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Crews Family Foundation

Annual Giving
$5.0M
Grant Range
Up to $5.0M
Decision Time
3mo

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $5,049,586 (2024)
  • Success Rate: N/A (invitation only)
  • Decision Time: Quarterly review cycles
  • Grant Range: Varies widely (from thousands to $5 million)
  • Geographic Focus: Memphis and Mid-South region (primarily Tennessee, also Georgia, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina)

Contact Details

Overview

The Crews Family Foundation, established in 2013 by Hilliard and Harriett Crews, is a private grantmaking foundation with over $108 million in assets. The foundation was created after the successful sale of the Crews family's industrial safety equipment businesses, including Shelby Group International, which Hilliard Crews founded in 1974 and sold to Bunzl PLC in 2020. The foundation distributes approximately $5 million annually to charitable organizations, primarily in the Memphis and Mid-South region. In 2018, Hilliard and Harriett Crews received the Crystal Award for Outstanding Philanthropy. The foundation serves as a centralized platform for the family's philanthropic efforts, focusing on strategic, long-term investments in education, poverty alleviation, and social services.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation makes grants through trustee discretion with quarterly review cycles. Recent grant distributions include:

  • Major transformational gifts: Up to $5 million (University of Memphis School of Accountancy naming gift)
  • Mid-level strategic investments: $500,000 (River City Partnership scholarships)
  • Program support grants: Varies by organization and need

Priority Areas

The foundation focuses on four key pillars:

  • Education: Enhancing educational opportunities and resources, particularly teacher preparation and higher education
  • Poverty: Supporting organizations addressing poverty through sustainable solutions
  • Social Services: Providing critical services for individual and family well-being
  • Race Relations and Children's Services: Improving community relations and helping children with economic, medical, and family challenges

What They Don't Fund

While not explicitly stated, the foundation's giving patterns indicate they do not typically fund:

  • Organizations outside the Mid-South region
  • Individual requests
  • Organizations without established track records
  • Programs outside their four focus areas

Governance and Leadership

Board of Directors (all unpaid family members):

  • Hilliard R. Crews Jr. - President and Director (Founder of Shelby Group International, BS '71 University of Memphis)
  • Jason L. Crews - Treasurer and Director
  • Stacy Crews McGee - Secretary and Director

Hilliard Crews built his business empire from founding Memphis Glove Company in 1974 to creating multiple successful safety equipment companies before selling to Bunzl PLC in 2020. He stated about their giving: "We wanted to support the leadership and vision... to provide excellent educational opportunities."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process. The foundation only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations chosen at the discretion of the board.

Getting on Their Radar

Based on the foundation's giving patterns and relationships, organizations may become known to the foundation through:

  • The University of Memphis network, where Hilliard Crews is an alumnus and major donor
  • Participation in United Way of the Mid-South initiatives, which they support
  • Connection through other Memphis philanthropic circles and the Society of Entrepreneurs Memphis
  • Demonstrated excellence in addressing education, poverty, or social services in the Mid-South region

Decision Timeline

The board meets quarterly to review grant requests for preselected organizations.

Success Rates

Not applicable as the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable due to invitation-only model.

Application Success Factors

Since this is an invitation-only funder, organizations they support typically demonstrate:

  • Strong Memphis/Mid-South connection: Nearly all funded organizations operate in or directly benefit the Memphis region
  • Alignment with founder's values: Organizations addressing systemic issues in education and poverty
  • Established credibility: Recipients like Teach for America, United Way, and Youth Villages have proven track records
  • Measurable impact focus: Support for Slingshot Memphis (which measures poverty-fighting effectiveness) suggests preference for data-driven approaches
  • Both faith-based and secular welcomed: Foundation supports organizations like Agape (faith-based) alongside secular nonprofits
  • Educational equity emphasis: Multiple grants supporting teacher preparation and retention in underserved communities

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • This foundation operates on an invitation-only basis with no public application process
  • Focus on building visibility in Memphis philanthropic circles rather than direct applications
  • The foundation makes transformational gifts ($5M+) for causes deeply aligned with their mission
  • Education initiatives, particularly at University of Memphis, receive priority consideration
  • Quarterly board meetings suggest patience needed in relationship building
  • Faith-based organizations are welcomed alongside secular nonprofits
  • The foundation values systemic approaches to poverty reduction over temporary relief

References

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