The Phil Hardin Foundation is dedicated to improving educational and life outcomes for Mississippi children and youth, especially in Meridian and Lauderdale County. It focuses on expanding access to quality education through its grant-making priorities. The foundation aims to be a model of collaboration and coordination, supporting a continuum of educational services that enhance the capacity and performance of local and regional educational entities. It embraces the concept of regionalism, valuing partnerships and collaborative efforts to foster educational opportunities and address community needs.
The Hardin Foundation's grant program is structured to support a wide array of educational initiatives that contribute to the betterment of educational outcomes in Mississippi, with a special focus on its local area of Meridian and Lauderdale County. The foundation identifies seven key grant-making priorities: Early childhood development, Literacy, Teacher quality, School leadership, Equity of educational access, Arts and cultural enrichment, and Community and state capacity building. It seeks to invest in programs that enhance educational systems and opportunities, not only within its immediate locale but also in adjacent counties and priority areas across Mississippi, including significant support for higher education, arts, culture, history, and geography. The foundation encourages prospective grantees to engage in multi-faceted, cross-sector partnerships and is committed to being a catalyst for philanthropy, nonprofit capacity building, and collaborative educational efforts statewide. The grant-making process is open throughout the year, without specific seasons or deadlines, focusing on strategic priorities to fulfill its educational mission.
The Hardin Foundation prioritizes grant proposals that either hold the promise of affecting change across the entire state or, if concentrated on a specific locality, offer models that could be duplicated in additional communities. While we are open to receiving applications from all public and private four-year colleges and universities within the state, our grant-making efforts in higher education have traditionally favored Mississippi State University, the University of Mississippi, and Millsaps College, and they remain a priority in our allocation of funds.