University of Mississippi Foundation
ActivePublic CharityEducation
About University of Mississippi Foundation
The University of Mississippi Foundation is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation chartered in 1973 by the state of Mississippi to operate exclusively for the benefit of The University of Mississippi and its students, alumni, faculty and staff. The UM Foundation's goal is to promote, encourage and assist all forms of educational, scientific, literary, research and service activities provided by the University, all for the public welfare. The Foundation is responsible for receiving, receipting, investing and distributing gifts for the benefit of the University of Mississippi. It pursues this mission in an environment of productive teamwork, effective communication, and relentless service to our donors, University administrators, faculty, staff and students. Communication of University needs and priorities along with encouraging investment in the future of Ole Miss are integral to our success. Integrity, honor, civility, service and respect for our donors and their wishes serve as the Foundation's guiding principles.
Focus Areas
ScholarshipsStudent support and experiential opportunitiesFaculty recruitment and retentionResearch and innovationAthleticsHealth/medical center supportCulture & artsEndowment management
Who They Fund
About University of Mississippi Foundation
The University of Mississippi Foundation’s recent grantmaking is dominated by very large transfers to the University of Mississippi and the University of Mississippi Medical Center, showing that it functions as a major institutional funding vehicle rather than a broad external grantmaker. In 2024, it gave $40,021,591 to the University of Mississippi in Oxford, followed by $34,436,287 in 2025 to the University of Mississippi in University, Mississippi. Another substantial grant went to the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Ridgeland for $9,772,437 in 2025. Those amounts sit alongside a wider pattern of support for scholarship endowments, faculty support, student experiential opportunities, and other donor-directed purposes. The foundation is a public charity with annual grants of $128,129,987 and total assets of $935,677,223, reflecting an organization that manages substantial endowed resources for the university system. Its leadership is headed by Wendell W. Weakley as president/CEO, and its mission centers on receiving, investing, and distributing gifts for the benefit of the University of Mississippi and related university priorities.
What University of Mississippi Foundation Funds
Scholarships are a central part of the foundation’s work. Through scholarship endowments and scholarship programs, it supports direct student aid and multi-year awards, including the Ole Miss Women’s Council Scholarship Program, which can provide $40,000 scholarships paid over four years. The foundation also supports medical education and health-related institutional needs. In 2025, it gave $308,703 to Um Medical Centeroffice of Develop for scholarship and programmatic support to the university. Community and cultural support also appears in the grant list: it awarded $83,333 to the Community Foundation of Mississippi for long-term support for the community, and $60,000 to the Foundation for Mississippi for support for the MS Civil Rights Museum.
How University of Mississippi Foundation Gives
Typical grants are large: the 25th percentile is $5,379,038, the median is $19,172,480, and the 75th percentile is $34,660,749. The pattern is heavily concentrated in a small number of institutional grants, with multiple awards to the University of Mississippi and the University of Mississippi Medical Center across 2023, 2024, and 2025. The foundation is a public charity and a regular funder, not a vehicle for individuals or program-related investments. Its giving is locally focused, and the available grants indicate an internally managed, donor-endowment-driven model rather than an open application process.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$44.7M
Total Assets
$935.7M
Total Revenue
$115.8M
Total Expenses
$52.2M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $5.4M and $34.7M, with a median of $19.2M.
25th Percentile
$5.4M
Median
$19.2M
75th Percentile
$34.7M
Geographic Reach
Local1 state funded
About 100% of grants go to recipients in MS.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
WENDELL W WEAKLEY
PRESIDENT/CEO
Accepts unsolicited proposals
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