The John S. & James L. Knight Foundation Donor Advised Fund was established in 2003 to provide grants for non profits in good standing in their governing states. The program must support informed and engaged communities and all the recipients must be based or do work in the 6 lower counties.

Maximum Grant amount is $10,000

General Funding Guidelines

Fund for Gulf Communities Grantees

GULFPORT, MS – Gulf Coast Community Foundation awarded $1,139,684 from the 3^rd round of grants to fourteen coast non-profit agencies through the Fund for Gulf Communities to assist coast non-profit agencies meet the unmet needs of families and individuals affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.  A check presentation ceremony was held on December 19, 2011 at 11:00 AM in the Knight Non-profit Center in Gulfport
Grant Recipients included:

Each ticket holder had a chance to win a trip for two to Paris, France.  Congratulations to Annie Nguyen the winner of the trip.

GULFPORT, MS – Gulf Coast Community Foundation will award $2,300,000 in grants to twelve coast non-profit agencies through the Fund for Gulf Communities to assist coast non-profit agencies meet the unmet needs of families and individuals affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Grant Recipients included:

• Bethel Free Health Clinic, $201,534
• Coastal Family Health Center, $240,500
• Digital Opportunity Trust-USA, $100,000
• Habitat for Humanity MS Gulf Coast, $118,000
• Hancock County Food Pantry, $75,000
• Hope Community Development Agency, $160,745
• IRD/Youth Build, $250,000
• Memorial Hospital at Gulfport Foundation, $228,617
• Mercy Housing and Human Development, $200,000
• MS Center for Justice, $250,000
• St. Vincent de Paul Community Pharmacy, $218,920
• United Way of South MS, $250,000

GULFPORT, MS – The $4.0 million grant is part of the Fund for Gulf Communities (the Fund) created by an anonymous donation to Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors to enhance the resiliency of the Gulf Coast’s diverse communities and address some of the unmet needs of individuals, families and children significantly affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and its aftermath.  The Gulf Coast Community Foundation will achieve this by working with and funding South Mississippi nonprofit organizations providing direct services to people in need.

The beneficiaries of the first round of grants in the amount of $250,000.00 include Back Bay Mission, Boys and Girls Clubs of the Gulf Coast, Gulf Coast Women’s Center for Non Violence and Asian Americans for Change.  These agencies were selected for their on the ground experience assisting and addressing problems in their communities in the wake of our region’s societal and economic challenges.

This time of year is always busy at the Gulf Coast Community Foundation.  The Foundation staff coordinates with local high schools, as scholarship committees receive and review 100’s of applications from students across the MS Gulf Coast. Generous donors make it possible for the Foundation to award a variety of scholarships to recognize students for various accomplishments and help them fulfill their dreams of a higher education.  Thanks to the passion and commitment of these donors, the Foundation will award over $20,000 in scholarships to deserving students this year.

Please contact your school counselor to learn about possible Scholarships. 

At this time the Foundation is not accepting any Scholarship applications.

Download Annual Report 2009 – 2010 PDF

The effort is part of Knight Foundation’s $70 million Community Foundation Initiative, which will help deepen Knight Foundation’s focus on ensuring that communities have the information they need to make decisions about their lives.

“Information is an essential community need and community foundations were established to meet core needs,” said Alberto Ibargüen, Knight Foundation’s president and CEO. “They also only exist and thrive because of community engagement and contributions. That makes them ideal partners to help us understand and advance local community engagement, focused on ensuring that these communities have the information they need to manage their affairs in our democracy.”

The new approach will modify how Knight Foundation works in the Biloxi region and other Knight communities. Grant seekers in Biloxi will apply for funding through the Gulf Coast Community Foundation. A new community foundation director in Knight’s Miami headquarters will work with an advisory committee in Biloxi to guide the community foundation on how to use the funds.

“This renewed and increased partnership affords the Biloxi area additional opportunities to continue to transform the Mississippi Gulf Coast,” said Rich Westfall, president of the Gulf Coast Community Foundation. “Funding will embrace Knight Foundation’s ‘informed and engaged’ community philosophy enabling the Mississippi Gulf Coast to develop sustainable solutions to issues facing our region.”

Nonprofits seeking Knight funding should contact Rose Dellenger at the Gulf Coast Community Foundation at 228-897-4841 and ask about Knight Foundation’s donor-advised fund.

“GCCF is honored to have the opportunity to deepen our relationship with the Knight Foundation,” said Greg Cronin, 2010 CCCF board chair. “As we continue to build on our successes achieved after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and continue to strengthen our community, we will continue to work hand-in-hand with Knight Foundation to inform and engage Biloxi for the common good of the Mississippi Gulf Coast.”

“Our goal is to better coordinate and focus our initiatives in the communities where the Knight brothers owned newspapers, and use our resources in the most effective way possible,” said Trabian Shorters, Knight Foundation’s vice president for communities.

Community foundations make contributions to local groups from funds established by individuals, families, businesses and others to address needs in specific geographic areas. These organizations offer a national funder like Knight the benefit of their grassroots grasp of issues. The grants will help community foundations enlarge their donor-advised funds supporting the work of local nonprofits.

From 2000 to 2007, Knight contributed a total of $69 million to create donor-advised funds at 25 community foundations. At $70 million, this new initiative doubles Knight’s current investment in community foundations.

About the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation advances journalism in the digital age and invests in the
vitality of communities where the Knight brothers owned newspapers. Knight Foundation focuses on
projects that promote informed, engaged communities and lead to transformational change. For more, visit www.knightfoundation.org.

James E. Eaton Valedictorian Scholarship Fund awarded $1000 to Mr. Kevin Grell from Gulfport High School.

Dorothy M. Eaton Performing Arts Scholarship Fund awarded $1000 to Mr. Christopher Rehmann from Gulfport High School.

4 recipients were awarded scholarships from the Rotary Club of Gulfport Scholarship Fund totaling $9000. The recipients are:  Edward Evans, Harrison Central High School; Laura Mitchell, St. Patrick Catholic High School; John Stewart, Harrison Central High School; Hillary Goodfellow, St. Patrick Catholic High School.

Jeremiah J. & Annette S. O’Keefe Scholarship Fund awarded $8000 to two high school graduates, Mr. Ryan DeoCampo from St. Patrick Catholic High School and Mr. Daniel Buettel from Ocean Springs High School.

Evelyn Desporte Thompson and H. Richard Herman Scholarship Fund awarded $4000 to two high school graduates, Mr. Matthew Magandy and Ms. Hillary Goodfellow from St. Patrick Catholic High School.

Jimmy “Big Jim” C. Brashier and John “Jack” C. Thompson Scholarship Fund awarded $4000 to two high school graduates, Mr. Ryan DeoCampo from St. Patrick Catholic High School and Mr. Brock Allen from Biloxi High School.