Community Foundation for Mississippi

06/01/2026

So happy we could help facilitate this project!

05/28/2026

We’re proud to recognize Morgan Brown as the 2026 recipient of the Jerrelyn Redmond Jackson Veasley Lifetime Athletic and Scholastic Award!

Created as a fund at CFM in memory of Jerrelyn Redmond Jackson Veasley — a beloved educator, coach and community leader in Kosciusko — this award honors the kind of excellence she championed in both athletics and academics.

Morgan is an honor graduate whose high school years were marked by excellence, leadership and involvement. At Kosciusko High School, she was a member of the Lady Whippets Basketball Team and the Kosciusko Cheer Squad. She plans to attend Holmes Community College, major in criminal justice and perform with the Holmes Community College Dazzler Dance Team on scholarship before continuing her studies at the University of Mississippi.

Congratulations, Morgan, on this well-earned recognition.

05/27/2026

Congratulations to The Redeemer's School on their recent groundbreaking on the future home of The Redeemer’s School at the former Chastain Middle School campus in the Broadmoor neighborhood! Some of our team had a chance to tour the formerly vacant 22-acre school campus and see how it is being transformed into a new place for learning, art, recreation, and community life.

CFM is proud to be a partner with The Redeemer's School through several funds at the foundation to support their work.

05/20/2026

Please join us in congratulating the 2026 recipients of the Leland R. Speed Scholarship for JROTC Top Cadets, made possible through the Leland R. Speed Scholarship for JROTC Top Cadets Fund at the Community Foundation for Mississippi!

Recognized during Jackson Public Schools’ Annual Salute to Scholars last night at Forest Hill, this year’s scholarship recipients are:
Le’Aja Bennet, Jim Hill High School, $2,500
Savannah Blevins, Lanier High School, $2,500
Daiseuna Buck, Provine High School, $2,500
Ke’Undra Jennings, Forest Hill High School, $2,500
Jarius Green, Murrah High School, $5,000
Semija Jones, Murrah High School, $5,000
Ashanti Odom, Callaway High School, $5,000

Pictured are Jarius Green, Semija Jones and Ashanti Odom, this year’s three $5,000 scholarship recipients and the top three cadets for Jackson Public Schools. Well done!

05/19/2026

We’re glad to see this kind of momentum in downtown McComb!

When CFM hosted the inaugural Mississippi Rural Placemaking Summit in McComb in August 2024, people gathered on these same streets to share ideas, see what was possible and think creatively about the future of rural downtowns. The summit was designed to help communities access practical tools, resources and examples for building stronger, more connected places.

Seeing more than 200 people come out for McComb Main Street Association's first Live at Five feels like a reminder of what can grow when communities lean into that work. Congrats on a great turnout!

Over 200 people filled the streets of Downtown McComb tonight for our very first Live at Five, and honestly, it was even better than we imagined.

Seeing families, friends, businesses, nonprofits, musicians, and neighbors all gathered together on Main Street was a reminder of what community is supposed to feel like. Hearing live music in downtown McComb again was something special.

Thank you to our downtown businesses for staying open and welcoming folks in throughout the evening. Thank you to the organizations and nonprofits that came out and helped make the night feel so community-centered.

A huge thank you to the McComb Police Department, Sheriff Wally Jones, and his deputies for helping make the event incredibly safe and enjoyable for everyone. We appreciate you all very much.

Thank you to the Enterprise-Journal, McComb Billboard, and Southwest Media Group K106 for helping us spread the word.

Thank you to First Bank and Pike National Bank for providing tents and supporting this event.

And a very special thank you to Pike County Economic Development for believing in this vision and helping make Live at Five possible through your sponsorship and support.

Gabriel Harthorne and Keys vs Strings absolutely knocked it out of the park. It was a treat hearing music echo through Downtown McComb again.

This was a great first night, and we’re already looking forward to doing it again this fall.

Downtown McComb is open for business, open for community, and open for great events.

And most importantly, Downtown McComb is for everyone. ❤️

05/18/2026

Congratulations to Caroline Boudreaux Swafford, the 2026 recipient of the Blake Coghlan Memorial Ag Scholarship! This scholarship was created at the Community Foundation for Mississippi in memory of Blake Coghlan to encourage young people who share his passion for farming and agriculture.

Caroline Boudreaux Swafford is a proud Yazoo City native and graduating senior at Benton Academy, where she has excelled academically with a 3.8 GPA and been deeply involved in leadership, cheer, National Honor Society, FCA, and community service. She will continue her education at East Mississippi Community College, pursuing an agriculture‑related field with the long‑term goal of becoming a lobbyist for the Mississippi Farm Bureau. Inspired by her family’s agricultural roots and her passion for advocacy, Caroline hopes to help shape policies that support Mississippi’s farmers and rural communities.

05/13/2026

For 20 years, the Anthony “Tony” Gobar Juvenile Justice Scholarship Fund at CFM has carried forward the legacy of a man remembered for his deep commitment to young people and the systems meant to support them.

Created in Tony Gobar’s memory, the endowed scholarship continues to help students pursuing careers in juvenile justice and related fields, honoring a life of service by investing in those who will carry that work forward.

The Anthony “Tony” Gobar Juvenile Justice Scholarship Fund at the Community Foundation for Mississippi marks 20 years of supporting students.

05/08/2026

Congratulations to the Hal's St. Paddy's Parade & Festival for another great year of fundraising for Children’s of Mississippi! CFM is proud to be the home of the Hal's St. Paddy's Parade Fund, which makes the operations of the parade possible.

05/07/2026

Our hearts are with the communities in southwest Mississippi affected by last night’s tornadoes.

Early reports show serious damage in parts of CFM’s service area. In Lincoln County, more than 200 homes were damaged. In Lawrence County, 12 homes were damaged, and multiple roads are closed due to downed trees and power lines. These numbers are preliminary and may continue to change as assessments continue with the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency.

In moments like this, the Helping Friends and Neighbors Fund at CFM offers a way to support communities facing urgent and evolving needs. As the full picture becomes clearer, CFM works with local communities and partners to help identify where charitable support may be most helpful.

To support the fund, donate here: https://bit.ly/3RcQZUg