March 2024

Celebrating Legacy Through the Huff Harris and Falk Funds

We love this time of year! Two of our funds, the Meyer and Genevieve Falk Endowment Fund for Culture and Arts and the Thomas G. Ramey and Peggy Huff Harris Fund, just awarded annual grants to a select group of nonprofits, which were designated by the original fund donors.

By establishing these funds, Genevieve Falk and Peggy Huff Harris ensured that their favorite organizations would receive annual support forever.

Feeling the love: Operation Shoestring, Mississippi Museum of Art, MS Food Network, Mississippi Public Broadcasting Foundation, Dress for Success Metro Jackson, Mississippi Symphony Orchestra, Opera Mississippi, New Stage Theatre, Ballet Mississippi, Mercy Flight Southeast, and Guide Dogs for the Blind.

Now that's paying it forward! Learn more about these funds and how you could do the same through the Mississippi Legacy Circle.

New Fund Spotlight: Mississippi 2/Bootjack and Red Project Fund

As a young child, Talamieka Brice heard about the brutal 1937 lynchings of Bootjack and Red from her grandmother. Photographs of their lynchings made their names known around the world, but in reality, little was shared about their lives.

Telling her story and that of Bootjack and Red at Mississippi Department of Archives & History's History is Lunch program started a journey towards a historical marker for the men and, in the process, a documentary digging into the men's backstory, the lynching, and the community ripple effects.

To help support the completion of this documentary, Brice has opened up the Mississippi 2/Bootjack and Red Project Fund at the Community Foundation for Mississippi.

Robert Malouf, Jr. Memorial Fund Makes First Grant to Mississippi Harm Reduction Initiative

Lee Malouf (left) with Jason McCarty (right), executive director of the Mississippi Harm Reduction Initiative

The Robert Malouf Jr. Memorial Fund at the Community Foundation for Mississippi has made its first grant from the fund, which is benefitting the lives of individuals participating in the Mississippi Harm Reduction Initiative‘s (MHRI) Recovery Housing Program.

With the grant support, MHRI was able to create Robert’s House, a safe haven for men transitioning out of a 30-day residential treatment program. The program offers a holistic approach to recovery, providing essential support and resources to individuals on their journey toward sobriety.

JXN Water Scholarship Deadline: April 15, 2024

The JXN Water Scholarship was established at the Community Foundation for Mississippi to provide financial assistance to high school seniors attending a public school in Hinds County interested in pursuing a degree in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) discipline that could lead to a career in water and wastewater operations and management.

Coming on board as the interim third-party manager of the City of Jackson’s water system, Ted Henifin knew he would need to think upstream about the water workforce pipeline. Henifin saw the water system was severely understaffed and struggled with hiring due to a lack of qualified candidates. To help address this challenge, the JXN Water Scholarship Fund at the Community Foundation for Mississippi was created. The scholarship will help ensure more properly trained persons will fill those positions in the future.

Applications are open to seniors currently enrolled at a Jackson Public School District High School, Hinds County School District High School and Clinton High School who will attend Hinds Community College (any campus located in Hinds County) or Jackson State University. The award is for a period of one academic year. The deadline to apply is April 15, 2024.

Grants From Other Sources

This list is a shared resource. For inquiries about each grant, CFM recommends contacting the grantmaking organization listed for more information.

State Grants



Mississippi Humanities Council's spring Regular Grant deadline is May 1. Grants greater than $2,500 are considered regular grants and are capped at $10,000. Regular grants may be used to support larger public humanities programs, conferences, exhibits and the development of original productions in film, television, radio, podcasts, or online resources. Proposals must be completed via their online portal by midnight to grants@mhc.state.ms.us. Programs and expenditures may not occur fewer than eight weeks after the deadline date selected. Mini-grants are also available on a rolling basis. Applications must be received at least four weeks before the program. Learn more here.

National Grants



T-Mobile is investing $25M in 500 rural towns over 5 years to jumpstart projects and build stronger communities. Rural communities can apply for up to $50,000 for a Hometown Grant to bring their community idea to life. Twenty five grants are awarded each quarter. Learn more here.