The Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation is a corporate foundation headquartered in Flowood, Mississippi. Established in 2004 and tax-exempt since April 2005, the foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to improving health and wellness across Mississippi. The foundation is affiliated with Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi, a healthcare organization serving the state.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$162.6M
+1.5% YoY
Annual Giving
$7.4M
+35.4% YoY
Grant Count
14
-39.1% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$529K
+122.4% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Blue Cross & Blue Shield of reported a distributable amount of $7.5M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's mission is to provide leadership and targeted grant funding for sustainable initiatives and programs to improve the overall health and well-being of Mississippians. The foundation aims to make Mississippi a healthy place to live, work, and play.
Primary funding areas include:
- Increasing health literacy
- Enhancing or starting farmers' markets
- Cultivating community and school gardens
- Encouraging tobacco-free environments
- Creating outdoor play spaces
- Constructing places for physical fitness
- Healthy cooking classes and health education
- Children's health and wellness programs
- Community health initiatives
- Healthy lifestyles and choices
Grantmaking
The foundation maintains active grant programs with recent significant activity:
Grant Range
s & Range:** Grants range from $10,000 to $5,000,000, with a median grant size of $127,000.
Ready to take the next step with Blue Cross & Blue Shield of?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation focuses exclusively on Mississippi, supporting programs and initiatives throughout the state.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of 2024:
- Total Assets: $162,615,324
- Total Revenue: $11,523,972
- Total Expenses: $8,235,743
As of 2023:
- Total Assets: $160,000,000
- Total Revenue: $34,400,000
- Total Expenses: $6,300,000
- Total Liabilities: $651,000
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $162,615,324 | $160,257,057 | $126,349,939 |
| Revenue | $11,523,972 | $34,409,252 | $36,180,537 |
| Expenses | $8,235,743 | $6,295,527 | $5,844,213 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $8,217,939 | $5,486,961 | $5,594,586 |
| Net Investment Income | $11,194,949 | $9,037,491 | $5,430,010 |
| Distributable Amount | $7,497,145 | $5,838,960 | $5,383,537 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
141 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
2 open opportunities from Blue Cross & Blue Shield of
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include South Sunflower County Hospital Foundation ($5,000,000), Pinebelt Foundation ($534,630), Pinebelt Foundation ($443,872).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| BLUE MOUNTAIN CHRISITAN UNIVERSITY BLUE MOUNTAIN, MS | HEALTH & WELLNESS - UNIVERSITY AND COLLEGE TOBACCO-FREE POLICY | TIER 1 | $10,000 |
| EAST CENTRAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE DECATUR, MS | HEALTH & WELLNESS - UNIVERSITY AND COLLEGE TOBACCO-FREE POLICY TIER 3 | $30,000 |
| HOUSTON CAREER & TECHNICAL CENTER HOUSTON, MS | HEALTH & WELLNESS - SCHOOL GARDEN PROGRAM | $136,225 |
| NH PILATE MIDDLE SCHOOL NEWTON, MS | HEALTH & WELLNESS - HEALTHY SCHOOL AWARD | $50,000 |
| NEWTON HIGH SCHOOL NEWTON, MS | HEALTH & WELLNESS - SCHOOL GARDEN PROGRAM | $160,002 |
| NORTH PIKE CAREER & TECHNICAL CENTER SUMMIT, MS | HEALTH & WELLNESS - SCHOOL GARDEN PROGRAM | $96,345 |
| PETAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PETAL, MS | HEALTH & WELLNESS - HEALTHY SCHOOL AWARD | $50,000 |
| PINEBELT FOUNDATION HATTIESBURG, MS | HEALTH & WELLNESS - BUILDING HEALTHY SCHOOLS | PLAYGROUNDS - TYLERTOWN PRIMARY SCHOOL | $534,630 |
| PINEBELT FOUNDATION HATTIESBURG, MS | HEALTH & WELLNESS -BUILDING HEALTHY SCHOOLS - PLAYGROUND - NEW HEBRON ATTENDANCE CENTER | $443,872 |
| PROJECT FIT AMERICA BOYES HOT SPRINGS, CA | HEALTH & WELLNESS - PHYSICAL EDUCATION EQUIPMENT FOR PHYSICAL EDUCATION REGIONAL CONFERENCES | $227,031 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Board & Staff:
- Thomas C Fenter, MD — President and Chairman, Director
- Harry M Walker — Vice Chairman, Director
- Scott T Williamson — Secretary, Director
- Christopher L Toaster — Treasurer
- Casey D Bland, RN — Director
- Lee Greer, MD — Director
- Christina C Thomas — Director
- Jamie Murrell — Director
- Eugenia King — Director (30 hours/week, $129,000 annual compensation)
- Melisa Stewart — Program Manager (30 hours/week, $115,000 annual compensation)
The foundation employs 2 full-time staff members.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| THOMAS C FENTER MD | PRESIDENT AND CHAIRMAN, DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| HARRY M WALKER | VICE CHAIRMAN, DIRECTOR | 1 | $12,000 |
| SCOTT T WILLIAMSON | SECRETARY, DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| CHRISTOPHER L TOASTER | TREASURER | 1 | — |
| CASEY D BLAND RN | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| LEE GREER MD | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| CHRISTINA C THOMAS | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| JAMIE MURRELL | DIRECTOR | 1 | $12,000 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation continues active grantmaking with significant investments in healthcare infrastructure and community health initiatives. Recent major grants demonstrate focus on hospital facility improvements and school-based wellness projects, particularly playground construction to encourage physical activity among children.
New Grant Program Awards $632,590 in Grants to Enhance Health Care for UpperThe foundation's parent organization, Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi, supports community engagement through its Team Blue employee volunteer program, with employees contributing hundreds of hours of community service annually to organizations including Mississippi Food Network, Rosie's Community Garden, Gateway Rescue Mission, and the Mustard Seed. The parent organization also partners with the Mississippi High School Activities Association, Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame, and the State Games of Mississippi.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation Fuels Student Innovation withSubject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Blue Cross & Blue Shield of fund?
The foundation's mission is to provide leadership and targeted grant funding for sustainable initiatives and programs to improve the overall health and well-being of Mississippians. The foundation aims to make Mississippi a healthy place to live, work, and play. Primary funding areas include: • Increasing health literacy • Enhancing or starting farmers' markets • Cultivating community and school gardens • Encouraging tobacco-free environments • Creating outdoor play spaces • Constructing places…
How do I apply for a grant from Blue Cross & Blue Shield of?
The foundation maintains active grant programs with recent significant activity: **Grant Sizes & Range:** Grants range from $10,000 to $5,000,000, with a median grant size of $127,000. **Recent Grants (2024):** • South Sunflower County Hospital Foundation: $5,000,000 (Health & Wellness - Renovations to Labor and Delivery Area) • Pinebelt Foundation: $534,630 (Building Healthy Schools - Playground at Tylertown Primary School) • Pinebelt Foundation: $443,872 (Building Healthy Schools - Playground…
Where does Blue Cross & Blue Shield of make grants?
The foundation focuses exclusively on Mississippi, supporting programs and initiatives throughout the state.
What size grants does Blue Cross & Blue Shield of award?
In 2024, Blue Cross & Blue Shield of awarded 14 grants totaling $7.4M — an average of about $529K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is Blue Cross & Blue Shield of required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Blue Cross & Blue Shield of reported a distributable amount of $7.5M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
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 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Blue Cross & Blue Shield of's focus areas in our free grants database
Related Funders
Similar funders by location and focus area
Veterans Memory Park in Ridgeland
RIDGELAND, MS
Assets
$88K
Grants
0
Total Given
—
Kappa Delta Sorority Inc 0805
OXFORD, MS
Assets
$725K
Grants
1
Total Given
$66K
William a Coleman Trust Ua Dtd 04091986 Tr
JACKSON, MS
Assets
$316K
Grants
4
Total Given
$14K
Van Devender Family Foundation
JACKSON, MS
Assets
$137K
Grants
47
Total Given
$760K
Northeast Ms Board of Realtors
TUPELO, MS
Assets
$683K
Grants
1
Total Given
$6K
United Way of Northeast Mississippi Inc
TUPELO, MS
Assets
$3.1M
Grants
35
Total Given
$783K
Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
What could you do with Blue Cross & Blue Shield of on Grantable?
- Assess strategic fit with your organization
- Draft a tailored letter of inquiry
- Find open RFPs from this funder
- Monitor for new funding opportunities
Go from researching Blue Cross & Blue Shield of to a real strategy.