The Ally

April is National Volunteer Month National Volunteer Month is an extension to an already-established holiday-week, National Volunteer Week, first held in 1943 in Canada, dedicated to paying tribute to the unwavering contributions of women during World War II who would collect supplies and help wounded soldiers. It was in the early 20th century when organized […]

Hello, my name is Michele Baker. I’m an editor, consultant and trainer in Jackson, and I’ve held the international Certified in Volunteer Administration (CVA) credential for 15 years. During my time as a CVA, I have worked at the Mississippi Commission for Volunteer Service (now called Volunteer Mississippi) and with many smaller nonprofits like Mississippi […]

Lighting the Mansion in Blue ~ Wednesday, April 12 In addition to being National Volunteer Month, April is also National Child Abuse Prevention month! National Child Abuse Prevention Month recognizes the importance of families and communities working together to prevent child abuse and neglect. Children’s Advocacy Centers of Mississippi (CACM) is hosting a child abuse […]

Are Nonprofit Workforce Shortages Still a Problem? Is your charitable nonprofit struggling with unfilled vacancies, long waiting lists of people seeking services, chronic burnout, and other challenges like employee turnover?  Or is the nonprofit workforce shortages crisis a thing of the past? We’d like to know.  A major survey and report in late 2021 identified […]

Recently, I was having a conversation with one of our philanthropic member organization directors and remarked to him how thrilled I was to learn of his family’s contribution to Meridian, MS. His grandfather owned and operated the E.F. Young Hotel which was a place that black travelers could find quality lodging during the years of […]

For the last two years, I have had the privilege of doing the most purposeful and fulfilling work by helping families help themselves. Our affiliate, Northeast Mississippi Habitat for Humanity, is small but mighty. We’re about helping families in Lee County, Mississippi build strength, stability, and self-reliance through shelter.Currently, we’re working with five families helping […]

Before Christmas, one of our local media partners stopped by the Gulf Coast Community Foundation to give poinsettias to our staff members. She brought her eight-year-old daughter along to help, and as they gave me the poinsettia, she told her daughter, “Look! It’s a woman CEO!” She looked at me and explained that they’d been […]

Founded in 2018 with a vision to create high performing public charter schools across the MS Delta, MS Delta Academies is the non-profit that operates Leflore Legacy Academy Public Charter School. Leflore Legacy serves as the foundation for this vision and opened its doors virtually (during the height of the global pandemic) in the fall […]

What is International Women’s Day (IWD)? Wednesday, March 8 is International Women’s Day, an annual celebration across the world that honors the achievements and contributions of women, while challenging the discrimination and oppression they continue to face. This holiday aims to honor the impact of women worldwide and encourages people to challenge gender stereotypes, discrimination, […]