What Slingshot Memphis does

Slingshot Memphis is a nonprofit organization founded in 2016 and headquartered at 2481 Broad Ave, Memphis, TN. It operates as a poverty-fighting center of influence that connects three constituencies: direct service providers (nonprofits, schools, healthcare organizations), philanthropic investors (individual philanthropists, businesses, foundations), and other community stakeholders (government officials, intermediaries, collaboratives). The organization addresses three structural problems it has identified in the Memphis anti-poverty ecosystem: poverty-fighting organizations struggle to measure impact, philanthropists struggle to objectively identify effective efforts, and decision-makers struggle to access actionable insights.

Slingshot's core technical asset is its proprietary Impact Study methodology, which evaluates organizational effectiveness across four dimensions: Benefit-Cost Ratio (using a proprietary monetization algorithm across intervention types), Systems-Level Change (partnerships, collaborations, policy changes), Use of Best Practices (literature review and implementation assessment), and Measurement Infrastructure (data quality, storage, analysis, decision processes). Each study typically produces 5-8 prioritized opportunities for greater impact for the evaluated organization. The organization pairs this evaluation engine with the Accelerate Impact Fund, an investment vehicle in which 100% of donor contributions flow directly to evaluated nonprofits, with allocations that scale exponentially with measured effectiveness based on Current Effectiveness, Trajectory, and Initial Fixed Amount inputs. Slingshot also operates MemWorks, a workforce development initiative co-developed with MDRC; publishes quarterly poverty-fighting reports and sector insights spanning reentry programs, technical training, transportation benefits, professional certifications, SEL, mentoring, youth diversion, and food access; and runs the annual MPACT Awards program recognizing effective organizations and evidence-based philanthropists.

The business model is donation-driven. Principal Investors (corporate and individual donors) cover all Slingshot operating costs, which enables the 100%-pass-through economics of the Accelerate Impact Fund. Named Principal Investors include FedEx, AutoZone, Enterprise Mobility, International Paper, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the City of Memphis, the Crews Family Foundation, Power & Tel, Linda and Frank Smith, and Harriet and Jake McFadden, with consistent accelerator investors supporting the organization since 2017. Go-to-market is community-led: direct service providers engage through Clair Mulvihill, philanthropic investors through SVP John Dunavant, and Accelerate Impact Fund donations are accepted via Network for Good. Impact Study services are provided at no cost to nonprofits. Operating geography is limited to the Memphis metropolitan area, with no public signal of geographic expansion beyond that footprint. Slingshot has 11-50 employees and files Form 990 financials that are referenced on its website.

Name

Slingshot Memphis

Legal name

Slingshot Memphis

Website

https://slingshotmemphis.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Slingshot Memphis is a Memphis-based nonprofit founded in 2016 that evaluates poverty-fighting organizations through a proprietary four-dimensional Impact Study methodology and channels philanthropic donations via the Accelerate Impact Fund to high-effectiveness programs, serving Memphis-area nonprofits, philanthropists, and community decision-makers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

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, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Principal Investor Funding: Operating costs are covered by Principal Investors (corporate and individual philanthropists). This enables Slingshot to guarantee that 100% of Accelerate Impact Fund donations are allocated directly to poverty-fighting nonprofits based on their measured effectiveness.
2. Accelerate Impact Fund: Donor funds are annually raised and invested in poverty-fighting organizations based on impact study results. Larger investments go to organizations with higher effectiveness scores. No endowment; funds are deployed annually to maximize immediate poverty alleviation impact.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Slingshot Memphis is a nonprofit impact measurement and philanthropic advisory organization that evaluates the effectiveness of Memphis-area poverty-fighting programs through a proprietary four-dimensional Impact Study methodology (Benefit-Cost Ratio, Systems-Level Change, Best Practices, Measurement Infrastructure). It channels donor capital to top-performing programs via the Accelerate Impact Fund and provides program evaluation, technical assistance, and impact-investment advisory services to nonprofits, philanthropists, and community decision-makers.

Product overview

Slingshot Memphis offers a unified suite of poverty-fighting intelligence services centered on its Impact Study methodology and Accelerate Impact Fund. The Impact Study measures organizational effectiveness across four dimensions (Benefit-Cost Ratio, Systems-Level Change, Best Practices, and Measurement Infrastructure), while the Accelerate Impact Fund directs philanthropic investments to high-impact programs. Additional offerings include program evaluation and consulting services for nonprofits, investment advisory for philanthropists, research and training for community stakeholders, the annual MPACT Awards program, the MemWorks workforce development initiative in partnership with MDRC, and regular quarterly poverty-fighting reports.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Accelerate Impact Fund: An investment fund that allows philanthropists to magnify their impact by investing directly in poverty-fighting programs and services. 100% of funds are invested directly to amplify effective poverty-fighting programs.
• Impact Study
• MPACT Awards
• MemWorks

Products and services

• Impact Study A measurement service that evaluates a poverty-fighting organization's effectiveness across four dimensions: Benefit-Cost Ratio, Systems-Level Change, Use of Best Practices, and Measurement Infrastructure. Delivered at no cost to Memphis-area nonprofits.
• Accelerate Impact Fund Investment fund that allocates 100% of philanthropic contributions directly to evaluated Memphis poverty-fighting organizations, with funding scaled exponentially to those with higher measured effectiveness.
• Program Evaluation Services Consulting services for Memphis direct service providers covering program evaluation, technical assistance, and project management to enhance organizational effectiveness.
• Impact Investment Advisory Services Advisory services for philanthropic investors, covering investment decisions, investment strategy, and impact measurement to support evidence-based deployment of philanthropic capital.
• Research, Workshops, and Insight Publications Research, workshops, trainings, and insight publications (including Organization Insights and Sector Insights) provided to government officials, intermediaries, and collaboratives working on Memphis poverty issues.
• MPACT Awards Program Annual awards program recognizing Memphis poverty-fighting organizations and philanthropists, including the MPACT Award for overall impact and the MPROVE Award for improvement.
• MemWorks Workforce Development Initiative Workforce development initiative conducted in partnership with MDRC to improve employment outcomes for individuals experiencing poverty in Memphis.
• Quarterly Poverty-Fighting Reports Subscription publication providing quarterly insights and data on Memphis poverty-fighting efforts, used to disseminate Slingshot's research to stakeholders.

Quantifiable outcome

• Organizations receive 5-8 prioritized opportunities for greater impact per impact study
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• MDRCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership with MDRC to conduct the MemWorks workforce development initiative, augmenting Slingshot's team with third-party experts to enhance work and accelerate mission.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Urban Institute: Large economic and social policy research organization that produces evidence on poverty, housing, and community development. Comparable to Slingshot's research and insight publication function at much larger scale.

Direct peers

• Living Cities: Collaborative of major foundations and corporate funders that pools capital to reduce urban poverty and uses evidence-based approaches to allocate funding across cities. Comparable to Slingshot's intermediary-plus-measurement model in a multi-city context.
• The Bridgespan Group: Nonprofit advisory firm that helps social-sector organizations with strategy, organizational development, and impact measurement. Comparable to Slingshot's technical assistance and project management offerings.
• StriveTogether: National community impact intermediary that builds cradle-to-career pipelines using shared data, measurement, and accountability across local coalitions. Comparable to Slingshot's role as a measurement-and-coordination backbone for Memphis.
• MDRC: Social policy research and program evaluation organization that conducts rigorous impact studies on poverty, education, and workforce programs. Slingshot's named partner on MemWorks and a direct methodological peer.
• Robin Hood Foundation: New York-based poverty-fighting foundation that uses rigorous evidence and program evaluation to direct philanthropic capital to high-impact programs serving low-income families. Closest analog to Slingshot's evaluator-plus-investor model.
• FSG: Social impact consulting firm that helps foundations, nonprofits, and corporations develop strategy, evaluate impact, and reallocate toward more effective programs. Comparable consulting arm to Slingshot's program evaluation services.
• Blue Meridian Partners: National impact-finance intermediary that invests large-scale, multi-year capital in proven poverty-fighting nonprofits based on evidence of results. Directly comparable to the Accelerate Impact Fund's evidence-based investment thesis.
• Mission Edge / Nonprofit Finance Fund: Nonprofit Finance Fund builds the financial capacity of nonprofits and serves as an intermediary between funders and community organizations. Comparable intermediary role to Slingshot's between Memphis philanthropists and service providers.

Emerging players

• Convergence Center for Policy Resolution: Nonprofit that builds cross-sector coalitions and provides analysis to translate research into actionable decisions for community stakeholders. Comparable to Slingshot's research/workshops offerings for government and intermediaries.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/slingshotmem
• Facebookfacebook.com/slingshotmemphis
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/slingshot-memphis-inc.
• Instagraminstagram.com/slingshotmemphis

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Slingshot Memphis