Provide financial support to individuals seeking to better themselves through education by awarding scholarships and grants.
Tri-state Educational Foundation centers its giving on education in and around Iuka, with grants that reach from undergraduate and graduate scholarships to school and community education projects. The foundation also uses board-directed scholarship support to help students pay tuition, billed books and supplies, fees, and on-campus meal plan or dormitory charges after other aid is applied. Recent awards show that the foundation backs both higher education and local institutions. Delta State University received a $359,294 grant in 2025, while Tishomingo County School District received multiple awards across 2023, 2024, and 2025. The foundation also funded the Boys and Girls Club in Iuka and Nemcc in Booneville, indicating support for student-serving organizations as well as colleges and schools. Its stated programs include annual scholarship awards for undergraduate students in any field and graduate students in education, along with grants for teachers, schools, and other organizations pursuing special educational projects. Mrs. Kristi’s Loves Scholarship, established by Board Chairperson Kristi Lovelace, supports former students who became teachers. The foundation funds individuals through education-only scholarships and also supports institutions through restricted-purpose grants.
The clearest theme in Tri-state Educational Foundation’s giving is support for postsecondary education. It awards supplemental scholarships to undergraduate students in any field and to graduate students in education, with payments made to institutions after other aid is applied. A second area is K-12 and school-based project support. The foundation gives grants to teachers, schools, and other organizations for special educational projects that benefit students, schools, and the community. It also supports community-facing education work. Recent grants include $50,000 to the Boys and Girls Club in Iuka and $13,196 to the Tishomingo County Historical Soc, both coded for education. On the higher-education side, the foundation gave $43,108 to Nemcc in Booneville and $10,000 to Itawamba Community College in Fulton.
The foundation’s typical grant size is moderate, with a p25 of $13,208, a median of $20,118, and a p75 of $46,554. That fits a pattern of repeated education grants rather than a few very large outliers, even though some awards are substantially larger. The recent record includes recurring support to the same recipients across multiple years, including Delta State University, Tishomingo County School District, Boys and Girls Club, and Nemcc. The structure is both scholarship and institutional grantmaking. Some awards are restricted to tuition-related educational expenses and paid through the school after other aid is applied; others support teacher, school, and community projects. Unsolicited applications are accepted for the active grant programs, and at least one program asks applicants to submit about six weeks before funds are needed.
$299K
$2.2M
$1.5M
$1.8M
Most grants fall between $13K and $47K, with a median of $20K.
25th Percentile
$13K
Median
$20K
75th Percentile
$47K
ELIZABETH LOVELACE
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Grantmaking is strongly centered in Mississippi, with 96% of grants going to recipients in the foundation’s HQ state. Iuka appears frequently, including awards to Tishomingo County School District, Boys and Girls Club, Tishomingo County Historical Soc, Iuka Middle School, the Iuka Fire Department, and the Tishomingo County Sheriffs Dept. Other Mississippi recipients include Cleveland, Booneville, University, Mississippi State, Fulton, Tupelo, Blue Mountain, Corinth, and Missississippi State. Outside Mississippi, the recent record includes Cherokee Elementary School in Cherokee, Alabama. The active program geography also points to a priority area within a 50-mile radius of Iuka, with Mississippi and Alabama included in that circle.
It funds undergraduate scholarships in any field, graduate scholarships in education, and grants for teachers, schools, and other organizations doing special educational projects. Its scholarship programs also cover tuition, billed books and supplies, fees, and on-campus meal plan or dormitory charges after other aid is applied.
Yes. The active grant programs state that unsolicited applications are accepted. One program also notes that requests can be submitted at any time, preferably at least six weeks before funds are needed, so there is time for review and decision.
The typical award sits in the low tens of thousands: p25 is $13,208, the median is $20,118, and p75 is $46,554. The recent grant record also includes larger institutional awards, such as a $359,294 grant to Delta State University and a $134,380 grant to Tishomingo County School District.
Most grants go to Mississippi recipients, and 96% of grants are awarded to organizations in the HQ state. Iuka is a repeated recipient location, alongside Cleveland, Booneville, University, Mississippi State, Fulton, Tupelo, Blue Mountain, and Corinth.
The record shows recurring support to several recipients across more than one year. Delta State University, Tishomingo County School District, Boys and Girls Club, and Nemcc each appear in multiple grant years, indicating repeated institutional relationships rather than one-off awards.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DELTA STATE UNIVERSITY | CLEVELAND, MS | $123,801 | 2026 | EDUCATION |
| BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF NE MS | CORINTH, MS | $60,000 | 2026 | EDUCATION |
| UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI FOUNDATIO | OXFORD, MS | $30,000 | 2026 | EDUCATION |
| BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB | IUKA, MS | $25,000 | 2026 | EDUCATION |
| TISHOMINGO COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT | IUKA, MS | $17,930 | 2026 | EDUCATION |
| MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDA | MISSISSIPPI STATE, MS | $15,000 | 2026 | EDUCATION |
| TISHOMINGO COUNTY HISTORICAL SOC | IUKA, MS | $11,123 | 2026 | EDUCATION |
| BIGGERSVILLE HIGH SCHOOL | CORINTH, MS | $9,500 | 2026 | EDUCATION |
| IUKA POLICE DEPARTMENT | IUKA, MS | $7,120 | 2026 | EDUCATION |
| DELTA STATE UNIVERSITY | CLEVELAND, MS | $359,294 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| TISHOMINGO COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT | IUKA, MS | $72,411 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB | IUKA, MS | $50,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| NEMCC | BOONEVILLE, MS | $43,108 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| IUKA FIRE DEPARTMENT | IUKA, MS | $26,956 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| CHEROKEE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | CHEROKEE, AL | $20,118 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| ALCORN CAREER AND TECHNOLOGY CENTER | CORINTH, MS | $13,220 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| TISHOMINGO COUNTY HISTORICAL SOC | IUKA, MS | $13,196 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| BLUE MOUNTAIN CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY | BLUE MOUNTAIN, MS | $10,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| TISHOMINGO COUNTY SHERIFFS DEPT | IUKA, MS | $7,440 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| TISHOMINGO COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT | IUKA, MS | $117,913 | 2024 | EDUCATION |
| DELTA STATE UNIVERSITY | CLEVELAND, MS | $30,000 | 2024 | EDUCATION |
| UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI FD | UNIVERSITY, MS | $25,000 | 2024 | EDUCATION |
| BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB | IUKA, MS | $20,000 | 2024 | EDUCATION |
| NEMCC | BOONEVILLE, MS | $16,153 | 2024 | EDUCATION |
| CREATE FOUNDATION | TUPELO, MS | $10,000 | 2024 | EDUCATION |
| ITAWAMBA COMMUNITY COLLEGE | FULTON, MS | $10,000 | 2024 | EDUCATION |
| TISHOMINGO COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT | IUKA, MS | $134,380 | 2023 | EDUCATION |
| DELTA STATE UNIVERSITY | CLEVELAND, MS | $121,300 | 2023 | EDUCATION |
| UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI FD | UNIVERSITY, MS | $25,000 | 2023 | EDUCATION |
| MSU FOUNDATION | MISSISSIPPI STATE, MS | $20,000 | 2023 | EDUCATION |
| BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB | IUKA, MS | $20,000 | 2023 | EDUCATION |
| IUKA MIDDLE SCHOOL | IUKA, MS | $5,907 | 2023 | EDUCATION |
BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF NE MS
$60,000EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI FOUNDATIO
$30,000EDUCATION
BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB
$25,000EDUCATION
TISHOMINGO COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT
$17,930EDUCATION
MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDA
$15,000EDUCATION
Current and upcoming funding from Tri-State Educational Foundation that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Open to teachers, schools, and other organizations proposing special educational projects that benefit students, schools, and the community. Requests are preferred at least six weeks before funds are needed.
Deadline: Requests may be submitted at any time; preferably at least six weeks before funds are needed.
TISHOMINGO COUNTY HISTORICAL SOC
$11,123EDUCATION
BIGGERSVILLE HIGH SCHOOL
$9,500EDUCATION
IUKA POLICE DEPARTMENT
$7,120EDUCATION
TISHOMINGO COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT
$72,411EDUCATION
BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB
$50,000EDUCATION
NEMCC
$43,108EDUCATION
IUKA FIRE DEPARTMENT
$26,956EDUCATION
CHEROKEE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
$20,118EDUCATION
ALCORN CAREER AND TECHNOLOGY CENTER
$13,220EDUCATION
TISHOMINGO COUNTY HISTORICAL SOC
$13,196EDUCATION
BLUE MOUNTAIN CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY
$10,000EDUCATION
TISHOMINGO COUNTY SHERIFFS DEPT
$7,440EDUCATION
TISHOMINGO COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT
$117,913EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI FD
$25,000EDUCATION
BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB
$20,000EDUCATION
NEMCC
$16,153EDUCATION
CREATE FOUNDATION
$10,000EDUCATION
ITAWAMBA COMMUNITY COLLEGE
$10,000EDUCATION
TISHOMINGO COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT
$134,380EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI FD
$25,000EDUCATION
MSU FOUNDATION
$20,000EDUCATION
BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB
$20,000EDUCATION
IUKA MIDDLE SCHOOL
$5,907EDUCATION
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