Community Foundation celebrates nearly $7 million in grants at Hustle game
Key Points
- The Community Foundation of Northwest Mississippi (CFNM) celebrated a record-breaking year, awarding $6.96 million in grants during 2025.
- With Executive Director Keith Fulcher and Development Director Stacye Trout, CFNM hosted representative grantees at a Memphis Hustle game to highlight local philanthropic impact.
- The foundation serves a 12-county region and provided grants ranging from $1,000 to $20,000 for initiatives in education, technology, and health.
SOUTHAVEN — The Community Foundation of Northwest Mississippi took center court Friday night at the Landers Center. The event, held during a Memphis Hustle basketball game, served as a victory lap for a record-breaking year of philanthropy.
The foundation announced it awarded $6.96 million in grants throughout 2025, the highest annual total in the organization’s history. Since 2020, the foundation has distributed a total of $52 million, with approximately 88 percent of those funds remaining within its 12-county service area.
“We’ve gone from a very first grant of $250 years ago to over $52 million going out the door,” said Keith Fulcher, Executive Director of the Community Foundation. “This event was a moment to gather our donors and grantees together to celebrate that success in a fun, engaging environment.”
A New Way to Celebrate
The evening was a strategic shift away from traditional gala-style events. By partnering with the Memphis Hustle, the foundation provided a platform for 25 representative grantees to be recognized on the jumbotron and through official announcer scripts during the game.
The selected grantees represent four competitive “buckets” funded by major donors, including Morgan Freeman, Entergy, and the Phil Hardin Foundation. These categories focus on technology and education, early childhood development, place-based education, and civic entrepreneurship.
“It presented an opportunity for us to create moments where we can gather our donors and our grantees together in one room,” said Stacye Trout, Development Director for the foundation. “We want to highlight our grantees and thank our donors properly without necessarily taking up their entire evening.”
Impact Across the Region
The grants, which range from $1,000 to $20,000, support a diverse array of projects. Some examples are:
- Charleston Arts and Revitalization Effort: Funding an art teacher for rural schools in East Tallahatchie.
- The Arc of Northwest Mississippi: Empowering parents of children with special needs to navigate the school system.
- But God Ministries: Providing baseball equipment for a state-of-the-art facility in Jonestown.
- DeSoto Family Theatre: Purchasing portable sound equipment to maintain operations during local venue transitions.
Innovative Philanthropy
Beyond traditional cash donations, the Community Foundation continues to lead Mississippi in innovative giving. The organization was the first in the state to accept cryptocurrency and frequently handles unique assets such as gold, Tesla stock, and oil and gas mineral rights.
“We want nonprofits to know the services we offer, from estate planning to RMDs,” Fulcher said. “We are here to introduce donors to the good work being done, and everyone benefits.”
The night concluded with a group photo on the court, featuring representatives from various organizations and a local Girl Scout troop, symbolizing the collaborative spirit of Northwest Mississippi.
