North MS Rural Legal Services Inc
Legal services to the underprivileged
North MS Rural Legal Services Inc at a glance
In short: North MS Rural Legal Services Inc gave $267K across 2 grants in 2025 (avg $133K), mostly in Mississippi. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $266,819
- +19.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 2
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $133,410
- +19.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $133,410
- Total assets
- $2,147,927
- -14.6% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Mississippi (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026.
Who North MS Rural Legal Services Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 2 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was MS Center for Legal Services ($217K). Together the top 2 received $267K.
Grant Size Distribution
11 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $100–250K range: 5 grants of 11 (45%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 2 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How North MS Rural Legal Services Inc gives
- Giving grew 30% from 2022 to 2025. Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990 filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $184K (2023) to $309K (2020). In 2025 it made 2 grants totaling $267K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| MS Center for Legal Services Hattiesburg, MS | Legal Assiatnce | $216,819 |
| Mississippi Volunteer Lawyers Project Jackson, MS | Legal Assistance | $50,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $2,147,927 | $3,756,149 | $3,666,215 | $266,819 | 2 | $45,014 |
| 2024 | $2,515,466 | $3,884,251 | $3,731,160 | $223,117 | 2 | $39,657 |
| 2023 | $2,058,928 | $3,675,202 | $3,568,563 | $184,254 | 2 | $15,881 |
| 2022 | $1,628,892 | $3,426,758 | $3,400,872 | $205,922 | 2 | $2,074 |
| 2021 | $1,471,785 | $2,882,796 | $3,361,977 | $269,117 | 3 | $942 |
| 2020 | $1,613,881 | $3,623,559 | $3,165,048 | $308,633 | 3 | $1,683 |
| 2019 | $1,193,142 | $3,099,511 | $2,956,503 | $238,892 | 2 | $2,168 |
About North MS Rural Legal Services Inc
Based on IRS filings
North MS Rural Legal Services Inc is a public charity focused on Crime & Legal Related, based in Oxford, MS. IRS filing data is available from 2019 through 2025. As of 2025, the organization holds $2.1M in total assets. In 2025, it awarded 2 grants totaling $267K. Net investment income was $45K.
Focus Areas
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
North MS Rural Legal Services Inc is led by Ben Thomas Cole II, Executive Director on every filing since 2019; 4 of 19 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Ben Thomas Cole II
Executive Director
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$86K (2019) → $116K (2025)
Katherine Weathersby
Chairperson
On filings since 2019
6 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ruby White
Director of Advocacy
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$69K (2019) → $88K (2025)
Schenille Martin
Fiscal Manager
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$56K (2019) → $71K (2025)
Minnie Howard
Deputy Director
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$83K (2021) → $85K (2025)
Betty W Sanders
Member
On filings since 2019
6 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Derrick T Simmons
Member
On filings since 2019
6 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Gwendolyn Baptist-Rucker
Vice Chairperson
On filings since 2019
6 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kristin G Belvin
Secretary
On filings since 2019
6 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Levi Boone III
Member
On filings since 2019
6 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Solomon Curtis Osborne
Member
On filings since 2019
6 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Martha Kimmons
Member
On filings since 2020
6 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Robert A Carson III
Member
On filings since 2020
6 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kendrick Carter
Member
On filings since 2023
6 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Latarsha Jones
Member
On filings since 2023
6 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mattie Todd-Tucker
Treasurer
Member → Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2023
6 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Orlando R Richmond Sr.
Member
On filings since 2023
6 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mary Brown
Member
New on the 2025 filing
6 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Professor Jade Craig
Member
New on the 2025 filing
6 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (12)
- Former: Nina Stublefield Tillson (2024) — Member
- Former: I Richard Gershon (2019–2023) — Member
- Former: Nina Stubblefield-Tollison (2023) — Member
- Former: Karen Peairs (2019–2022) — Member
- Former: Mattie Tucker (2019–2022) — Member
- Former: Nina Stubblefield Tollison (2019–2022) — Member
- Former: Latarsha Jones Sykes (2020–2022) — Member
- Former: Mary Hastings (2019–2021) — Member
- Former: Charles M Merkel III (2019) — Member
- Former: Ethel Gilmore (2019) — Director of Resource Development
- Former: Robert Jamison (2019) — Member
- Former: Robert Mayes (2019) — Member
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 $116K, to Ben Thomas Cole II (Executive Director). 4 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about North MS Rural Legal Services Inc
How much does North MS Rural Legal Services Inc give each year?
North MS Rural Legal Services Inc gave $267K across 2 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $223K across 2 grants.
How large is North MS Rural Legal Services Inc?
North MS Rural Legal Services Inc reported $2.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $3.8M.
What is North MS Rural Legal Services Inc?
North MS Rural Legal Services Inc is a public charity focused on Crime & Legal Related, based in Oxford, MS. It holds $2.1M in total assets as of 2025.
Where does North MS Rural Legal Services Inc operate?
North MS Rural Legal Services Inc has awarded grants in Mississippi.
What is North MS Rural Legal Services Inc's EIN?
North MS Rural Legal Services Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 64-0581747. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS April 21, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS April 26, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS April 25, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 23, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 21, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS April 30, 2020)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 27, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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