Blue Cross & Blue Shield of
Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation is based in Flowood, Mississippi, and is identified in its filing as a private foundation. Its mission is to provide leadership and targeted grant funding for sustainable initiatives that improve Mississippians’ health and well-being. Its stated work includes supporting health literacy, healthy eating and exercise, community and school health programs, and access to quality healthcare.
Key facts about Blue Cross & Blue Shield of
In short: Blue Cross & Blue Shield of gave $8.3M across 10 grants in 2025 (avg $831K), mostly in Mississippi. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 20-0471034
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $8,307,218
- Grants made (2025)
- 10
- Average grant
- $830,722
- Median grant
- $169,695
- Total assets
- $167,726,653
- Primary geography
- Mississippi (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- Yes
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$167.7M
+3.1% YoY
Annual Giving
$8.3M
+12.1% YoY
Grant Count
10
-28.6% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$831K
+57.0% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Blue Cross & Blue Shield of reported a distributable amount of $8.3M for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
How Blue Cross & Blue Shield of gives
- Giving grew 59% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 104% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Foundation’s stated mission is to improve the overall health and well-being of Mississippians. Its website identifies funding purposes such as increasing health literacy; enhancing or starting farmers’ markets; cultivating community and school gardens; encouraging tobacco-free environments; creating outdoor play spaces; and supporting physical fitness, healthy cooking classes, and health education. Its eligibility materials also describe support for community-based and school-based health programs and programs that improve access to high-quality healthcare where access is limited.
The 2025 grants show support for hospital access and facilities, community and school health education, playgrounds, physical education, school gardens, healthy-school initiatives, and tobacco-free policies. Among the grantees, CREATE Foundation describes itself as a community foundation supporting human-development projects in education, health and human services, cultural enrichment, and leadership development. An individual recipient Christian University describes its mission as helping students develop intellectual integrity, academic excellence, social awareness, and Christian character.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the Foundation reported 10 grants totaling $8,307,218. Grants ranged from $10,000 to $5,300,000, with a median of $169,695. The largest awards included $5,300,000 and $1,500,000 to South Sunflower County Hospital Foundation for a women’s health center and labor-and-delivery-area renovations, respectively. Other notable grants were $561,556 to Delta Fresh Foods for community and school health education, $466,272 to CREATE Foundation for a school playground, and $187,831 to Project Fit America for physical education equipment.
The Foundation’s website describes a Letter of Inquiry as the first step; after review, it may decline a project, request a full application, or request more information. The filing says each application is presented to the board for funding consideration and describes requests from potential grantees through the Foundation’s website. How to apply: The Foundation accepts unsolicited requests through a Letter of Inquiry. Eligible applicants generally must be a qualifying 501(c)(3) charitable organization that is not a private foundation, or a municipality, county, school, college, or university. The applicant must meet the stated Mississippi-benefit and nondiscrimination requirements, avoid duplicating or significantly overlapping public-agency work, and have no contractual relationship with Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi or its subsidiaries or affiliates. The website also lists exclusions, including individuals, political organizations, special-event sponsorships outside an overall initiative, and sports teams or events. Deadline: The website lists April 1, 2027, as the deadline for the 2027 Healthy School Awards application. That program is for Mississippi public K–12 schools; school districts are not eligible, and schools that have already received a $50,000 award through the program cannot apply again.
Open Grants
2 open opportunities from Blue Cross & Blue Shield of
Ready to take the next step with Blue Cross & Blue Shield of?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Foundation’s stated eligibility rules require applicants to be located in Mississippi or, if located elsewhere, to use funds only for the benefit of Mississippians and benefit Mississippi communities. All 2025 grant dollars went to recipients in Mississippi.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $4.4M (2020) to $9.9M (2021). In 2025 it made 10 grants totaling $8.3M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 7 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was South Sunflower County Hospital Foundation ($6.8M across 2 grants). Together the top 7 received $8.3M.
Organizations only. It also paid 2 grants to individuals ($40,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
110 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 40 grants of 110 (36%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| South Sunflower County Hospital Foundation Indianola, MS | Health & wellness - access to care - women's health center | $5,300,000 |
| South Sunflower County Hospital Foundation Indianola, MS | Health & wellness - amendment to grant agreement - access to care - renovations to labor and delivery area of south Sunflower county hospital | $1,500,000 |
| Delta Fresh Foods Cleveland, MS | Health & wellness - community and school health education | $561,556 |
| Create Foundation Inc Tupelo, MS | Health & wellness - building healthy schools - playgrounds - h. W. Byers elementary school | $466,272 |
| Project Fit America Boyes Hot Springs, MS | Health & wellness - physical education equipment for physical education regional conferences | $187,831 |
| Highland Bluff Elementary School Brandon, MS | Health & Wellness - School Garden Program | $151,559 |
| O'Bannon Elementary School Greenville, MS | Health & Wellness - Healthy School Awards | $50,000 |
| Pascagoula High School Pascagoula, MS | Health & Wellness - Healthy School Awards | $50,000 |
| 2 grants to individuals Recipients not named | — | $40,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $167,726,653 | $8,115,055 | $9,313,447 | $8,307,218 |
| 2024 | $162,615,324 | $11,523,972 | $8,235,743 | $7,408,551 |
| 2023 | $160,257,057 | $34,409,252 | $6,295,527 | $5,473,476 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $167,726,653 | $162,615,324 | $160,257,057 |
| Revenue | $8,115,055 | $11,523,972 | $34,409,252 |
| Expenses | $9,313,447 | $8,235,743 | $6,295,527 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $8,681,952 | $8,217,939 | $5,486,961 |
| Net Investment Income | $7,454,351 | $11,194,949 | $9,037,491 |
| Distributable Amount | $8,346,798 | $7,497,145 | $5,838,960 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 7, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Thomas C. Fenter, MD, as president and chairman and director; Harry M. Walker as vice chairman and director; Scott T. Williamson, Esq., as secretary and director; and Christopher L. Toaster as treasurer. It also lists Casey D. Bland, RN; Lee Greer, MD; Christina C. Thomas; Jamie Murrell; and John L. Sewell as directors, and J. Brooke Plummer, Esq., as secretary.
Blue Cross & Blue Shield of is led by Thomas C. Fenter MD, President, Chairman & Director since 2022 (on filings since 2020); 3 of 10 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Thomas C. Fenter MD
President, Chairman & Director
Chairman & Director → President, Chairman & Director, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Harry M. Walker
Vice Chairman & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$8K (2020) → $12K (2025)
Jamie Murrell
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
$8K (2023) → $12K (2025)
John L. Sewell
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
$9K (2025)
Christina C. Thomas
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Scott T. Williamson Esq.
Secretary & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Casey D. Bland RN
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lee Greer MD
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Christopher L. Toaster
Treasurer
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
J. Brooke Plummer Esq.
Secretary
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (5)
- Former: Joyce Yates (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Douglas R. Garrett (2020–2022) — Treasurer & Director
- Former: Sheila Grogan (2020–2022) — President
- Former: Curtis L. Greer MD (2021–2022) — Director
- Former: Reginald Lee (2020) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $12K, to Harry M Walker (Vice Chairman, Director). 3 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Contact
Application contact: Scott T Williamson Esq Chairman Of
Mailing address: 3545 Lakeland Drive, Jackson, MS 39232
Phone: (601) 932-3704
Frequently asked questions about Blue Cross & Blue Shield of
How much does Blue Cross & Blue Shield of give each year?
Blue Cross & Blue Shield of gave $8.3M across 10 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $7.4M across 14 grants.
What is Blue Cross & Blue Shield of's typical grant size?
Blue Cross & Blue Shield of's median grant in 2025 was $169,695, and its average grant was $830,722, across 10 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Blue Cross & Blue Shield of give grants?
Blue Cross & Blue Shield of gives mostly in Mississippi: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Indianola, MS (2 grants).
Does Blue Cross & Blue Shield of give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 10 grants with a stated purpose on Blue Cross & Blue Shield of's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are Blue Cross & Blue Shield of's largest grantees?
Blue Cross & Blue Shield of's largest 2025 grantees include South Sunflower County Hospital Foundation ($6,800,000 across 2 grants), Delta Fresh Foods ($561,556) and Create Foundation Inc ($466,272), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 2 grants to individuals ($40,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 94% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Blue Cross & Blue Shield of?
Blue Cross & Blue Shield of reported $167.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $8.7M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $8.3M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Blue Cross & Blue Shield of fund?
The Foundation’s stated mission is to improve the overall health and well-being of Mississippians. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Blue Cross & Blue Shield of?
Blue Cross & Blue Shield of has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Blue Cross & Blue Shield of's EIN?
Blue Cross & Blue Shield of's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-0471034. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Blue Cross & Blue Shield of accept unsolicited proposals?
Yes, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Here's the math on researching Blue Cross & Blue Shield of by hand.
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Blue Cross & Blue Shield of funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 4, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/blue-cross-and-blue-shield-of-morg_4be407c43b344772a552f6ac570c0555
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_200471034_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Blue Cross \& Blue Shield of funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/blue-cross-and-blue-shield-of-morg_4be407c43b344772a552f6ac570c0555},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-04. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Blue Cross & Blue Shield of's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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