Grizzlies Giving Back to Memphis

On November 1, the Memphis Grizzlies Charitable Foundation announced the donation of $370,000 in new grants to Memphis nonprofit organizations. The awarding of this year’s grants takes it to a total of more than $28.3 million awarded to local nonprofits since 2001.


Grizzlies Foundation team (From left to Right): Eric Bleier,
Jenny Koltnow, Joel Katz, Alayne Shoenfeld


Present at the event were many nonprofit leaders as well as Foundation Board Members Elliot Perry, Lionel Hollins and Pete Pranica. The Memphis Grizzlies have been providing grants to local profits since 2001 and in 2004 the Grizzlies Foundation was chartered to support Memphis youth through education and mentoring. During the event, Jenny Koltnow talked about how the scope of community involvement has evolved throughout the years.

Starting primarily as a grant maker at the inception of the Foundation in 2004, the Grizzlies Foundation is now dynamically serving the community. The Foundation houses the Grizzlies Mentoring Alliance (formerly known as Memphis Mentoring Partnership), a local network of nonprofit mentoring organizations. Since late 2010, the Foundation has coordinated TEAMmates, a mentor retention program that gives active volunteer mentors unique opportunities and offers including passes to local attractions, events, and games. The corporate community is also involved in the mentoring movement, encouraging employees to serve as mentors and recognizing them for doing so. Finally, Koltnow spoke about Grizzlies TEAM Mentoring, a new program administered by the Grizzlies Foundation that matches 3 mentors with 9 students currently at two public-charter schools.

Those in attendance were encouraged to learn more about the investments the Memphis Grizzlies have made into their local community and find ways for their organizations to “team up.” Koltnow stressed that everyone has a role to play, and success will be determined by the input and participation of many.

There are certainly few professional sports franchises in the world that do as much for their city as the Grizzlies do for Memphis. The unique role the Grizzlies Foundation plays is that the focus isn’t just on mentoring, but on “quality mentoring.”

All mentors are carefully recruited, screened, matched, and trained. Each volunteer is thus educated and prepared for fostering a relationships with their mentee. The Grizzlies Foundation is an affiliate of MENTOR/ The National Mentoring Partnership, which offers guidance on quality-based standards and program management. Through this network, the Grizzlies share a wealth of resources and on-going support for partner programs and mentors.

As a result of the increase in awareness and growth in volunteer opportunities, more kids in Memphis are given the chance to meet and develop relationships with positive adult figures. These bonds create new experiences and exposure and open many new doors.

The Grizzlies Foundation is proud to continue supporting the present and future of Memphis by being a local hub and enthusiastic champion for mentoring.