Search Through Grants for 501(c)(3) in Mississippi in the U.S.

About Us

Academy Sports + Outdoors is one of the nation's largest sporting goods and outdoor stores. With 301 stores across 21 states, we offer a broad assortment of quality hunting, fishing, and camping equipment and gear, along with sports and leisure products, footwear, apparel and much more.

Community Relations

By providing members of our communities with the right gear and knowledge while also promoting safety and responsibility, we empower people with the confidence to simply get active, have fun together, and enjoy life.

Our Pillars

• Empower
  • Academy Sports + Outdoors encourages safety so that everyone can feel confident and comfortable doing what they love. We help people gear up properly for sports and outdoor activities, and we promote ways to be smart and stay safe. We’ve got your back… and the rest of you too.
• Encourage
  • Academy Sports + Outdoors makes it possible for people to enjoy more sports and outdoors activities. We believe being active is an essential part of life. Starting with our assortment, we motivate people to try new things and give them opportunities to enjoy a variety of fun activities. We’re always game.
• Connect
  • Academy Sports + Outdoors creates ways for members of the community to connect and have fun with each other. We build connections within the community by supporting events, programs, and organizations that make a positive impact. Let’s get together.

Guided by a vision for a healthy Mississippi, the mission of the Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation is to provide leadership and targeted grant funding for sustainable initiatives and programs to improve the overall health and well-being of Mississippians. The Foundation exists to make our state a healthy place to live, work and play, and its impact is empowering lasting change that is evident both in the built environment and in the health of the people who live here.

Since its inception in 2004, the Foundation has formed relationships with community and school leaders and other stakeholders to build a healthy Mississippi. The Foundation’s targeted grant funding is provided for the following purposes: increasing health literacy, enhancing or starting farmers’ markets, cultivating community and school gardens, encouraging tobacco-free environments, creating outdoor play spaces, and constructing places for physical fitness, healthy cooking classes, and health education, among other innovative project developments.

The value of wellness is equal among all, and the Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation is committed to making “healthy” available to every Mississippian.

The focus of the Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation is to provide leadership and administer grant funding to improve the overall health and well-being of the people of Mississippi through the following:

• Support of health promotion programs specifically targeted to improve health through increased health literacy, healthy eating and exercise;
• Support of community-based programs that promote health, quality of life and well-being; and
• Support of school-based programs that promote health learning and healthy lifestyles among students and their families and school personnel.
• Support programs in Mississippi communities that improve access to high quality healthcare services where access to high quality healthcare services is limited.

The Bower Foundation supports innovative strategies to improve the health of Mississippians. Our proactive method in grantee selection allows us to address issues on many levels and from multiple directions. We only give grants to those who are capable and serious about making a difference.

In order to maximize our funding impact, our work focuses on four primary goals:

• Improving access to health care,
• developing healthy lifestyles among children,
• developing and promoting innovative health policy, and
• maintaining our commitment to End Stage Renal Disease.

Our Vision in Action

The C Spire Foundation is a charitable foundation funded by C Spire, working to inspire excellence and transform the communities we serve. We’re proud to support STEM education, digital literacy and professional skills development for students across Mississippi, Tennessee and Alabama.

A History of Helping

Since 1997, C Spire has donated millions of dollars in scholarships, opening doors to higher education in our home state of Mississippi. The company took that a step further in 2005, establishing the C Spire Foundation to help our employees and communities dealing with the devastating impact of Hurricane Katrina.

While the C Spire Foundation continues to support many causes, we sharpened our focus primarily on STEM education in 2017, using our technology expertise to make a lasting impact on our region’s future.

C Spire Wireless Foundation Grant

Both C Spire and the C Spire Foundation are committed to making a difference in the area we serve and the lives of our customers. That's why we created the C Spire Tech Movement - to use our expertise in technology to transform the communities we serve. 

The C Spire Foundation supports a variety of organizations and events that benefit our communities, but our grants and sponsorships primarily focus on projects that support STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education. Through these fields, we can help improve tech education, build a stronger workforce, and increase reliable broadband access — three things vital in creating a better future for our region.

Charitable Investments

CSX is proud to support people and organizations that in turn honor those who serve our communities. We offer monetary and in-kind resources to nonprofit organizations advocating for the betterment of our nation’s military members or community first responders, and have additional resources available to support other community efforts.

In Kind Donations

Intermodal Transportation Services

Intermodal transportation services provide applicable organizations with intermodal equipment and rail service throughout the CSX rail network, and afford these organizations an opportunity to reduce or eliminate their transportation spending.

Ideally, intermodal moves work best when freight is moving 500 miles or more. However, the in-kind moves program requires only that freight have an origin and destination within a combined 250 miles’ distance to a CSX intermodal facility.

CSX’s door-to-door product is an ideal solution for the in-kind moves program, as our trained team will pick up your freight at its origin and transport it to a terminal to be placed on an intermodal train. Then, we will pick up your freight at the destination terminal and deliver it directly to its endpoint. The door-to-door network provides service across the Eastern United States with its large nationwide network and trucking capability.

CSX will also work with you to determine the type of equipment that is an ideal fit to transport your freight. CSX has a large fleet of rail-owned containers, as well as an expansive network of channel partners that can provide equipment to fit your needs.

Railroad Equipment and Materials

CSX occasionally donates materials, supplies and used railroad equipment based on availability. The online in-kind application can be used to request the donation of railroad-related items, including retired rail cars when available. Please note that rail, rail ties and spikes are not available for donation or purchase. Applicants will be contacted if the requested item becomes available within 90 days of their online submittal. At that time, arrangements will be made to transfer possession of the requested item. All applicants will be asked to re-submit their application at a later date if the requested item does not become available within the 90-day period.

Grant-Making Priorities

The Phil Hardin Foundation seeks to improve educational and life outcomes for Mississippi children and youth, with a special emphasis on Meridian and Lauderdale County, and to expand access to high-quality educational opportunities.

The foundation has adopted seven grant-making priorities as a means of achieving that mission for the five-year period beginning July 2019. Any grants approved or initiatives supported will fit into one or more of these categories:

• Early childhood development
• Literacy
• Teacher quality
• School leadership
• Equity of educational access
• Arts and cultural enrichment
• Community and state capacity building

Our work begins in Meridian and Lauderdale County, where at least 50 percent of our grant dollars are invested each year. We envision an educational continuum in our home community that serves as a model of collaboration and coordination, to include Meridian and Lauderdale County Public Schools, Meridian Community College, Mississippi State University-Meridian, nonprofit educational service providers, and local arts and cultural organizations. Our No. 1 priority as a foundation is to enhance the capacity and performance of these entities in meeting individual and community needs and to encourage them to work, plan and share resources together to the maximum extent possible.

Jackson, as the state's capital and largest city, is a secondary area of special interest for Hardin Foundation grantmaking. It is our belief that for Mississippi to reach its full potential, it must have a thriving capital city and urban center, and that improving education at all levels is a critical component in reaching that goal. 

Wherever they may originate, the Hardin Foundation is especially interested in proposals that have a potential regional (multi-county) or statewide impact or that if locally focused could be replicated in other communities. We value collaboration with other funders and proposals that emphasize multi-faceted, cross-sector partnerships at the local and state levels.

The Hardin Foundation has a long history of support for higher education in Mississippi. We accept grant proposals from all public and private four-year institutions in the state, but historically the foundation has emphasized its relationships with Mississippi State University, the University of Mississippi and Millsaps College. These institutions continue to receive priority in our higher education grant making.

Another long-standing emphasis of the Hardin Foundation is to increase knowledge and understanding of Mississippi arts, culture, history and geography, acknowledging the state's trials and shortcomings while celebrating its unique identity as a wellspring of creativity and abundant natural beauty.

Our MissionAdvancing Southern vitality through the arts.

Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, South Arts is a nonprofit regional arts organization empowering artists, organizations, and communities, and increasing access to arts and culture.

In partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and the State Arts Agencies of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee — with additional funding from other public and private donors such as the Doris Duke Foundation, the Ford Foundation, and Mellon Foundation — South Arts supports artists and organizations through a rich and responsive portfolio of grants, fellowships, and programs.

Why? Because South Arts believes that the arts elevate the region, increasing connectedness and inspiring meaningful change in the process. 

Professional Development Grants for Arts Organizations

Program Description

South Arts strongly believes that skill and knowledge building for arts organizations are integral to success and sustainability. These grants are designed to support the professional development needs of Southern arts organizations for increasing organizational capacity to achieve long-term sustainability, growth, and/or operational stability. This grant program is open to film, visual arts, performing arts, traditional arts, literary arts, and multidisciplinary arts organizations.

Funding can support staff or board participation at conferences, workshops, and other professional development opportunities and events. In addition, these grants can support expenses for in-person and virtual professional development for organization-wide staff learning and training. Funds support travel expenses (for example, lodging and air/ground transportation), admission/registration fees, or other related expenses (for example, consultant/service fees for staff learning/training sessions). 

Who We Are

The Joe W. and Dorothy Dorsett Brown Foundation proudly works to answer life’s questions and relieve human suffering. Under the proud and deeply dedicated leadership of American war hero D. Paul Spencer, a long-time employee and friend of the Browns, the governing body of the Foundation adopted its mission statement: Alleviate Human Suffering. Through the hard work and dedication of the governing body and staff, the Joe W. and Dorothy Dorsett Brown Foundation continues to contribute to the betterment of communities, alleviating human suffering, and supporting educational initiatives. 

We believe in feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, and developing new treatments for the sick while assisting with community benefit and human interest programs where prudent. We do not accept unsolicited applications, as we develop and run our own programs. We have utilized hundreds of volunteers over the years in our various programs, but we do not solicit volunteers and we do not undertake any fundraising activities or services. We will not accept donations or gifts from any third party. 

Shelter & Food Security Program

Our primary interests in 2025 are our Shelter & Food Security Program, our Fundamental Research Program(s), and the various programs within our education department. If you are a qualified Louisiana or Mississippi charity primarily focused on providing services to the homeless or addressing food security and you are interested in being invited to apply for our program you should submit an LOI as early as possible in a calendar year. 

Are We a Match?

Do you envision a world where every child and family sees the road to success? Where a community’s future is determined by the people who live there?A world where:

• All kids receive nurturing early care and education.
• Health care for mothers, birthing people and babies is readily available where they live.
• Good food is a given, along with support for the people who grow it.
• Parents and caregivers land career pathways that sustain their family
•   And where everyone can heal from the harms of racism and contribute to a more equitable world.

That’s the world we want to see, too!

Where We Fund

Across the United States, with generational commitments in Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico and New Orleans. We also fund in Chiapas and the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico and in central and southwest Haiti.

Pat Santucci Education Fund

The Pat Santucci Education Fund supports projects that impact public education, educators, and the physically and mentally challenged n Harrison, Hancock, Jackson, Stone, Pearl River and George County School Districts.

 Gulf Coast Community Foundation

The Gulf Coast Community Foundation (GCCF) is dedicated to fostering charitable giving, empowering donors, and enhancing our community by facilitating investments in a diverse array of charitable causes. We serve a pivotal role in attracting, managing and distributing substantial charitable funds to enrich the lives of residents across George, Hancock, Harrison, Jackson, Pearl River, and Stone counties.

Established in 1989 as a 501(c)(3) organization, GCCF has invested more than $110 million into South Mississippi, providing administrative services to more than 120 funds that support local grassroots organizations in achieving their charitable objectives.

Jack A. & Gertrude W. Wilson Animal Welfare Fund

Jack and Gertrude Wilson’s love of animals led them to establish an endowed fund to care for companion animals. Years later the fund continues to support local programs such as the Friends of the Jackson County County Animal Shelter Pets, Wild at Heart Rescue, Humane Society of South Mississippi, Wildlife Care and Rescue, Tired Dog Rescue, and Friends of the Animal Shelter in Hancock County.

The Jack A. & Gertrude W. Wilson Animal Welfare Fund was established in 2001 to provide competitive grants for qualifying organizations classified as public charities under section 501c3 of the Internal Revenue code that deliver programs for or with animals. All grants from this fund are for the welfare of animals and all animals are to be included. Program administrative fees should not exceed eight percent (8%). 

Mini-grants for Organizations

Mini-Grants for Organizations are matching grants designed to support professional development and capacity building for arts organizations. Mississippi based non-profit organizations and government entities are also eligible to receive Mini-Grants to hire professional artists such as those listed on MAC’s Artist Roster and Teaching Artist Roster. LLC’s and other for-profit businesses are NOT eligible to apply for MAC grants.

MAC funds activities that promote public understanding and support of the arts and artistic excellence, including:

• Performances, readings, exhibitions and related publications
• Workshops and artist residencies
• Arts research, planning, development, fieldwork and cultural documentation
• Information dissemination
• Services to artists and arts organizations
• Artistic and managerial professional development
• Projects that promote arts education
• Projects that increase access to the arts
• Commissioning of artwork
• Adding to museum collections
• Projects that increase resources for the arts
• General operating expenses of arts organizations
• Indirect costs of up to 10% of the total project budget

Eligible Activities

There are types of activities that may be supported through Organization Mini-grants:

Presenting/Hiring Professional Artists:

Mini-grants can pay for up to half of the total fee to hire a professional artist.

Those hiring members of MAC’s Artist Roster will be given funding priority.

Other professional artists must include proof of artistic excellence and professionalism. Examples of how to establish this within the application include, but are not limited to: Artist’s resume and work samples, signed intent to hire agreement, link to professional website or listing on another adjudicated roster program, such as the Craftsmen’s Guild of Mississippi, the Poet Laureate of Mississippi, or a program managed by another state or regional arts agency.

• Organizations may hire artists (Priority will be given to those hiring MAC Roster artists or MAC Teaching artists) to: 
  • Present a performance, workshop, or other presentation
  • Create public art on/in your building or for your organization
  • To create arts curriculum

Organizational or Curriculum Development:

Mini-grants can support up to half of the total fee of a consultant to support organizational capacity building, organizational professional development or curriculum development.

• Organizations may hire professional consultants to provide a short-term consultancy that is focused on overall organizational development such as: 
  • Organizational long range Strategic Planning
  • Organizational Fundraising Planning
  • I.D.E.A. Audit (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Access)
  • Diversity Training or other professional work to diversify and organization’s Board of Directors
  • ADA Compliance and Accessibility Trainings
  • Board Member Training
  • Arts Related Emergency Preparation
  • Convening focus groups of different types of artists, stakeholders or members of the community touched by your organization
  • Curriculum development in a K-12 school

Please note: The applicant organization must demonstrate through the required attachments that the consultant is qualified to do the work.

Conference Support:

Mini-Grants can support up to half of the total cost for an arts organization to send staff or board members to an in-person or online professional conference or workshop that directly relates to the organization’s work in and through the arts.

If you are a non-arts organization, please contact MAC staff to discuss eligibility.

About

"Enriching people's lives" is the global vision of Nissan and all its operating companies across the world. Nissan supports this vision by improving the quality of life in the communities where it operates.

Two impactful programs for our communities:

• Nissan Foundation
  • Since 1992, the Nissan Foundation has awarded millions of dollars to 150+ organizations promoting respect and understanding of America's rich cultural heritage.
• Nissan Neighbors
  • Nissan Neighbors provides charitable giving and employee volunteer support for initiatives in education, environmental sustainability, and humanitarian services.

Nissan Foundation

Nissan formed the Nissan Foundation in 1992 in response to the civil unrest that occurred near its then U.S. sales operations following the Rodney King trial verdict. Since its founding, the Nissan Foundation has annually awarded hundreds of thousands of dollars to nonprofit organizations that support the Foundation’s mission.

The primary mission of the Nissan foundation is to award grants to nonprofit organizations whose programs explore and celebrate cultural diversity and heritage.

The Assisi Foundation of Memphis Grant

Creating Positive Change

At The Assisi Foundation, we work with nonprofit organizations to address pressing challenges and search for root causes with the goal of healthy, positive transformation. Our focus areas are listed below. However, it should be noted that whether or not an organization falls neatly within one of these categories, we always invite the exploration of good ideas that align with our mission of philanthropy, done well.

Areas of Focus

• Health and Human Services: The Foundation supports initiatives that enhance the spiritual, mental and physical health and well-being of the Mid-South community. Grantees include organizations that address a variety of social determinants through the provision of direct care, research or preventive measures.
• Education and Lifelong Learning: The Foundation strives to strengthen our community’s educational well-being through programs that develop tools for life and focus on the awareness and importance of accepting social responsibilities. The Foundation funds nonprofits that build the organizational capacity of provider agencies, provide professional development, promote collaboration, and leverage local, state and federal resources.
• Social Justice and Ethics: The Foundation values organizations that help individuals strive to reach their greatest human potential. The Foundation funds projects and programs that strengthen ethical values among Mid-South citizens and promote social justice—initiatives that lead to a better understanding of, and a more effective response to, the economic and social challenges of the community.
• Cultural Enrichment and the Arts: Seeking to foster an even greater appreciation of Memphis arts and culture, The Foundation supports some of our area’s cultural icons and groups that work to promote the cultural and artistic heritage of the Greater Memphis area.
• Community Enhancement  & Capacity Building:  For grant applications that don’t fit neatly into other named categories, The Foundation welcomes the opportunity to explore activities that offer clear community benefit valued by named beneficiaries; address gaps and promote effectiveness within the socioecological system; and strengthen community resilience.

Truist Foundation

The Truist Foundation is committed to Truist Financial Corporation's (NYSE: TFC) purpose to inspire and build better lives and communities. Established in 2020, the foundation makes strategic investments in nonprofit organizations to help ensure the communities it serves have more opportunities for a better quality of life. The Truist Foundation's grants and activities focus on building career pathways to economic mobility and strengthening small businesses.

Inspire Awards

We’re collaborating with MIT Solve to kick off our third year of the Inspire Awards. Nonprofits from across the country are invited to pitch their solution to advance workers through career navigation and workforce development.

This year’s Inspire Awards challenge aims to improve resources and wraparound services for workers seeking reskilling, upskilling, and career transitions to uplift themselves—and their families. For workers looking to develop skills to help them adapt to industry changes, career navigation and workforce development solutions can make an impact. These tools can aid smoother career transitions, foster economic mobility, and empower workers to pursue personal growth.

2025 Truist Foundation Inspire Awards Challenge Question

How are nonprofits providing innovative solutions for the reskilling, upskilling, and career navigation needs of adults who are in the middle or late stages of their careers?

Challenge Dimensions

We are seeking innovative nonprofit solutions that improve resources and wraparound services for adults who are in the middle or late stages of their careers seeking reskilling, upskilling, and career navigation support, including:

• Wraparound Services – Supporting unemployed and underemployed individuals on their journey to economic mobility through innovative and comprehensive resources including transportation support, childcare, mentorship, mental health services, and more.
• Coalition Building – Generating greater buy-in and support for workforce navigation efforts through coalitions, promoting communication and collaboration across diverse sectors and stakeholders including businesses, nonprofits, and government entities.
• Career Navigation – Enabling workers to navigate their career choices more easily, helping to facilitate informed decisions about which high-quality jobs and career trajectories best suit them.
• Upskilling and Reskilling – Providing accessible, high-quality, skill-building and training opportunities for those transitioning between careers or facing unemployment.

Here are the grants for this challenge

• First place: $250,000
• Second place: $150,000
• Runners-up: $25,000
• Audience favorite: $75,000

Community Solutions Grant

The Community Foundation of Greater Memphis believes that the solutions to our most pressing challenges will emerge from communities working together to identify root causes and leverage collective strengths. Knowing that change moves at the speed of trust, we foster brave and authentic spaces for personal, organizational, and societal transformation.

To help support these effort, the Community Initiatives committee announces a new grantmaking program: Community Solutions Grants. Community Solutions Grants will invest in organizations working alongside communities to address complex challenges and create lasting change. By focusing on ground-level, community-driven strategies, this initiative supports innovative approaches to tackling systemic issues and empowering communities to lead the way in shaping their futures.

Community Solutions Grants aim to fund organizations that:

• Are Proximate to the Community: These organizations have established trust and maintain a strong presence within the communities they serve. They possess a deep understanding of the lived experiences of residents and the systemic barriers that contribute to the issues they face.
• Understand Root Causes: Organizations will also demonstrate a commitment to addressing the underlying issues that perpetuate community concerns. They demonstrate a commitment to tackling the underlying issues that drive community concerns, rather than focusing solely on surface-level symptoms.
• Prioritize Trust and Accountability: Building authentic relationships based on mutual respect and shared responsibility is at the heart of this grant. We seek organizations that prioritize creating spaces where all voices are valued, and communities are empowered to lead. 

Community Solutions Grants are intended to be multi-year general operating support. They are intentionally flexible and will address a variety of pressing community issues in future cycles.

Focus - Safe and Resilient Places

Community Solutions Grants will focus on supporting Safe and Resilient Places. Funding will support organizations working to create innovative, tangible, ground-level solutions to address critical challenges related to community safety and well-being. This grant will support organizations that are deeply connected to the communities they serve and actively collaborate with them to design and implement transformative solutions.

Safe and Resilient Places Grants will invest in organizations that:

• Deeply understand systemic barriers that contribute to public safety challenges
• Address the root causes of public safety challenges
• Amplify underrepresented voices in shaping public safety approaches
• Actively partner with impacted residents and communities to co-design innovative models of addressing crime and safety
• Promote long-term strategies that uplift community perspectives on public safety and support sustainable community well-being

Funding

There is approximately $300,000 available for this year.

About Us

The Gulf Coast Community Foundation (GCCF) is dedicated to fostering charitable giving, empowering donors, and enhancing our community by facilitating investments in a diverse array of charitable causes. We serve a pivotal role in attracting, managing and distributing substantial charitable funds to enrich the lives of residents across George, Hancock, Harrison, Jackson, Pearl River, and Stone counties.

Established in 1989 as a 501(c)(3) organization, GCCF has invested more than $110 million into South Mississippi, providing administrative services to more than 120 funds that support local grassroots organizations in achieving their charitable objectives. Our primary mission is to amplify philanthropy across the lower six counties, which we accomplish by the following:

• Distributing grants to charitable causes
• Providing donor services
• Offering responsive leadership to our community’s evolving needs
• Developing and managing a comprehensive pool of funds
• Our donors encompass individuals, families, corporations, private foundations, agencies and other organizations united by a vision to improve the quality of life for South Mississippians.

Through the GCCF Investment Committee, donated funds are prudently invested, maintaining a balanced approach to growth and income. Donors and community partners value our professional financial and grants administrative services, which connect generous contributors with local organizations addressing the needs of our growing region.

Coast Electric Community Trust Operation Round Up Grant

Coast Electric Community Trust Fund at the Gulf Coast Community Foundation funds Operation Round Up voluntary contributions from members of the Cooperative. Operation Round Up contributions are used in the local areas of Hancock, Harrison and Pearl River counties for non-profit, charitable and educational purposes, including the Share Your Blessings energy assistance program. Major funding categories include Community Service, Economic Development, Education and Youth, and the Environment.

Volunteer and Civic Engagement Project 

Volunteer Mississippi, the Governor-appointed commission on service and volunteerism, announces grant awards to support Volunteer and Civic Engagement projects. Projects must take place within the specified time. These projects will engage Mississippians of all ages and backgrounds in service to their communities. 

Examples of volunteer and civic engagement projects include (but not limited to):

• Mentoring and tutoring projects
• Projects advocating for change and social justice
• Restoring natural areas (parks, rivers, beaches, etc.)
• Literacy projects
• Community arts projects
• Projects that address food insecurity, poverty, and homelessness

Funding

$1500 minimum - $10,000 maximum

MAC Operating Grants

Operating Grants are specifically available for arts focused institutions as these organizations are crucial partners with MAC in providing increased access to the arts in Mississippi. Operating grants serve as a way to assist these core organizations maintain their financial stability, build their organizational capacity, improve their artist programs, and broaden their programs throughout the community. Eligible organizations should have the arts as their primary focus and mission. 

Operating Grants can be used by these arts focused organizations to support any of their general operating expenses, including salaries, marketing, rent, insurance, or artistic fees. Because of the wide range of expenses the grant can support, Operating Grant applicants are also required to submit more detailed information than other applicants in order to provide MAC grant review panels with a more detailed picture of the applicant organization’s overall structure and activities.

MAC awards Operating Grants in each of the following programs areas:

Arts Based Community Development

Program Goal: To improve the social, economic and cultural conditions of Mississippi communities through meaningful, quality arts programming.

Whether it is after-school programming targeting at-risk youth, public art refurbishing a blighted downtown area, or a music festival bringing together a diverse audience from the community, successful Arts Based Community Development programming utilizes community-driven planning and the power of the arts to create stronger communities.

Arts Industry

Program Goal: To improve the social, economic and cultural conditions of Mississippi communities through meaningful, quality arts programming.

Arts Industry organizations seek to enrich the lives of their audience through entertainment and through learning about themselves and others by expanding the role the arts plays in the broader social arenas of Mississippi communities. They involve the general public with their services and programs. They reach diverse communities to identify shared values, foster excellence in the arts and provide inspiration to generate a higher quality of life for all citizens by providing inclusive and diverse artistic experiences.

Folk & Traditional Arts

Program Goal: To improve the social, economic and cultural conditions of Mississippi communities through meaningful, quality arts programming.

Folk & Traditional Arts works to increase the awareness of and foster the continuation of the state’s folk and traditional art forms.

Before applying, review the goals of each program area to determine which one most closely aligns with your organization’s mission and activities.

Project Grants

Much of the work done to expand arts activities across Mississippi is accomplished through projects taken on by arts and community-based groups. MAC supports these efforts through its Project Grant program, which funds a wide range of arts projects that support the main goals of the agency.

MAC awards Project Grants in each of its four program areas:

• Arts Based Community Development
• Arts Education
• Arts Industry
• Folk & Traditional Arts

Following are brief descriptions of each program, including examples of the types of projects that can be funded. If you are still unsure about which program you should apply under, contact MAC before submitting an application.

Arts Based Community Development

Program Goal: Support the Development of Mississippi Communities through the Arts.

Arts Based Community Development looks to improve the social, economic and cultural conditions of Mississippi communities through meaningful, quality arts programming. Whether it is after-school programming targeting at-risk youth, public art refurbishing a blighted downtown area, or a music festival bringing together a diverse audience from the community, successful Arts Based Community Development programming utilizes community-driven planning and the power of the arts to create stronger communities.

Arts Education

Program Goal: Strengthen Education in and through the Arts.

Arts Education works to enable students Pre-K through 12th grade to receive a quality education that includes the arts. The program does this by fostering professional development for educators, enabling them to teach the arts more effectively and use the arts as learning tools in teaching non-arts curriculum.

Arts Industry

Program Goal: Improve the Capacity and Stability of Mississippi’s Arts Industry.

Arts Industry organizations seek to enrich the lives of their audience through entertainment and through learning about themselves and others by expanding the role the arts plays in the broader social arenas of Mississippi communities. They involve the general public with their services and programs. They reach diverse communities to identify shared values, foster excellence in the arts and provide inspiration to generate a higher quality of life for all citizens by providing inclusive and diverse artistic experiences.

Folk & Traditional Arts

Program Goal: To Increase Awareness of Mississippi’s Traditional Arts and Culture.

Folk & Traditional Arts works to increase the awareness of and foster the continuation of the state’s folk and traditional art forms. This is done through the Project Grant Program by encouraging and supporting projects that document or promote Mississippi traditional arts.

The Abelard Foundation is a family foundation, with offices on both the east and west coasts, which has been making grants in support of progressive social change since 1958.

Abelard Foundation-East (Abelard East) focuses its grantmaking on projects operating east of the Mississippi River.

The board of directors meets in the late spring and late fall each year to make grantmaking decisions. The average grant size is $12,000. While grants are approved for one year, the Foundation will consider two one-year renewal requests.

Each year the Foundation makes approximately 15 grants, of which generally five are new. Most grants are for general support.

Criteria

Successful applications to Abelard East satisfy criteria in three areas.

Strategy

Fundamental to the grantees of Abelard East is the strategy of community organizing (including civic and electoral participation) as they work toward the goal of a more democratic, just and equitable society. Basic to an organizing strategy is the development of local leadership and the empowerment of constituents. We also look for strategies that reflect the connection between local work and broader policy issues and the efforts to address them at the state, regional or national levels.

Issues

Abelard East is committed to supporting local progressive social change activities that advance and protect civil rights and liberties, immigrant rights and worker rights and promote and strengthen community involvement in, and control over, the decisions that affect their lives. We do not focus on any issues in particular, e.g. housing, health, the environment, or education, etc. Our grantees are involved in a broad range of issues which involve social, racial and economic justice and civil and human rights.

Constituencies

The constituents of Abelard East’s grantees are those who are seeking to affirm their human rights, including poor and low-income people, the disenfranchised, immigrants, workers, people of color, and the disabled among others.

Entergy’s Open Grants Program focuses on improving communities as a whole. We look for giving opportunities in the areas of arts and culture, education and workforce development, poverty solutions and social services, healthy families, and community improvement.

Arts and Culture

The arts are expressions of ourselves – our heritage, feelings and ideas. To cultivate that, we support a diverse range of locally based visual arts, theater, dance and music institutions. Our long-term goal is to increase the access to contemporary art for a wider public, including children and the financially disadvantaged.

Community Improvement/Enrichment

Entergy supports community-based projects that focus community enrichment and improvement. A few examples include civic affairs, blighted housing improvements, and neighborhood safety. By giving to communities in this way, we actually help them become more self-sufficient.

Healthy Families

Children need a good start to grow into healthy, well-adjusted adults. With that in mind, we give to programs that have a direct impact on children educationally and emotionally. We’re also interested in family programs, like those that better prepare parents to balance the demands of work and home.

The amount and nature of an organization’s request will determine which type of grant the organization would need to apply for.

Program Areas

We believe an auto company can also be a vehicle for change. That’s why Toyota is proud to partner with nonprofit organizations in the dozens of communities where we operate. Investing in and creating better opportunities for our communities and its citizens improves their quality of life, builds lasting relationships and helps enrich society.

Let’s make an impact – together. We work collaboratively to address some of society’s most pressing challenges – and fund programs tied to our strategic priorities.

About Our Program

Toyota seeks to expand access to opportunities that improve people’s lives and create a culture of inclusion—strengthening the communities where we live, work and play.

To have meaningful, sustainable impact, we take a holistic approach to investing in our communities. Our efforts go beyond monetary support, amplifying our impact by engaging our team members as volunteers and sharing our Toyota know-how.

What We Fund

Nationally, Toyota focuses on:

• STEM Education
• Workforce Readiness

Regionally, Toyota makes contributions to help support the specific needs of local communities. Please note that Toyota entities based in Plano, Texas (Toyota Motor North America, Toyota Financial Services and Toyota USA Foundation) as well as Production Engineering and Manufacturing Center (PEMC) have moved to an invite-only grant application process.

All In Credit Union started as Army Aviation Center Federal Credit Union in 1966 during the height of the Vietnam Conflict. As soldiers were deployed, they and their families needed access to low-cost financial services while stationed at Fort Rucker. Over the years, our membership base has expanded and it is our goal to provide more people than ever access to affordable financial services they can trust from an organization committed to excellence. 

On May 8, 2019, we changed our name to All In Credit Union. We chose the name "All In" as a tribute to the commitment and sacrifice made by every soldier who defends our country and knows what it means to be "All In". Although our name changed, it hasn't changed who we are, it only makes it easier for individuals to recognize that they are eligible to experience the same level of benefits that Ft. Novosel personnel have enjoyed for 59 years.

With an original investment of $35, we have now grown to a full-service financial institution with more than 197,000 members and more than $3.5 billion in assets. In addition to the increased number of products and services, we’ve also expanded to 39 branches located in Mobile, Southeast Alabama, the Florida Panhandle and Mississippi.

Giving Back

Among other giving, in 2024, All In Credit Union contributed to the success of its communities by supporting local charities with its time and its donations:

• $501,600 in the form grants to 30 deserving local charities in 2024. Since the inception of the All In Grant Program in 2018, we’ve awarded nearly $2 million to 104 charitable organizations located in Alabama, Florida and Mississippi.
• $85,000 in scholarships awarded
• $45,000 distributed to Soldiers through Army Emergency Relief
• $23,243 to the American Cancer Society for Breast Cancer Research

In addition, All In team members – 450 of 462 total employees – dedicated 6,277 volunteer hours of their time to support 171 different community organizations at 430 events. 

All In Credit Union Grant

Each year, All In Credit Union is pleased to offer grants to non-profits located in our service area. These grants, which include prominent naming rights for All In, provide funds to deserving organizations to help make a difference in our communities.

Community Foundation of Greater Memphis

A community foundation is a philanthropic organization that manages charitable funds with a broad base of donors to benefit a specific geographic area—in our case, West Tennessee, eastern Arkansas, and northern Mississippi.

Founded in 1969, the Community Foundation of Greater Memphis brings a half-century of experience and expertise, working with donors, professional advisors, and nonprofits to help strengthen our community through philanthropy. Together, we have built a trusted resource that helps transform the way you give.

Mission

The mission of the Community Foundation of Greater Memphis is to strengthen our community through philanthropy. To accomplish this mission, the Community Foundation will:

• Develop and effectively manage charitable funds and endowments, offering the highest levels of service and expertise to individuals, families, and institutional donors and their successors; 
• Actively address the needs of the community by examining community issues, securing and distributing resources, advocating for positive change, and convening meetings and conversations which encourage donors and the community to respond;
• Encourage philanthropy and the growth of charitable resources among individuals, families, businesses, and community institutions.

Nonprofit Capacity Building Grants

The Community Foundation of Greater Memphis seeks to address the organizational strength and overall health of nonprofits in the Mid-South by supporting their capacity building efforts through financial grants. Reviewed by a committee of community volunteers, these grants are awarded to established nonprofits for one-time projects that address a part of the organization’s strategic plan to improve the management, governance, and administration of the organization, not direct programmatic improvements. By strengthening the internal capacity of an organization, the Community Foundation believes the programs and services will also be strengthened. Nonprofit Capacity Building grants require the recipient to raise matching funds ($1 for every $1), thereby encouraging the grantee to use our grant to leverage resources from other donors and funders.

Types of Projects Supported

The average Nonprofit Capacity Building grant is around $15,000, and there is approximately $210,000 available this year. Project examples include but are not limited to:

• Evaluation of core programs
• Staff or board training
• Assessment of technology systems or implementation of technology upgrades
• Human resources planning, succession planning, or fundraising planning
• Merger or formal collaboration between organizations

For more specific examples, please see previous Nonprofit Capacity Building grants awarded here.

Mission Statement

The mission of The Mapp Family Foundation is to provide financial resources to qualifying 501(c)3 organizations, primarily in Baldwin County, Alabama, but also to areas of South Alabama and Mississippi.

Our primary focus is on programs which help people and animals at risk or in need due to unfortunate circumstances, neglect or abuse.

The Mapp Family Foundation values compassionate care and seeks to improve the quality of life of those we are privileged to support. 

Mission

The mission of Southern Partners Fund (SPF) is to serve rural Southeastern communities and organizations seeking social, economic and environmental justice by providing them with financial resources, technical assistance, training and access to systems of information and power. There are two central ideas embraced in the democratic philanthropy of Southern Partners Fund: compassion and community. Compassion implies an understanding or concern for community members lacking local political power to impact the decisions that affect their lives. Community relates to the things that bring us and hold us together.

Purpose

The Purpose of SPF Grantmaking is to:

• Develop and nurture grassroots community-based leaders and organizers.
• Build the capacity of rural, grassroots community organizing groups and leaders.
• Strengthen rural communities and people.
• Develop equitable peer relationships, which support real transformation toward a just society.

Hubert E. Sapp Regular Grants Cycle

Hubert Ellis Sapp, a transformative visionary and grassroots organizer, was instrumental in turning the concept of Southern Partners Fund, a democratically led foundation directed by grassroots leaders, into a reality. To honor his legacy in the wake of his passing in February of 2021, we are honored to add his name to our Regular Grant Cycle, which from here on, will be referred to as the Hubert E. Sapp Regular Grant Cycle. 

• Applicants may request general support or project support.
• Applicants must have operating budgets of $350,000 or less to receive general support.
• Organizations with operating budgets over $350,000 can apply for project support only.

Members of SPF’s grants committee will contact organizations being considered to schedule a site visit, required for new applicants, or phone interview. SPF’s grants committee, made up of SPF members, makes grants decisions during a September grants panel meeting, which are then ratified by the Board. Groups will be notified of grants decisions after October 1st, 2024.

If an organization has received five consecutive years of regular grant cycle funding, it must take a year off before making a new RGC grant request.