Memphis News: Community Foundation Launches August Black Philanthropy Month Events in Memphis
- Dr. Layne McDonald
- 7 minutes ago
- 7 min read
Direct Answer
The Community Foundation of Greater Memphis is marking August as Black Philanthropy Month with events focused on Black giving, generational wealth, nonprofit support, and community investment across the Mid-South.
The 2026 calendar includes the Powered by Us Symposium on August 14, a Black Philanthropy Month Open House and 1:1 Profile Support session on August 19, and Give 8/28 on August 28. Together, these initiatives honor the legacy of Black generosity while encouraging informed, intentional giving to Black-led and Black-benefiting organizations.
By Dr. Layne McDonald, Founder of Memphis News with a Purpose
Why Black Philanthropy Month Matters in Memphis
Black Philanthropy Month is an annual August campaign that uplifts Black giving, leadership, and investment in communities worldwide. According to the Community Foundation of Greater Memphis, the movement was founded in 2011 by Dr. Jackie Bouvier Copeland and the Pan-African Women’s Philanthropy Network.
The Community Foundation says Memphis-area leaders have helped shape a local celebration since 2021. The month is designed to highlight Black philanthropists and changemakers, promote greater fairness in funding, encourage individual and collective giving, and create space for conversations about access to capital and community investment.
Memphis has a long history of churches, families, neighborhood groups, business owners, and civic leaders pooling resources to care for one another. That tradition is visible in scholarship programs, food distribution, youth mentoring, housing support, health initiatives, and entrepreneurship efforts throughout the city.
The central message is simple: Generosity becomes a city’s strength when neighbors invest together.
The 2026 Memphis Events
Powered by Us Symposium : August 14
The Powered by Us Symposium is scheduled for Friday, August 14, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The 2026 symposium focuses on building Black generational wealth and is described as an interactive and affirming day for Black givers and nonprofits.
The event creates an opportunity for participants to learn, connect, and consider how philanthropy can strengthen families and communities over the long term. Generational wealth is not only about money. It can also include education, homeownership, business ownership, relationships, financial knowledge, and the ability to respond to future challenges.
For Christian readers, this is a reminder that wise stewardship looks beyond the immediate moment. A gift can meet today’s need, but a strategic investment can also help a neighborhood build lasting capacity.
Black Philanthropy Month Open House and 1:1 Profile Support : August 19
The Community Foundation’s event listing also identifies a Black Philanthropy Month Open House and 1:1 Profile Support session on Wednesday, August 19, from 3 to 6 p.m.
This drop-in opportunity is intended to help individuals and organizations connect with Foundation staff and strengthen their public profiles. For nonprofits, clear and accurate profiles can help potential supporters understand their mission, programs, and community impact.
That practical support matters. Many grassroots organizations are doing essential work while operating with limited staff and resources. Helping a nonprofit tell its story more clearly can connect that organization with volunteers, donors, partners, and people who need its services.
Readers should check the Community Foundation’s current event listings for the latest location, registration, and participation details.
Give 8/28 : August 28
Give 8/28 is a national day of giving focused on Black-led and Black-benefiting organizations. The Community Foundation encourages people to use the day to support a favorite nonprofit or discover a new organization serving the community.
The Foundation’s Give 8/28 information page also points nonprofits toward the LIVEGIVEmidsouth platform, where participating organizations can be discovered and supported.
This approach gives donors several ways to participate. Some may make a financial gift. Others may share a nonprofit’s campaign, volunteer, offer professional expertise, or introduce an organization to a potential partner.
A Bible Study on Giving, Justice, and Stewardship
Read: 2 Corinthians 9:7
“Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” : 2 Corinthians 9:7
Paul’s teaching connects generosity with the condition of the heart. Christian giving is not meant to be forced, performative, or motivated by pressure. It is a thoughtful response to God’s grace.
Black Philanthropy Month offers Memphis residents an opportunity to examine how they give and where they give. Are we listening to the people closest to a community’s needs? Are we supporting solutions led by people with lived experience? Are our giving habits shaped only by familiarity, or are we willing to learn about organizations beyond our usual circles?
Observe: The Importance of Trust
The Community Foundation has emphasized the importance of awareness and trust in Black-led and Black-serving organizations. A 2025 Memphis Flyer report on the Foundation’s symposium efforts cited research indicating that Black-led organizations can operate with lower revenues than white-led organizations.
That does not mean every nonprofit has the same needs or that every donor should support an organization without asking questions. Responsible philanthropy still involves reviewing a group’s mission, leadership, financial information, results, and accountability.
At the same time, donors should recognize that unequal access to funding can affect an organization’s ability to serve. A nonprofit may be deeply trusted in a neighborhood while remaining less visible to larger funders. Listening and learning can help donors make choices that are both generous and wise.
Apply: Give with Wisdom and Humility
The Bible calls believers to generosity, but it also calls us to wisdom. Proverbs 3:27 says:
“Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act.”
The application is not simply to give more. It is to pay attention. Memphis residents can ask:
What needs are most urgent in my neighborhood?
Which organizations are led by people who understand those needs directly?
Can I give consistently rather than only during a crisis?
How can I support a nonprofit beyond writing a check?
Am I willing to learn from community leaders before offering solutions?
A Balanced Look at the Conversation
Black Philanthropy Month’s focus is specific by design: it highlights Black giving, Black leadership, and Black-led or Black-benefiting organizations. Supporters say this focused attention can help address funding gaps, elevate trusted local voices, and encourage Black residents to see their generosity as philanthropy.
Some donors may also ask how focused giving fits within a broader commitment to serving all Memphians. That is a fair question. A targeted initiative does not require a person to stop supporting other organizations. Donors can honor the purpose of Black Philanthropy Month while continuing to support ministries, schools, nonprofits, and community programs serving people across racial and neighborhood lines.
The peacemaking approach is to resist suspicion and false either-or choices. We can affirm the importance of addressing specific inequities while also remembering that every neighbor bears God-given dignity. Stronger Black-led organizations can strengthen the entire city when their work improves education, health, economic opportunity, safety, and family stability.
The wise next step is not division. It is informed generosity.
Christian Takeaway
Black Philanthropy Month invites Memphis to remember that giving is more than a transaction. It is a declaration about what we value and the kind of city we want to build.
Jesus taught His followers to love their neighbors in practical ways. That love may look like mentoring a student, supporting a local nonprofit, helping a small business owner, donating to a food-access program, or making an introduction that opens a new door.
The Christian takeaway is this: Faith becomes visible when generosity meets responsibility.
We do not have to give from guilt. We can give from gratitude, guided by prayer, research, humility, and love.
How to Pray/Engage
Memphis residents interested in collective giving can also learn about GiVE 365, a giving circle where members contribute and decide together which local nonprofit projects to support.
Peacemaker’s Perspective
Peacemaking is not passive. It is the work of building trust before a crisis arrives.
When donors listen to grassroots leaders, when nonprofits communicate honestly, and when neighbors invest in one another, the city becomes more resilient. Giving does not solve every problem, and philanthropy should never replace effective public systems or responsible leadership. But generous partnerships can help communities respond to needs while creating new opportunities.
Memphis will continue to face storms, including poverty, distrust, educational barriers, and economic uncertainty. Black Philanthropy Month offers a green-light opportunity: learn, listen, give wisely, and build relationships across differences.
As Philippians 2:4 reminds us:
“Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Black Philanthropy Month?
Black Philanthropy Month is an annual August campaign celebrating Black giving, leadership, and investment in communities. It also encourages greater support for Black-led and Black-benefiting organizations.
What Memphis events are planned for 2026?
The Community Foundation of Greater Memphis lists the Powered by Us Symposium for August 14, the Black Philanthropy Month Open House and 1:1 Profile Support session for August 19, and Give 8/28 for August 28.
What is the Powered by Us Symposium about?
The 2026 symposium focuses on building Black generational wealth and is designed for Black givers and nonprofits to connect, learn, and discuss community investment.
What is Give 8/28?
Give 8/28 is a national day of giving to Black-led and Black-benefiting organizations. Donors can support a favorite nonprofit or discover a new organization through participating giving platforms.
How can Memphis residents participate?
Residents can attend an event, learn about local nonprofits, donate, volunteer, share campaign information, or provide professional skills and other forms of support.
Where can readers find current event details?
Visit the Community Foundation of Greater Memphis website and its event listings for current times, locations, registration information, and updates.
Related Memphis News and Community Coverage
Call to Action
Before August ends, choose one specific way to practice informed generosity: review a Memphis nonprofit, attend a Community Foundation event, make a Give 8/28 contribution, or share this article with someone who wants to strengthen the Bluff City.
Then ask God to show you how to become a peacemaker through faithful stewardship: one neighbor, one gift, and one relationship at a time.
Comments