The Gold Standard of Impact: Based Upon Return on Investment Daughters of Zion Outperforms Every Multi-Million-Dollar Grant in Memphis and Shelby County
By The Shelby County Observer Staff
Daughters of Zion operates the most cost-effective crime prevention initiative and workforce development initiative in Memphis and Shelby County
When the Daughters of Zion launched its five-week Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) program under a modest $175,000 Shelby County Commissioner’s Scholarship grant, few could have predicted the seismic ripple effects it would send across Shelby County’s workforce landscape.
Twelve months later, the results are not only measurable — they are historic.
In an era where government-funded initiatives often stretch into the millions with minimal visible outcomes, Daughters of Zion’s one-year return on investment has set a new benchmark for efficiency, accountability, and transformative impact.
The Numbers Don’t Lie
According to quarterly official reports Daughters of Zion:
- Awarded 66 scholarships to local residents across four cohorts,
- Graduated 48 CNAs, now employed or employable in Shelby County’s healthcare system,
- Generated an estimated $9.6 million in projected five-year economic impact, and
- Delivered a $54.85 return for every $1 invested by Shelby County Government.
Put simply, no other Shelby County or City of Memphis-funded program — not even those with budgets exceeding $5 million — has approached such quantifiable community value.
The Most Cost-Efficient CNA Program in Shelby County History
When analyzed by cost-per-participant, the efficiency of Daughters of Zion’s program stands unrivaled.
- Total County Investment: $175,000
- Total Participants Served: 66
- Cost per Participant: $2,651
By contrast, comparable workforce development and “anti-crime” training initiatives funded by the County and City routinely spend between $10,000 and $25,000 per participant, with far lower job placement rates.
Daughters of Zion’s program achieved these results in a five-week cycle — not five months, not five years.
Each cohort’s training delivered immediate pathways to employment in the healthcare field, often within 30 days of graduation. The program’s speed and precision make it arguably the most rapid and effective job creation engine in Shelby County’s modern history.
A Model for True Crime Prevention
Public officials have poured tens of millions of dollars into anti-violence programs that emphasize intervention and awareness campaigns. Yet few have produced tangible economic mobility — the factor most directly correlated with long-term crime reduction.
Daughters of Zion’s CNA initiative has proven that real crime prevention begins with opportunity. By equipping residents with employable healthcare skills, the program attacks the root cause of crime: lack of access to stable, dignified work.
“There is no anti-crime program greater than this five-week CNA program,” said one crime prevention expert who reviewed the data. “Every graduate we produce represents one less person vulnerable to poverty, incarceration, or despair. The outcomes speak for themselves.”
Outperforming Million-Dollar Programs
In the same fiscal year that Daughters of Zion operated under a $175,000 budget:
Each year, Shelby County Government and the City of Memphis award millions of dollars in grants to nonprofits and community organizations aimed at workforce development, public safety, and anti-crime initiatives.
Yet among these large-scale programs — many funded in the hundreds of thousands or even millions — none have matched the efficiency, outcomes, or community impact achieved by Daughters of Zion, which has consistently operated with one of the smallest public grant allocations in its category.
For every $1 invested by the County, Daughters of Zion returned $54.85 to the local economy — a multiplier effect rarely seen in publicly funded initiatives.
To put that in perspective, a $1 million County investment under Daughters of Zion’s model could theoretically yield more than $54 million in community value over a five-year span.
The Gold Standard of Public Impact
As fiscal accountability and measurable outcomes become national priorities, the Daughters of Zion model offers a glimpse of what government–nonprofit collaboration should look like: efficient, data-driven, and transformative.
While multi-million-dollar programs often drown in bureaucracy, Daughters of Zion has demonstrated that impact doesn’t depend on the size of a grant — it depends on the stewardship of it.
What began as a modest investment by the Shelby County Commission has evolved into a proof of concept that national policymakers, universities, and workforce agencies would be wise to study.
The Final Report Card
After one year, the record speaks for itself:
| Metric | Result |
| Total Grant | $175,000 |
| Scholarships Awarded | 66 |
| Graduates | 48 |
| Cost Per Participant | $2,651 |
| 5-Year Economic Impact | $9.6 Million |
| ROI | $54.85 per $1 Invested |
A Call for Replication
As the County and City prepare their next budget cycles, the data demands attention.
The Daughters of Zion CNA Program is not merely an example of what’s possible — it’s evidence that transformative impact can be achieved with integrity, innovation, and accountability.
In a city often defined by its struggles, one five-week program has proven that when compassion meets strategy, communities don’t just survive — they thrive.
About the Author:
The Shelby County Observer is the leading independent news source covering government accountability, economic development, and community impact across Memphis and Shelby County.
About Post Author
