GRANTS & PROJECTS
Local or Issue-Focused
Aligned Investments
Separate from the statewide pooled fund, individual foundations within Press Forward Mississippi’s coalition are investing in projects focused within their own local regions or fields of interest.
Constructive Journalism in the South
Research & Strategy — The Community Foundation for Mississippi partnered with Red Window Communications to explore the potential value of “constructive journalism,” a method from Denmark, as a strategy for helping local news evolve in a place like Mississippi. The project produced a resource website with interviews, learnings and toolkits. It was supported by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and the Microsoft Democracy Forward initiative.
Jackson youth newsroom
Education — The Phil Hardin Foundation, which seeks to improve educational and life outcomes for Mississippi children and youth, partnered with nonprofit The Bell to launch a teen-powered local newsroom for students in Jackson Public Schools. The program empowers teens to build skills around communication, digital storytelling and media literacy.
Statewide education reporter
Education — Because of shrinking staffs among legacy newspapers and the Associated Press, the Phil Hardin Foundation saw a void in reporting about K-12 education issues, trends and policy in Mississippi. The foundation partnered with nonprofit newsroom Mississippi Today to fund a dedicated reporter position to focus on education.
Youth Media Project
Central Mississippi — The Community Foundation for Mississippi and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation support the Mississippi Youth Media Project, which trains and equips underserved teens to produce high-quality multimedia journalism. Launched in 2016 by the Mississippi Free Press, the project provides an annual six-week intensive summer program where students learn journalism, photography and videography skills.
MAKING A DIFFERENCE RESOURCE GUIDE
Northeast Mississippi — The CREATE Foundation is making a new investment in its Journal Inc. local news outlets, starting with The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal in Tupelo, to produce and distribute a comprehensive directory of local service organizations and resources. The project aims to help everyone in the community more easily find out where people can go for help when they need it.
support for funders in Mississippi
Press Forward Mississippi wants to see more local and topic-specific funders investing in their own initiatives for local news and information.
We can help you get started.
Reach out to our coalition for support in developing your investment strategy, navigating ethical boundaries, and connecting with local news outlets.