Board members raise money each year for our endowment fund and then donate 5% of the endowment balance to organizations in our 13-county region. Since NEMYF was established, the members have built the endowment fund to $56,220 as of March 31 and have given out almost $16,500 in grants in our communities. We set a fundraising goal for this school year at $9,000 and have raised over 86% of our goal. At our March meeting, the board nominated nonprofit organizations for grants and decided to disburse $2,995 from our fund to nine (9) organizations and programs serving NE Mississippi youth and children. 
 
The following grants were awarded:
Alcorn County
Crosswind: $300
Crosswind is a nonprofit ministry that serves the community of Corinth by helping marginalized and hurting people meet practical needs.

Benton County
All About Kids: $265
All About Kids serves needy children in the two schools in Benton county. It provides clothing, gifts from "Santa", and other needed items.

Calhoun County
EXCEL: $265
EXCEL, Inc. is a non-profit community service organization that serves children in grades 1-6. The grant will be used for their afterschool tutoring program.

Chickasaw County
Parents for Public Schools: $265
Parents for Public Schools helps Okolona High School by providing opportunities for certfied board members to mentor, tutor, and receive parent-student-teacher training to better the students' education.

Clay County & all CREATE Counties
Sally Kate Winters Memorial Children's Home: $500
The Sally Kate Winters Home is an emergency shelter for children who have been abused, neglected, or exposed to family violence.

Lee County
Big Brothers Big Sisters: $500
BBBS matches carefully screened volunteers with disadvantaged children to build positive one-to-one mentoring relationships.

Monroe County
Jayce's Cause: $300
Jayce's Cause fills bags with supplies needed for an overnight stay for children when they are taken from their home. The bags include shampoo/conditioner, hairbrushes, toothbrush and toothpaste, notepads, small stuffed animals, etc.

Oktibbeha County
Project Class: $300
Project Class is a business/school partnership where a business "adopts" one classroom and provides what they need. This grant will serve needy children by filling their backpacks on Fridays with healthy food so they will have something to eat over the weekend.

Tishomingo County
Project T.I.S.H. Warm Neighbor Program: $300
The Warm Neighbor Program helps pay power bills for those in need, focusing on the elderly and families with children.