The Kresge Foundation has awarded $1.25 million in grants to five Memphis organizations committed to advancing the social and economic mobility of children and families living with low incomes.

The Memphis Next Generation (NextGen) initiative is designed to support private nonprofit and public human services organizations committed to person-centered, outcomes-based, data-driven work that advances racial equity using two-generation, whole family approaches.

Through this initiative, Kresge’s Human Services Program seeks to partner and learn with organizations that go beyond traditional human services delivery methods and move toward new ways to create permanent pathways out of poverty.

The Memphis Next Generation cohort includes:

• The Collective seeks to create community and invest in the vision and dreams of young adults.
• Dorothy Day House works to keep entire homeless families together and provide supportive transitional housing assistance.
• Knowledge Quest equips youths to maximize their potential through intellectual and character development
• Urban Strategies Memphis Hope specializes in results informed human services development, planning and strategy implementation as part of comprehensive neighborhood revitalization.
• World Relief Memphis offers a spectrum of services to whole families with low incomes from immigrant and refugee communities to accelerate their social and economic mobility.

In addition to receiving a $250,000 grant, cohort partners will also participate in a two-year learning and collaboration program.

“This initiative is an integral part of the Human Services Program’s commitment to investing in America’s cities,” Joelle Jude-Fontaine, Kresge Human Services senior program officer said.  “Memphis is our second NextGen city, and we look forward to learning from and sharing lessons with our Next Gen cohort in Detroit in order to accelerate social and economic mobility for families with low incomes.”

For more information about the Next Generation Initiative, visit Kresge.org.