Memphis Leadership Foundation

What Memphis Leadership Foundation does

Memphis Leadership Foundation (MLF) is a 501(c)(3) non-denominational outreach ministry founded in 1986 and headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee. The organization operates as an intermediary nonprofit whose mission is to equip and empower grassroots urban leaders by providing comprehensive back-office support to nonprofit leaders, enabling them to focus on community needs. MLF serves faith communities, nonprofit organizations, urban youth, and underserved populations across Memphis through a portfolio of training programs, capacity-building services, and community support initiatives. As the largest member of the global network of Local Leadership Foundations (LLFs), MLF has access to international best practices and collaborative opportunities, while maintaining independent governance through its Board of Directors led by Chairperson Brandis Leverette and Vice Chair Sam Holcomb.

MLF's core service offerings include organizational capacity building for nonprofits, volunteer mobilization, youth mentoring and education programs, and a suite of training workshops such as Charity to Change, Turning Donors into Champions, Urban Arrow Leadership Training, and Transformational Giving. The organization has incubated 42 different programs over its history, many of which have become sustainable independent 501(c)(3)s, and currently supports 15 programs in various stages of development. Its program portfolio spans literacy (ALLMemphis), refugee services (Refugee Empowerment Program), housing redevelopment (Heights Community Development Center), youth leadership (Leadership Empowerment Center), Hispanic community services (Su Casa Family Ministries), healthcare (Christ Community Health Services operating six inner-city medical clinics plus a mobile clinic), and a partnership with Youth Villages (Heart to Heart) providing spiritual life programming to 350+ youth in residential treatment weekly. Founded and led by Larry Lloyd, MLF also offers international student hospitality through Global Friends Memphis and youth scholarship support via the Excel Leadership and Scholarship Program.

MLF's revenue model is donation-driven, with the organization currently unable to accept online donations and instead routing contributors to its founder. Its go-to-market is community-led, leveraging partnerships, volunteerism, faith engagement, and direct outreach through its website (mlfonline.org) and social media channels on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn. The organization employs an estimated 51-100 staff per firmographic data, though only 4-5 core team members are publicly identified (Founder Larry Lloyd, HR Manager Melanie King, Controller Teonna Evans, Staff Accountant Katherine Person, and Jackie Zywicki). Services to member organizations are provided free of charge as part of MLF's nonprofit mission, with the organization's value proposition anchored on community ecosystem access, proven incubation methodology, and four decades of institutional credibility in the Memphis faith and nonprofit landscape.

Name

Memphis Leadership Foundation

Legal name

Memphis Leadership Foundation

Website

https://mlfonline.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Memphis Leadership Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit intermediary founded in 1986 in Memphis, TN, that equips and empowers grassroots urban leaders through back-office support, training programs, and capacity building. It serves 15 member programs spanning literacy, healthcare, refugee services, housing, and youth development.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Leadership Development and Community Capacity Building

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Civic and Social Organizations (8134), Civic and Social Organizations (81341), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth Leadership, Civic Education & Service-Learning Nonprofits (BPAGADAI), After-School, Tutoring & Academic Enrichment Nonprofits (BPAGADAC), Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAD), Civil Society Strengthening & Civic Space (BPADAGAD)

Keywords

• Nonprofit leadership development
• Community capacity building
• Urban ministry training
• Grassroots nonprofit support
• Faith-based community programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Memphis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) non-denominational outreach ministry, MLF relies on donations from individuals and organizations who support their mission to empower grassroots urban leaders and transform Memphis communities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Memphis Leadership Foundation is an intermediary nonprofit that provides comprehensive back-office support, leadership training, and program incubation to grassroots urban leaders and faith-based nonprofit organizations in Memphis. It delivers cohort-based training programs (Charity to Change, Turning Donors into Champions, Urban Arrow, Transformational Giving), youth and community programs (Heart to Heart, Global Friends Memphis, Excel Leadership), and organizational capacity-building services to enable nonprofits to focus on community needs.

Product overview

Memphis Leadership Foundation (MLF) operates as an intermediary non-profit providing a portfolio of programs and services rather than a unified technology product. The organization offers educational/training programs (Charity to Change, Turning Donors Into Champions, Excel Leadership, Urban Arrow, Transformational Giving), community support services (Global Friends Memphis, Heart to Heart), and back-office organizational support services (Capacity Building, Volunteer Mobilization, Youth Mentoring). MLF has incubated 42 different programs and currently supports 15 programs in various stages of development. The programs work together under MLF's 'Wheel of Change' framework to engage leaders, build capacity, and develop joint initiatives for community transformation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Charity to Change: Training program for city-based cohorts of church leaders focused on identifying and activating congregational resources for community benefit
• Turning Donors into Champions
• Urban Arrow
• Transformational Giving

Products and services

• Charity to Change A city-based cohort program where church leaders and Local Leadership Foundations work together through online asynchronous learning, coaching, and personalized work plans to identify, plan and implement collaborative projects connecting congregational resources to community needs.
• Turning Donors Into Champions A workshop presented by Larry Lloyd covering topics to help nonprofit leaders and fundraisers better understand and cultivate relationships with donors.
• Excel Leadership and Scholarship Program Program helping urban high school seniors plan and prepare for post-secondary opportunities, offering support, scholarship funding and leadership development for select college students.
• Global Friends Memphis Welcomes, serves, and connects international students, faculty and their families through journeying together in faith and friendship, providing a welcoming and hospitable international community.
• Urban Arrow Leadership Training A two year-long leadership and management training workshop for urban ministry leaders and pastors.
• Transformational Giving Workshop A two year-long fundraising workshop for urban ministry leaders and pastors.
• Heart to Heart Partnership with Youth Villages providing an on-site coordinator for their Spiritual Life Program, offering weekly chapel, Bible Study and worship services for youth in residential treatment.
• Organizational Capacity Building Training and administrative support for organizations starting or operating non-profits, enabling them to focus on supporting communities in need.
• Volunteer Mobilization Connecting people of faith and goodwill with programs in need of hands, minds, hearts and resources.
• Youth Mentoring & Education Programs and ministries supplying quality education and promoting healthy learning for youth.

Quantifiable outcome

• 42 programs incubated into separate 501(c)(3)s
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, member and affiliate.

• Leadership Foundations (Global Network)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMLF is the largest member of the global network of Local Leadership Foundations (LLFs). This network enables collaboration, shared learning, and best practice exchange across cities worldwide working to transform their communities.
• Youth VillagescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHeart to Heart program is a partnership with Youth Villages that provides an on-site coordinator for their Spiritual Life Program. Over 350 youth in residential treatment participate in weekly chapel, Bible Study and worship services.
• Churches and CongregationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMLF mobilizes churches and nonprofit organizations to maximize their collective impact, engaging faith communities to identify and activate resources for city transformation.
• ALLMemphismemberOthersPartner program that empowers teachers and literacy coaches with skills to meet unique learning needs of youth. MLF provides back-office support.
• Emmanuel CentermemberOthersServes 2,000+ people annually through programs inspiring spiritual, physical, and educational growth. MLF provides administrative support.
• For The KingdommemberOthers100-acre camp, conference and retreat center representing God's kingdom on earth. MLF provides back-office support.
• Heights Community Development CentermemberOthersBuilds community through just-housing redevelopment. MLF provides administrative support.
• Memphis Family Connection CentermemberOthersProvides trauma-informed care to families impacted by ACEs through counseling, therapy, and parenting classes. MLF provides support.
• Leadership Empowerment Center (LEC)memberOthersMeets youth's spiritual, academic, and social needs through leadership and educational programming. MLF provides support.
• Refugee Empowerment Program, Inc.memberOthersEmpowers refugees and immigrants with tailored programming for American culture integration. MLF provides support.
• Let's Innovate Through EducationmemberOthersEmpowers students to launch social ideas through entrepreneurship curriculum and mentor matching. MLF provides support.
• Su Casa Family MinistriesmemberOthersBridges gap between first-generation Hispanic immigrants and resident Memphians. MLF provides administrative support.
• STREETS MinistriesaffiliateOthersEngages, encourages, and equips youth through the love of Jesus Christ. MLF started and incubated this organization.
• Christ Community Health ServicesaffiliateOthersOperates six inner-city medical clinics and mobile clinic. MLF started and incubated this organization.
• Service Over Self (SOS)affiliateOthersProvides opportunities for the Church to engage in healthy ministry and critical home repairs. MLF started and incubated this organization.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• United Way of the Mid-South: A larger, established regional nonprofit that supports a broad portfolio of partner agencies across the Mid-South. Comparable as a Memphis-area funding and capacity-building intermediary, though operating at much larger scale and across secular as well as faith-based partners.
• Habitat for Humanity of Greater Memphis: A Memphis nonprofit that originated as a community-mobilization effort and operates a housing-focused program portfolio with broad volunteer and donor engagement. Comparable as a mature Memphis nonprofit with similar faith-rooted origins and a strong local volunteer pipeline.
• LISC Memphis: The local affiliate of Local Initiatives Support Corporation, a national community development intermediary providing back-office, capacity-building, and capital support to neighborhood-based nonprofits - directly parallel to MLF's intermediary role but focused on housing and economic development.
• YMCA of Memphis & the Mid-South: A large Mid-South nonprofit operating youth development, education, and community programs across the region. Comparable as a multi-program Memphis nonprofit serving overlapping youth, education, and community-support missions at substantially larger scale.

Direct peers

• Emmanuel Center: One of MLF's own member programs serving 2,000+ people annually through spiritual, physical, and educational programs. Directly comparable as a Memphis grassroots nonprofit that MLF incubates and supports - representative of the portfolio model MLF replicates.
• Center for Transforming Communities: A Memphis-based community development nonprofit that mobilizes congregations and grassroots leaders for neighborhood transformation, directly overlapping MLF's 'EQUIP and EMPOWER' model within the same city and faith-community ecosystem.
• Leadership Foundations: The global network of Local Leadership Foundations of which MLF is the largest member. Directly comparable as the parent ecosystem providing the same intermediary support model across multiple cities, with overlapping programs (Charity to Change cohorts) and shared methodology.
• Nashville Leadership Foundation: A fellow Local Leadership Foundation affiliate operating in Nashville with a near-identical model of equipping urban church and nonprofit leaders through capacity building, training cohorts, and program incubation. Most directly comparable in mission, scope, and target geography (Mid-South).

Emerging players

• Dorothy Day House of Hospitality (or comparable faith-based Memphis nonprofit): A small faith-rooted Memphis nonprofit offering direct services to vulnerable populations. Comparable as a faith-based, donation-dependent community nonprofit that MLF might incubate, support, or partner with through its back-office intermediary model.
• City Year Memphis: A youth service and mentoring nonprofit operating in Memphis schools. Overlaps with MLF's youth leadership and mentoring focus (e.g., Heart to Heart, Leadership Empowerment Center) while pursuing a different service delivery model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/memphislf
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC
• Facebookfacebook.com/MemphisLeadershipFoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/memphis-leadership-foundation

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Memphis Leadership Foundation