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Whether you want to give, start a fund, find support for a nonprofit, apply for a grant or scholarship, plan for the future or move a community idea forward, we can help you find the right place to start.
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Who Is the Community Foundation for Mississippi?
The Community Foundation for Mississippi helps people turn generosity into lasting impact across central and southwest Mississippi.
We connect people, resources and ideas. We manage charitable funds, scholarships and endowments. We handle the details behind the scenes so donors and nonprofits can stay focused on what matters most. And we bring something just as important: deep local knowledge, trusted relationships and a clear understanding of how things actually get done in Mississippi.
When the right people, resources and ideas come together, good work doesn’t just happen. It grows, lasts and leads to something more.
Who is the Community Foundation for Mississippi?
At the Community Foundation for Mississippi, we see daily that we are stronger together than going it alone. The success of the Community Foundation belongs to people who are passionately committed to leading positive transformational change for Mississippi. And these community champions trusted us to be a part of their journey.
Who does CFM work with?
CFM works with individuals and families, nonprofits, financial advisors, attorneys, CPAs, community and civic leaders, businesses, foundations and others who want to invest in Mississippi communities.
What area does CFM serve?
CFM SERVES 22 COUNTIES ACROSS CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST MISSISSIPPI.
Every county in Mississippi is served by a community foundation. If your needs fall outside CFM’s service area, we can help connect you with the foundation serving your region.
Why would I give through CFM instead of directly to a nonprofit?
Giving directly to a nonprofit is often a great choice. CFM can be especially helpful when you want to organize your giving, support multiple organizations, establish a charitable fund, give complex assets or plan for the future.
We can also help you learn more about needs and opportunities across Mississippi and handle the administrative details behind your giving.
Give to an Existing Fund
Can I give to an existing charitable fund at CFM?
YES. CFM manages charitable funds supporting nonprofits, scholarships, community initiatives and causes across Mississippi.
You can choose a fund that reflects what matters to you and make a gift directly to it.
What kinds of funds can I support?
Funds at CFM support a wide range of interests, including education, the arts, food access, healthcare, children and families, animal welfare, neighborhood development, disaster response and more.
Is there a minimum donation amount?
No minimum gift is required to donate to most existing charitable funds at CFM.
Start a Charitable Fund
How do I start a fund at CFM?
Start with what you want your giving to accomplish. CFM can help you choose the right fund type, decide how and when you want to give and complete the fund agreement.
Most fund types can be opened with an initial contribution of $5,000. The fund must reach $25,000 before grants can be made.
What is a donor-advised fund?
A donor-advised fund gives you a flexible way to organize your charitable giving. You contribute assets to the fund and recommend grants to eligible nonprofit organizations over time.
CFM manages the investments, administration and grant processing while you stay involved in recommending where grants go.
Can I establish a fund for a specific organization?
YES. A designated fund allows you to create ongoing support for one or more specific nonprofit organizations you care about.
You choose the organization or organizations the fund will benefit, and CFM manages the fund, investments and grant distributions over time.
Can I establish a fund around a specific cause or area of interest?
YES. A field of interest fund allows you to focus your giving on a cause that matters to you, such as education, healthcare, the arts, food access or another area of community need.
You define the focus of the fund, and CFM identifies nonprofit organizations and opportunities working in that area over time.
What is an endowment?
An endowment is a charitable fund designed to provide ongoing support for a nonprofit organization, program or charitable purpose.
The fund is invested and managed over time. A portion is made available for grants while the remaining assets stay invested so the fund can continue supporting the work for the future.
Plan a Gift for the Future
How can I include charitable giving in my estate plan?
You can include charitable giving in your estate plan through a bequest, beneficiary designation, retirement account, life insurance policy, charitable trust or other planned gift.
CFM can work with you and your professional advisors to create a plan that reflects the organizations, causes and communities you care about.
Can I include CFM or a charitable fund in my will?
YES. You can name CFM, an existing charitable fund or a fund you establish as a beneficiary through your will or trust.
CFM can help document your charitable intentions so your gift is carried out according to your wishes.
Can I name a fund as the type of beneficiary of a retirement account to life insurance policy?
YES. A charitable fund at CFM may be named as a beneficiary of certain retirement accounts, life insurance policies and other assets.
Your financial, legal or tax advisor can help determine the appropriate structure for your individual situation.
Do I have to decide now which organizations my figt will support?
NO. You may name specific organizations, identify causes or communities you care about, or create a fund that leaves room for future needs and opportunities.
CFM can work with you and your professional advisors to document what matters most to you and build a plan that reflects those priorities. This flexibility can also help ensure your gift continues to serve its intended purpose if an organization closes, changes its mission or no longer meets the need you hoped to address.
Can CFM work with my attorney or financial advisor?
YES. CFM regularly works alongside attorneys, financial advisors, CPAs and estate planners to help structure charitable gifts and funds.
Your advisor remains your trusted professional, while CFM helps with the charitable side of the plan.
What happens to my gift after my lifetime?
After CFM receives the assets from your estate, we will establish or add them to your fund and begin making grants based on the charitable priorities, criteria and schedule outlined in your letter of intent or fund agreement.
CFM will steward the fund and carry out your charitable wishes over time. If circumstances change, such as an organization closing or a need evolving, we will use the guidance in your letter of intent or fund agreement to keep your giving as close as possible to its original purpose.
Find Support for My Nonprofit
How does CFM work with nonprofits?
CFM works with nonprofits across central and southwest Mississippi through grants, fund and endowment management, capacity building, technical assistance, training and community partnerships.
Our role is to help nonprofits access resources, build connections and plan for the future.
Can my nonprofit establish a fund or endowment at CFM?
YES. Two common options are:
Agency Fund
An agency fund is established by a nonprofit for its own benefit. The organization contributes funds to CFM, where they are invested and managed, with grants distributed back to the nonprofit as needed. Agency funds may be endowed or non-endowed. Learn more about funds for nonprofits >Designated Fund
A designated fund can be established by a nonprofit or donor to benefit one or more specific organizations. For nonprofits, it can create a simple, trusted way for supporters to contribute while building long-term resources for the organization’s work.
What is nonprofit capacity building?
Capacity building helps nonprofits strengthen the systems, skills and resources they need to sustain their work over time.
CFM connects nonprofits with training, technical assistance, consulting support, mini-grants and other professional development opportunities.
Can my nonprofit apply for a competitive grant through CFM?
YES. CFM offers several competitive grant opportunities for eligible nonprofits serving communities across central and southwest Mississippi.
Each opportunity has its own focus, eligibility requirements and application process.
Apply for a Grant
Who can apply for a CFM grant?
CFM’s competitive grants are generally available to eligible 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations serving communities within CFM’s 22-county service area.
Some grant programs also accept applications from municipalities or other eligible organizations. Each opportunity has its own requirements.
What types of grants does CFM offer?
Community Impact Project Grants
Provide up to $5,000 for nonprofit-led projects focused on Placemaking, Children and Families, and Community Partnerships. A financial match is not required, though projects that demonstrate community support are prioritized.Rural Leveraging Matching Grants
Help nonprofits and municipalities in communities with populations under 50,000 meet matching requirements for larger grants. Organizations may request up to 50% of the required match, with typical awards ranging from $6,000 to $12,000.Nonprofit Capacity Building Mini-Grants
Provide nonprofits with in-kind technical assistance or financial support for professional development and organizational growth. Typical awards are up to $500.John F. and Lucy Shackelford Fund Grants
Support nonprofits, government entities and charitable organizations located in or directly serving downtown Jackson. Funding typically focuses on permanent infrastructure, green and public spaces, and projects that improve livability and quality of life downtown.
Where can I check the status of my grant application?
You can check the status of your application by logging into CFM’s Grants Portal.
Apply for a Scholarship or Award
How do I apply for a CFM scholarship?
Students apply through CFM’s online scholarship portal. You complete one application and are matched with scholarship opportunities for which you may qualify.
Who can apply for a CFM scholarship?
Eligibility varies by scholarship and may be based on factors such as where you live, the school you attend, your field of study, academic achievement, financial need or other criteria established for the fund.
When can I apply for a CFM scholarship?
CFM’s scholarship application cycle opens each year in January. Most scholarship applications close in April.
Do I need to apply for each scholarship separately?
No. Students complete one application and are matched with eligible scholarships. Some opportunities may require additional information, but everything is managed through the same portal.
How do I start a scholarship or award fund?
CFM can help individuals, families, businesses and organizations establish scholarship or award funds that reflect what matters to them.
You can help shape the fund’s purpose, eligibility criteria and award structure, while CFM helps manage the application, review and payment process.
Can I donate to an existing scholarship or award fund?
YES. You can give to an existing scholarship or award fund at CFM and help create more opportunities for students across Mississippi.
Help a Client With Charitable Giving
When should I bring CFM into a client conversation?
CFM can be helpful whenever charitable giving becomes part of a client’s broader financial, tax or estate planning conversation.
That may be early in the planning process or once a client begins considering a specific charitable strategy.
What kinds of client situations may be a fit for CFM?
CFM can help with situations such as:
A business sale or other liquidity event
Estate or legacy planning
Creating a donor-advised fund or endowment
Comparing a donor-advised fund with a private foundation
Giving appreciated or complex assets
Organizing charitable giving across multiple organizations
Planning a long-term charitable strategy
Can I join a CFM meeting with my client?
YES. CFM can work alongside you and join client conversations when helpful.
You remain the trusted advisor, while our team provides guidance on charitable fund options, community needs, nonprofit organizations and the administrative side of giving.
What should my client expect when working with CFM?
CFM starts by listening to what your client wants their giving to accomplish.
From there, we can help explore fund options, charitable assets and giving strategies while working alongside the client’s existing professional advisors.
Can CFM accept real estate, stock or other complex assets?
YES. CFM can help evaluate gifts such as appreciated stock, real estate and other complex charitable assets.
Our team can work with the client and their professional advisors to determine whether the proposed gift is appropriate and how it should be structured.
Move a Community Idea Forward
Can CFM help us create a fund for our community?
YES. CFM can work with local leaders, residents and donors to explore a charitable fund focused on a county, community or shared local priority.
The fund can provide a trusted place for people to give and help build resources that benefit the community over time.
CFM will help you think through the fund’s purpose, structure and long-term goals to determine the best path forward.
Can CFM work with a city, county or community group?
CFM works with municipalities, community groups, civic leaders and other partners across our 22-county service area.
Depending on the need, we may help establish and administer a charitable fund, support a community-led project, bring partners together or connect local efforts with charitable resources.
Every partnership is different, so the best place to begin is with a conversation about your community, your goals and the work already underway.
We have a charitable project but not a nonprofit. Where do you start?
Start by talking with CFM. In some cases, CFM may be able to provide a charitable home for a community-led project that does not have its own nonprofit status. This arrangement is sometimes called fiscal sponsorship.
CFM also partners with Do Good and may connect projects with its team when that path appears better suited to their needs.
Every project is considered individually based on its charitable purpose, leadership, plans, budget and connection to the communities we serve. A conversation can help identify which option, if any, may be appropriate.
Can CFM help us receive charitable gifts for a local project?
Possibly. If a project is a good fit and is approved by CFM, we may be able to establish a fund through which individuals, businesses and other supporters can make charitable contributions.
CFM can provide donation processing, gift acknowledgments and financial administration while project leaders focus on the work.
Because CFM is responsible for ensuring that funds are used for their approved charitable purpose, each project must go through a review process before gifts can be accepted.
Still Have Questions?
You don’t need to know the right fund type, program or terminology before reaching out. Tell us what you’re trying to accomplish, and CFM can help you find the right next step.