OVERVIEW: The Riley Foundation supports education, healthcare, arts & culture, the environment, and economic opportunity in Lauderdale County, Mississippi, with a special emphasis on the city of Meridian.
IP TAKE: The Riley Foundation is one of the largest foundations in Mississippi. While it funds in a variety of focus areas, this funder prioritizes education, so organizations seeking a large grant outside of this funder’s interest in local education may have a harder time. That said, music programs have seen a steady show of support lately. This funder is laser-focused on Lauderdale County, MS, so grantseekers looking for support here from beyond this area will not receive funding. The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, as outlined on their website’s application page. While this is not an accessible funder, it is an important funder to know for organizations in the counties where it conducts grantmaking. It does accept LOI; however, only invited potential grantees receive an invitation to apply, so networking will be important here.
PROFILE: The Riley Foundation, chartered in 1998, is one of the largest foundations in Mississippi. It evolved from an earlier iteration begun in 1930, when Dr. Franklin Gail Riley, the first residency-trained pediatrician in Mississippi, first established a 12-bed children’s and maternity hospital, which evolved into a nonprofit charitable hospital, chartered by the State of Mississippi as “The Riley Hospital and Benevolent Association.” Dr. Riley’s sons, doctors themselves, were instrumental in constructing a new facility in the 1960s, Riley Memorial Hospital, which was sold to Health Management Associates of Naples, Florida in 1998. The foundation was established with the proceeds of that sale, celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2023 and having bestowed over $68 million in donations since its inception.
The Riley Foundation is a broad funder that provides grants for education, healthcare, arts & culture, the environment and economic opportunity.
Grants for Arts and Culture
The Riley Foundation broadly funds local arts organizations and cultural institutions; however, related arts and culture grants invest in mid- to large scale organizations and institutions, such as museums and orchestras, rather than grassroots arts efforts.
- The Meridian Symphony Association receives consistent support, as well as Meridian Arts Association. This funder has also provided operational support for the Jimmy Rodgers Foundation’s annual country music festival.
- Local museums have received significant support, namely the Mississippi Children’s Museum and Mississippi Arts + Experience (The MAX).
Grants for Higher Education
Rather than having a dedicated higher education grantmaking strategy, this funder’s investments in higher education are limited to Mississippi State University, located in Meridian. Recent grants have gone toward the Riley Scholarship Program at Mississippi State, in addition to construction and maintenance projects at the Riley Performing Arts Center.
Grants for Economic Development
The Riley Foundation’s economic development grants focus on work opportunity primarily through summer work programs in Lauderdale County that give grants to local nonprofits to hire college students for the summer.
- The foundation gives $4,000 stipends to interns hired by nonprofits for relevant training and work toward completion of “specific projects,” rather than ongoing clerical duties.
- Recent grantees include United Way of East Mississippi, State Games of Mississippi, Meridian Little Theatre, Mississippi Junior Miss Program, and Meridian Housing Authority. For a greater listing of work program grantees, check out the foundation’s tax records.
Grants for Public Health and Community Development
The foundation also invests in local public health and development predominately through efforts that support local healthcare organizations, as well as homeless shelters, and food banks. These grants focus on the overall well-being of the most vulnerable local citizens.
- Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the foundation delivered funds to Rush Medical Foundation for purchase and maintenance of ventilators and high-flow oxygen units.
- Domestic violence shelters, such as Care Lodge Domestic Violence Inc., receive consistent support.
- The Multi-County Community Foundation has received consistent support for homeless care and outreach.
- Recent food aid grantees include Lauderdale Outreach & Vol Effort and Feed By Faith.
Important Grant Details:
Most grants range between $4,000 and $99,000, and occasionally surpass six figures.
- To be considered for a Riley Foundation grant, an organization must be located in Lauderdale County and provide services to people in the county, too.
- Grant seekers should keep in mind that this is not a funder of hospitals, nursing homes, religious causes, biomedical/clinical research, or recurring expenses.
- The board meets four times per year, and the foundation’s application deadlines are November 15, February 15, May 15, and August 15. Grant seekers can expect to hear back from the foundation as to the status of their application within two weeks of the funders’ board meetings in January, April, July and October.
- Further instructions and sample financial reports are available on the foundation’s guidelines and applications page.
- Prospective grantees can view a list of recent grantees by year on the funder’s website.
- Contact the foundation with general inquiries at info@rileyfoundation.org or by phone at (601) 481-1430. To apply, submit a letter of inquiry of no more than one page to Becky Farley at becky@rileyfounation.org within 2-4 weeks of the application deadline. Note that this funder does not accept unsolicited applications.
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