The Community Foundation for Mississippi is not only committed to the long-term sustainability of nonprofits, but also work with national partners to contribute to positive systemic change in our state. To see societal outcomes truly shift, we must do the work to know our communities, to bring together thought partners, to listen to community needs and to adapt solutions that work.
Some of CFM’s long term investments include working with statewide and national partners to support the transformation of early childhood education, re-think access to trusted local media and coach local neighborhoods to build their own capacity to become co-creators of local change.
Harwood Institute for Public Innovation
Community foundations have a unique commitment to place-based improvements, supporting work that amplifies the voices of residents and encourages community-led solutions. For a second year, CFM, with the Harwood Institute for Public Innovation, offered expert coaching and civic engagement training to community leaders across Jackson, empowering residents and neighborhood leaders to change their narrative, to raise their voices, to provide solutions and to join a collective effort for meaningful change in the capital city.
Microsoft
Over the past few years, the world has seen an increased need for local, trusted media sources. In 2020, CFM was chosen as one of six pilot programs to lead an effort to examine improvements that can be made to provide journalists and newsrooms with the tools, technology and capacity they need to expand their impact and to tell stories in new ways. Through this initiative, CFM has worked with its partners to create a collaborative effort among news sources across Mississippi to share expertise and experiences, to increase access to reliable information and, ultimately, to strengthen the backbone of democracy in Mississippi communities.
W.K. Kellogg Foundation
Through our long-term partnership with the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, CFM is working to transform early childhood education throughout Mississippi. CFM accomplishes this work by supporting leaders in early education as they work together to assess the needs and potential barriers that exist for parents, students and educators across the state. Efforts include increasing data-driven solutions and collaborations, increasing education access to under-resourced populations and supporting a holistic approach to enhancing outcomes for all of Mississippi’s children.