Partnerships Strengthen Communities

Strengthening Communities Initiative: Capacity Building Grants

This is no longer an active initiative

The Strengthening Communities Initiative (SCI) ran from 2008-2016 and provided funding to support the development and implementation of collaborative and innovative community projects that build the capacity of grassroots and community-based organizations. These projects seek to address economic development, education, health, housing, transportation, and safety issues. Capacity Building Grants are awarded to teams, consisting of nonprofits, community-based organizations, and/or grassroots groups and University of Memphis faculty and students, for projects that are framed by engaged scholarship. The SCI Capacity Building Grant awards, of up to $18,500, are offered annually in partnership with the Community Foundation of Greater Memphis, United Way of the Mid-South, and the University of Memphis Engaged Scholarship Faculty Committee.

Three Key Goals

1. Organizational Capacity Building: SCI supports projects that strengthen and enable the community partner organization to build its structures, systems, people, and skills so that it can achieve greater performance and impact. Capacity Building activities include:

   • Evaluation of Organization’s Core Services
   • Improvement of Organization’s Program Delivery
   • Organizational or Community Assets & Needs Assessments
   • Strategic Collaborations
   • Technology Skills, Training, and Implementation
   • Volunteer Recruitment and Retention Planning

2. Geographically-based Projects: SCI supports projects that clearly identify and impact a defined geographic community; for example a neighborhood, street, housing complex, or work site. However, projects that do not have a geographic focus but instead target a group of people who share a common interest and represent a significantly underserved population will also be considered.

3. Engaged Scholarship & Student Involvement:  SCI supports projects that demonstrate evidence of engaged scholarship and student involvement as a significant component of their project. Engaged scholarship involves faculty members and students in academic projects in a sustained manner with community groups; connects university outreach with community organizational goals; and furthers productive relationships between the university and the community.

Learn more about these university/community projects and the grant making collaboration between the University of Memphis, the Community Foundation of Greater Memphis and the United Way in the video below:

2014 Capacity Building Grant Recipients

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2013 Capacity Building Grant Recipients
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