Form 990 for tax year 2023

Totals

Total revenue

$996,445

Total expenses

$2,877,802

Contributions and grants received

$967,294

Grants paid

$977,895

Program service revenue

$0

Investment income

$29,151

Other revenue

$0

Total assets, end of year

$5,134,021

Total liabilities, end of year

$299,700

Net assets or fund balances, end of year

$4,834,321

Program services expenses (Part IX)

$2,624,570

Management and general expenses

$236,586

Fundraising expenses

$16,646

Program service expenses (Part III)

$2,624,570

Program services were 91.2% of total expenses calculated — Part IX's program-services column over total expenses, both as filed.

Line items

Every line the filer filed in Parts VIII, IX and X, as filed and in filed order. Blank columns are left out, and the lines are not forced to add up to the totals above.

Mission and programs · 2023

• PRE-K:- MISSISSIPPI FIRST FINALIZED A BIRTH-TO-FIVE POLICY AGENDA FOR FUTURE WORK, THIS WORK WAS SHARED WITH PARTNERS.- MISSISSIPPI FIRST CONDUCTED AND PUBLISHED A PUBLIC OPINION POLL ABOUT PRE-K AND EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION IN MISSISSIPPI. THIS POLL FOUND WIDESPREAD PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR PRE-K AND EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION.- MISSISSIPPI FIRST FINALIZED A BLENDED PRE-K TOOLKIT SLATED FOR PUBLICATION IN EARLY FY25.- MISSISSIPPI FIRST FINALIZED AND PUBLISHED AN EARLY EDUCATION BRIEFING BOOK FOR STATE OFFICIALS.- MISSISSIPPI FIRST BEGAN THE RESEARCH PROCESS FOR THE FOURTH ITERATION OF THE STATE OF PRE-K SERIES, WHICH EXAMINES THE NUMBER, TYPE, AND QUALITY OF PRE-K PROGRAMS IN EACH COMMUNITY IN THE STATE.- MISSISSIPPI FIRST RESEARCHED POSSIBILITIES FOR A STATE EITC AND WHAT IMPACT IT MAY HAVE ON MISSISSIPPI FAMILIES WITH YOUNG CHILDREN, INCLUDING COMMISSIONING TWO FISCAL IMPACT STUDIES.- MISSISSIPPI FIRST PROVIDED ONGOING TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO THE MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION (MDE) TO SUPPORT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE EARLY LEARNING COLLABORATIVE (ELC) PRE-K PROGRAM.- MISSISSIPPI FIRST ADVOCATED FOR INCREASED FUNDING OF THE ELC PROGRAM, WINNING AN ADDITIONAL $5M IN APPROPRIATIONS FROM THE LEGISLATURE WHICH ALLOWED MDE TO INCREASE THE ELC RATE TO $3,500. TO MAKE THIS ADDITIONAL APPROPRIATION, THE LEGISLATURE REDUCED THE LINE ITEM FOR THE STATE-INVESTED PRE-K PROGRAM IN ORDER TO TRANSITION THOSE FUNDS INTO THE ELC PROGRAM, WHICH IS THE HIGHER QUALITY OF THE TWO PROGRAMS, A MOVE MISSISSIPPI FIRST SUPPORTED.CHARTER SCHOOLS:- MISSISSIPPI FIRST COMMISSIONED A REPORT ON FINANCIAL BEST PRACTICES FOR CHARTER SCHOOLS, DUE FOR PUBLICATION IN EARLY FY25.- MISSISSIPPI FIRST COMMISSIONED AN EVALUATION OF THE MISSISSIPPI CHARTER SCHOOL AUTHORIZER BOARD, DUE FOR PUBLICATION IN EARLY FY25.- MISSISSIPPI FIRST CONDUCTED AND PUBLISHED A PUBLIC OPINION POLL ABOUT PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOLS IN MISSISSIPPI. USING INFORMATION FROM THIS POLL, THE ORGANIZATION PLANS TO CONDUCT FOCUS GROUPS WITH PARENTS IN CHARTER COMMUNITIES AS WELL AS LAUNCH A PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGN.- MISSISSIPPI FIRST CONTINUED ITS EDUCATOR PIPELINE PROGRAMS, INCLUDING SPARKS AND STUDY.COM. SPARKS WILL CONCLUDE IN 2026, WHILE STUDY.COM CONCLUDED IN FY24.- MISSISSIPPI FIRST LAUNCHED THE OPERATIONS RESIDENCY TO TRAIN OPERATIONS LEADERS IN CHARTER SCHOOLS.- MISSISSIPPI FIRST HOSTED THE FINAL YEAR OF THE SUMMER CHARTER SCHOOL FELLOWSHIP.- MISSISSIPPI FIRST LAUNCHED BOTH THE START-UP FUND AND THE CASH COLLATERAL FUND. THE START-UP FUND MADE ITS FIRST OFFICIAL DISBURSEMENT, AND THE CASH COLLATERAL FUND HAD ITS SECOND OFFICIAL PARTICIPANT.- MISSISSIPPI FIRST ENGAGED PARENTS IN TRAINING AND OTHER ORGANIZING ACTIVITIES.- MISSISSIPPI FIRST SUPPORTED IMPROVEMENT OF CHARTER SCHOOLS THROUGH QUALITY TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE (TA). THIS TA RESULTED IN DRAMATIC IMPROVEMENTS IN SCHOOL GRADES FOR CHARTER SCHOOLS AT THE END OF THE 2023-2024 SCHOOL YEAR.- MISSISSIPPI FIRST CONTINUED TO IMPLEMENT THE CHARTER SCHOOLS PROGRAM GRANT, GROWING TO THREE SUBGRANTEES, AND PROVIDED QUALITY TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.- MISSISSIPPI FIRST LAUNCHED THE DISTRICT-CHARTER COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE AND DISTRIBUTED SUBGRANTS TO THE SIX PARTNERS FOR THEIR PROJECTS.- MISSISSIPPI FIRST LAUNCHED THE PARENT AND COMMUNITY ADVISORY GROUP TO PROVIDE INSIGHT INTO THE CHARTER POLL FINDINGS.- MISSISSIPPI FIRST ADVOCATED FOR LEGISLATION TO IMPROVE THE CHARTER SCHOOL LAW.TEACHERS AND LEADERS:- MISSISSIPPI FIRST PUBLISHED ANOTHER SEMINAL REPORT, FALLING BEHIND, EXAMINING THE IMPACT OF THE 2022 TEACHER PAY RAISE ON TEACHER ATTRITION RISK FACTORS. THIS REPORT WAS BASED ON A 2023 FOLLOW-UP SURVEY OF TEACHERS.- MISSISSIPPI FIRST SUCCESSFULLY ADVOCATED FOR ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS IN FALLING BEHIND AND OUR EARLIER REPORT EYEING THE EXIT TO EXPAND THE WINTER-REED TEACHER LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAM TO INCLUDE ALTERNATE ROUTE AND VETERAN TEACHERS AND TO PROVIDE AS MANY AWARDS AS FUNDS AVAILABLE.FUTURE OF SCHOOLS:- MISSISSIPPI FIRST PROPOSED AND PASSED A NEW, WEIGHTED STUDENT FUNDING FORMULA FOR ALL PUBLIC SCHOOLS THAT WILL DRAMATICALLY INCREASE EQUITY FOR LOW-INCOME STUDENTS.- MISSISSIPPI FIRST CONTINUED TO SUPPORT PUBLIC SCHOOLS BY PROVIDING ADVICE AND EXPERTISE TO POLICYMAKERS.

  Expenses $2,624,570 · Grants $977,895

As filed on the 2023 return. The filer continues this part on Schedule O, which is not shown here.

Listed in Part VII

Compensation is as filed in Part VII: reportable pay from this organization and from related organizations, other compensation, and hours per week. The total, marked calculated, is our sum of the three dollar columns, with a blank column counted as $0; the form itself has no total. On a Form 990-EZ the columns are Part IV's instead, and on a Form 990-PF Part VIII's — compensation, contributions to benefit plans, and expense account — and the total sums those. A Schedule J breakdown is as filed: base pay, bonus, other, deferred compensation and nontaxable benefits from this organization, with any from related organizations beside each, and the filer's own total. It is shown with the Part VII listing of the same name on the same return. The form gives no key between the two, so that pairing is ours, and is marked matched by us.

Schedule J

Part I's answers as filed. A line not listed was left unanswered; on lines 1a and 3 that means the box was not checked.

Grants on this return

• INSTANT IMPACT GLOBAL PREP

  $443,060

  ENTERED INFO A SUBGRANTEE AGREEMENT TO DISBURSE A CHARTER SCHOOLS PROGRAM (CSP) SUBGRANT UNDER THE ORGANIZATIONS 2023 CSP AWARD.

• COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF MISSISSIPPI

  $250,000

  TO CREATE A START-UP GRANT FUND FOR NEW OR EXPANDING CHARTER SCHOOLS.

• REPUBLIC SCHOOLS INC

  $239,835

  ENTERED INFO A SUBGRANTEE AGREEMENT TO DISBURSE A CHARTER SCHOOLS PROGRAM (CSP) SUBGRANT UNDER THE ORGANIZATIONS 2023 CSP AWARD.

• LEFLORE LEGACY ACADEMY

  $45,000

  ENTERED INFO A SUBGRANTEE AGREEMENT TO DISBURSE A CHARTER SCHOOLS PROGRAM (CSP) SUBGRANT UNDER THE ORGANIZATIONS 2023 CSP AWARD.

Provenance

Return type

form_990

Tax year

2023

Filed

7 November 2024

IRS schema version

2023v5.1

Source object

202433169349304333

Check it against the return as filed: the GivingTuesday Data Lake hosts a public copy of the original XML.

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