Seeding Success

Seeding Success is growing! 🌱 We're hiring a Chief Advancement Officer.

We are looking for an experienced, strategic professional committed to advancing economic mobility for residents in Memphis and Shelby County by helping us secure funding aligned with S2's priorities.💡Apply today at Seeding-Success.org/careers

A new study from Stanford found that a majority of school districts in the US have seen declining proficiency in reading and math, with the largest declines happening in underserved communities. Moreover, according to Education Scorecard, students at Memphis-Shelby County Schools performed an average of 2.37 grade levels behind their Tennessee peers between 2022 and 2025.

The data makes one thing clear: the time for bold action is now.

💡Check out the full policy update (3 minute read): www.seeding-success.org/news/policyupdate5/22/26

You may have seen Memphis 3.0 mentioned in the news or on your feed.

This comprehensive plan aims to revitalize neighborhoods, grow opportunity, and strengthen Memphis for all families. The impact of Memphis 3.0, however, depends on updates to the UDC—the very rules that determine what gets built, where it gets built, and how our communities grow. These regulations are not just paperwork—they decide whether your neighborhood has safe parks, affordable housing, and thriving local businesses.

🏡 Get the full update: https://www.seeding-success.org/news/policyupdate5/15/26 (3 minute read!)

What would Memphis 3.0 do? — Seeding Success You may have seen Memphis 3.0 mentioned in the news or on your feed. This comprehensive plan aims to revitalize neighborhoods, grow opportunity, and strengthen Memphis for all families. The impact of Memphis 3.0, however, depends on updates to the UDC—the very rules that determine what gets buil

Last week, Seeding Success had the first half of our 2026 staff retreat! We gathered at U of M’s University Center to collectively define the long-term direction of the organization, the key milestones we intend to reach, and the strategies we will use to get there. 🎯

Special thanks to Josh Pollack of StriveTogether for coming all the way to Memphis to facilitate much of our discussion. It was great to have you here! Additional thanks goes to Caroline Masse of Redbird Consulting for helping the team set up boards on Monday that will improve the work moving forward.

Congratulations! 🎉

We are excited to announce that Dorcas Griffin has been named MIFA's next President & CEO.

A lifelong Memphian, Dorcas brings decades of proven leadership, currently as Shelby County Government's Deputy Chief Administrative Officer and previously as Director of Shelby County's Division of Community Services.

We look forward to welcoming her to MIFA on August 3. Congratulations, Dorcas! 💚

Election Day was on Tuesday, and we now have some idea of what our county’s elected leadership will look like when the victors are sworn in on September 1st!

🗳️ Check out the full update: https://loom.ly/hlnZtfI
✉️ Sign up for weekly updates: https://loom.ly/ZBlIXhI

The American Community Survey (ACS) recently released aggregate data from 2020-2024, marking the fourth time that they have released aggregate data for five-year periods. With this new trove of data to study, we thought it would be interesting to take a look back at how Memphis has changed in key statistical areas over the last 20 years: https://loom.ly/y7ktEgY (3 minute read)

🏛️ Get updates to your inbox every Friday! Sign up here: https://loom.ly/ZBlIXhI

How has Memphis changed in the past 20 years? — Seeding Success The American Community Survey (ACS) recently released aggregate data from 2020-2024, marking the fourth time that they have released aggregate data for five-year periods. With this new trove of data to study, we thought it would be interesting to take a look back at how Memphis has changed in key st

Attention partners! 📢

Want to learn to work smarter? Join us for our free Continuous Improvement 101 training on Wednesday, June 3rd.
Register today: seeding-success.org/register

📈 In this workshop, participants will learn how to:
- Identify waste to create more efficient processes
- Use a variety of tools at each step of the continuous improvement process
- Interpret charts & graphs to inform decisions
- Sustain continuous improvement efforts

📐 This training may be particularly useful for individuals who lead projects or programs and contribute to the development of strategies and interventions.

With the passage of House Bill 662 / Senate Bill 714, the State of Tennessee has established a path for a nine-member educational oversight board that may assume significant authority over districts in the State that have significant academic and operational challenges.

🔗 In this update, we lay out our vision for moving forward: seeding-success.org/news/policyupdate4/24/26