We envision a Mid South full of communities where residents have access to opportunities to improve their quality of life.
The Foundation for the Mid South addresses all elements of a community—simultaneously and comprehensively. This includes ensuring that residents have access to a quality education, safe and affordable housing, green spaces to play, and jobs that pay a living wage. Effective approaches to community development are essential for the ongoing growth of the region. All of these efforts are integrated and work together to create a region where individuals can live, grow, and prosper.
Focus of our Work
Our goal is to improve the quality of life in the region, by engaging residents to develop solutions that allow their communities to grow and prosper.
When working to ensure that residents have access to opportunities, we work directly with the community. We believe the solution to addressing regional challenges lies in building the skills and knowledge of communities to transform themselves—this includes individuals, organizations, institutions and businesses. We believe that engaging residents in the change process helps them create for themselves, the community they wish to see. When this occurs, communities are able to expand opportunities for their residents and institutions, creating vibrant places to live, work, and play.
Our community development work includes 5 key focuses that, together, enable communities to grow and prosper. Each focus area addresses an essential community element.
Community Enrichment
We invest in efforts that improve the quality of a place. This includes increasing safe, affordable housing; improving green space and parks; and preserving culture and the environment.
Economic Development
We support activities that grow and strengthen the economy, such as workforce education and training, small business development, and attracting and growing business and industry.
Leadership Development
Our efforts are aimed at increasing the skills and capacities of local organizations working to strengthen both adult and youth leadership.
Education
Our education work focuses on strengthening education systems. We seek to build the capacity of teachers and administrators to better meet student educational needs and support student enrichment activities to improve learning.
Health and Wellness
We partner with communities to improve health status, through efforts that promote healthy living and increase access to health services and facilities.
Through the Foundation for the Mid South's work and partnerships, Mid Southerners have been engaged in efforts to better their communities and improve their quality of life.
Our 5 strategies to community development are interconnected and work together to better communities and improve lives. The following are a few of the activities the Foundation has supported to impact lives across the region.
- Strengthening the region's statewide nonprofit associations, to improve the effectiveness and capacity of over 1,000 nonprofit organizations in the region.
- Provided workforce development training to over 300 youth and adults in rural communities, resulting in job and small business creation, a better prepared workforce, and the establishment of the Tri-County Workforce Alliance and the St. Francis County Community Development Corporation.
