Foundation for the Mid South

02/20/2026

In a recent Forbes Nonprofit Council article, Gregory Johnson, President and CEO of the Foundation for the Mid South, shared insight on what it truly takes to build a mission-driven organization.

In the article, Gregory Johnson emphasizes the importance of starting with perspective. Before launching a nonprofit, he encourages leaders to assess the landscape: Who is already doing the work? Where are the real gaps? The goal is to meet genuine community needs, not duplicate efforts.

This perspective reflects FMS’s commitment to thoughtful leadership and lasting impact across the Mid South.

Read the full article: https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbesnonprofitcouncil/2025/11/10/launching-a-501c3-17-considerations-for-new-nonprofit-leaders/

02/19/2026

Join us for the launch of the Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation (TRHT) curriculum and community cohorts. This webinar provides a brief overview of the TRHT learning framework and explores how racial healing connects education, health, and economic mobility. Participants will gain insight into the curriculum’s core modules, designed to build shared understanding, strengthen relationships, and move communities from awareness to action. Learn how the TRHT cohorts support cross-sector collaboration and long-term change while advancing belonging and well-being across Mississippi’s communities.

Speakers Include:
Brian Crawford - President, Mission Mississippi
Susan Womack - Assoc. VP Advancement Operations, Millsaps College
Rodney Washington - Mississippi TRHT Evaluator, Foundation For The Mid-South

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02/18/2026

Black history lives in the leadership, resilience, and progress shaping our communities every day.

Across the Mississippi, Louisiana, and Arkansas Delta regions and Jackson, Black leadership has strengthened education, expanded opportunity, and transformed systems that impact generations.

At the Foundation for the Mid South, we honor Black History Month by investing in the people and partnerships carrying this work forward for today and for the future.

02/17/2026

Streaming Live This Thursday!

The Foundation for the Mid South invites you to The Connected Community: Building Trust, Healing, and Belonging Across the Mid South.

This webinar provides a brief overview of the TRHT learning framework and explores how racial healing connects education, health, and economic mobility. Participants will gain insight into the curriculum’s core modules, designed to build shared understanding, strengthen relationships, and move communities from awareness to action.

Date: Thursday, February 19, 2026
Time: 12 PM CST | 1 PM EST
Streaming live on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/events/7428127980566110208?viewAsMember=true

Featured Speakers:
Brian Crawford, President, Mission Mississippi
Susan Womack, Assoc. VP Advancement Operations, Millsaps College
Rodney Washington, TRHT Evaluator
Cassio Batteast, VP for programs, Foundation for the Mid South

02/17/2026

The Clocked In initiative is connecting communities across Mississippi with workforce and training resources by bringing organizations together. If your organization supports career growth or opportunity access, apply below and become a vendor.

Job seekers — mark your calendars and plan to attend to connect with resources, employers, and opportunities.

Mississippi Today is bringing workforce resources, training programs, employers and community organizations together for Clocked In, a public workforce storytelling and access event in Jackson.

If your organization helps people move forward, we want you in the room. Become a vendor and meet hundreds of Mississippians seeking opportunity and information.
Apply here: https://mississippitoday.org/clocked-in/

02/13/2026

The Mid-South Trail Blazers series highlights the influential Black visionaries, innovators, and leaders who have shaped our region through education, health care, and economic opportunity. Their work broke barriers, expanded access, and created pathways for future generations to thrive.

As we close this series, we honor their legacies and recommit to continuing the work of building stronger, more equitable communities across the Mid-South.

Happy Black History Month, Mid South community!

02/12/2026

Mid-South Economic Opportunity Contributor, Ivye L. Allen is a philanthropy and economic mobility leader advancing equity and community development across Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi through her work with the Foundation for the Mid South. She has led MDC Inc., served on the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation Board, and taught at Jackson State University, focusing on strategies that promote economic opportunity and social justice.

Ivye L. Allen is a Mid-South Trail Blazer, helping expand pathways to economic equity and opportunity for communities across the region.

Read More Here: https://clintonschool.uasys.edu/centers-initiatives/center-on-community-philanthropy/scholars-in-residence/ivye-l-allen/

02/11/2026

Congratulations, Ebonee! Thank you for the energy and heart you bring to the Foundation.

02/11/2026

Mid-South Health Contributor, Dr. Aaron Shirley, was a Mississippi-born health care innovator and civil rights activist who worked to eliminate racial and economic disparities in health care. As the state’s first African American pediatric resident, he co-founded the Jackson-Hinds Comprehensive Health Center and later created the Jackson Medical Mall, a nationally recognized model for community-based care. His groundbreaking contributions earned him a MacArthur Foundation “genius grant” in 1993.

Dr. Aaron Shirley was a Mid-South Trail Blazer, helping move equitable health care access closer for future generations.

Read More Here: https://mississippiencyclopedia.org/staff/susan-l-smith/

02/10/2026

Mid-South Education Contributor, Arenia Mallory, was an educator and civil rights leader who founded what are known, today, as Saints Junior College and Saints Academy. Through her work, Mallory expanded access to education and critical resources for Black communities in the Mississippi Delta. She also broke barriers as the first Black woman elected to the Holmes County Board of Education.

Arenia Mallory was a Mid-South Trail Blazer, helping move educational opportunity closer for future generations.

Read More Here: https://mississippiencyclopedia.org/entries/arenia-mallory/

02/09/2026

Historically, Black-led organizations and institutions have played a central role in advancing economic opportunities and addressing racial inequities around the world.

This Black History Month, FMS celebrates through highlighting the contributions of Black leaders through Trail Blazers series, spotlighting individuals whose efforts advanced education, health and wellness, and economic opportunity across the Mid-South region.

Follow along to learn about the people, programs, and initiatives that paved the way for progress and opportunity in the Mid-South community and share in the comments about who you think we should highlight and why.