Our Story - CFNM.org

The Community Foundation of Northwest Mississippi was born out of a cooperative project in 2000 to place an online computer in every DeSoto County public classroom. DeSoto became the first county in Mississippi to accomplish this goal as a pilot project for the state. Following this model, Mississippi became the first state in the nation with an online computer in every public school classroom. After this success, a local steering committee met for more than two years, and the Foundation was incorporated in January 2002 to serve eight counties: Coahoma, DeSoto, Marshall, Panola, Quitman, Tallahatchie, Tunica and Tate.

A Community Foundation is a creative, cost-effective and tax-efficient way for people to invest in the charitable causes they care about the most. We help create permanent charitable funds of everlasting impact, whether they focus totally on the local community or include charitable interests throughout the United States. Some ways the Community Foundation of Northwest Mississippi has helped connect people who care with causes that matter include:

* Providing at-risk youth in Quitman County with career training on GPS and GIS technology, which simultaneously aids county officials in mapping the area and helps serve the elderly and home-bound population.

* Establishing a scholarship for abused women at Delta Technical College to help them become financially independent and leave an abusive situation.

* Raising funds for flooded families in Southaven.

* Helping build a home to care for abused and neglected children.

* Providing tutors for at-risk children in Coahoma County.

* Helping local leader Al Gilless establish a $100,000 Rotary college scholarship to aid seniors from Horn Lake High School, Southaven High School and Southern Baptist Educational Center.

* Helping a Memphis businessman in his desire to help DeSoto County Schools through a grant of $50,000 used to create a Student Youth Leadership program in high schools.

The Community Foundation granted more than $2 million over the last four years to causes that matter. Its assets now exceed $5.3 million. The two categories of funding are Permanently Endowed Funds and Current Giving Funds. The earnings from Permanently Endowed Funds are disbursed annually to designated non-profit organizations, while the amount of the original principal is preserved for future giving. The total amount of Current Giving Funds can be disbursed to designated non-profit organizations.

The Community Foundation also houses several endowed scholarships, gives yearly grants, and has created community-wide initiatives. The Early Childhood Resource and Referral Center, dedicated to improving early childhood education, is run in cooperation with Mississippi State University and the First Regional Library, where it is headquartered. “Get A Life! My Life, My Health, My Choice” is a childhood obesity prevention initiative in cooperation with schools, churches and worksites that targets children ages 3-12.

The Community Foundation is also home to Volunteer Northwest Mississippi, which pairs volunteers with nonprofits and vital community causes established through the Mississippi Commission for Volunteer Service and the Points of Light Foundation.

The Crystal Ball, an elegant dinner event with dancing, live auction and other entertainment, is the Community Foundation’s only fundraiser of the year and allows us to continue our good works.

The Crystal Ball allows us to carry out our mission of impacting our communities by connecting people who care with causes that matter, with our highest priorities being education, health care and children in the eight northwestern Mississippi counties.

Essentially, a community foundation does three things: 1) receives money 2) manages and invests money and 3) gives money. We are one of over 600 community foundations nationwide, and they are the fastest growing form of philanthropy in the United States.

Anyone can start a new Endowed Fund with a minimum investment of $5,000. As a collection of funds started by a wide range of donors, any person can contribute any amount to any fund. All contributions are invested by professional money managers under the care of the Community Foundation's Board of Directors. Gifts to the Community Foundation provide the maximum Mississippi and federal charitable deductions allowed by law.

The Community Foundation of Northwest Mississippi has an opportunity without precedent: A $10 million challenge grant to match dollar-for-dollar all contributions to Endowments. The private Maddox Foundation, headquartered in Hernando, has given the Community Foundation until 2013 to meet this challenge

For more information on the Community Foundation’s initiatives, donating, grants, or the Crystal Ball, call 662.449.5002 or go to www.CFNM.org.