As stated in social media posts, I have been reviewing the Shelby County Commission’s community enhancement grant program (Milton grants).
In addition to sharing my perspective on and approach to the grant program, I have committed to take the following actions:
- Provide an account of my participation in the program.
- Support reforms to the program.
- Advocate for better technology and data sharing processes.
- Maintain an open door policy with citizens and media.
This blog post was drafted to meet the first of these commitments.
First, a few words about the grant program:
- Each year, the board of commissioners has budgeted an amount for grants to non-profit organizations, with equal amounts for each district.
- When I joined the board (during FY19 in progress), each district had a grant budget of $150,000.
- For FY20, commissioners raised the total to $200,000 per district.
- For FY21 (at the height of the COVID-19 era), the grant program was initially cut to $100,000 per district, but was later tripled to $300,000 using federal relief dollars.
- Since FY22, the amount per district has returned to and held steady at $200,000.
Sponsored grants by total
Time period covered: 2018 (FY19) – 2025 (FY25)
| Recipient | Amount |
| City of Bartlett | $498,000 |
| Bartlett Education Foundation | $145,000 |
| Bartlett Chamber Foundation | $143,000 |
| Returned to General Fund | $100,000 |
| Davies Manor Association | $75,500 |
| Memphis Athletic Ministries | $72,500 |
| Lakeland Education Foundation | $46,000 |
| RestoreCorps | $46,000 |
| Memphis Adult Teen Challenge | $45,000 |
| Bartlett’s Closet | $27,800 |
| City of Lakeland | $25,000 |
| Vitalant Foundation | $25,000 |
| American Public Education Foundation | $20,000 |
| Memphis Zoological Society | $20,000 |
| Almost Home Retreat | $15,000 |
| Rural Heritage Trust | $15,000 |
| Lifeline to Success | $11,000 |
| Agricenter International | $10,000 |
| Saving Lost Kids | $10,000 |
| YMCA of Memphis and Midsouth | $10,000 |
| Women’s Foundation for a Greater Memphis | $9,000 |
| Feed the Needy | $8,000 |
| Stop the Killing – Cut the Beef | $7,500 |
| Memphis Teacher Residency | $5,500 |
| ABC of West TN Education Trust | $5,000 |
| Collierville Literacy Council | $5,000 |
| High Calling Services | $5,000 |
| Love Works | $5,000 |
| Museum of Biblical History | $5,000 |
| New Memphis Institute | $5,000 |
| Thistle & Bee | $5,000 |
| Flip My Life | $3,000 |
| Collierville Rotary Foundation | $2,700 |
| Vote 70 | $2,500 |
| Block Party for Peace | $2,000 |
| Memphis 13 Foundation | $2,000 |
| Memphis Child Advocacy Center | $2,000 |
| Rising Together Foundation | $2,000 |
| Saving Absalom | $2,000 |
| Arise2Read | $1,000 |
| Big Brothers Big Sisters | $1,000 |
| Boys & Girls Clubs | $1,000 |
| Memphis Inner City Rugby | $1,000 |
| Meritan | $1,000 |
| Restoration Time Family & Youth Services | $1,000 |
| Tennessee Dream Chasers | $1,000 |
Sponsored grants by date
Note: Figures in the table are the amounts sponsored by Commissioner Mick Wright (and may not reflect the full amount of the resolution).
| Date Approved | Recipient | Amount | Type |
| 10/15/2018 | City of Bartlett | $100,000 | Sponsor |
| 10/15/2018 | Almost Home Retreat | $15,000 | Sponsor |
| 10/29/2018 | Bartlett Education Foundation | $10,000 | Sponsor |
| 12/3/2018 | City of Lakeland | $25,000 | Sponsor |
| 9/9/2019 | Restoration Time Family & Youth Services | $1,000 | Amendment |
| 9/23/2019 | Agricenter International | $10,000 | Amendment |
| 9/23/2019 | Museum of Biblical History | $5,000 | Amendment |
| 10/7/2019 | Memphis Child Advocacy Center | $2,000 | Amendment |
| 10/7/2019 | Arise2Read | $1,000 | Amendment |
| 10/7/2019 | Tennessee Dream Chasers | $1,000 | Amendment |
| 10/7/2019 | Memphis Inner City Rugby | $1,000 | Amendment |
| 10/7/2019 | Big Brothers Big Sisters | $1,000 | Amendment |
| 10/7/2019 | Meritan | $1,000 | Amendment |
| 10/7/2019 | Boys & Girls Clubs | $1,000 | Amendment |
| 10/21/2019 | Feed the Needy | $3,000 | Amendment |
| 12/9/2019 | YMCA of Memphis and Midsouth | $10,000 | Amendment |
| 12/9/2019 | City of Bartlett | $100,000 | Sponsor |
| 1/13/2020 | Women’s Foundation for a Greater Memphis | $5,000 | Sponsor |
| 2/10/2020 | Davies Manor Association | $38,000 | Sponsor |
| 3/23/2020 | Bartlett Chamber Foundation | $13,000 | Sponsor |
| 6/30/2020 | Returned to General Fund | $7,000 | Sponsor |
| 11/9/2020 | Collierville Literacy Council | $5,000 | Amendment |
| 12/21/2020 | Bartlett Education Foundation | $30,000 | Sponsor |
| 12/21/2020 | City of Bartlett | $23,000 | Sponsor |
| 12/21/2020 | Saving Lost Kids | $7,500 | Amendment |
| 12/21/2020 | Thistle & Bee | $5,000 | Amendment |
| 12/21/2020 | Block Party for Peace | $2,000 | Amendment |
| 2/8/2021 | Lakeland Education Foundation | $16,000 | Sponsor |
| 2/22/2021 | RestoreCorps | $31,000 | Sponsor |
| 2/22/2021 | Rural Heritage Trust | $15,000 | Amendment |
| 2/22/2021 | Vote 70 | $2,500 | Amendment |
| 3/8/2021 | Lifeline to Success | $11,000 | Amendment |
| 3/8/2021 | Women’s Foundation for a Greater Memphis | $2,000 | Amendment |
| 5/24/2021 | Bartlett Chamber Foundation | $50,000 | Sponsor |
| 5/24/2021 | Davies Manor Association | $7,000 | Sponsor |
| 6/30/2021 | Returned to General Fund | $93,000 | Sponsor |
| 9/13/2021 | Vitalant Foundation | $10,000 | Amendment |
| 12/20/2021 | Saving Lost Kids | $2,500 | Amendment |
| 1/10/2022 | Rising Together Foundation | $2,000 | Amendment |
| 1/10/2022 | Women’s Foundation for a Greater Memphis | $2,000 | Amendment |
| 4/11/2022 | City of Bartlett | $100,000 | Sponsor |
| 4/11/2022 | Bartlett Education Foundation | $60,000 | Sponsor |
| 4/11/2022 | High Calling Services | $5,000 | Sponsor |
| 4/11/2022 | Memphis Teacher Residency | $3,000 | Amendment |
| 5/9/2022 | Davies Manor Association | $15,500 | Sponsor |
| 8/29/2022 | Memphis Adult Teen Challenge | $20,000 | Sponsor |
| 8/29/2022 | ABC of West TN Education Trust | $5,000 | Amendment |
| 12/5/2022 | New Memphis Institute | $5,000 | Amendment |
| 12/19/2022 | American Public Education Foundation | $20,000 | Amendment |
| 12/19/2022 | Saving Absalom | $2,000 | Amendment |
| 12/19/2022 | Flip My Life | $3,000 | Amendment |
| 12/19/2022 | Vitalant Foundation | $5,000 | Amendment |
| 1/23/2023 | Bartlett Chamber Foundation | $50,000 | Sponsor |
| 1/23/2023 | Memphis Zoological Society | $15,000 | Sponsor |
| 2/6/2023 | Davies Manor | $15,000 | Sponsor |
| 6/5/2023 | Bartlett Education Foundation | $30,000 | Sponsor |
| 6/5/2023 | Lakeland Education Foundation | $30,000 | Sponsor |
| 10/16/2023 | Memphis Zoological Society | $5,000 | Amendment |
| 10/16/2023 | Memphis Athletic Ministries | $5,000 | Amendment |
| 10/16/2023 | Love Works | $5,000 | Amendment |
| 10/30/2023 | Vitalant Foundation | $10,000 | Amendment |
| 11/13/2023 | Feed the Needy | $5,000 | Amendment |
| 12/4/2023 | Memphis Adult Teen Challenge | $20,000 | Sponsor |
| 12/4/2023 | Memphis 13 Foundation | $2,000 | Amendment |
| 2/5/2024 | Stop the Killing – Cut the Beef | $7,500 | Amendment |
| 4/9/2024 | Bartlett’s Closet | $22,800 | Sponsor |
| 4/9/2024 | Memphis Teacher Residency | $2,500 | Amendment |
| 5/6/2024 | Bartlett Chamber Foundation | $30,000 | Sponsor |
| 5/6/2024 | RestoreCorps | $15,000 | Sponsor |
| 5/6/2024 | Memphis Athletic Ministries | $67,500 | Sponsor |
| 5/20/2024 | Collierville Rotary Foundation | $2,700 | Amendment |
| 1/27/2025 | Bartlett’s Closet | $5,000 | Sponsor |
| 2/10/2025 | City of Bartlett | $175,000 | Sponsor |
| *3/17/2025 | Bartlett Education Foundation | $15,000 | Sponsor |
| *Pledged | Memphis Adult Teen Challenge | $5,000 | Sponsor |