CENTER FOR TRANSFORMING COMMUNITIES INC

What CENTER FOR TRANSFORMING COMMUNITIES INC does

Center for Transforming Communities (CTC), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization operating in Memphis, Tennessee since 2007 (formerly CONECT, inc.), runs The Commons on Merton — a shared workspace and community venue housed in a historic 1935 church building at 258 N. Merton St. that was donated by Everett Memorial United Methodist Church and rededicated in September 2007. CTC partners with multiple nonprofits, programs, and ministries that share the building as an affordable work and worship environment, and offers venue rental on a $100 refundable-deposit basis for events and meetings.

CTC's core programmatic work consists of community transformation initiatives across six Memphis neighborhoods — Binghampton, Medical District, Orange Mound, North Memphis, South Memphis, and Whitehaven — delivered through a network of Neighborhood Connectors who work directly with residents on equitable community change, power and capacity building, and shared neighborhood decision-making. The organization is described as a nationally recognized model for Communities of Shalom and is led by Executive Director Justin Merrick with a board of directors and a staff of approximately 11.

The organization has no proprietary technology platform. Revenue is generated almost entirely through donations and contributions, accepted via an online giving platform (EveryAction), with venue deposits being nominal and refundable rather than a meaningful income stream. CTC's go-to-market is community-led: outreach relies on the embedded Neighborhood Connector staff, newsletter communications, and direct contact via phone and email rather than conventional sales or marketing channels.

Name

CENTER FOR TRANSFORMING COMMUNITIES INC

Legal name

Center for Transforming Communities, Inc.

Website

https://ctcmidsouth.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Center for Transforming Communities is a Memphis-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating The Commons on Merton shared workspace and running community development programs across six Memphis neighborhoods through embedded Neighborhood Connectors, funded by donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Development Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (8134), Civic and Social Organizations (81341)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Development & Neighborhood Revitalization (CDBG, Place-Based Initiatives) (BPAIANAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL), Housing & Neighborhood Services (Local Housing Programs) (BPAIACAJ)

Keywords

• Community development
• Nonprofit shared workspace
• Neighborhood organizing
• Equitable community change
• Resident capacity building

Headquarters

HQ city

Memphis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, CTC generates revenue through donations from individuals and other supporters to fund community development work in Memphis neighborhoods.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Center for Transforming Communities operates The Commons on Merton, a donated historic church building in Binghampton, Memphis, providing affordable shared workspace and event venue to nonprofits, programs, and ministries. The organization also runs community transformation programs across six Memphis neighborhoods (Binghampton, Medical District, Orange Mound, North Memphis, South Memphis, Whitehaven), using Neighborhood Connectors to support equitable community change, resident power-building, and neighborhood democracy through shared decision-making. Revenue is primarily generated through donations to this 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

Product overview

Center for Transforming Communities (CTC) operates primarily as a community nonprofit organization offering a single main venue product called The Commons on Merton, along with venue rental services and community transformation programs. The Commons on Merton serves as the core offering—a multipurpose community facility that provides shared workspace to nonprofits and ministries, with the organization supporting neighborhood democracy and community development across Memphis neighborhoods.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Commons on Merton A community venue and shared workspace located at 258 N. Merton St., Memphis, TN, providing affordable, quality work and worship environments to nonprofits, programs, and ministries serving the Memphis area. The building, formerly Everett Memorial United Methodist Church, serves as a nationally recognized model for Communities of Shalom.
• Venue Rental Services Rental of meeting and event spaces at The Commons on Merton with a $100 refundable deposit, requiring two-week advance reservation via email, supporting community gatherings and organizational events for nonprofits, programs, and ministries.
• Community Transformation Programs Community development programs that work closely with residents and institutions to support equitable community change, including power and capacity building for residents and neighborhood democracy through shared decision-making practices across six Memphis neighborhoods.

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

One partnership is on record.

• Everett Memorial United Methodist ChurchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe church donated its building at the corner of Merton Street and Oxford Avenue to CTC in 2007. The building was rededicated as The Commons on Merton, a site of hope, healing, and transformation for Binghampton and the Memphis region. This partnership enabled the creation of the shared space model.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Memphis Leadership Foundation: Faith-rooted Memphis nonprofit convening churches and community partners for collaborative neighborhood impact — directly comparable to CTC's shared-space and ministry-inclusion model.
• Advance Memphis: Memphis nonprofit pursuing community and economic development in underserved neighborhoods through resident-led initiatives, sharing CTC's neighborhood-democracy and capacity-building emphasis.
• Frayser Community Development Corporation: Memphis Frayser-area community development nonprofit focused on resident-driven revitalization, serving one of the same geographic corridors (Hollywood/Frayser) that CTC's Neighborhood Connector covers.
• Habitat for Humanity of Greater Memphis: Memphis-based nonprofit focused on neighborhood revitalization and equitable community development, operating across multiple Memphis neighborhoods with a comparable place-based, community-led model.
• The Works, Inc. (Memphis CDC): Memphis-area community development corporation working on resident engagement and equitable development in underserved neighborhoods, comparable in mission and method to CTC.
• Binghampton Development Corporation: Binghampton-specific community development organization working on equitable revitalization in the same neighborhood where The Commons on Merton is headquartered.
• Knowledge Quest: Memphis-based nonprofit delivering community-led education and family-support services in South Memphis and other underserved areas, sharing CTC's neighborhood-led ethos.

Broad incumbents

• Communities of Shalom (Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis): National movement and institutional home of the Communities of Shalom methodology that CTC's model is nationally recognized under — strategic parent/affiliation context for CTC's differentiation.
• United Way of the Mid-South: Regional funder and convener of human-services nonprofits across the Mid-South — overlaps with CTC's service area and likely a downstream funding/partner relationship.

Emerging players

• The Just City: Memphis-based nonprofit focused on equitable place-based community development and resident power-building, with strong thematic overlap with CTC's neighborhood-democracy model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/center-for-transforming-communities-inc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about CENTER FOR TRANSFORMING COMMUNITIES INC