RISE Memphis
RISE Memphis is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1999 that delivers free financial literacy and asset-building programs — including matched savings, youth mentoring, workplace education, senior financial education, and one-on-one counseling — to low-income residents of Memphis and Shelby County, Tennessee.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersMemphis, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What RISE Memphis does
RISE Memphis, Inc. (formerly RISE Foundation, Inc.) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1999 as a joint effort of the Community Foundation of Greater Memphis, Memphis Housing Authority, and United Way of the Mid-South to help low-income Memphis residents achieve financial self-sufficiency. Headquartered at 1355 Lynnfield Rd, Building B, Suite 101 in Memphis, Tennessee, the organization operates five core programs: Save Up, a matched-savings Individual Development Account program offering a 2:1 dollar match for asset purchases (homes, vehicles, education, micro-enterprises); Goal Card, an incentive-based academic and financial mentoring program for grades 5-12 students at five partner schools; Common Cents, a workplace financial education curriculum delivered to 50+ Memphis-area employers; Silver Neighbors, a peer-ambassador-led program serving older adults at community sites; and the Greater Memphis Financial Empowerment Center (GMFEC), which provides free one-on-one financial counseling in partnership with the Shelby County Trustee's office. All programs are delivered free of charge to participants.
The organization's revenue model is entirely philanthropic, funded through grants from foundations (MassMutual Foundation, Kemmons Wilson Family Foundation, Women's Foundation for A Greater Memphis), corporate donations (International Paper, First Tennessee Bank, Truist, Nike, FedEx, Wells Fargo), government sources (City of Memphis Division of Housing and Community Development, HUD via Urban Strategies), individual contributions, and annual fundraising events such as the annual gala. RISE Memphis employs approximately 15-20 staff members, serves four primary participant segments (low-income working adults, youth, seniors, and working adults through employers), and has documented cumulative outcomes including $10.1M in participant asset creation, 134 home purchases, 139 vehicles purchased, 900+ Save Up graduates, 2,100+ GMFEC counseling clients, and $6.6M in non-mortgage debt eliminated by counseling clients.
In 2024 the organization underwent an executive leadership transition when Malcolm Rawls succeeded long-tenured leader Shelia Y. Terrell as Executive Director, and rebranded from RISE Foundation to RISE Memphis to reflect a broader regional mission. The organization has no proprietary technology platform, but in 2026 launched Memphis Saves with Mo, a mobile application connecting users to matched savings and financial guidance. RISE Memphis operates exclusively within Memphis and Shelby County, Tennessee, with no geographic expansion beyond this single regional market.
RISE Memphis firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- RISE Memphis
- Legal name
- RISE Memphis, Inc.
- Website
- https://risememphis.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1999
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- RISE Memphis is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1999 that delivers free financial literacy and asset-building programs — including matched savings, youth mentoring, workplace education, senior financial education, and one-on-one counseling — to low-income residents of Memphis and Shelby County, Tennessee.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
RISE Memphis industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Financial Literacy and Empowerment Services
- NAICS
- Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Educational Support Services (611710), Child and Youth Services (62411)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Financial Inclusion & Consumer Empowerment (Banking Access, Credit Building) (BPAGALAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- After-School, Tutoring & Academic Enrichment Nonprofits (BPAGADAC), Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL), Benefits Counseling & Financial Literacy for Transition-Age Youth (EDAKANAJ)
Keywords
Where RISE Memphis is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Memphis
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
RISE Memphis business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Philanthropic Support: RISE Memphis operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that relies entirely on donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations to fund its programs and operations.
- Corporate and Foundation Grants: Funded by The City of Memphis Division of Housing and Community Development, Women's Foundation for A Greater Memphis, MassMutual Foundation, Kemmons Wilson Family Foundation, and other institutional funders for specific programs.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Monthly | Silver Neighbors program is free for senior citizens |
| Other | Monthly | Goal Card program is free for qualifying students |
| Other | Monthly | Save Up program is free for eligible participants |
| Other | Monthly | Common Cents workplace education is free for employers |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
RISE Memphis product offering
Product offeringCore offering
RISE Memphis provides free financial empowerment programming to low-income residents of Memphis and Shelby County through five interconnected programs: Save Up (matched-savings IDA program with 2:1 dollar match), Goal Card (incentive-based academic and financial mentoring for students grades 5-12), Common Cents (workplace financial education), Silver Neighbors (senior financial literacy), and GMFEC (free one-on-one financial counseling delivered in partnership with the Shelby County Trustee's office). All programs are provided at no cost to participants and are funded through donations, corporate grants, and foundation support.
Product overview
RISE Memphis operates as a multi-program nonprofit financial empowerment organization offering five interconnected programs: Save Up (matched-savings Individual Development Account program), Goal Card (student incentive-based academic and financial mentoring), Common Cents (workplace financial education), Silver Neighbors (senior financial education), and GMFEC (one-on-one financial counseling). The organization also offers Memphis Saves with Mo, a mobile application. Together, these programs provide a comprehensive continuum of financial literacy services spanning from youth education through adult asset-building and debt elimination.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Save Up
- Goal Card
- Common Cents
- Silver Neighbors
- GMFEC (Greater Memphis Financial Empowerment Center)
- Memphis Saves with Mo
Quantifiable outcome
- $10,104,920.70 in total asset creation to date
- +7 more outcomes
Companies that use RISE Memphis
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
RISE Memphis technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
RISE Memphis partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- MicrosoftcoreMicrosoft partnered with RISE Memphis to host a free community financial literacy fair designed to help Memphians build healthy financial habits and address issues like predatory lending.
- Memphis CRAcoreMemphis CRA partnered with RISE Memphis and Shelby County Trustee's Office to host the On My Own (OMO) financial simulation experience at Booker T. Washington High School.
- Shelby County Trustee's OfficecoreGMFEC (Greater Memphis Financial Empowerment Center) is operated in partnership with RISE Memphis and the Shelby County Trustee's office. The center provides free one-on-one financial counseling to Shelby County residents and has helped clients pay off over $6.6 million in debt.
- First Tennessee BanksupportingFirst Tennessee Bank partners with RISE Memphis to train employees about protecting older adults from financial exploitation. Bank also donated $30,000 for Goal Card and Save Up programs.
- Orion Credit UnionsupportingOrion Credit Union partners with RISE Memphis to train employees about protecting older adults from financial exploitation.
- Area Agency on Aging of the Mid-SouthcoreArea Agency on Aging of the Mid-South partners with RISE Memphis on the Silver Neighbors program serving seniors.
- Urban Strategies through HUDsupportingUrban Strategies through HUD partners with RISE Memphis on the 38126 Zip Code Initiative.
- Amazon SmilesupportingAmazon Smile allows shoppers to designate RISE Foundation as their charity, enabling donations at no extra cost to the shopper. EIN: 31-1712061
- KrogersupportingKroger Community Rewards program allows members to request donations for RISE Memphis.
- mo appsupportingMemphis Saves connects users to the mo app for easy savings tracking and program access.
Scale indicators21 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
RISE Memphis competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Compass Working Capital: Nonprofit that helps low-income families build assets through matched savings (IDA) programs, financial coaching, and education — a direct operating analog to RISE's Save Up IDA program with the 2:1 dollar match model.
- GreenPath Financial Wellness: Nonprofit HUD-certified counseling agency offering credit counseling, debt management, housing counseling, and financial education. Directly comparable to RISE Memphis in core service lines (free financial counseling, debt elimination, and homebuyer education) and nonprofit structure.
- National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC): National network of accredited nonprofit credit counseling agencies that provide free or low-cost financial counseling and debt management. Highly comparable to RISE's GMFEC one-on-one counseling services and the matched-savings credit-building orientation of the Save Up program.
- Operation HOPE: National 501(c)(3) delivering financial literacy, credit counseling, and homeownership education to underserved communities through HOPE Centers. Directly comparable to RISE Memphis in mission (financial empowerment of low-income populations), service mix (counseling + education + asset-building), and partnership-driven delivery model.
- Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund (CFE Fund): Nonprofit that supports municipal Financial Empowerment Centers across multiple U.S. cities. RISE's GMFEC is itself a CFE Fund-style center (operated in partnership with Shelby County Trustee's office), making CFE Fund a direct operating-system peer.
- EARN (Earned Asset Resource Network): Nonprofit provider of matched-savings IDAs and financial coaching for low-wage workers, historically focused on California. Comparable to RISE's Save Up IDA program in target population, mechanism, and asset-building outcomes.
Emerging players
- Prosperity Now (formerly CFED): Nonprofit focused on asset-building policy, research, and programs for low- and moderate-income households. Comparable to RISE's policy-aligned financial empowerment mission, though Prosperity Now primarily operates at the research/advocacy layer rather than direct service delivery.
Broad incumbents
- United Way Worldwide: National umbrella for community-impact funding. United Way of the Mid-South was a co-founder of RISE Foundation in 1999, making United Way both a structural peer and a historical parent/partner in the same community-development ecosystem.
- Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC): Major community development financial institution supporting affordable housing, economic development, and financial opportunity in distressed communities. Comparable to RISE in community-anchored mission and Memphis footprint (LISC also has local Memphis presence), though LISC operates at far broader scale.
- Goodwill Industries International: Large established nonprofit offering workforce development, financial education, and benefits navigation across the U.S. Overlaps with RISE's Common Cents workplace financial education and career-focused asset-building services, but at vastly greater national scale.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
RISE Memphis social profiles
Digital presenceRISE Memphis financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
RISE Memphis leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles14 records
RISE Memphis funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
RISE Memphis M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about RISE Memphis
What does RISE Memphis do?
RISE Memphis provides free financial empowerment programming to low-income residents of Memphis and Shelby County through five interconnected programs: Save Up (matched-savings IDA program with 2:1 dollar match), Goal Card (incentive-based academic and financial mentoring for students grades 5-12), Common Cents (workplace financial education), Silver Neighbors (senior financial literacy), and GMFEC (free one-on-one financial counseling delivered in partnership with the Shelby County Trustee's office). All programs are provided at no cost to participants and are funded through donations, corporate grants, and foundation support.
Is RISE Memphis a public or private company?
RISE Memphis is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was RISE Memphis founded?
RISE Memphis was founded in 1999. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is RISE Memphis based?
RISE Memphis is headquartered in Memphis, United States, in the North America region.
How does RISE Memphis make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Donations and Philanthropic Support is the primary driver. The others are corporate and Foundation Grants.
Who are RISE Memphis's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Compass Working Capital, GreenPath Financial Wellness, National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC), Operation HOPE, Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund (CFE Fund) and EARN (Earned Asset Resource Network). Prosperity Now (formerly CFED) is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are United Way Worldwide, Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) and Goodwill Industries International.
Does RISE Memphis have an API?
No public API is recorded for RISE Memphis.
What industry is RISE Memphis in?
RISE Memphis's product category is Financial Literacy and Empowerment Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGALAJ, Financial Inclusion & Consumer Empowerment (Banking Access, Credit Building), with a secondary code of BPAGADAC, After-School, Tutoring & Academic Enrichment Nonprofits. Its NAICS code is 813410 and its SIC code is 8300.