The only grant maker in the state focused solely on women and girls, The Women’s Foundation of Mississippi, makes strategic investments and supports programming that creates economic security for women in marginalized communities.
“I operate from a premise of hope,” says Melanie Powell, executive director of The Women’s Foundation. “It’s necessary for the work we do every day.”
As a member of Hope Credit Union, Powell had seen first-hand how closely The Women’s Foundation and HOPE’s missions were aligned. Powell saw making a transformational deposit with HOPE as a way to advance the foundation’s work.
“In areas where traditional financial institutions have closed or where other lenders don’t want to take a chance on a loan, HOPE could be the organization that keeps women and their families out of a predatory lending situation and puts them on a path to economic security.”