Our mission is to support, organize, and mobilize communities disproportionately affected by poverty in identifying and finding solutions to the out-of-school barriers that hinder young adults from graduating on time and ready for careers and college.
We do this by coordinating funding and support for collective action, accountability, public advocacy, and community development.
What's Inside
- Donor Spotlight: Our Anonymous Allies
- Feature: Unmuting Real Voices for Neighborhood Change
- Donor Spotlight: Thomas W. Briggs Foundation
- Donor Spotlight: Kresge Foundation
- Feature: Working Together in Our Community
- Feature: Resident-Led Initiative Connects KSC to a Local Farmer’s Market and Grocers
- Donor Spotlight: The Shelby County Commission
- Feature: Resident-led vaccination drives boost COVID protections for underserved communities
- Donor Spotlight: Tennessee Valley Authority
Our Story
According to the American Educational Research Association (AERA), over 60% of negative test scores are due to factors happening outside of school and usually related to institutional and intergenerational poverty. Lack of transportation, poor nutrition, or unstable housing can have a particularly negative impact on students.
Founded in 2017, Whole Child Strategies (WCS) is one of the only nonprofits in Memphis that focuses on education and directly addresses the root causes of these issues in the streets, neighborhoods, and networks where they arise.
We partner with local resident-champions, neighborhood schools, and respected local organizations to build capacity, grow relationships, and invest directly into the community.
In 2021, our work together went beyond helping residents claim their place in conversations about the future of their neighborhoods. This year, with your support, Klondike and Smokey City residents began to set the agenda of preferred policies and solutions to tackle these root causes for generational change.
We are enormously proud of the progress they’ve made. But it couldn’t have happened without your support – without friends who are willing to activate and mobilize to improve outcomes for Memphis youth.
Thank you.
EXECUTIVE MESSAGE
Dear Friends,
We hope that 2021 brought you and your loved ones good health, caring connections, and impactful opportunities. On behalf of the Whole Child Strategies Board of Directors, staff, and key partners, we are honored to share our 2021 Community Impact Report with you.
This year has been one of monumental progress for Whole Child Strategies and the communities we serve. The generosity of our donors, grantors, and partners surpassed our best hopes and gave us the opportunity to deepen our support to resident-led efforts in Klondike and Smokey City — an area that remains one of the most underserved in Memphis and Shelby County.
While the WCS team spent much of 2020 focused on mobilizing resources to buffer Klondike and Smokey City households from the worst impacts of the pandemic, in 2021 — thanks to our supporters and partners — we were able to turn the heat up on our commitment to helping resident-leaders unmute themselves and activate policy advocacy to solve what ails their communities.
So often, the approach to outreach asks “what can I do for you.” By extension, traditional community outreach and engagement centers on “bringing people to the table.”
The implications are problematic: if the goal is to set the vision and agenda for community change, who are we to issue invitations to the people whose lived experiences will be shaped by that agenda? What does it mean for them if we have already set the menu, predetermining the possibilities that they and their families will be forced to live with?
The question should be “what can we help you do for yourself?”
This is an important shift, and one that supports a lesson we’ve been sharing with local grantmakers and philanthropists since our inception: people know what they need. We can — and should — trust the people who need the most to identify and solve the challenges facing them.
Some of our biggest strides over the past two years were made because a system has emerged to respond to signals coming from those experiencing the challenges we say we want to address. The launch of our collaboration with the Coalition of Metropolitan Memphis Organizations for Neighborhood Services (the COMMONS) was a great example of this in 2020, and this year we built on that approach by helping residents to gather input and translate their needs into smart solutions and proposals for city partnership.
A future marked by anything less than authentic, respectful community engagement is simply unacceptable.
We must not go back to business as usual.
While the pandemic is not yet behind us, our path forward has never been more clear. If we’re serious about making demonstrable progress on addressing the equity and access gaps that have compounded generation after generation — the cracks in the very foundations of our city as highlighted by COVID — we have to be more honest in how we speak about them, more explicit about naming their root causes, and more inclusive in how we imagine solutions.
We don’t have all the answers, and we know that these complex issues won’t be “solved” in short order. But as always, Whole Child Strategies stands in solidarity with those who are ready to take up the work.
Wishing you every happiness in 2022,
Adriane Johnson-Williams, WCS Board Chair and Co-Founder
Natalie J. McKinney, JD, WCS Executive Director and Co-Founder
2021 By The Numbers
Impact Highlights
2021
- Through Cathedral of Faith, 172 instances of basic needs assistance to residents of Klondike and Smokey City during 2021.
- Through City Year, continued support for students at neighborhood schools in the shifting conditions of education under COVID pandemic responses.
- In collaboration with MATA, initiated the KSC Residents on the Move bus service, giving hundreds of residents access to shopping for food and other basic goods that are unavailable to them without transportation assistance.
2020
- Provided over $200,000 of direct assistance to residents for COVID relief, as WCS’s share of over $500,000 of relief grants distributed through the Coalition of Metropolitan Memphis Organizations for Neighborhood Services (COMMONS).
Whole Child Strategies thanks the following individual donors for their generosity and commitment from January 1, 2021 through December 31, 2021.
$1,000 +
Ronald Sullivan
$500 - $999
Rosaline Banks
Emily Callahan
Jason Callahan
Eddie Glaude
$100 – $499
Shannon Arthur
Adriane Johnson-Williams
Rhonda Lee
Carol Livingston
Adelaide McGowen
Natalie McKinney
Luther Mercer
Cardell Orin
Lauren Taylor
Paul Taylor
$1 - $99
Jaqueline Bazy
Karla Davis
Christy Gilmour
Mark Jefferson
Leanne Klienmann
Shelly Madison
Erin Nelson
Charles Peterson
Megan Weiss
This list does not include anonymous donations or those gathered through social media.
Financial Position in 2021
Expenses
Program $721,559.51 (39.4%)
Administrative $680,325.50 (37.2%)
Grantmaking $377,227.13 (20.6%)
Fundraising $51,527.74 (2.8%)
TOTAL $1,830,639.88 (100%)
Programs: All expenses related to supporting, organizing, and mobilizing the communities we serve. Includes community outreach, local events, and direct support to community partners.
Fundraising: The cost of communications and development activities.
Administrative: Costs related to administrative and accounting activities, along with other expenses not directly connected to community engagement.
Grants: Funds awarded in FY2021 to address basic needs in the community, emergency assistance, and other direct supports provided to our partners and community members pursuant to our organization's role as an intermediary organization in certain funding relationships.
Income
Contributions $1,250,630.00 (62.6%)
Grants $271,666.00 (13.6%)
Miscellaneous $50,048.68 (2.5%)
Carryover $426,999.96 (21.3%)
TOTAL $1,999,344,64 (100%)
Contributions: Gifts from individuals, companies, and other organizations.
Grants: Income from charitable foundations and government agencies.
Miscellaneous: Program-related revenue
Carryover: Excess funding from the previous fiscal year.
Program Highlights
Donor Spotlight: Our Anonymous Allies
Some of our strongest endorsements come from partners who prefer to keep the spotlight not on themselves, but on our shared ideals and successes.
While one donor has asked not to be named in outreach materials, our work could not exist without their unmatched support of the idea that community stakeholders deserve agency over the future of their neighborhoods.
Since our inception, this anonymous donor has entrusted us with $8,210,296.00 in seed money to begin the work of building partnerships, trust, and capacity in the Klondike and Smokey City communities. As our mission grows and our community networks begin setting the agenda for change, we're thrilled that in 2021 we were allowed to direct $1,040,000 of that gift to help bring the residents’ best ideas to fruition.
Unmuting Real Voices for Neighborhood Change
Who sets the vision?
Who sets the vision – and ultimately the practical agenda – for change in our neighborhoods? And shouldn’t that vision be shaped by the authentic, lived experiences of the people who live, work, or go to school there?
Those are the kinds of questions that we have been excited to hear from our team of Klondike and Smokey City resident-champions and the neighbors and stakeholders who have worked diligently as part of the area’s Neighborhood Council. We consider them evidence of a kind of evolution – a new way of imagining what’s possible for the Klondike and Smokey City neighborhoods, but also of reclaiming the power and potential of the people in those neighborhoods to drive transformation.
Defining community need.
The power of resident-led action was at the heart of a special invitation extended by our neighborhood champions in early 2021. With support from the Whole Child Strategies Outreach Team, the resident-champions invited District 7 Councilwoman Michalyn Easter-Thomas for a tour of Smokey City in order to deliver their message about the community’s most pressing needs
But seeing the problem is just the first step. Councilwoman Easter-Thomas and the resident-champions made plans to host a fall convening where community members and other stakeholders would have the chance to offer perspectives on potential solutions and help identify areas for immediate intervention.
Voices heard.
In early September 2021, the Smokey City Community Town Hall offered community members an opportunity to give input on the vision for the neighborhood. Breakout sessions led by each of the volunteer resident champions allowed for in-depth discussion on solutions for retaining safe and affordable housing, and increasing mental health and education supports for community members.
For a breakdown of the messages and potential solutions that came from residents at the town hall, as well as a link to the full video of the event, visit www.WCStrategies.org.
Voices activated.
The next, crucial step is to see that the power of resident experiences and perspectives reaches those with the power to make lasting change in Memphis. In 2021, Whole Child Strategies stood with a growing group of nonprofit and community leaders to call for a resident-focus approach to city budgeting.
As part of the Coalition for a Moral Budget, our champions and community leaders are advocating for city investments that prioritize vital services and supports for the people of Memphis. Building on our work in 2021, KSC champions are calling for a city budget that focuses on education, public transportation, supporting people, supporting communities, supporting workers, and building culture and engagement.
Donor Spotlight: Thomas W. Briggs Foundation
The Thomas W. Briggs Foundation honors its founder’s legacy in Memphis by supporting local programs in arts, education, social services, civic engagement, and youth development. As part of its focus on propelling innovation, inclusivity, and equity in Memphis, each year the Foundation recognizes a local leader whose creativity, effort, commitment, professionalism, and exceptional initiative have enabled his or her organization to excel in its special mission.
In late 2021, the Foundation honored Whole Child Strategies co-founder and Executive Director Natalie McKinney for her visionary leadership and steadfast commitment to community service with its prestigious Thomas W. Briggs Community Service Award and a donation of $25,000 towards our resident engagement efforts.
Visit www.thomaswbriggsfoundation.org for more information.
Donor Spotlight: Kresge Foundation
The Kresge Foundation’s city-focused grantmaking – first in its hometown of Detroit, then in New Orleans, and now in Memphis – is inspired by the understanding that while increased opportunity is essential to socioeconomic mobility, access to opportunity is simply not shared equitably among all people.
Kresge has been an integral partner and major donor in the effort to bring resident-led solutions to fruition and address underlying barriers to neighborhood advancement.
In 2021, Kresge granted Whole Child Strategies $50,000 from its American Cities Program for that work, $100,000 from its American Cities Program for operating funds, and $450,000 in operating funds from its Human Services program.
Visit www.Kresge.org for more information.
Working Together In Our Community
Our network partnerships bring resources to residents every day.
In support of our mission to address barriers hindering children from success in school, we actively collaborate with partners who provide direct assistance to students and families in need.
When KSC kids are at home, Cathedral of Faith is on hand to help with families’ basic needs, referrals to other resources, and life counseling. Since bringing their extensive experience serving North Memphis neighborhoods into a partnership with Whole Child Strategies in mid-2020, Cathedral of Faith has provided assistance with food, clothing, transportation, housing & utilities, and other basic expenses to an average of 60 residents (adults and children) per month, not only delivering a total of $75,000 in supporting funds during that time, but also helping families navigate the maze of obstacles they encounter every day as they try to create a safe and healthy home environment where their children can thrive.
Our partners are dedicated to student achievement.
At school, City Year’s impact managers and student success coaches offer children supplementary instruction in English and math, in-class support for teachers, and assistance with academics and life skills throughout the school day.
Through their work, over one hundred students at KSC neighborhood schools received essential mentoring support in the 2018-19 school year. City Year has continued its engagement throughout the pandemic, working with schools to help weather the rough waters of the switch to remote learning.
Resident-Led Initiative Connects KSC to a Local Farmer’s Market and Grocers
Residents on the move.
In Summer 2021, Whole Child Strategies launched a partnership with Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA) to help create more access to healthy food for Klondike and Smokey City residents.
Thanks to donors like you, this partnership is growing.
Thanks to a gift of $7,875 from an anonymous donor, a $2,000 grant from the Hyde Family Foundation, and a second anonymous gift of ten $100 gift cards, Whole Child Strategies and MATA began offering KSC residents free bus rides two days a week — Tuesdays and Saturdays — to the Downtown Farmer’s Market, Cash Saver, and Catholic Charities. Since we launched, more than 1,800 people have used the program, according to MATA estimates.
A win for our neighborhoods.
While the community is responsible for the immediate success of this program, the story behind this important win is even more exciting. In a video message, Whole Child Strategies Outreach Manager Reginald Johnson explained how years of working with Klondike and Smokey City residents in Neighborhood Council meetings sowed seeds for this major win in neighborhood-led change.
Our residents aren't finished.
The Residents on the Move initiative has proven so popular with residents that in December 2021, Whole Child Strategies and MATA announced the program would expand that month to offer free bus rides to Walmart so that families could make Christmas purchases and holiday groceries.
Learn more at www.WCStrategies.org.
Donor Spotlight: The Shelby County Commission
The Shelby County Commission has emerged as an important partner in advancing the Whole Child Strategies mission and impact. Each member of the Shelby County Board of Commissioners has funds available to allocate within their individual districts for non-profit organizations as well as some governmental/quasi-governmental agencies.
In FY 2020, the Commission awarded Whole Child Strategies $17,500 to advance the work of the Neighborhood Council. In 2021, the Commission awarded $100,000 to Whole Child Strategies and other organizations in the Coalition of Metropolitan Memphis Organizations for Neighborhood Services (COMMONS) partnership for our combined COVID 19 immediate needs response efforts, including cash support for groceries, toiletries, masks, and sanitizer.
Resident-led vaccination drives boost COVID protections for underserved communities
The pandemic hit us all, but some were hit harder than others.
COVID-19 has been devastating for communities nationwide, but its impacts haven’t been felt equitably across races or neighborhoods.
At the start of the pandemic, there was concerning evidence that Black communities would be hit hardest, first because of disproportionate infection rates, then because of the constellation of crises that come along with a global pandemic: unemployment/underemployment, eviction, and food insecurity, for example.
Essential workers – from utility and sanitation workers to grocery stockers, hospital employees, and restaurant staff – kept Memphis and other communities running during the pandemic shutdowns. But, without the ability to work from home or social distance, those workers and their entire households were exposed to outsized levels of risk.
The pandemic also illuminated and accelerated a crisis that Whole Child Strategies and many of our partners have been helping communities fight against for years. It showed us very clearly what happens when kids are cut off from the resources they need in order to learn, when their need for social-emotional connections isn’t met, and when the wraparound supports that families depend upon are stretched thin.
Leveraging our partnership network, we were able to mobilize quickly to meet immediate needs in Klondike and Smokey City. Whole Child Strategies provided over $200,000 of direct assistance to residents for COVID relief, as WCS’s share of over $500,000 of relief grants distributed through the COMMONS coalition.
But as the pandemic progressed, we understood that getting the Klondike and Smokey City community vaccinated was crucial for restoring safe, healthy connections for children and families – and for keeping the community connected to economic opportunity.
Still, as vaccine rollout efforts began, uptake in Memphis’s African American communities was slow, due in part to deep misinformation, but also because of a legacy of abuse and harm exacted on black and brown people by the medical community.
Effective peer outreach can help shift that dynamic in Shelby County. In 2021, Whole Child Strategies and other organizations across the city conducted creative outreach campaigns that allowed residents to act as resources to neighbors and loved ones, answering questions about the COVID vaccine, making the case for vaccination, and helping people get to one of the many free vaccination clinics happening around the city.
Resident-led outreach boosts neighborhood awareness of vaccination clinics held by Perea School, local health departments, and other partners. But more importantly, outreach by our KSC resident-champions is helping to lower vaccine hesitancy among families – and raise the odds that our friends and neighbors most at risk of catching COVID are given every chance to stay healthy and safe.
For more information on neighborhood vaccine and testing clinics, follow Whole Child Strategies on Instagram.
Donor Spotlight: Tennessee Valley Authority
Through its performance grant program, Tennessee Valley Authority makes competitive investments in economic development projects for new and expanding companies in the seven states representing the drainage basin of the Tennessee River: Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.
In 2021, TVA awarded $10,000 to Whole Child Strategies to support our community work.
Visit www.TVA.com for more information.
What's in Store for 2022?
In 2021, KSC residents, champions, and other stakeholders prioritized three critical areas for future partnership and innovation: employment issues, housing availability and affordability, and reckless or potentially criminal behavior by youth and early adults.
As we look ahead to 2022, our team will be helping to lift up potential solutions that center those priorities and build on work already underway by our champions and organizational partners.
For example, our partnership with the Memphis Medical District Collaborative will help bring information about training and hiring opportunities to area residents. Participants in the free MMDC training are guaranteed an interview with either Methodist, Le Bonheur, or St. Jude, and would have the opportunity to make no less than $15 per hour working full-time positions.
More developments are underway for 2022, including launching a web-based dashboard based on resident interest in shedding light on crime data in the KSC communities. In addition, this year we’ll be sharing real-world stories of impact and action through a series of first-person interviews with community members, staffers, and other advocates.
How You Can Help:
Donate.
Help us expand and scale our efforts by donating to support the households and children in this community.
Connect.
Spread the word about the work happening in Klondike and Smokey City, as well as the people stepping up to reshape their communities.
Speak Up.
Add your voice to the many others that help us map local resources, network activity, and growing partnerships.
Credits:
Photos by Reginald Johnson for Whole Child Strategies