The committee handling Milton Community Enhancement Grants considered multiple small grant awards and a larger District 10 neighborhood ecosystem pilot proposal. Commissioners approved a number of small grants by voice or roll call and amended one award for First Congregational Church’s food program (First Congo) to $25,000. Several small awards approved included:

- First Congo / School Seed (First Congregational Church food justice program): amended to $25,000 (sponsor Amendment by Commissioner Whaley accepted in committee).
- New Memphis Institute: $5,500 (fiscal year 2025 Milton Community Enhancement Program grant).
- National Tourism and Heritage Association: $8,500 (district‑wide program and career readiness work).
- Clean Memphis: $5,000.

The committee also discussed a $2.7 million District 10 neighborhood ecosystem pilot (labeled the “District 10 plan / neighborhood ecosystem pilot program”) to fund organizing, neighborhood associations, workforce/education linkages and small organization capacity. Commissioner Britney Thornton, sponsor of the District 10 plan, said the money is intended to fund organizing and capacity building across neighborhood associations and charitable organizations in District 10, with a substantial allocation to Orange Mound. Thornton told the committee she planned community meetings to allow stakeholders to weigh in on distribution and implementation.

Public commenters urged fairness and broader access for small neighborhood nonprofits that lack grant‑writing capacity. Several speakers from Orange Mound and other parts of District 10 said they wanted assurance that the plan would not favor a small group of better‑resourced organizations and that the money would be distributed transparently by neighborhood stakeholders.

Committee members asked staff about application and selection mechanics and whether charitable organizations not named in the sponsor’s draft would be eligible to participate. Legislative counsel advised the committee that the sponsor could either name particular organizations and amounts or open a category to all charitable organizations and have a fiscal agent determine allocations. Sponsors and staff said the plan will include public meetings and that Orange Mound would receive a substantially larger allocation than other neighborhoods (sponsors cited about $600,000 for Orange Mound) to reflect needs and organizing capacity.

Why it matters: The District 10 pilot would be one of the largest concentrated neighborhood investments from the Milton fund; it attempts to fund organizing, capacity and local projects where many small groups have historically lacked access to grant support. Commissioners and residents signaled the need for an accessible application process, transparent selection mechanics and community input on allocations.