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Mississippi Hills Heritage Area Alliance at a glance

· Public charity

Mississippi Hills Heritage Area Alliance

The mission of the MISSISSIPPI HILLS HERITAGE AREA ALLIANCE is to preserve, enhance, interpret, and promote the cultural and heritage assets of the hills region.

$407k
Granted FY2025still arriving
12
Grants FY2025still arriving
2
States reached
$100k
Largest
01What it fundsRead
02The needRead
03Its granteesRead
04Its fieldRead
01What it funds
01100% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2017 to 2025.

Arts & Culture$718kCommunity Improvement$287kRecreation & Sports$39kEducation$38kPublic Benefit$30kPhilanthropy$22kEnvironment$17kCrime & Legal$16kOther$0
02FY2025 · 12 grants

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

How this is measured
The 12 grants below total $387,407, the rows itemized in this filing. The $407,191 headline is the total grant expense on the return; the other $19,784 is giving the schedule does not break out (grants under the $5,000 itemization floor, grants to individuals, grants on other schedules). Every figure below describes the itemized rows only.

By grant size · FY2025

  • Under $10k1 grant · $6k
  • $10k–50k8 grants · $141k
  • $50k–250k3 grants · $240k
$20,000
Median grant
2
States reached
$106k
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI$100,010
COLUMBUS CULTURAL HERITAGE FOUNDATI$90,000
MISSISSIPPI MAIN STREET ASSN$50,000
CHICKASAW COUNTY HISTORICAL AND GEN$20,000
MISSISSIPPI PRESENTERS NETWORK$20,000
STARKVILLE CVB$20,000
FRIENDS OF SIEGE & BATTLE OF CORINT$20,000
TIPPAH COUNTY HISTORICAL MUSEUM$17,973
THE ROSA FOUNDATION$14,852
YOKNAPATAWPHA ARTS COUNCIL$14,817
VISIT OXFORD$13,487
BOONEVILLE MAIN STREET ASSOCIATION$6,268
02The need
03

Does the money reach high-need areas?

Each grant placed by the hardship in its grantee’s ZIP, against the area’s typical level.

show:

Its human-services grants (FY20–20, $9k) land where the poverty rate runs at 19%, against an area that typically sits at 15%. 100% of those dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Most of its grants land in higher-need ZIPs.

area typical 15%HOLLY SPRINGS MAIN STREET CHAMBER: $9k → 19%0%20%40%50%more need →
grant to an above-average-need area below average· circle size = grant amount
How this is measured
Matched: human-services grants are those whose grantee’s IRS cause code is Human Services. Placed by people below the poverty line in the grantee’s ZIP, averaged from the tracts in that ZIP.
How this is measured
US grants placed by each grantee’s ZIP, which can differ from where services are delivered. Need from public data (U.S. Census/ACS, CDC PLACES, Eviction Lab, USDA), shown as context about the area, never attributed to the funder’s giving.
04

Where the work is directed

The same grants placed two ways: where each recipient sits, and where its stated purpose sends the money.

About 8% of Mississippi Hills Heritage Area Alliance’s grant dollars are earmarked for a different county than the recipient’s own address. By recipient address, 99% of the giving stays in MS; by stated purpose, 92%.

Mississippi Hills Heritage Area Alliancelessmore of its giving
Placed by recipient address
How this is measured
Recipient view: each grant at its grantee’s ZIP, mapped to a county. Directed view: each grant at the county its stated purpose names, falling back to the recipient’s county when the purpose names no place; US grants only. A county shows only if it carries the top 95% of that view’s dollars. Purposes are read from the funder’s own 990 grant descriptions.
03Its grantees
repeat funding

Who it funds again

Organizations funded in more than one year, against those funded once.

72%of every dollar goes to organizations it has funded before.
$857k · 15 repeat orgs$327k to everyone else

Grantees it renews have grown median revenue +23% since the first grant, against -21% for those funded once.

15 repeat relationships: 5 still active in FY2025, 10 since wound down; 7 grantees were first funded in FY2025 (too recent to call).

How the two cohorts compare

Re-uppedFunded once

Organizations

15
9

Total granted

$857k
$124k

Median revenue growth · since first grant

+23%
-21%

Still filing today

47%
67%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2025, 48% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $203k went to new ones.

50%100%’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
RenewedFirst-time

Where new relationships form · theme of each grantee’s first grant

’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Arts & CultureCommunity ImprovementHuman ServicesPhilanthropyEducationOther
How this is measured
First-time means a grantee’s first year in the filing window; renewed means funded in an earlier year too. The renewed share climbs naturally as a portfolio matures, so the signal is a year that bucks it (a wave of new grantees). The earliest year is left-censored: relationships that predate the data read as new. Theme is the grantee’s IRS cause.

Backed again, and grew

  • MM
    MISSISSIPPI MAIN STREET ASSOCIATION INC
    3× · 2023–2025 · $150k · revenue +23%
  • UC
    UNION COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY INC
    3× · 2020–2023 · $64k · revenue +90%
  • RM
    RIPLEY MAIN STREET ASSOCIATION INC
    2× · 2021–2024 · $57k · revenue +67%

Funded once

  • NA
    New Albany Main Street Association
    one grant, 2023 · $25k · revenue -21%
  • MH
    MISSISSIPPI HERITAGE TRUSTgraduated
    one grant, 2020 · $20k · revenue +69%
  • RC
    RUST COLLEGEgraduated
    one grant, 2019 · $20k · revenue +71%
How this is measured

Repeat means funded in two or more distinct years. Growth and survival are read from each grantee’s own subsequent IRS filings.

04Its field

Closest unfunded matches

The nonprofits that most resemble its grantees but are not funded by it, scored along the direction from the rest of the field toward the portfolio. A resemblance in what they say they do, not a recommendation.

1
Canton Madison Historical Society

Preserve the history of the city of canton and madison county ms

Arts & Culture
2
Main Street Texarkana Business Organization for a New Downtown

Preserve downtown area as an economical and commercial center by bringing culture and business enterprises to the area.

Community Improvement
3
Belzoni-Humphreys County Industrial Development Foundation Inc

Attract new industry & support existing industry

—
4
Batesville Main Street Inc

Promote the activity in Downtown Batesville

Community Improvement
5
Marion County Historical Society

To preserve the history of marion county alabama

Arts & Culture
6
Spruce Pine Historical Society

Preservation of items of historical significance in and to the community of spruce pine, alabama.

Arts & Culture
7
Madison County Historical Society
Arts & Culture
8
Main Street Searcy Inc

To promote the historic preservation and restoration of downtown Searcy, Arkansas.

Community Improvement
9
East Mississippi Development Corporation Meridian Community College
—
10
Shelby County Historical Society

Preserve the history of shelby county al

—
11
Main Street of Monticello Inc

Revitalize and enhance downtown area

Arts & Culture
12
Sumter Museum

Operation of county museum and preservation of museum assets

Arts & Culture
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is Union County Historical Society Inc; the most unlike its peers is Rosa Foundation. Resemblance is measured on each organization’s own IRS 990 mission text; it reflects how work is described, not its quality or impact.
05the grantee network

20 grantees tracked through their own filings, 2017–2025.

Each grant beside the grantee’s revenue from every source, year by year.

How this is measured

Counted here: distinct organizations funded across 2017 to 2025, not grant rows in a single year, so this will not match the grant count on the cover. 20 of the 32 grantees resolved in that span have returns of their own we could reconcile.

Each grantee is resolved to its own IRS returns. Association, dated; never a causal claim.

2
Load-bearing (≥25% of a budget)
4
Early backer (in before they grew)
19/20
Grantees still filing
8/20
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

MISSISSIPPI MAIN STREET ASSOCIATION INC: $150,000 · OtherMISSISSIPPI MAIN STREET ASSOCIATION INCUNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI: $137,931 · OtherUNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPICOLUMBUS CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU: $65,283 · OtherCOLUMBUS CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAUUNION COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY INC: $63,880 · OtherUNION COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY INCVISIT OXFORD: $53,487 · OtherVISIT OXFORDPONTOTOC COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE: $52,700 · OtherPONTOTOC COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCETUPELO POLICE ATHLETIC LEAGUE: $51,750 · OtherTUPELO POLICE ATHLETIC LEAGUECITY OF OXFORD: $40,000 · OtherLANDERS CENTER: $39,593 · OtherCORINTH AREA CVB: $36,350 · OtherYOKNAPATAWPHA ARTS COUNCIL INC: $29,567 · Other+6 more: $107,687 · Other+6 moreCOLUMBUS CULTURAL HERITAGE FOUNDATION: $90,000 · Arts & CultureCOLUMBUS CULTURA…MISSISSIPPI PRESENTERS NETWORK: $20,000 · Arts & CultureMISSISSIPPI PRES…MISSISSIPPI HERITAGE TRUST: $20,000 · Arts & CultureMISSISSIPPI HERI…THE COLUMNS TIPPAH COUNTY INTERPRETIVE CENTER: $17,973 · Arts & CultureTHE COLUMNS TIPP…BRICES CROSSROADS BATTLEFIELD COMM: $10,050 · Arts & CultureBRICES CROSSROAD…FRIENDS OF THE SIEGE AND BATTLE OF CORINTH INC: $10,000 · Arts & CultureFRIENDS OF THE S…PRESERVE MARSHALL COUNTY & HOLLY SP: $5,797 · Arts & CultureRIPLEY MAIN STREET ASSOCIATION INC: $56,530 · Community ImprovementRIPLEY MAIN S…BOONEVILLE MAIN STREET ASSOCIATION: $36,268 · Community ImprovementBOONEVILLE MA…New Albany Main Street Association: $24,620 · Community ImprovementNew Albany Ma…GREATER STARKVILLE DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP: $20,000 · Community ImprovementGREATER STARK…ROSA FOUNDATION: $14,852 · PhilanthropyCREATE FOUNDATION: $6,750 · PhilanthropyRUST COLLEGE: $20,000 · EducationHolly Springs Main Street Association Incorporated: $9,325 · Human Services
Other$828,228Arts & Culture$173,820Community Improvement$137,418Philanthropy$21,602Education$20,000Human Services$9,325

Each grantee by its size and the funder’s share of it; top left is load-bearing

25%50%75%100%$100k$1.0M$10Mgrantee revenue →↑ funder's share of their budgetMISSISSIPPI MAIN STREET ASSOCIATION INC: $150,000 over 3y, 5.5% of budgetCOLUMBUS CULTURAL HERITAGE FOUNDATION: $90,000 over 1y, 30% of budgetUNION COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY INC: $63,880 over 3y, 12% of budgetRIPLEY MAIN STREET ASSOCIATION INC: $56,530 over 2y, 17% of budgetPONTOTOC COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE: $52,700 over 2y, 8.6% of budgetBOONEVILLE MAIN STREET ASSOCIATION: $36,268 over 2y, 13% of budgetYOKNAPATAWPHA ARTS COUNCIL INC: $29,567 over 2y, 2.0% of budgetNew Albany Main Street Association: $24,620 over 1y, 10% of budgetTISHOMINGO COUNTY DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION: $23,687 over 2y, 6.3% of budgetMISSISSIPPI PRESENTERS NETWORK: $20,000 over 1y, 17% of budgetMISSISSIPPI HERITAGE TRUST: $20,000 over 1y, 5.1% of budgetTHE COLUMNS TIPPAH COUNTY INTERPRETIVE CENTER: $17,973 over 1y, 57% of budgetROSA FOUNDATION: $14,852 over 1y, 13% of budgetBRICES CROSSROADS BATTLEFIELD COMM: $10,050 over 1y, 9.3% of budgetFRIENDS OF THE SIEGE AND BATTLE OF CORINTH INC: $10,000 over 1y, 6.2% of budgetHolly Springs Main Street Association Incorporated: $9,325 over 1y, 22% of budgetCREATE FOUNDATION: $6,750 over 1y, 0.0% of budget
Grantee by grantee: a decade per organization, before and after funding

A decade per grantee: revenue shaded, grants as bars, all rows on one timeline.

Co-funders

Grantmakers whose grantees overlap with this funder’s far more than size alone predicts. Closer means stronger alignment; arcs show where they also fund each other. Here they form a tightly interlocked group: most of these funders back each other's grantees too.

Mississippi Humanitie…Amazonsmile Foundation
Mississippi Humanities Council IncMS19.8× affinity7 shared granteesties to 1 of 1Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: Mississippi Humanities Council Inc · Amazonsmile Foundation

How this is measured
Affinity is a Gamma-Poisson posterior co-funding rate, re-centered on the typical rate, so thin evidence shrinks toward no signal. Overlap is association, not proof of shared intent.

How much its grantees rely on government

Each dot is one organization Mississippi Hills Heritage Area Alliance funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from Mississippi Hills Heritage Area Alliance. Bigger dots raise more.

2024
’20’21’22’23’24’25
no gov · 10%4%15%34%60%funder's share of their income ↑0%25%50%75%100%share of the org’s income from government →
    no gov moneyreceives it· size = income
    1get no government money at all
    10report government grants on their 990 we could not trace to a source (not plotted)
    0rely on government for over half their income
    typical government reliance, FY20–25
    How this is measured
    Government income is each org’s traced federal awards (USASpending grants and contracts) plus state payments (open checkbooks) as a share of its total revenue (IRS Form 990); the self-reported government-grant line (990 line 1e) is carried for cross-check: a grantee that reports government grants we could not trace to a source is left off the chart rather than shown as receiving none. An association, not a claim that a grant caused the public funding. Coverage is precision-first, a floor rather than a census; state records exist for 9 states, so a grantee outside them shows no state figure (dimmed) rather than a false zero. Federal award amounts are obligations, which can span years, so a single-year share is indicative. 990 filings lag 12 to 24 months.

    On method. Every financial figure here is read from IRS e-file XML, the funder’s own 990/990-PF, and from the multi-year returns of the 32 grantees we resolved, each linked to its source. Grantee outcomes are each organization’s own program-service reporting (Form 990, Part III), read as association with funding, never as caused by it. Low-confidence name matches are suppressed rather than guessed. How we build these →

    How this is measured
    Each figure carries one of six labels. Filed is what the funder reported on its return. Official is another government record about an organization, such as a federal award or a charity register, joined by name where no shared identifier exists. Resolved is an identity we worked out where the filing named a recipient without an EIN, kept only above a measured confidence threshold. Computed is arithmetic over those, like themes, portfolio clusters and co-funder strength. Context is a statistic about a place rather than about an organization, which is what the need overlay is: it describes the area a grantee’s address sits in, not where its work lands. Inferred is drawn by a model from text, like the partnerships read out of public news and organization websites. Each is labeled where it appears.

    Generated from the IRS Form 990 e-file return for fiscal year 2025, released 2025. Filings run roughly 12 to 24 months behind; figures are dated accordingly.

    Source object · view filing

    Play a game based on Mississippi Hills Heritage Area Alliance’s filings →

    More from the funding graph

    The unnamed billions
    grants reported with no recipient in the public record
    The regranting layer
    51% of grant dollars land in the regranting layer
    The DAF merry-go-round
    $9.7B circulates between donor-advised funds
    The endowment market
    who holds foundation money, and what just moved
    The camps
    funders cluster by geography, not ideology
    By state
    where grant money is based, and what stays home