Mississippi Common Trust Fund

OVERVIEW: The Mississippi Common Trust Fund supports education and human services in Mississippi.

FUNDING AREAS: Education, human services

IP TAKE: Although this foundation has a low-key web presence, it is one of the top grantmakers in the state and steadily gives million-dollar grants to local organizations.

PROFILE: Established in 1997, the Mississippi Common Trust Fund (MCTF) is an independent foundation based in Oxford, Mississippi. The University of Mississippi Foundation is a trustee of MCTF, along with the other officers of Wendell Weakly as president/CEO, Sandra Guest as vice president/secretary and Maggie Abernathy as treasurer. MCFT funds local efforts for education and human services.

The Mississippi Common Trust Fund does not have a website to guide grantseekers. However, past tax records indicate this MCFT provides scholarship support and funding for museums. It also funds healthcare research, university athletic support and other community-based efforts. MCTF is a grantmaker that typically awards large grants to well-established organizations with which it is familiar, offering support for multiple years.

Grants range between about $200,000 and $4 million. Learn more about this funder’s local giving by examining its recent tax records. Grantmaking focuses on Mississippi. Grantees are based in Ridgeland, University and Jackson. Past local grantees include the Mississippi News and Information Corp., St. Andrew’s Episcopal School and the Old Miss Athletics Foundation.

This foundation does not accept unsolicited grant applications from nonprofits and only funds pre-selected organizations. Direct general questions to the staff at 662-915-1581.

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