Mississippi Power Foundation Inc
Mississippi Power Foundation Inc. is a private foundation based in Gulfport, Mississippi. Its giving strategy is guided by focus areas identified by customers, including education, community relations, economic development and environmental efforts.
Mississippi Power Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Mississippi Power Foundation Inc gave $2.2M across 75 grants in 2025 (avg $29K), mostly in Mississippi. 42% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $2,199,515
- -34.9% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 75
- +4.2% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $29,327
- -37.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $65,135,676
- +40.7% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 42% first-time grantees (30 of 72, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Mississippi (93% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Mississippi Power Foundation Inc
- How to Apply
-
The foundation’s filing lists Janice L. Dixon as the contact and says to use the same form submitted with the prior year’s Form 990-PF. Awards are limited to tax-exempt organizations under Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3) or government entities. The filing excludes, among other uses, grants to individuals, lobbying or election-related activity, purchases of electric appliances, athletic field lighting, and activities that provide a tangible economic benefit to Mississippi Power Company. It also says Mississippi Power Company and the foundation may not receive tickets, a banquet table or another item of value as a result of a contribution.
- Review Cycle
- The filing states there are no submission deadlines.
- Deadline
- The filing states there are no submission deadlines.
- Contact
Application contact: Janice L Dixon
Mailing address: 2992 West Beach Boulevard, Gulfport, MS 39502
Phone: (228) 865-5232
Website: https://mississippipower.com
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Mississippi Power Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was University of Mississippi ($401K). Together the top 10 received $1.5M.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($12,500), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
405 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 351 grants of 405 (87%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s 2025 grant dollars were distributed primarily to Mississippi recipients: 93% went to Mississippi, 3% to Maine, 2% to New York, and 1% each to Ohio and Massachusetts. Mississippi Power’s website describes the company’s service area as 23 southeast Mississippi counties; a 2025 bill-assistance announcement said customers in that territory could apply for assistance through the named United Way partners.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 75 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Mississippi Power Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
42%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 30 of 72 grantees (42%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $13K; repeat grants $32K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 38% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 67% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 87% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $1.2M (2020) to $3.4M (2024). In 2025 it made 75 grants totaling $2.2M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| University of Mississippi Oxford, MS | Contribution for the new Patterson School of Accountancy | $400,500 |
| United Way of South Mississippi Gulfport, MS | 2025 Matching Gift Program Project Share Infusion Paymentto assist qualifying customers for assistance with their electric bills | $295,969 |
| Mississippi State University Foundation Mississippi State, MS | Anthony and Tonya Wilson Endowed Fund for Bully's Pantry | $250,000 |
| United Way of East Mississippi Meridian, MS | Matching Gift Program. Project Share Infusion Payment to assit qualifying customers for assistance with their electric bills | $130,096 |
| Mississippi Aquarium Gulfport, MS | Increase aquarium traffic during customer appreciation | $125,000 |
| Open Doors Homeless Coalition Gulfport, MS | Start up expense for 80 families who have received free housing through grant | $80,000 |
| Mississippi State University MS State, MS | 2025 Education Match Program | $51,600 |
| Hancock County Community Development Foundation Saint Louis, MS | Small Business Grants | $50,000 |
| Main Street Pascagoula Pascagoula, MS | Facade grant for small business improvements around the Amtrax Station | $50,000 |
| Meridian Restoration Foundation Inc Meridian, MS | Phase II of the Merrehope Home Restoration Project | $50,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Mississippi Power Foundation Inc?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $65,135,676 | $17,292,636 | $2,789,773 | $2,199,515 | 75 | $2,459,992 | $2,896,223 | $2,823,959 |
| 2024 | $46,280,081 | $4,140,815 | $3,870,887 | $3,377,617 | 72 | $3,610,933 | $1,117,929 | $2,210,003 |
| 2023 | $41,453,906 | $4,285,011 | $2,785,962 | $2,143,931 | 97 | $2,533,249 | $921,653 | $1,951,187 |
| 2022 | $36,357,553 | $-474,889 | $1,743,558 | $1,316,477 | 83 | $1,467,192 | $824,240 | $1,914,170 |
| 2021 | $44,074,843 | $12,539,799 | $1,806,155 | $1,364,837 | 78 | $1,565,789 | $4,606,411 | $1,940,230 |
| 2020 | $33,667,545 | $2,045,191 | $1,636,638 | $1,232,303 | 89 | — | $1,878,936 | $1,519,787 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Mississippi Power Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $2.8M for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s website identifies education, community relations, economic development and environmental efforts as focus areas for its giving strategy.
The 2025 grants illustrate support for a range of organizations and projects. For example, the University of Mississippi received a contribution for its new Patterson School of Accountancy. United Way of South Mississippi and United Way of East Mississippi received funding for customer electric-bill assistance. Mississippi State University Foundation received support for an endowed fund for Bully’s Pantry, while Open Doors Homeless Coalition received startup funding for families receiving free housing.
The grantees describe their own missions in varied terms. The University of Mississippi says its mission includes acquiring, constructing, maintaining and improving university facilities. Open Doors Homeless Coalition describes itself as a South Mississippi collaborative initiative to build solutions to homelessness through improved service delivery, outreach and advocacy. Main Street Pascagoula describes its work as economic development that supports entrepreneurship, community capacity and partnerships.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation made 75 grants totaling $2,199,515. Grants ranged from $400 to $400,500, with a median award of $10,000.
Among the largest reported grants were $400,500 to the University of Mississippi for the new Patterson School of Accountancy; $295,969 to United Way of South Mississippi for a Matching Gift Program Project Share infusion payment to assist qualifying customers with electric bills; and $250,000 to Mississippi State University Foundation for the Anthony and Tonya Wilson Endowed Fund for Bully’s Pantry. Other awards included $130,096 to United Way of East Mississippi for customer electric-bill assistance, $125,000 to Mississippi Aquarium to increase aquarium traffic during customer appreciation, and $80,000 to Open Doors Homeless Coalition for startup expenses for 80 families receiving free housing.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Giff Ormes as president; Shawn Shurden as secretary; Matt Grice as treasurer; Steven Dick as executive director; Janice Dixon as a non-voting member; and Michael Smith, Brady Powers and Fran Forehand as members at large.
Mississippi Power Foundation Inc is led by Steven Dick, Executive Director on filings since 2021; none of the 8 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Steven Dick
Executive Director
On filings since 2021
$40K (2021) → $0 (2025)
Giff Ormes
President
On filings since 2024
No compensation reported
Janice Dixon
Member - Non Voting
On filings since 2021
$83K (2021) → $0 (2025)
Fran Forehand
Member at Large
Board Member → Member at Large, 2025
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Matt Grice
Treasurer
Member - Non Voting → Treasurer, 2023
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Shawn Shurden
Secretary
On filings since 2022
No compensation reported
Brady Powers
Member at Large
New on the 2025 filing
No compensation reported
Michael Smith
Member at Large
New on the 2025 filing
No compensation reported
Former officers (10)
- Former: Fe Strickland (2020–2024) — Member - Non Voting
- Former: Tommy Murphy (2021–2024) — Board Member
- Former: Pascal Gill (2023–2024) — Member - Non Voting
- Former: Cindy Duvall (2024) — Executive Director
- Former: Billy Thornton (2020–2023) — President
- Former: Stephen Stiglets (2021–2023) — Executive Director
- Former: Moses Feagin (2020–2022) — Treasurer
- Former: Jeff Stone (2020–2021) — Secretary
- Former: Jennifer Walker (2020–2021) — Member - Non Voting
- Former: L. Paul Bradford (2020–2021) — Executive 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 2021 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2021 filing was $83K, to Janice Dixon (Member - Non Voting; Part Year). 4 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Mississippi Power Foundation Inc
How much does Mississippi Power Foundation Inc give each year?
Mississippi Power Foundation Inc gave $2.2M across 75 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $3.4M across 72 grants.
What is Mississippi Power Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Mississippi Power Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $29,327, across 75 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Mississippi Power Foundation Inc that year got $13K on average.
Where does Mississippi Power Foundation Inc give grants?
Mississippi Power Foundation Inc gives mostly in Mississippi: 93% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Gulfport, MS (12 grants), Meridian, MS (7 grants), Jackson, MS (6 grants) and Biloxi, MS (4 grants).
Does Mississippi Power Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 75 grants with a stated purpose on Mississippi Power Foundation Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "2025 Environmental Grant" (15 grants), "Community Connection Chapter Yearly Infusion" (5 grants) and "2025 Matching Gift Program" (4 grants).
Who are Mississippi Power Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Mississippi Power Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include University of Mississippi ($400,500), United Way of South Mississippi ($295,969) and Mississippi State University Foundation ($250,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($12,500), which are not listed by name. Together they received 43% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Mississippi Power Foundation Inc?
Mississippi Power Foundation Inc reported $65.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $2.5M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $2.8M (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Mississippi Power Foundation Inc fund?
The foundation’s website identifies education, community relations, economic development and environmental efforts as focus areas for its giving strategy. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Mississippi Power Foundation Inc?
The foundation’s filing lists Janice L. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Mississippi Power Foundation Inc's EIN?
Mississippi Power Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 72-1370746. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 18, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Mississippi Power Foundation Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
Similar Funders
Funders with grantees in common, and similar funders in Mississippi
Enterprise Holdings Foundation
Saint Louis, MO
The Enterprise Holdings Foundation supports charitable and educational nonprofits in communities where Enterprise Mobility operates, focusing on health, education, arts, and disaster relief; applicants must be actively supported by an Enterprise Mobility team member, spouse, or domestic partner. Giving varies widely: it reported 9,499 grants in 2024, but its 2025 filing showed one grant of $101.4 million, so that amount is not a typical award. Applications are accepted at any time through eligible Enterprise-affiliated applicants; the Foundation does not limit giving to preselected organizations.
Assets
$594.3M
Grants
1
Total Given
$101.4M
Gulf Coast Community Foundation Inc
Gulfport, MS
The foundation supports education, arts and culture, historic preservation, neighborhood projects, and health and human services, primarily benefiting South Mississippi and the Mississippi Gulf Coast. In 2025, it awarded 77 grants totaling about $1.37 million; grants ranged from $5,300 to $100,000, with a median of $10,000. The profile does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests.
Assets
$37.8M
Grants
77
Total Given
$1.4M
Leo W Seal Jr Family Foundation
Bay St Louis, MS
The foundation funds eligible 501(c)(3) organizations for charitable, religious, literary, and educational purposes, with recent grants supporting community services, health, education, arts, and cultural activities. Its 2024 grants ranged from $500 to $50,000, with a median of $9,000; most funding went to Mississippi, followed by Louisiana. It accepts written materials, and its filing says grants are not limited to preselected organizations; there are no deadlines.
Assets
$11.6M
Grants
62
Total Given
$563K
Ergon Foundation Inc
Jackson, MS
The foundation funds medical research, education, community development, and services for children with communication disorders, with most giving in Mississippi. In 2025, its grants ranged from $2,500 to $615,000, with a median of $25,000. It gives only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited funding requests.
Assets
$210.7M
Grants
158
Total Given
$10.8M
Pinebelt Foundation
Hattiesburg, MS
Pinebelt Foundation supports charitable activities, community programs, and scholarships, with grants spanning varied local needs. In 2025, its grants had a median of $10,000, though amounts varied widely; its primary focus is the Pine Belt of South Mississippi. It accepts applications through GOapply for listed grant programs.
Assets
$61.9M
Grants
133
Total Given
$5.2M
Laura C Higdon Charitable Foundation
Jackson, MS
The Laura C Higdon Charitable Foundation funds scholarships for individuals in Escambia County, Alabama, and Santa Rosa County, Florida. Its 2025 awards ranged from $500 to $2,000, with a median of $1,000; the filing says application materials are not applicable and does not state whether unsolicited requests are accepted.
Assets
$1.4M
Grants
106
Total Given
$96K
More similar funders
More Funders in Mississippi
Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Mississippi Power Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 6, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/mississippi-power-foundation-inc-morg_410f0e3d83614e38927e988a0ad13f80
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_721370746_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Mississippi Power Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/mississippi-power-foundation-inc-morg_410f0e3d83614e38927e988a0ad13f80},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-06. 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 Mississippi Power Foundation 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.
Mississippi Power Foundation Inc down — hundreds of funders to go?