Strategy, stewardship and sustainability
I think it goes without saying that most of us want to be good stewards of our individual and collective resources, and we want our stewardship to be sustained. Much like the motto at the end of our mission and vision statement, we invest our time and our treasure for Mississippi, for good, with hopes that the change we are supporting will last forever.
However, the reality is that in order for our stewardship to be sustained, we have to do a bit more. This quote from Liberty Hyde Bailey makes that point fairly well:
“A garden requires more than patient labor and attention. Plants do not grow merely to satisfy ambitions or to fulfill good intentions. They thrive because someone expended effort on them.”
The Community Foundation has been patiently and attentively laboring with donors, partners, and nonprofits for 25 years to make meaningful and lasting change in the communities we serve. The ambitions and good intentions we had 25 years ago have expanded as we’ve grown. We’re expending the effort to recruit more partners and donors to invest time, talent and treasure, so Mississippi will be a place where every community is connected to the resources, knowledge, and tools they need to imagine–and create–a future full of promise.
Recognizing this, our board has embarked on a strategic plan as we seek to advance philanthropy in the state, provide effective and expert grantmaking and leadership, and continue building organizational strength and stability. This roadmap will help us realize our strategic planning mission and vision:
By 2025, the Community Foundation for Mississippi will be known as a trusted place for donors and community partners to go to explore ideas, leverage resources and create solutions to make a measurable difference for their communities.
We believe we can achieve this vision by:
- Attracting an expanded and diverse group of donors who have a strong desire to strengthen their communities.
- Demonstrating our expertise in the community and communicating our impact.
- Securing our future sustainability, developing our capacity to provide service to our current and future donors, and establishing a presence in new areas of coverage.
The strategic plan goes into much greater detail about how we plan to collaborate closely with our donors, partners, and other stakeholders to help Mississippians explore ways to create lasting change in their communities, connect to community partners, and use their philanthropic resources for good, forever. We encourage you to read the plan in its entirety here.
We also invite you to contact us to discuss how we can work together to make meaningful and lasting change in your community. Give us a call (601) 974-6044 to learn how we can help you leave a lasting legacy by developing a sound philanthropic investment strategy.
Strategy, stewardship and sustainability