Memphis Bar Foundation
The Memphis Bar Foundation is a Memphis, Tennessee-based public charity and the philanthropic arm of the Memphis Bar Association. Established in 1982, it supports local law-related projects and programs through grants, and provides a platform for people in the legal community to give back.
Memphis Bar Foundation at a glance
In short: Memphis Bar Foundation gave $43K across 20 grants in 2025 (avg $2K), mostly in Tennessee. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $43,000
- -33.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 20
- -16.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $2,150
- -20.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,000
- Total assets
- $547,144
- +19.5% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Tennessee (95% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Memphis Bar Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The Foundation’s website provides a grant application and says applicants should submit it by mail or email. The stated deadline is a past cycle.
- Review Cycle
- The website lists March 13, 2026, at 5:00 p.m.; this deadline has passed.
- Deadline
- The website lists March 13, 2026, at 5:00 p.m.; this deadline has passed.
- Contact
Mailing address: 145 Court Ave 301, Memphis, TN 38103
Phone: (901) 527-3573
Website: https://memphisbar.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
2 open opportunities from Memphis Bar Foundation
Who Memphis Bar Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Community Legal Center ($5K). Together the top 10 received $26K.
Grant Size Distribution
44 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 44 grants of 44 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Foundation’s website describes its grantmaking as supporting local law-related projects and programs. In filing year 2025, 95% of grant dollars went to recipients in Tennessee and 5% to recipients in California. Listed Tennessee recipients include organizations in Memphis and other Tennessee locations.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 20 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Memphis Bar Foundation gives
- 100% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2024 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $43K (2025) to $65K (2024). In 2025 it made 20 grants totaling $43K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Community Legal Center Memphis, TN | Legal Aid and Training | $5,000 |
| Memphis Area Legal Services Memphis, TN | Legal Aid and Training | $5,000 |
| Casaluz Inc Cordova, TN | Legal Aid and Training | $2,000 |
| Latino Memphis Memphis, TN | Legal Aid and Training | $2,000 |
| Mid-South Community Justice & Mediation Center Memphis, TN | Legal Aid and Training | $2,000 |
| Mid-South Immigration Advocates Memphis, TN | Legal Aid and Training | $2,000 |
| National Civil Rights Museum Memphis, TN | Legal Aid and Training | $2,000 |
| Tennessee Innocence Project Nashville, TN | Legal Aid and Training | $2,000 |
| Memphis Public Interest Law Center Germantown, TN | Legal Aid and Training | $2,000 |
| Bridges Memphis, TN | Legal Aid and Training | $2,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Memphis Bar Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $547,144 | $205,261 | $115,983 | $43,000 | 20 | $57,158 |
| 2024 | $457,867 | $235,198 | $138,661 | $65,000 | 24 | $27,946 |
| 2023 | $361,330 | $157,734 | $128,369 | — | — | — |
| 2022 | $331,965 | $85,478 | $124,253 | — | — | — |
| 2021 | $388,358 | $157,492 | $76,269 | — | — | — |
| 2020 | $343,154 | $136,278 | $92,002 | — | — | — |
| 2019 | $298,878 | $120,183 | $88,052 | — | — | — |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Foundation’s stated mission is to promote philanthropy among members of the Memphis Bar Association; support public awareness of the legal system; promote social justice and legal education; and encourage and recognize professionalism among Association members. Its 2025 filing describes its program as making grants to promote social justice and the legal profession.
The Foundation’s 2025 grantees include organizations whose own missions describe legal advocacy and services for people in need. Memphis Area Legal Services says it provides legal advocacy for people in need, and Community Legal Center says it provides legal services for low- to middle-income families. Other grantees describe work including reducing domestic violence and promoting access to justice in Spanish-speaking communities (CasaLuz), connecting and advocating for Latinos in the greater Memphis area (Latino Memphis), and providing low-cost immigration representation to low-income clients (Mid-South Immigration Advocates). The Tennessee Innocence Project says it investigates and litigates claims of actual innocence, while Memphis Public Interest Law Center describes providing research, education, and advocacy for underserved populations and issues.
Grantmaking
The Foundation’s website says its primary way of pursuing its mission is through grants for specific projects. It reports awarding over $500,000 in grants during the preceding 10 years and describes annual grants of up to $2,500 for qualified applicants. Its 2019 application announcement described a different maximum—up to $10,000—for law-related projects or programs in the Memphis area; that announcement’s deadline was September 9, 2019, a past cycle.
In filing year 2025, the Foundation awarded 20 grants totaling $43,000. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $5,000, with a median of $2,000. Notable recipients included Community Legal Center and Memphis Area Legal Services ($5,000 each); and CasaLuz, Latino Memphis, Mid-South Immigration Advocates, Tennessee Innocence Project, and Memphis Public Interest Law Center ($2,000 each).
The Foundation also maintains an endowment to support the Summer Law Intern Program (SLIP), which provides internship opportunities and practical legal experience for minority law students in Memphis. SLIP is a participant internship program, not a grant program for outside applicants.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists these directors: Kirk Caraway, Brian Faughnan, Prince Chambliss, Hon Kenya Hooks, Damon Griffin, Hon Gina Higgins, Linda Mathis, Mary Hale Morris, Marc Reisman, and Alex Wharton.
Memphis Bar Foundation is led by Vincent Miraglia, President since 2024 (on filings since 2019); none of the 17 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Vincent Miraglia
President
Director → President, 2024
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Gina Higgins
Director
On filings since 2019
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Linda Mathis
Director
On filings since 2019
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Marc Reisman
Director
President → Immediate Pa, 2020
Immediate Pa → Director, 2022
On filings since 2019
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Paul Tuberville
Director
Immediate Pa → Director, 2024
On filings since 2019
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Prince Chambliss
Director
On filings since 2019
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Alex Wharton
Director
On filings since 2022
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Damon Griffin
Director
On filings since 2022
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mary Hale Morris
Director
On filings since 2022
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Brian Faughnan
Director
On filings since 2024
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jana Lamanna
Director
On filings since 2024
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kenya Hooks
Director
On filings since 2024
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kirk Caraway
Director
On filings since 2024
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Melanie Taylor Jefferson
Director
On filings since 2024
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Amber Floyd
Vice President
Director → Vice President, 2024
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Bryce Ashby
Treasurer
Director → Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mary Morgan Whitfield
Secretary
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (13)
- Former: Terrence Reed (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: Kevin Bruce (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Will Zoccola (2022–2023) — Director
- Former: Andrea Malkin (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Beth Bradley (2019–2021) — Vice President
- Former: Linda Nettles Harris (2019–2021) — Treasurer
- Former: Monice Hagler (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Phyllis Aluko (2019–2021) — President
- Former: Ruby Wharton (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Peter Gee (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Kim Mullins (2020) — Secretary
- Former: Annie T. Christoff (2019) — Director
- Former: Kimbrough Mullins (2019) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Memphis Bar Foundation
How much does Memphis Bar Foundation give each year?
Memphis Bar Foundation gave $43K across 20 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $65K across 24 grants.
What is Memphis Bar Foundation's typical grant size?
Memphis Bar Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $2,000, and its average grant was $2,150, across 20 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990.
Where does Memphis Bar Foundation give grants?
Memphis Bar Foundation gives mostly in Tennessee: 95% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Memphis, TN (16 grants).
Does Memphis Bar Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 20 grants with a stated purpose on Memphis Bar Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Legal Aid and Training" (20 grants).
Who are Memphis Bar Foundation's largest grantees?
Memphis Bar Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Community Legal Center ($5,000), Memphis Area Legal Services ($5,000) and Casaluz Inc ($2,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 28% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Memphis Bar Foundation?
Memphis Bar Foundation reported $547K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $205K.
What does Memphis Bar Foundation fund?
The Foundation’s stated mission is to promote philanthropy among members of the Memphis Bar Association; support public awareness of the legal system; promote social justice and legal education; and encourage and recognize professionalism among Association members. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Memphis Bar Foundation?
The Foundation’s website provides a grant application and says applicants should submit it by mail or email. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Memphis Bar Foundation's EIN?
Memphis Bar Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 62-1117968. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-EZ for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS November 16, 2021)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 15, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Memphis Bar Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Memphis Bar Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?