Economic Opportunities
FMS invests in economic opportunities that empower residents to achieve financial security and grow wealth by connecting them to thriving industries and innovative programs.
Highlight FMS’s key focus areas: Workforce Development, Small Business Support, and Justice Reform as drivers of economic growth.
Workforce Development Program
The Foundation for the Mid South supports programs that empower families to break the cycle of poverty, achieve economic security, and build
lasting financial stability.
List of Grantees
Entrepreneurship &
Small Business Support
The Foundation supports entrepreneurship as a path to economic growth, offering resources, workshops, and partnerships to help small businesses succeed, especially in underserved communities.
Through innovative programs like Boss Lady, the Foundation empowers rural workers by supporting homegrown transportation solutions, helping individuals overcome barriers to employment and economic opportunity.
Mississippi Justice Fund
“Justice reform is a win for public safety and economic growth”
The Mississippi Justice Fund supports justice reform initiatives that promote public safety, reduce incarceration, and create economic stability for returning citizens in Mississippi. Since its launch, MJF has raised over $2 million and invested more than $770,000 in community-based organizations.
Mississippi Justice Fund focuses on organizations that address education, housing, healthcare, career pathways, and community violence prevention. Priority is given to groups led by Black, formerly incarcerated, and justice-impacted individuals.
Justice reform contributes to public safety and reduces economic losses (e.g., Mississippi loses $3 billion annually due to the criminalization of its residents).
The Mississippi Justice Fund was created to support initiatives that link justice reform to economic development.
MJF’s grants have helped build organizational capacity, strengthen community programs, and expand networks for long-term sustainability.
- Operation Good
- SSIPP Select Basketball and Mentoring
- MS Volunteer Lawyers Project
- Lighthouse - Black Girls Project
- Operation Good
- End it for Good
- Living with Purpose
- Roots Madeline House
- MS Center for Police & Sheriffs
- MS Association of Returning Citizens
- Clergy for Prison Reform
- Paroled2Pride
Impact Stories
By midmorning, round tables filled the auditorium inside the Two Mississippi Museums. Conversations moved easily at first, then gradually quieted as attention settled toward the
On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, as many Mississippians enjoyed a long weekend, young people across the state chose a different rhythm for the day.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 21, 2026 Contact: Ebonee Johnikin Foundation for the Mid South (601) 319-3888 [email protected] Foundation for the Mid South Leads MLK Day