Phil Hardin Foundation Grant

The Phil Hardin Foundation Grant aims to enhance educational and life outcomes for children and youth in Mississippi, particularly in Meridian and Lauderdale County. The foundation prioritizes proposals that demonstrate a regional or statewide impact, focusing on areas like early childhood development, literacy, and equitable access to educational resources. It encourages collaboration among educational institutions and community organizations, fostering partnerships to improve educational quality and cultural enrichment across Mississippi.

NOTE: Because of the extent of our existing and anticipated commitments, the Hardin Foundation is currently not considering proposals for funding in 2026. Our 2026 grants budget is nearing completion, so any discussions with prospective new grantees would be about funding in 2027 at the earliest. Exceptions are 2025 grantees who may wish to apply for an extension of their grant in 2026, or organizations with whom the Hardin Foundation has already been in conversation about a specific grant proposal.
Grant-Making Priorities
The Phil Hardin Foundation seeks to improve educational and life outcomes for Mississippi children and youth, with a special emphasis on Meridian and Lauderdale County, and to expand access to high-quality educational opportunities.
The foundation has adopted seven grant-making priorities as a means of achieving that mission for the five-year period beginning July 2019. Any grants approved or initiatives supported will fit into one or more of these categories:

• Early childhood developmentLiteracyTeacher qualitySchool leadershipEquity of educational accessArts and cultural enrichmentCommunity and state capacity building

Our work begins in Meridian and Lauderdale County, where at least 50 percent of our grant dollars are invested each year. We envision an educational continuum in our home community that serves as a model of collaboration and coordination, to include Meridian and Lauderdale County Public Schools, Meridian Community College, Mississippi State University-Meridian, nonprofit educational service providers, and local arts and cultural organizations. Our No. 1 priority as a foundation is to enhance the capacity and performance of these entities in meeting individual and community needs and to encourage them to work, plan and share resources together to the maximum extent possible.
Jackson, as the state's capital and largest city, is a secondary area of special interest for Hardin Foundation grantmaking.
Wherever they may originate, the Hardin Foundation is especially interested in proposals that have a potential regional (multi-county) or statewide impact or that if locally focused could be replicated in other communities. We value collaboration with other funders and proposals that emphasize multi-faceted, cross-sector partnerships at the local and state levels.
The Hardin Foundation has a long history of support for higher education in Mississippi. We accept grant proposals from all public and private four-year institutions in the state, but historically the foundation has emphasized its relationships with Mississippi State University, the University of Mississippi and Millsaps College. These institutions continue to receive priority in our higher education grant making.
Another long-standing emphasis of the Hardin Foundation is to increase knowledge and understanding of Mississippi arts, culture, history and geography, acknowledging the state's trials and shortcomings while celebrating its unique identity as a wellspring of creativity and abundant natural beauty.

Eligibility

Applicants must be tax-exempt under Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code and classified as "not a private foundation" (that is, a public charity) under Section 509 (a) or a governmental agency.

Ineligibility

Applicants may not be a "supporting organization" described in Section 509(a) (3).