Community Affiliates
In 1997, realizing communities throughout Northeast Mississippi have ongoing needs and special projects that would benefit from a local philanthropy, CREATE extended its endowment building efforts by establishing the Community Affiliates program. A $750,000 contribution from Anna Keirsey McLean and a $750,000 special dividend from the Journal, Inc. are the sources of CREATE’s challenge grants.
CREATE provides a $100,000 challenge grant to each new Community Affiliate, which must raise $200,000 in unrestricted endowed funds to receive the full grant. These endowed funds, raised and allocated by local people, provide permanent assets to address local community needs and issues. CREATE Foundation currently has 15 Community Affiliates.
Community Affiliates are led by a local board consisting of community leaders. Each affiliate manages its own independent grant cycle and makes local grants determined to be important in improving the quality of life in that county. CREATE’s Community Affiliate program brings together the local leadership to address community concerns.
Please click on the links below for more information regarding CREATE’s Affiliates.
Established: October 1997
The Corinth-Alcorn area, nestled in the far corner of Northeast Mississippi, has been known since the Civil War era as the Crossroads City. Major battles were fought over control of the rail lines that cross in our city, and in present day, it is the hub for two of the Southeast’s busiest highways.
Today, we continually find ourselves at crossroads as we address the many issues facing our future in Northeast Mississippi. Corinth-Alcorn Reaching for Excellence (CARE), a CREATE Foundation Affiliate, seeks to meet existing needs in the community while providing initiatives for positive change in areas that span five categories:
- Children and Families
- The Elderly
- Arts and Enrichment
- Civic and Community Development
- Education
By continually identifying where needs exist, CARE is able to fulfill its mission to improve the quality and standard of living for all the citizens of Alcorn County. The Foundation is served by a fifteen-member Steering Committee and an Advisory Board.
CAREgivers Legacy Society
An opportunity for those who truly care about giving back to their community.
Since 1972, the CREATE Foundation has helped make it possible for generous and thoughtful individuals and families to realize their dreams. CARE Foundation of Corinth and Alcorn County brought this opportunity home in 1997 for local use. Through permanent gifts to CARE, donors are providing for the future of our community. The legacy of these donors is one of philanthropy – of opportunity – of providing a better quality of life for untold numbers of residents in our community.
The CAREgivers Legacy Society was formed to recognize the thoughtful and generous planning of donors. It is composed of caring individuals and families who have made formal plans to leave a gift to the CARE Foundation. Gifts can be made by a bequest in your will, a beneficiary designation on your IRA and/or insurance policy, a charitable trust, or other form of gift.
It is a special person who provides for the future of his or her community. Through the CARE Foundation, an enduring legacy is now possible with the CAREgivers Legacy Society. As stated by William Raspberry at CREATE’s 2007 Fall Summit, “Philanthropy is a habit of the heart, a way of life – not a bank balance.”
Today, the endowment funds held by the CARE Foundation support efforts to help young people face life’s challenges, feed the hungry, promote arts and culture, preserve our environment, and encourage economic prosperity. Tomorrow, the needs of our community might be different, but the CARE Foundation, existing in perpetuity, will still be here – helping to improve our quality of life no matter how times change.
The CARE Foundation stands ready to work with you and your estate planning advisors to structure your gift in the way that best helps to achieve your financial and philanthropic goals. Our community is being, and will be, enhanced – thanks to the goodwill and vision of those generous individuals and families who entrust the CARE Foundation with their dreams for a better future. Thanks for CAREing!
Board
- Bill Davis Mona Lisa Grady Lanny Griffith Phil Little Orma Smith Tim Smith Clayton Stanley Kenneth Williams Sandy Williams
The CARE Honor Garden
PO Box L
Calhoun City, Mississippi 38916
Established: December 2000
Founded in 2000, The Calhoun County Endowment Foundation is a local community foundation through which individuals, families, organizations and corporations invest in the well-being of the community. The CCEF serves as a vehicle for charitable giving, allocating donors’ gifts to improve the quality of life for all Calhoun County citizens.
The CCEF uniquely meets needs which arise in the local community, including recent support to families of armed forces personnel and promoting special educational programs.
Board
- Sheila Freely, Chair
- Randy Baker
- Bill Malone
- Joel McNeece
- Tina Scott
- Precious Thompson
- Ramona Tillman
- Michael Watkins
- Becky Wright
Contact: Gus Clark, Chairman
Phone: 662-567-5090
212 Martin Drive
Houston, MS 38851
Established: January 2001
Our county has ongoing needs and special projects unique to our citizens. PACE helps ensure that we have endowed resources, raised and allocated by local people, to address our own communities’ challenges now and in the future.
PACE, established in 2001, serves as a community foundation with the mission of improving the quality of life for people in Chickasaw County. The foundation serves as a vehicle to invest our money where our hearts are – in our home place, leaving legacies that set the pace for generations to come.
A diverse local board controls and manages the trust fund and disbursements. PACE has an annual grant cycle for March 15 to June 15.
Board
- Frank Alford
- Jason Brooks
- Shenia Jones
- Tom Byrne
- Gus Clark, Chair
- Mike Colbert
- John Ellison
- Hassell Franklin
- Bobby Mooneyham
- Millette Nabors
- Rayburn Parks
- Bob Scott
- Jackie Strong
- Cathy Spencer, Executive Director
PACE Board members accept the 2017 James Hugh Ray award at CREATE’s annual meeting
Contact:
Robin McCormick
rmccormick@wwscpa.com
Phone: (662) 287-1433
Fax: (662) 284-4864
Post Office Box 1281
West Point, Mississippi 39773
Established: December 2002
Making a Difference Today and Tomorrow.
The mission of the West Point Community Foundation is to invest in programs and projects which enhance the cultural, aesthetic, and historical components of our community. The Foundation is a non-profit, public supported organization through which residents as well as former members of our community can make charitable contributions which will be used to enhance the quality of life both today and in future generations. Contributions support the development and improvement of local museums, parks, and recreational facilities, as well as cultural activities including music, fine arts, library growth, and historic activities.
The Foundation also maintains an endowment fund for those who wish to contribute to the permanent endowment of the Foundation. It is the Foundation’s policy to actively maintain the integrity of each fund to insure that designated gifts and contributions are disbursed for the purposes intended. The Foundation is registered with and recognized as tax-exempt by the Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c) (3) corporation.
Board
- Louise Campbell
- Dewel Brasher
- Jimmy Bryan
- Kenny Dill
- Robin McCormick
Howlin’ Wolf Memorial Blues Festival
Contact: Vaunita Martin
Phone: 662-862-4571
In 2008, Itawamba County joined the other CREATE community affiliates in the mission of building local endowments. Throughout 2008, the local Steering Committee of the FIRST Foundation (Friends of Itawamba Responding to Secure Tomorrow) focused on making their communities aware of the giving opportunities that the new foundation provided.
FIRST is a local charitable community foundation through which individuals, families, organizations, and businesses can invest in the future well-being of Itawamba County. FIRST uses income from the endowment to support local initiatives to improve the quality of life for all Itawamba County residents. It is structured to keep pace with the changing times and to make sure that this foundation fund continues to grow and support the community into the future. Having a local affiliate helps donors target charitable giving at home by building an endowment or community savings account.
The FIRST Foundation exists to seek workable solutions to unmet community needs in order to build a stronger bond within their communities. FIRST is currently engaged in the tuition guarantee program for graduating seniors in Itawamba County to attend Itawamba Community College tuition free. In addition, in the coming five years they hope to improve recreation, fine arts, after school tutoring programs, transportation for elderly, and food banks in all the communities in Itawamba County.
What Projects Are Currently The Focus For FIRST?
- Education: Along with other education projects, FIRST is a proud supporter of the Itawamba Community College Tuition Guarantee Program for graduates of high schools in Itawamba County.
- Family Aid: Proud supporters of the Fulton Food Bank and the United Methodist Food Pantry-West.
- Fine Arts: Broadening the horizons of our students and our community.
- Public Recreational Facilities: New and enhanced public playgrounds for our community.
- Transportation For The Elderly: Goal is to initiate solutions to meet the critical transportation needs for our elderly
FIRST Foundation provides an opportunity for individuals and businesses to give back to their community and to ensure that their gifts will benefit future generations in Itawamba County.
Board of Directors
- Vaunita Martin, Chair
- Jennifer Bost
- Romona Edge
- Teresa Floyd
- Tony Green
- Jim McCullough
- Teresa McNeece
- Luke Montgomery
- Laken Osbirn
- Brian Quinn
- Bryan Wilson
FIRST Foundation receives the James Hugh Ray Community Affiliate Award for 2012
Contact:
Jody Holland, Executive Director
Lafayette/Oxford Foundation for Tomorrow
662-915-1362
PO Box 3041
Oxford, MS 38655
Established: December 2002
The Lafayette/Oxford Foundation for Tomorrow was established in 2002 to provide an alternative philanthropic vehicle for people who want to enhance an already great community in Oxford/Lafayette County. We are fortunate to have many strong organizations that support our community. Most of these organizations are oriented towards immediate purposes, however, whereas LOFT provides more of a long-term approach to community support. We think of LOFT as a “savings” account that will ensure long-term support for many worthwhile activities. Unrestricted gifts to LOFT can be made over time, up to 5 years, and will receive full tax-deductible benefits. With LOFT spending the investment interest only, donors can be assured that they are making a gift that will endure.
LOFT’s mission is to provide support for numerous civic, educational, health, human services and cultural activities that will improve the quality of life for all Lafayette County residents. LOFT offers an excellent way to identify local needs and then do something about them. Your investment in LOFT will yield stronger neighborhoods, schools, organizations, and lives, now and in the future.
LOFT has awarded grants to the City of Oxford, Oxford-Lafayette County Heritage Foundation, RSVP/TRIAD, Oxford Park Commission, Garden Friends, Lafayette Elementary, Gordon Head Start, Angel Ranch, Cedar Oaks, and YAC.
Board
- Elise Lee, Chair
- Donald Cole
- Earl Dismuke
- Anne Clark Downing
- Norris "EJ" Edney
- Sydney Fields
- Jack Garner
- Campbell Helveston
- Jody Holland, Executive Director
- John Mayo
- Kate McNees
- David Shelton
- Betsy Smith
- Hattie Steiner
- Afton Thomas
- Asheley Wilkinson
LOFT wins the 2013 James Hugh Ray Community Affiliate Award
LEAD, established in 2015, works to improve the quality of life in Lee County through philanthropy. LEAD, which stands for Lee County Empowering, Advancing, and Developing, is a local community affiliate fund, and a tax-exempt charitable organization that operates under the umbrella of the CREATE Foundation, a public charitable foundation that has attained multiple national certifications for meeting high quality operating standards, effective and efficient fiscal management, and excellence in managing the fund investment process. LEAD is made up of a local board of directors representing a cross-section of the community. Eventually, LEAD would like to build a community endowment fund, to create a permanent local endowment, a perpetual source of charitable income to support both needs in the community today, and to address opportunities and issues that arise tomorrow. A community endowment fund would allow LEAD to provide services to the community that are not currently being met. Our local affiliate provides an opportunity for individuals and businesses to give back to this community and ensure that their gifts will benefit future generations. With the support of donors, volunteers, and partners, LEAD continues to empower the citizens of Lee County. Organizations, individuals, or businesses wishing to make a tax-deductible contribution to the long-range support of measures to improve the Lee County community through LEAD, may contact Mike Clayborne, President of CREATE Foundation.
Follow us on Facebook: LEAD Tupelo/Lee County | Tupelo MS
Board Members
- Amanda Angle, Chairman
- Nicole McLaughlin, Vice Chairman
- Rashni Barath, Treasurer
- Chauncey Godwin
- Judd Wilson
- Scott Cochran
- Scott Reed
- Zell Long
- Pat Caldwell
- Mickey Holliman
- Eddie Dalton
- Victor McMillan
- Gary Sparkman
- Steven Blaylock
- Sam Pace
- Copey Grantham
- Gene McDade
LEAD Administrative/Operations Director
Julia Monts
LEAD Fundraising/Public Relations Director
Annabeth Wyatt
For more information, please email us: leadleeco@gmail.com.
108 Alabama Street
New Albany, MS 38652
The Lowndes Community Foundation joined CREATE Foundation on November 1, 2012. The mission of the Lowndes Community Foundation will continue to be to help Lowndes County residents improve their quality of life through tax-deductible donations. The Foundation provides to the community (1) much needed funding for worthwhile projects, (2) seed money for organizations, (3) matching funds for grants from many other sources, (4) funding for new community initiatives, (5) a flexible vehicle for charitable giving, and (6) permanent endowments to address community challenges and opportunities long into the future.
Board
- Jay Fisher, Co-Chair
- Josie Shumake, Co-Chair
- Joe Boggess
- Matt Bogue
- John Brady
- Tom Buckley
- Tyler Covington
- Jim Davidson
- Rita Felton
- Linda Gates
- Doug Gosney
- Bobby Harper
- George S. Hazard, Jr.
- Wanda Holley
- Frank Howell
- Deborah Johnson
- Ralph McLain
- Tango Moore
- Bridget Smith Pieschel
- Dr. Chanley Rainey
- Doug Robertson
- Jan Eastman, Executive Director
In December 2005, Monroe County joined the other CREATE community affiliates in the mission of building local endowments. The local board of the North Monroe County Community Fund focuses on making their communities aware of the giving opportunities that the foundation provides.
The North Monroe County Community Fund (NMCCF) is a local charitable community foundation through which individuals, families, organizations, and businesses can invest in the future well being of north Monroe County. NMCCF uses income from the endowment to support local initiatives to improve the quality of life for all north Monroe County residents. It is structured to keep pace with the changing times and to make sure that this foundation fund continues to grow and support the community into the future. Having a local affiliate helps donors target charitable giving at home by building an endowment or community savings account.
The North Monroe County Community Fund provides an opportunity for individuals and businesses to give back to their community and to ensure that their gifts will benefit future generations in the greater Amory area and north Monroe County.
Board
- Bobby Cleveland
- George Darden
- Mary Lib Francis
- Art Gentry
- Dottie Haney
- Geneva Moon
- Larry Palmer
- Dr. Len Pinkley
- Tony Poss
- Deborah Rogers
CONTACT: Kathy Seymour, Chair
PO Box 402
Aberdeen, MS 39730
In December 2005, Monroe County joined the other CREATE community affiliates in the mission of building local endowments. The local board of the South Monroe County Community Fund has focused on making their communities aware of the giving opportunities that the foundation provides. Since 2007, they have awarded grants to organizations and programs such as: Aberdeen City Museum, Aberdeen Animal Shelter, Railroad Depot, Elkin Theater, Girl Scouts in both Aberdeen and Hamilton, Bukka White Blue Bluff Festival, multiple food pantries, and Aberdeen Citizen Preparedness. As they grow their community fund, they grow the amount of grants they can give in their communities.
Board Members
- Kathy Seymour, Chair
- Nan Corbell
- Debbie Thompson
- James Edwards, Jr.
- Martin Hansen
- Susan Honeycutt
- Bradley Lipsey
- Leon Manning
- Dwight McComb, Sr.
- Greg Miller
- Terry Smith
Contact: Stacey Parvin, Executive Director
Email: starkvillecommunityfoundation@gmail.com
Phone: 662-694-1619
500 Whitfield Street
Starkville, MS 39759
Established: May 2003
Starkville Community Foundation is a non-profit organization (formerly S.O.A.R.) designed to raise funds for projects and programs that make Starkville an incredible place to live. We are an affiliate of the CREATE Foundation and run by a local Board of Directors who LOVE Starkville and want to see our community THRIVE.
We know that investing in the community we love positively impacts all of us. When people invest in their community, everyone wins! Thriving parks, schools, arts, and youth programs create increased property values, safety, and business growth.
SCT allows all of us to support these initiatives in three ways:
100 Women Who Care – supports our annual project grants. In three years, 100 Women poured $76,000 into local programs that impact youth, housing, job readiness, and more.
Community of 1000 – supports LARGE annual projects with deep impact. Our goals are big and targeted. $100,000 a year makes these project possibilities into realities. Picture award-winning parks, state-of-the-art after-school programs, and top-notch city infrastructure.
Legacy Funds – supports our growing endowment. For people who have invested their lives into Starkville, leaving a lasting legacy is one of the most meaningful ways to make your mark for the next generation. Legacy gifts allow donors to sustain what they love about their hometown by designating where the interest from the endowment is spent. If you love a particular organization or project (like community theater, an after-school program, the library, or a park) Legacy Funds allow you to provide sustainable resources that support these efforts.
SCT directs your funds directly into your community in the ways YOU want to use them to make Starkville and Oktibbeha County the BEST place to live, work, raise a family, and retire. Investing in your own backyard is the easiest investment you will ever make. Please join us!
Board
- Bobby Crosland, Board President
- Stacey Parvin, Executive Director
- Alison Buehler
- Suzanne Dressel
- John Forde
- Andrew Gaston
- Pat Lane
- Buddy Staggers
- Nellah Taylor
- Bart Williams
- Tommy Tomlinson
- Chuck Ware
- Chip Templeton
- Carrie Beth Randall
Contact:
Dr. Collett B. Cross, Executive Director
Phone: 662-316-0808
P.O. Box 125
New Albany, Mississippi 38652
Established 2022
The Pontotoc Achieving Community for Tomorrow (PACT) Fund was founded in 2022 and seeks to facilitate an exceptional quality of life for residents of Pontotoc County. That quality of life includes all of the characteristics of a great place – a vibrant economy, a sense of community pride and inspiration, a caring attitude towards fellow community members, and a healthy, safe, and sustainable way of life.
The mission of Pontotoc Achieving Community for Tomorrow is to provide support for organizations who further the vision of championing an exceptional quality of life for Pontotoc County residents in the areas of food insecurity, arts and entertainment, health and environmental issues, and quality of life initiatives.
The PACT Advisory Board meets on the third Thursday of the month. Board members are Julie Henry, Beth Waldo, Cayson Hankins, Chase Hale, Conwell Duke, Darla Webb, Derric Morrison, Eden Montgomery, Felicia Pollard, Hayden Stegall, Jerry Robbins, Kayla Steward, Michelle Martin, Phyllis High, Robert Bass, Ross Montgomery, Shelly Johnstone, Wyatt Gunter, Angela Newby, and Virginia Crawford.
Board
- Mike Kirk, Chair
- James (Bo) Collins
- Gary Cooper
- Cathy Garrett
- Lee Henson
- Moises Lemus
- Dale Manning
- Margaret Maxwell
- Cathy McClinton
- Mary Jennifer Russell
- Ann Shirley
- Anne J. Stephens
- Billye Jean Stroud
- Travis Wiseman
- Collett Cross, Executive Director
UNITE is awarded the 2011 James Hugh Ray Community Affiliate Award
Contact:
Ronny Rowland
Email: rrowland2@bellsouth.net
P.O. Box 125
New Albany, Mississippi 38652
Established January 2000
The PROPEL (Prentiss Realizing Opportunities for Prosperity, Excellence and Leadership) Community Fund, is a newly established endowment fund that will work to improve the quality of life in Prentiss County through philanthropy. The PROPEL Community Fund is a local community affiliate fund and a tax-exempt charitable organization that operates under the umbrella of CREATE Foundation, a public charitable foundation that has attained multiple national certifications for meeting high quality operating standards, effective and efficient fiscal management, and excellence in managing the fund investment process. A local board of directors, representing a cross-section of the community has been elected. The inaugural board members are Mark Tapp, Leon Hays, Dr. Ricky Ford, Ronny Rowland, Angelique Jumper, Patrick Eaton, Dr. Todd English, Judy Ramey, Jason Coley, Bobby Jackson, Travis Childers, Billy Martin, Janis Triplett Burns, Raymond Craven, and Greg Windham. Ronny Rowland will serve as the Board Chairperson with Billy Martin serving as Vice Chairperson.
Eventually, The PROPEL Community Fund would like to build a community endowment fund to create a permanent local endowment, a perpetual source of charitable income to support both needs in the community today and to address opportunities and issues that arise tomorrow. A community endowment fund would allow the affiliate to provide services to the community that are not currently being met. Our local affiliate provides an opportunity for individuals and businesses to give back to this community and to ensure that their gifts will benefit future generations. Organizations, individuals, or businesses wishing to make a tax-deductible contribution to the long-range support of measures to improve the Prentiss County community through the PROPEL Community Fund may contact Ronny Rowland via email at rrowland2@bellsouth.net.
Board
- Mike Kirk, Chair
- James (Bo) Collins
- Gary Cooper
- Cathy Garrett
- Lee Henson
- Moises Lemus
- Dale Manning
- Margaret Maxwell
- Cathy McClinton
- Mary Jennifer Russell
- Ann Shirley
- Anne J. Stephens
- Billye Jean Stroud
- Travis Wiseman
- Collett Cross, Executive Director
UNITE is awarded the 2011 James Hugh Ray Community Affiliate Award
Contact: Deborah Hurt
Phone: 662-837-3353
201 Union Street
Ripley, MS 38663
Established: December 1997
The Tippah County TARGET (Tippah and Ripley Growing Excellent Together) Endowment Fund was established in 1999 through a partnership with CREATE Foundation. This fund provides a vehicle for individuals to invest in their community and help improve the quality of life. The local advisory committee is responsible for the grantmaking process and recommends how the funds are used for the community.
Currently the board is in the process of reorganizing and expanding our advisory committee and setting some new goals for the year. We will strive to continue to grow our endowment fund for the betterment of Tippah County.
Board
- Bob Glover, Chair
- Dean Caviness
- Braxton Coombs
- John Frank Gibbs
- Melissa Harrison
- Jim Jackson
- Beverly Moffitt
- Deborah Hurt, Administrative Coordinator
TARGET 2014 grant award
Contact:
Dr. Collett B. Cross, Executive Director
Phone: 662-316-0808
P.O. Box 125
New Albany, Mississippi 38652
Established January 2000
UNITE, a community foundation supporting civic, educational, health, human service, and cultural initiatives throughout Union county, was established in 2000. Through UNITE, individuals, families, organizations and corporations make tax deductible donations which are administered by CREATE Foundation. Earned income is returned to the community in the form of grants to improve the quality of life for all residents of Union county. UNITE offers Union county residents the opportunity to provide funds for worthwhile community initiatives involving the arts, the environment, community development, education, human services and historical preservation. Also, it provides a flexible means for charitable giving, and for permanent endowments to address community challenges and opportunities for generations to come.
With the first gift to UNITE made in January 2002, many individuals expressed a desire to give back to their community. Through contributions and pledges, UNITE met its goal to raise $200,000. CREATE Foundation then granted an additional $100,000.
UNITE’s Board of Directors is dedicated to building the foundation so that additional funds will always be available. Emphasis will be placed on increasing unrestricted funds and in educating the public on ways to make gifts for designated areas of special interest.
Gifts and bequests will provide funds for many worthwhile community projects, which will continue to enrich the lives of those who live in Union county.
Board
- Mike Kirk, Chair
- James (Bo) Collins
- Gary Cooper
- Cathy Garrett
- Lee Henson
- Moises Lemus
- Dale Manning
- Margaret Maxwell
- Cathy McClinton
- Mary Jennifer Russell
- Ann Shirley
- Anne J. Stephens
- Billye Jean Stroud
- Travis Wiseman
- Collett Cross, Executive Director
