OVERVIEW: The Community Foundation of East Mississippi (CFEM) supports community and economic development, education, children and youth, the arts, animals, health, social services, and historic preservation in five Eastern Mississippi counties.
IP TAKE: CFEM, a pivotal funder in East Mississippi, provides funding for a variety of causes at different times of year, so nonprofits should get to know the funds and plan accordingly. Local nonprofit grantseekers should first contact the organization directly via phone or email as an initial step. When navigating CFEM’s website, be sure to scan both its open grants page, as well as its giving page, where a much larger body of funds are listed even if not currently accepting applications. This is an accessible and approachable funder that grant seekers should not hesitate to contact for local projects. As with most community foundations, this funder also provides funding opportunities via donor advised funds, field-of-interest funds, and restricted funds. Note that the CFEM’s website is undergoing a significant update, which will, hopefully, provide more clarity on giving approaches and strategies.
PROFILE: Established in 1984, The Community Foundation of East Mississippi (CFEM) is a community foundation based in Meridian, Mississippi. A board of directors governs the foundation with the help of a local advisory committee, and together manage over 100 funds. CFEM is “dedicated to maintaining, improving and enriching the quality of life in East Mississippi by supporting worthy causes, providing philanthropic services, and encouraging and providing leadership in response to changing community needs.” The Community Foundation of East Mississippi supports a broad range of local causes with its grantmaking activities. CFEM funds local efforts related to community and economic development, education, children and youth, the arts, animals, health, social services, and historic preservation.
In addition to competitive grants, CFEM also awards college scholarships to local students and caters to donors seeking to donate to pre-selected organizations via donor advised funds, field-of-interest funds, and restricted funds.
Grants for Health, Community Development, and Disaster Relief
The Community Foundation of East Mississippi supports a number of organizations dedicated to a blend of charitable work involving the health, wellbeing, and growth of East Mississippi populations.
- The Free Clinic of Meridian Fund at the Community Foundation supports the Clinic in its mission to serve over 1,750 East Mississippi patients in primary and specialized care. Other recent health & human services organizations receiving support from CFEM include Wesley House Community Center, Kemper County Improvement Organization, Salvation Army – Meridian, and Mississippi Organ Recovery Agency.
- Additionally, tax records show that CFEM is an annual supporter of the Meridian Housing Authority, an organization which tends to receive some of the foundation’s largest single grants.
- The Community Foundation of East Mississippi hosts a smaller field of competitive funds for health nonprofits, including the Sandra Welch Niehuss Endowment, which “supports community education and awareness programs related to cancer.” Applicants must be 501(c)(3) organizations and located in Kemper, Neshoba, Newton, Clarke, or Lauderdale County.
- The foundation also funds disaster relief in each East Mississippi county through which it operates: Kemper, Neshoba, Newton, Clarke, and Lauderdale.
Grants for Arts & Culture
Based on CFEM’s website, as well as tax records, CFEM supports a number of local art museums and heritage sites via donor-advised funds and endowments. Recipients of consistent funding include the Meridian Museum of Art, Meridian Little Theatre, Mississippi Industrial Heritage Museum, and Meridian Symphony Orchestra.
However, a handful of CFEM’s funds accept applications for arts and culture nonprofits.
- The Margaret Dulaney Arts Grants “are focused on enhancing new or existing art programs and activities in East Mississippi,” while Susan B. Herron / Lively Arts and Education Grants support “special one time needs of existing programs, or to support special Arts and Education opportunities.
- Both the Margaret Dulaney Arts Endowment and the Susan B. Herron/Lively Arts Endowment accept applications from arts nonprofits when CFEM opens up its arts application window, typically early in the year.
Grants for Education and Youth Services
CFEM supports K-12 education, higher education, and youth services primarily through a large collection of scholarships and funds for pre-selected organizations.
- One of CFEM’s signature education grants is the Excellence in Education Grant, which is “available to teachers, schools, school districts, and even community based organizations with a focus on improving education.”
- Visit the Community Foundation Funds tab of CFEM’s give page for a greater list of its scholarship funds.
- Previous education grantees include the Boys & Girls Club of East Mississippi, The Community of Hope, Meridian Freedom Project, and Meridian Public School District.
Important Grant Details:
Grants range between about $5,000 and $75,000, although the most common grant hovers around $10,000.
- Grantmaking focuses on the Eastern Mississippi counties of Clarke, Kemper, Lauderdale, Neshoba, and Newton. Past local grantees include Planet Playground and Jeannie’s Place in Meridian.
- This foundation accepts unsolicited grant applications from nonprofits. CFEM lists grants currently accepting applications on its website. The open application periods are as follows:
- Arts, education, and community grants during the first third of the year.
- Animals, historic preservation, and mini-grants during the middle third of the year.
- Health and economic development grants during the final third of the year.
Direct general questions to the staff at info@cfem.org or (601) 696-3035.
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