Historic Clayborn Temple

What Historic Clayborn Temple does

Historic Clayborn Temple is a historic nonprofit civil rights landmark located at 294 Hernando St. in Memphis, Tennessee, currently undergoing restoration following an April 28, 2025 arson fire. Founded in the 1890s as a church, the site gained national significance in 1968 as the organizing headquarters for the Memphis Sanitation Workers' Strike, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his final "I've Been to the Mountaintop" speech and where the iconic "I AM A MAN" signs originated. The Temple is recognized by the National Trust for Historic Preservation as Memphis' first and Tennessee's second National Treasure and is positioned on the U.S. Civil Rights Trail, anchoring the broader regional cultural-tourism and historic-preservation landscape.

Under the operational stewardship of The Big We, a Memphis-based social enterprise led by Executive Director Anasa Troutman, the organization runs a portfolio of nine cultural and community programs delivered free to participants. Flagship offerings include In This Place (an annual citywide season of culture running February 12 to April 16), COIN (a free 20-week cooperative business accelerator with a tri-state Tennessee/Mississippi/Kentucky cohort of approximately 23 emerging co-ops), SheLectricity (a 12-week middle-school girls' entrepreneurship curriculum piloted at Freedom Prep), the Memphis Cultural Coalition (a creative-worker network), Culture Shift 101 (storytelling workshops), Community Sing (musical gatherings led by the Tennessee Mass Choir), Voices of Clayborn (a storytelling campaign), the Artist in Residence program operated with Crosstown Arts, and State of the Arts (an annual civic gathering featuring mayoral forums). Because the main building remains closed during restoration (with a 2028 reopening targeted), programming is delivered at partner venues including the National Civil Rights Museum, Crosstown Concourse, Stax Museum, and the Memphis Museum of Science & History.

The Temple operates on a donation-and-grant revenue model in which all programming is provided free of charge. Revenue streams consist of individual charitable contributions processed through the Kindful platform, corporate giving, federal grants (notably a $3.1 million federal historic preservation grant secured in March 2026 through Congressman Steve Cohen), and foundation grants, including a $1.5 million commitment from the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund in partnership with the Mellon Foundation and Ford Foundation announced in June 2025. The organization is reported at 1–10 employees, operates without a parent entity, and maintains a strategic funding pipeline focused on multi-year restoration capital rather than earned commercial revenue.

Name

Historic Clayborn Temple

Legal name

Historic Clayborn Temple

Website

https://clayborn.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1890

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Historic Clayborn Temple is a nonprofit stewarding the 1968 Civil Rights landmark where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his 'Mountaintop' speech. It restores the fire-damaged building and runs free cultural, cooperative-business, and youth entrepreneurship programs serving Memphis residents.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Historic Preservation & Cultural Services

NAICS

Historical Sites (71212), Historical Sites (712120), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)

akta.pro primary industry

Historic Sites, Heritage Landmarks & Archaeological Sites (THAJACAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cultural Heritage Institutions (Archives, Historic Houses, Monuments Foundations) (THAJADAI), Cultural Centers & Community Cultural Organizations (BPAGAHAD), Indigenous, Ethnic & Folk Arts/Heritage Organizations (BPAGAHAI)

Keywords

• Historic preservation
• Cultural arts programming
• Community engagement
• Artist residency
• Heritage landmark

Headquarters

HQ city

Memphis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The organization relies heavily on individual donations, corporate giving, and charitable contributions to support both ongoing programming and the major rebuilding effort following the April 2025 arson. Donations are collected through the Kindful platform.
2. Federal and Foundation Grants: Significant grant funding from federal sources ($3.1 million from Congressman Steve Cohen's secured grant) and national foundations (African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund, Mellon Foundation, Ford Foundation committed $1.5 million) for historic preservation, restoration planning, and community programming.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Historic Clayborn Temple is a restored historic church that operates as a cultural and community arts venue, offering heritage programming, arts education, community events, artist residencies, and historic site experiences for local residents, artists, and visitors.

Product overview

Historic Clayborn Temple is not a traditional technology product company but rather a historic landmark being rebuilt and reimagined as a center for culture, creativity, and community connection. The organization operates a portfolio of cultural and community programs including In This Place (an annual citywide season of culture), COIN (a cooperative business accelerator), SheLectricity (youth entrepreneurship programming), Memphis Cultural Coalition (artist network), Culture Shift 101 (storytelling workshops), Community Sing (musical gatherings), Voices of Clayborn (storytelling campaign), Artist in Residence (annual creative residency), and State of the Arts (annual civic gathering). These programs are delivered through The Big We, a Memphis-based social enterprise, and are designed to preserve Clayborn's Civil Rights legacy while building economic power and cultural vitality for Memphis.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SheLectricity: An innovative entrepreneurship program powered by The Big We, designed to help middle school girls develop confidence, creativity, and leadership through entrepreneurship.
• COIN (Co-Op Opportunity for Inclusive Neighborhoods)
• In This Place
• Voices of Clayborn

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 200 Memphians participated in COIN programs to learn about cooperative business ownership
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and supporting.

• Kataly FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundation focused on restorative development. Lynne Hoey, Chief Investment Officer, participated in Reimagine Memphis Convening and provided insights on using culture as a driving force for economic change.
• The Big WecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMemphis-based social enterprise and cultural strategy organization led by CEO Anasa Troutman that is the operating force behind Historic Clayborn Temple's programming, restoration, and reimagining. The Big We powers all cultural programming including In This Place, COIN, and community events.
• Crosstown ArtsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLongtime champion of artists and creative experimentation in Memphis. Hosting In This Place events at Crosstown Concourse and partnering on Artist in Residence program, providing space and resources for artists embedded in Memphis' cultural life.
• Tennessee Mass ChoirmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLed by Dr. Jason Clark, Executive Director. Partnered with Historic Clayborn Temple for Community Sing events to bring Memphians together through shared musical experiences rooted in unity and collective sound.
• Memphis Cultural CoalitionmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrowing network of artists and cultural workers committed to strengthening Memphis' creative economy. Creates space for creatives to organize, connect, and align around shared goals. Managed by Talibah Safiya as Narrative and Storytelling Manager at The Big We.
• ENCORE EventssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosted COIN Café mixer events providing community spaces for nearly 200 Memphians to learn about cooperative ownership and building community-owned businesses.
• Church Health Center at Crosstown ConcoursesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosted COIN Café mixer events providing community spaces for Memphians to learn about cooperative ownership models and connect with the COIN program.
• National Civil Rights MuseummajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistoric institution adjacent to Clayborn Temple's legacy. Hosted Culture Shift 101 workshop exploring how storytelling can influence culture, shift beliefs, and inspire meaningful change in communities.
• Freedom PrepmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMemphis school piloting the SheLectricity entrepreneurship program for middle school girls, focusing on confidence, creativity, and leadership development through a 12-week curriculum.
• U.S. Civil Rights TrailsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrank Stevenson, Special Projects Manager for U.S. Civil Rights Trail, participated in Reimagine Memphis Convening discussing cultural tourism and preserving places that shaped American history.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Highlander Research and Education Center: Tennessee-based (New Market) social justice nonprofit founded in 1932 as a training ground for civil rights leaders. Directly comparable as a Tennessee-rooted Civil Rights heritage and education institution running movement-building, youth, and cooperative-economics programming — operating under a similar nonprofit, programmatic model with strong historical significance.
• National Civil Rights Museum: Memphis-based museum at the Lorraine Motel preserving Civil Rights Movement history and operating educational programs. Directly comparable as a Civil Rights heritage site with community programming operating in the same city, sharing both subject matter (Sanitation Workers' Strike) and overlapping funder networks with Clayborn.
• Mississippi Civil Rights Museum: Mississippi Department of Archives and History-operated museum sharing a building with the Museum of Mississippi History, dedicated to Civil Rights Movement history. Directly comparable as a state-recognized Civil Rights heritage institution with educational programming and visitor operations, co-located on the U.S. Civil Rights Trail with Clayborn.
• Equal Justice Initiative / The Legacy Museum: Montgomery, AL-based heritage and human rights organization operating The Legacy Museum and the National Memorial for Peace and Justice. Directly comparable as a nonprofit stewarding a major Civil Rights heritage site alongside racial justice and community programming, drawing on similar foundation and Mellon/Ford funding sources.

Others

• National Trust for Historic Preservation: Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that administers the National Treasures program (Clayborn's designation) and runs the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund. Comparable as the umbrella heritage-preservation ecosystem of which Clayborn is a member site, providing funding, technical assistance, and national recognition to affiliated historic landmarks.

Emerging players

• Crosstown Arts: Memphis-based nonprofit contemporary arts organization hosting Artist in Residence and community programming at Crosstown Concourse, alongside Clayborn's cultural events. Comparable as a Memphis cultural nonprofit running artist residencies, exhibitions, and community programming in physical venues — serving as a direct operational peer and partner to Clayborn.

Broad incumbents

• The Studio Museum in Harlem: NYC-based nonprofit museum and artist residency dedicated to work by artists of African descent, currently rebuilding its physical space. Comparable as an African American cultural-heritage nonprofit stewarding a major physical landmark with residency and community programming — and notably facing a parallel "rebuild" moment to Clayborn.
• Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture: Washington, D.C.-based federal museum dedicated to African American history, art, and culture. Broader incumbent comparable to Clayborn in mission and heritage stewardship, operating education, exhibition, and community programs at significantly greater scale and serving as a primary national reference point for African American heritage preservation.

Regional players

• Stax Museum / Soulsville Foundation: Memphis-based music heritage museum and nonprofit foundation preserving the legacy of Stax Records. Comparable as a Memphis cultural-heritage nonprofit operating a museum/landmark site with educational programming and community outreach, sharing the same philanthropic and visitor ecosystem as Clayborn.
• The Blues Foundation: Memphis-headquartered nonprofit dedicated to preserving blues music history and supporting the genre's ecosystem. Comparable as a Memphis-based cultural-heritage nonprofit running educational programming, hosting convenings, and stewarding cultural legacy assets in the same Mid-South philanthropic environment as Clayborn.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/clayborntemplememphis
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/clayborn-temple
• Instagraminstagram.com/clayborn_temple

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Historic Clayborn Temple