Methodist Foundation of Mississippi Inc logo

Methodist Foundation of Mississippi Inc

Public charity · Grantmaker Ridgeland, MS EIN: 64-0507167 Website

The Methodist Foundation of Mississippi is a public charity based in Ridgeland, Mississippi, founded in 1967. It serves churches and related organizations, primarily in Mississippi, through investment management, endowment and trust services, scholarships, and financial education.

Methodist Foundation of Mississippi Inc at a glance

In short: Methodist Foundation of Mississippi Inc gave $681K across 40 grants in 2024 (avg $17K), mostly in Mississippi. 48% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.

Annual giving (2024)
$680,502
-28.2% vs 2023
Grants made (2024)
40
+25.0% vs 2023
Average grant
$17,013
-42.6% vs 2023
Median grant
$13,580
Total assets
$169,480,247
+14.0% vs 2023
New grantees (estimate)
48% first-time grantees (19 of 40, 2024)
Primary geography
Mississippi (95% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
Latest 990 filing
Form 990, 2024 View filing

Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).

How to apply to Methodist Foundation of Mississippi Inc

Contact

Mailing address: PO Box 2415, Ridgeland, MS 39158-2415
Phone: (601) 948-8845
Website: https://methodistfm.org

Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Who Methodist Foundation of Mississippi Inc funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Parkway Hills UMC Madison: $58KParkway Hills UMC Madison$58KSt Mark's UMC Brandon: $40KSt Mark's UMC Brandon$40KMississippi State University: $40KMississippi State University$40KMain Street UMC Hattiesburg: $38KMain Street UMC Hattiesburg$38KAmory First UMC: $34KAmory First UMC$34KSt John's UMC Greenwood: $32KSt John's UMC Greenwood$32KUniversity of Mississippi: $27KUniversity of Mississippi$27KBraxton UMC: $26KBraxton UMC$26KBig Creek UMC: $25KBig Creek UMC$25KPalmer Home for Children: $20KPalmer Home for Children$20K

The largest 2024 recipient was Parkway Hills UMC Madison ($58K). Together the top 10 received $340K.

Grant Size Distribution

124 grants across all recorded years

120<$50K2$50–100K1$100–250K1$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 120 grants of 124 (97%).

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The Foundation says it serves Methodist and Wesleyan institutions and organizations primarily in Mississippi. In 2024, 95% of its itemized grant dollars went to recipients in Mississippi; the remaining shares went to Georgia (2%), Kentucky (2%), and Texas (1%).

Grant Distribution by State

9states

Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 40 itemized grants.

Cities

JacksonMadisonHattiesburgStarkvilleBraxtonClevelandColumbusFrench CampNatchezRaleighBrandonTupeloGulfportMississippi StateUniversityWilmoreAmoryAtlantaBaldwynClinton

Is Methodist Foundation of Mississippi Inc open to new grantees?

48%

first-time grantees, 2024

In 2024, 19 of 40 grantees (48%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $17K; repeat grants $17K. How we count

Medians: $14K first-time, $13K repeat.

  • 48% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
  • Giving grew 128% from 2021 to 2024. Method

Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.

Giving History

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$250K$500K$750K$1M14 grants2020 19 grants2021 19 grants2022 32 grants2023 40 grants2024

From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $150K (2020) to $948K (2023). In 2024 it made 40 grants totaling $681K.

Grants by year

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Parkway Hills UMC Madison Madison, MSFulfill Charitable Intent of Endowment$58,059
St Mark's UMC Brandon Brandon, MSFulfill Charitable Intent of Endowment$40,358
Mississippi State University Mississippi State, MSFulfill Charitable Intent of Endowment$40,275
Main Street UMC Hattiesburg Hattiesburg, MSFulfill Charitable Intent of Endowment$37,513
Amory First UMC Amory, MSFulfill Charitable Intent of Endowment$34,098
St John's UMC Greenwood Greenwood, MSFulfill Charitable Intent of Endowment$31,891
University of Mississippi University, MSFulfill Charitable Intent of Endowment$27,250
Braxton UMC Braxton, MSFulfill Charitable Intent of Endowment$26,237
Big Creek UMC Starkville, MSFulfill Charitable Intent of Endowment$25,178
Palmer Home for Children Columbus, MSFulfill Charitable Intent of Endowment$19,526
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Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

The Foundation reported receiving $29,478,866 in gifts and deposits during 2024. Its filing states that assets transferred for investment management are owned and controlled by the depositors and held by the Foundation in a custodial capacity for investment purposes.

Figures from IRS filings, by filing year
Filing yearTotal AssetsRevenueExpensesGrants paidGrantsNet Investment Income
2024$169,480,247$5,080,088$7,161,146$680,50240$3,813,552
2023$148,715,980$1,667,660$5,636,236$947,97532$809,157
2022$134,579,449$6,271,287$2,978,623$204,87919$5,569,421
2021$147,699,774$-799,975$2,544,683$298,88619$-1,182,497
2020$136,557,388$-3,354,925$2,444,268$149,59214$-4,412,409

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The Foundation states that its mission is to cultivate and administer current and deferred gifts for the benefit of Mississippi United Methodist-related institutions, agencies, local churches, and other ministries, and to educate these institutions in generosity and sound financial practices.

Its work includes managing short- and long-term investments, administering endowments and trusts, providing donor-advised fund services, and offering presentations and workshops on generosity, financial management, and planned giving. It also awards scholarships to eligible students of Methodist or Wesleyan heritage. In 2024, the Foundation reported 132 scholarship awards totaling $239,225: $199,225 to undergraduate students and $40,000 to seminary students. It reported an additional $4,600 awarded through the Global Board of Higher Education.

Grantees in 2024 included churches, educational institutions, and nonprofits. For example, Mississippi State University received $40,275; the University of Mississippi received $27,250; and Palmer Home for Children received $19,526. Palmer Home describes its work as residential and foster care, adoption in selected cases, advocacy for vulnerable children, and caregiver training, while encouraging Christian values. Millsaps College, which received $17,066, describes its mission as including academic excellence, open inquiry, exploration of faith, and contributing to the region’s social, economic, and cultural progress.

Grantmaking

In filing year 2024, the Foundation reported 40 itemized grants totaling $680,502. Grant amounts ranged from $5,371 to $58,059, with a median of $13,580. The largest listed awards included $58,059 to Parkway Hills UMC Madison, $40,358 to St Mark’s UMC Brandon, $40,275 to Mississippi State University, and $37,513 to Main Street UMC Hattiesburg. The listed grant purposes were to fulfill the charitable intent of endowments.

The Foundation also reported that, during 2024, endowments distributed more than $938,000 to churches and nonprofits. Separately, it reported distributing $21,934,884 for charitable purposes during the year.

The Foundation’s website describes scholarship opportunities for eligible college, graduate, and seminary students. College applicants generally must be Mississippi residents and active in an eligible Methodist or Wesleyan congregation or a Wesley Foundation; a pastor certification form is required. Seminary applicants must be members of a Mississippi United Methodist Church, be approved by the Board of Ordained Ministry, attend a UMC Senate-approved seminary, and submit a certification form signed by the relevant district superintendent. The listed scholarship deadline is April 1, 2026.

For donor-advised funds, an advisor may submit a signed grant recommendation form for one requested distribution. The recommendation is advisory; the Foundation retains final authority over distributions and must ensure they serve charitable purposes consistent with its mission and IRS guidelines.

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2024 filing listed Chris Boone as president and Billie Spraberry as treasurer. Directors listed were Ben Walton, Brent Wilson, Charles Leggett Jr., Dan Gibson, Daniel Herring, David Beckley, Dr. Acie Whitlock Jr., and Dr. Joe N Bailey III.

Methodist Foundation of Mississippi Inc is led by John Branning, Executive Director on every filing since 2021; 3 of 29 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.

Officers on the 2024 filing

  • John Branning

    Executive Director

    On filings since 2021

    40 hrs/week

    $33K (2021) → $107K (2024)

  • Chris Boone

    President

    Director → Vice President, 2023

    Vice President → President, 2024

    On filings since 2022

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Acie Whitlock Jr.

    Director

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Ben Walton

    Director

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Charles Leggett Jr.

    Director

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Henry Holifield

    Director

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Joe N. Bailey III

    Director

    Director → Vice President, 2022

    Vice President → Director, 2023

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • John David Robinson

    Director

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • John Moore

    Director

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Kelly Riley

    Director

    Past President → Director, 2021

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Lester Myers

    Director

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Mitchell Hedgepeth

    Director

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Ron Whitehead

    Director

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Tim Prather

    Director

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Walker Sturdivant

    Director

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Zachary Beasley

    Director

    President → Past President, 2021

    Past President → Director, 2022

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Dan Gibson

    Director

    On filings since 2022

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • David Beckley

    Director

    On filings since 2022

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Jim Moss

    Director

    On filings since 2022

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Paul Davis

    Director

    On filings since 2022

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Matt Trusty

    Director

    On filings since 2023

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Tim Sisk

    Director

    On filings since 2023

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Wesley Pepper

    Director

    On filings since 2023

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Brent Wilson

    Director

    New on the 2024 filing

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Daniel Herring

    Director

    New on the 2024 filing

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Stephen Cook

    Director

    New on the 2024 filing

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Billie Spraberry

    Treasurer

    On filings since 2020

    40 hrs/week

    $83K (2020) → $98K (2024)

  • Todd D. Marion

    Associate Director & CFO

    On filings since 2022

    40 hrs/week

    $64K (2022) → $136K (2024)

  • Jan Hitt

    Past President

    Secretary → President, 2023

    President → Past President, 2024

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

Former officers (13)
  • Former: Joe Landrum (2020–2023) — Past President
  • Former: Aislinn Kopp (2022–2023) — Director
  • Former: Freddie J. Bagley (2020–2022) — Director
  • Former: Jesse L. Ross Jr. (2020–2022) — Past President
  • Former: Mary Lee Reed (2020–2022) — Associate Director & CFO
  • Former: Tom McCormick (2020–2022) — Director
  • Former: Bishop James Swanson (2021–2022) — Chairperson
  • Former: Jeff Shannon (2020–2021) — Director
  • Former: Richard M. Hicks (2020–2021) — Executive Director
  • Former: Wade Watts (2020–2021) — Director
  • Former: Anna Fleming-Jones (2020) — Director
  • Former: James Swanson (2020) — Chairperson
  • Former: Turner Arant (2020) — Director

Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

Todd D Marion — Associate Director/CFO: $136KTodd D MarionAssociate Director/CFO$136KRev John Branning — Executive Director: $107KRev John BranningExecutive Director$107KBillie Spraberry — Treasurer: $98KBillie SpraberryTreasurer$98K

The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $136K, to Todd D Marion (Associate Director/CFO). 3 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.

Frequently asked questions about Methodist Foundation of Mississippi Inc

How much does Methodist Foundation of Mississippi Inc give each year?

Methodist Foundation of Mississippi Inc gave $681K across 40 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $948K across 32 grants.

What is Methodist Foundation of Mississippi Inc's typical grant size?

Methodist Foundation of Mississippi Inc's median grant in 2024 was $13,580, and its average grant was $17,013, across 40 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Methodist Foundation of Mississippi Inc that year got $17K on average.

Where does Methodist Foundation of Mississippi Inc give grants?

Methodist Foundation of Mississippi Inc gives mostly in Mississippi: 95% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Madison, MS (5 grants), Jackson, MS (5 grants), Hattiesburg, MS (3 grants) and Starkville, MS (3 grants).

Does Methodist Foundation of Mississippi Inc give general operating support?

Not in 2024: none of the 40 grants with a stated purpose on Methodist Foundation of Mississippi Inc's 2024 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Fulfill Charitable Intent of Endowment" (40 grants).

Who are Methodist Foundation of Mississippi Inc's largest grantees?

Methodist Foundation of Mississippi Inc's largest 2024 grantees include Parkway Hills UMC Madison ($58,059), St Mark's UMC Brandon ($40,358) and Mississippi State University ($40,275), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 20% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.

How large is Methodist Foundation of Mississippi Inc?

Methodist Foundation of Mississippi Inc reported $169.5M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $5.1M.

What does Methodist Foundation of Mississippi Inc fund?

The Foundation states that its mission is to cultivate and administer current and deferred gifts for the benefit of Mississippi United Methodist-related institutions, agencies, local churches, and other ministries, and to educate these institutions in generosity and sound financial practices. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from Methodist Foundation of Mississippi Inc?

Methodist Foundation of Mississippi Inc has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check methodistfm.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.

What is Methodist Foundation of Mississippi Inc's EIN?

Methodist Foundation of Mississippi Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 64-0507167. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.

Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.

Data update history

(6)

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 12, 2021)
  2. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 14, 2022)
  3. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 13, 2023)
  4. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 13, 2024)
  5. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 13, 2025)
  6. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

Live grants for the work Methodist Foundation of Mississippi Inc funds

Religion Related Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.

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Cite this profile

Grantable. (2026). Methodist Foundation of Mississippi Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 23, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/methodist-foundation-of-mississippi-inc-morg_fd74363504644737a6cfd3ee5350935d

BibTeX
@misc{grantable_640507167_2026,
  author       = {{Grantable}},
  title        = {{Methodist Foundation of Mississippi Inc funder profile}},
  howpublished = {GrantGraph},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://grantable.co/funders/methodist-foundation-of-mississippi-inc-morg_fd74363504644737a6cfd3ee5350935d},
  note         = {Accessed 2026-10-23. 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 Methodist Foundation of Mississippi Inc'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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