Community Foundation of Northwest Mississippi Grants $300,000
Hernando, Miss. – The Community Foundation of Northwest Mississippi awarded 77 grants in the first quarter of 2019.
Grants totaling $236,903 were from individual or family funds set up at the Foundation by charitable donors or from funds set up for nonprofit organizations. In addition, the Grants Committee reviewed grant applications and the Board of Directors approved an additional $63,000 from the foundation’s competitive endowments.
The Community Foundation since its founding in 2002 has awarded over $22 million to over 700 charitable programs.
“We serve 11 counties, and all of the nonprofits we support are providing programs that enhance the quality of life in Northwest Mississippi,” said Pastor Bartholomew Orr, Chairman of the Board of Directors. “We are honored to partner with nonprofit organizations who are truly making a positive impact on the lives of others.”
Nonprofits who were awarded grants include:
- ArtPlace Mississippi, Leflore County – $5,000 match grant from the Early Childhood Education Endowment for an expansion of their Leflore Early Artist Project (LEAP) program. LEAP plans to serve over 500 students ages one to six by providing access to arts and educational programing including reading, creating art, acting, singing, dancing, storytelling, etc.
- Spring Initiative, Inc., Coahoma County, – $22,000 grant from the Early Childhood Education Endowment for MINI Spring initiative which serves 1st and 2nd grade students providing holistic, intensive, personalized wrap-around support services that will result in improved academic achievement and decreased negative behaviors.
- BB King Museum and Interpretive Center, Sunflower County – $5,000 grant from the Endowment for the Future of Northwest Mississippi for B.B.’s Bridge Building Ambassador Youth Leadership Program which enables students to participate in a series of leadership training and internship opportunities that will help them develop into lifelong learners, productive citizens, and confident community leaders.
- Coahoma County Higher Ed Center, Coahoma County – $2,500 match grant from the Endowment for the Future of Northwest Mississippi to continue CAMP R.O.C.K. (Recreation and Outdoors for Coahoma Kids), which is part of the ongoing Healthy Campus / community initiative program. The camp builds a culture of health and wellness in the city of Clarksdale by teaching young people that active living through physical activity can be fun and beneficial for their long term health, and it provides youth with a strong nutritional foundation.
- Greenwood Little Theatre, Leflore County – $2,500 match grant from the Endowment for the Future of Northwest Mississippi for the Greenwood Shakespeare Project where students are trained in all aspects of Shakespeare stage production: acting; directing; set design and construction; costume, scenery, and prop design; and performance.
- Midsouth Music Institute , Tate County – $5,000 grant from the Endowment for the Future of Northwest Mississippi for Camp CoroRio which serves students in grades 1-6 by offering a summer music education program. This camp offers superb training from local music educators who will introduce students to a variety of music genres and mediums. The camp also teaches life skills such as team building, self-discipline, leadership, and confidence. In addition, it is also a place for students of all socioeconomic backgrounds and walks of life to work together towards a shared goal.
- Sunflower County Freedom Project, Sunflower County – $5,000 grant from the Endowment for the Future of Northwest Mississippi to provide collegiate preparatory program for 9-12th grade students. They will provide education programing on the college admission process, individualized mentoring, family financial aid sessions, and life-changing summer travel opportunities. The Sunflower Freedom project opens doors that are historically closed to minority citizens.
- Delta Grace, Sunflower County – $8,000 grant from the Place-Based Education and Civic Entrepreneurship Endowment for “Spring Break Apprenticeship Event” which will host 80 college students who will replace roof on homes that are in deplorable conditions. The funding will pay for cost of the materials for the roofs and in turn teach students construction skills. In addition, the goal is to connect students from different races and socioeconomic statuses to work together for the common goal of making homes safer and more structurally sound for those in need.
- Delta State University Foundation, Bolivar County – $4,000 grant from the Place-Based Education and Civic Entrepreneurship Endowment for “Read It, See It, Be It: Experiential Learning through Arts Integration” program. This program brings together multiple elements of learning for K-12 Mississippi students, including arts education, literacy, and Mississippi studies. Students “Read It” by purchasing copies of books, “See It” by watching stage performances with discounted tickets through scholarships, and “Be It” as an artist, performer, or producer in the performances. The program will engage students beyond the classroom, showing them that learning can occur between the pages of a book, in a theatre, in a studio, at an easel, etc.
- Rosedale Community Youth Center, Bolivar County – $4,000 grant from the Place-Based Education and Civic Entrepreneurship Endowment for “Freedom Summer 2019” is a middle-school summer program consisting of two months of intensive reading and math classes, designed by veteran educators who will prepare middle-school students to academically meet and exceed grade-level expectations. In addition, to academic programming, Freedom Summer provides opportunities for Fellows to engage with the arts; learn to garden, cook, and exercise; engage in cultural learning; and travel across the South to visit historical sites and colleges.
The Community Foundation manages 240 donor-established funds and has distributed over $22 million to support more than 700 charitable organizations and activities recommended by its donors, as well as charitable programs established by the foundation. Established in 2002 with a generous grant from the Maddox Foundation, the Community Foundation is an independent 501(c)3 charitable organization. The Foundation serves Bolivar, Coahoma, DeSoto, Leflore, Marshall, Panola, Quitman, Sunflower, Tallahatchie, Tate, and Tunica counties. A board of 19 volunteer civic leaders governs the Community Foundation. Learn more about the Community Foundation at www.cfnm.org or call 662.449.5002.