average· circle size = grant amount
How this is measured
Matched: human-services grants are those whose grantee’s IRS cause code is Human Services. Placed by people below the poverty line in the grantee’s ZIP, averaged from the tracts in that ZIP.
How this is measured
US grants placed by each grantee’s ZIP, which can differ from where services are delivered. Need from public data (U.S. Census/ACS, CDC PLACES, Eviction Lab, USDA), shown as context about the area, never attributed to the funder’s giving.
03Its grantees
repeat funding

Who it funds again

Organizations funded in more than one year, against those funded once.

91%of every dollar goes to organizations it has funded before.
$98k · 20 repeat orgs$10k to everyone else

20 repeat relationships: 20 still active in FY2025, 0 since wound down.

How the two cohorts compare

Re-uppedFunded once

Organizations

20
4

Total granted

$98k
$10k

Median revenue growth · since first grant

0%
+2%

Still filing today

75%
50%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2025, 100% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $0 went to new ones.

50%100%’24’25
RenewedFirst-time

Where new relationships form · theme of each grantee’s first grant

’24’25
Human ServicesCrime & LegalInternationalPhilanthropyEducationArts & CultureOther
How this is measured
First-time means a grantee’s first year in the filing window; renewed means funded in an earlier year too. The renewed share climbs naturally as a portfolio matures, so the signal is a year that bucks it (a wave of new grantees). The earliest year is left-censored: relationships that predate the data read as new. Theme is the grantee’s IRS cause.

Backed again, and grew

  • MP
    MEMPHIS PUBLIC INTEREST LAW CENTER
    2× · 2024–2025 · $5k · revenue +62%
  • LM
    LATINO MEMPHIS INC
    2× · 2024–2025 · $5k · revenue +62%
  • LC
    Lorraine Civil Rights Museum Foundation
    2× · 2024–2025 · $5k · revenue +41%

Funded once

  • CF
    CENTER FOR EXCELLENCE IN DECISION MAKING
    2× · 2024–2025 · $3k
  • SC
    SUICIDE & CRISIS INTERVENTION SVC
    2× · 2024–2025 · $3k · revenue +2%
  • BL
    Breakthrough Leadership Foundation
    2× · 2024–2025 · $3k
How this is measured

Repeat means funded in two or more distinct years. Growth and survival are read from each grantee’s own subsequent IRS filings.

04Its field

Closest unfunded matches

The nonprofits that most resemble its grantees but are not funded by it, scored along the direction from the rest of the field toward the portfolio. A resemblance in what they say they do, not a recommendation.

1
Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands

To enforce, advance and defend the civil legal rights of low income and vulnerable people, especially on behalf of elderly, children, victims of domestic violence and persons with disabilities, by providing free, civil legal assistance to…

—
2
West Tennessee Legal Services Inc

Legal services to poor and underprivileged.

—
3
Immigration Services and Legal Advocacy

Immigration Legal Services and Advocacy (ISLA) provides direct representation to indigent detained immigrants throughout Louisiana on a pro bono basis and under a universal representation model. ISLA provides information to the public to…

Crime & Legal
4
Southern California Immigration Project

Southern California Immigration Project is a public interest nonprofit organization dedicated to providing pro bono legal services to survivors of human and civil rights violations.

International
5
Central American Legal Assistance

Provide free or low cost legal assistance to latino asylum-seekers.

Human Services
6
Vida Legal Assistance Inc

VIDA mainly represents immigrant survivors of violent crimes particularly domestic violence sexual assault abuse and trafficking in persons modern-day slavery forced labor.

Crime & Legal
7
Community Lawyers Inc

Community Lawyers, Inc. provides underserved low- and no-income community members access to legal representation, pro-bono legal clinics, and community advocacy and engagement.

Crime & Legal
8
Legal Aid of East Tennessee

Legal aid of east tennessee provides legal representation, legal education, and other civil legal services for the low-income population in our community through advocacy of all types.

—
9
Birmingham Volunteer Lawyers Program Inc

To provide free legal services to low-income citizens of jefferson county

Crime & Legal
10
Tennessee Justice for Our Neighbors

To provide free and affordable immigration legal services to individuals who fall below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines or face other financial barriers to accessing legal representation, to educate the public about issues related…

Human Services
11
Texas Riogrande Legal Aid Inc

Texas RioGrande Legal Aid (TRLA)is a nonprofit organization with a mission to promote the dignity, self-sufficiency, security, and stability of low-income residents of Texas. TRLA provides free civil legal aid to residents living in the 68…

Crime & Legal
12
Community Legal Aid Socal

To provide civil legal services to low-income individuals and to promote equal access to the justice system through advocacy, legal counseling, innovative self-help services, in depth legal representation, community education, and economic…

Crime & Legal
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is Latino Memphis Inc; the most unlike its peers is Bridges. Resemblance is measured on each organization’s own IRS 990 mission text; it reflects how work is described, not its quality or impact.
04the grantee network

17 grantees tracked through their own filings, 2017–2025.

Each grant beside the grantee’s revenue from every source, year by year.

How this is measured

Counted here: distinct organizations funded across 2017 to 2025, not grant rows in a single year, so this will not match the grant count on the cover. 17 of the 24 grantees resolved in that span have returns of their own we could reconcile.

Each grantee is resolved to its own IRS returns. Association, dated; never a causal claim.

0
Load-bearing (≥25% of a budget)
2
Early backer (in before they grew)
17/17
Grantees still filing
4/17
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

COMMUNITY LEGAL CENTER: $10,000 · Human ServicesCOMMUNITY LEGAL CENTERMERITAN INC: $4,500 · Human ServicesMERITAN INCLATINO MEMPHIS INC: $4,500 · Human ServicesLATINO MEMPHIS INCCASALUZ: $4,500 · Human ServicesCASALUZTHISTLE AND BEE ENTERPRISES INC: $3,500 · Human ServicesTHISTLE AND BEE ENTERPRISES …SHELBY COUNTY DRUG COURT FOUNDATION: $4,500 · OtherSHELBY COUNTY DRUG COURT FOUNDATIONMID-SOUTH COMMUNITY JUSTICE &MEDIATION CENTER INC: $4,500 · OtherMID-SOUTH COMMUNITY JUSTICE &MEDIAT…MEMPHIS DREAM CENTER: $4,500 · OtherMEMPHIS DREAM CENTERGREENWOOD VILIAGES COMM DEVELOPMENT CORP: $4,500 · OtherGREENWOOD VILIAGES COMM DEVELOPMENT…Individual grant recipient: $3,500 · OtherIndividual grant recipientCENTER FOR EXCELLENCE IN DECISION MAKING: $2,500 · OtherCENTER FOR EXCELLENCE IN DECISION M…GIRL'S INC: $2,500 · OtherGIRL'S INCCITIZENS FOR COMMUNITY VALUES INC: $4,500 · OtherCITIZENS FOR COMMUNITY VALUES INCSUICIDE & CRISIS INTERVENTION SVC: $2,500 · OtherSUICIDE & CRISIS INTERVENTION SVCMemphis Area Legal Services Inc: $10,000 · Crime & LegalMemphis Area Legal Serv…MEMPHIS PUBLIC INTEREST LAW CENTER: $4,500 · Crime & LegalMEMPHIS PUBLIC INTEREST…TENNESSEE INNOCENCE PROJECT: $4,500 · Crime & LegalTENNESSEE INNOCENCE PRO…Bevo Boys Fitness Academy: $3,500 · Crime & LegalBevo Boys Fitness Acade…BRIDGES: $4,500 · InternationalBRIDGESMID-SOUTH IMMIGRATION ADVOCATES INC: $4,500 · InternationalMID-SOUTH…CRG Foundation Inc: $4,500 · PhilanthropyBreakthrough Leadership Foundation: $2,500 · PhilanthropyREACH MEMPHIS: $4,500 · EducationLorraine Civil Rights Museum Foundation: $4,500 · Arts & Culture
Human Services$27,000Other$33,500Crime & Legal$22,500International$9,000Philanthropy$7,000Education$4,500Arts & Culture$4,500

Each grantee by its size and the funder’s share of it; top left is load-bearing

25%50%75%100%$100k$1.0M$10Mgrantee revenue →↑ funder's share of their budgetCOMMUNITY LEGAL CENTER: $10,000 over 2y, 0.6% of budgetMemphis Area Legal Services Inc: $10,000 over 2y, 0.4% of budgetMEMPHIS PUBLIC INTEREST LAW CENTER: $4,500 over 2y, 1.0% of budgetMERITAN INC: $4,500 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetLATINO MEMPHIS INC: $4,500 over 2y, 0.1% of budgetBRIDGES: $4,500 over 2y, 4.4% of budgetCRG Foundation Inc: $4,500 over 2y, 0.5% of budgetREACH MEMPHIS: $4,500 over 2y, 0.8% of budgetTENNESSEE INNOCENCE PROJECT: $4,500 over 2y, 0.1% of budgetLorraine Civil Rights Museum Foundation: $4,500 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetCITIZENS FOR COMMUNITY VALUES INC: $4,500 over 2y, 0.4% of budgetCASALUZ: $4,500 over 2y, 0.4% of budgetMID-SOUTH IMMIGRATION ADVOCATES INC: $4,500 over 2y, 0.2% of budgetTHISTLE AND BEE ENTERPRISES INC: $3,500 over 2y, 0.3% of budgetBevo Boys Fitness Academy: $3,500 over 2y, 1.8% of budgetSUICIDE & CRISIS INTERVENTION SVC: $2,500 over 2y, 0.3% of budgetBreakthrough Leadership Foundation: $2,500 over 2y, 10% of budget
Grantee by grantee: a decade per organization, before and after funding

A decade per grantee: revenue shaded, grants as bars, all rows on one timeline.

Co-funders

Grantmakers whose grantees overlap with this funder’s far more than size alone predicts. Closer means stronger alignment; arcs show where they also fund each other. Here they form a tightly interlocked group: most of these funders back each other's grantees too.

Community Foundation …Thomas W Briggs Found…The Assisi Foundation…United Way of the Mid…The Kemmons Wilson Fa…Christian Community F…Charities Aid Foundat…The Bank of America C…Fidelity Investments …Amazonsmile Foundation
Community Foundation of Greater Memphis IncTN28.6× affinity12 shared granteesties to 9 of 9Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: Community Foundation of Greater Memphis Inc · Thomas W Briggs Foundation Inc · The Assisi Foundation of Memphis Inc · United Way of the Mid South · The Kemmons Wilson Family Foundation · Christian Community Foundation of Memphis · Charities Aid Foundation America · The Bank of America Charitable Foundation Inc · Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund · Amazonsmile Foundation

How this is measured
Affinity is a Gamma-Poisson posterior co-funding rate, re-centered on the typical rate, so thin evidence shrinks toward no signal. Overlap is association, not proof of shared intent.

How much its grantees rely on government

Each dot is one organization Memphis Bar Foundation funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from Memphis Bar Foundation. Bigger dots raise more.

2024
’20’21’22’23’24’25
no gov · 00%1%4%8%15%funder's share of their income ↑0%25%50%75%100%share of the org’s income from government →
    no gov moneyreceives it· size = income
    0get no government money at all
    8report government grants on their 990 we could not trace to a source (not plotted)
    0rely on government for over half their income
    typical government reliance, FY20–25
    How this is measured
    Government income is each org’s traced federal awards (USASpending grants and contracts) plus state payments (open checkbooks) as a share of its total revenue (IRS Form 990); the self-reported government-grant line (990 line 1e) is carried for cross-check: a grantee that reports government grants we could not trace to a source is left off the chart rather than shown as receiving none. An association, not a claim that a grant caused the public funding. Coverage is precision-first, a floor rather than a census; state records exist for 9 states, so a grantee outside them shows no state figure (dimmed) rather than a false zero. Federal award amounts are obligations, which can span years, so a single-year share is indicative. 990 filings lag 12 to 24 months.
    05Through Plinth

    Warm introductions · Powered by PlinthPlus

    How do I get to Memphis Bar Foundation?

    Find your warmest path to Memphis Bar Foundation through trustees and officers whose names appear on both boards. Search for your organization and Plinth traces the shortest route it can evidence.

    Each link is a name appearing on two organizations’ public IRS 990 filings, matched on that name and, where the filings support it, on location. A same-state match has geographic support, which is a second matching feature rather than confirmation that the two are one person; a cross-state one is the likeliest to be two people who share a name. Every hop shows its tier, low-confidence and distant paths are held back rather than guessed, and it is worth confirming the person before you use the introduction.

    On method. Every financial figure here is read from IRS e-file XML, the funder’s own 990/990-PF, and from the multi-year returns of the 24 grantees we resolved, each linked to its source. Grantee outcomes are each organization’s own program-service reporting (Form 990, Part III), read as association with funding, never as caused by it. Low-confidence name matches are suppressed rather than guessed. How we build these →

    How this is measured
    Each figure carries one of six labels. Filed is what the funder reported on its return. Official is another government record about an organization, such as a federal award or a charity register, joined by name where no shared identifier exists. Resolved is an identity we worked out where the filing named a recipient without an EIN, kept only above a measured confidence threshold. Computed is arithmetic over those, like themes, portfolio clusters and co-funder strength. Context is a statistic about a place rather than about an organization, which is what the need overlay is: it describes the area a grantee’s address sits in, not where its work lands. Inferred is drawn by a model from text, like the partnerships read out of public news and organization websites. Each is labeled where it appears.

    Generated from the IRS Form 990 e-file return for fiscal year 2025, released 2025. Filings run roughly 12 to 24 months behind; figures are dated accordingly.

    Source object · view filing

    Play a game based on Memphis Bar’s filings →

    More from the funding graph

    The unnamed billions
    grants reported with no recipient in the public record
    The regranting layer
    51% of grant dollars land in the regranting layer
    The DAF merry-go-round
    $9.7B circulates between donor-advised funds
    The endowment market
    who holds foundation money, and what just moved
    The camps
    funders cluster by geography, not ideology
    By state
    where grant money is based, and what stays home