by Jarquita Brown
CLARKSDALE, Miss — Supporting Black entrepreneurs, farmers, and artists across Mississippi continues thanks to a $380,000 grant to Higher Purpose Co (HPC) from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF).
HPC, which was founded in 2016 implements an economic justice model that utilizes three integrated strategies: asset building, narrative change, and advocacy. These strategies are beneficial to underestimated Black entrepreneurs HPC serves across the state.
The grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation elevates HPC’s efforts of financially supporting Black entrepreneurs during COVID-19, expands their existing Higher Purpose Business Fellowship across the state, strengthens business support and capital access to new and existing members of HPC.
Higher Purpose Films, HPC’s narrative change strategy will also officially launch to focus on producing positive storytelling content to highlight social and economic justice topics related to the Black experience in Mississippi.
“We appreciate the Kellogg Foundation for recognizing the importance of supporting of Black entrepreneurs, farmers, and artists in the state of Mississippi,” said Tim Lampkin, Chief Executive Officer of Higher Purpose Co. “This funding will allow us to grow our work and continue to address the racial wealth gap here in Mississippi by serving more Black residents who operate businesses.”
In May 2020, HPC launched the Black Business Relief Fund for businesses impacted by COVID-19. $95,000 of the WKKF grant funding has already been disbursed to provide financial assistance to Black businesses affected by the pandemic across Mississippi.
The Higher Purpose Business Fellowship Program and overall membership engagement will also expand across the state. The goal is for HPC membership to increase to 300 Black owned business members in the state which is inclusive of business fellows and alum by December 2022.
HPC Director of Development and Partnerships Leonette Henderson said, “This grant from the Kellogg Foundation is an aligned partnership and we are thankful for this collaboration as we continue expanding our programming for Black entrepreneurs across the state.”
To learn more about the Black Business Relief Fund, Higher Purpose Business Fellowship, and Higher Purpose Films, sign up for HPC’s newsletter here.
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About Higher Purpose Co
Higher Purpose Co (HPC) is a 501(c)3 economic justice nonprofit founded in 2016. HPC’s mission is to build community wealth with Black residents in Mississippi by supporting the ownership of financial, cultural, and political power. Its theory of change is anchored in an integrated model of asset building, narrative change and advocacy. It uses solutions-based organizing and community wealth building to unapologetically tackle generational poverty, structured inequality and institutional racism in its state. To learn more about HPC, go to HigherPurposeCo.org.
About the W.K. Kellogg Foundation
The W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF), founded in 1930 as an independent, private foundation by breakfast cereal innovator and entrepreneur Will Keith Kellogg, is among the largest philanthropic foundations in the United States. Guided by the belief that all children should have an equal opportunity to thrive, WKKF works with communities to create conditions for vulnerable children so they can realize their full potential in school, work and life.
The Kellogg Foundation is based in Battle Creek, Michigan, and works throughout the United States and internationally, as well as with sovereign tribes. Special attention is paid to priority places where there are high concentrations of poverty and where children face significant barriers to success. WKKF priority places in the U.S. are in Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico and New Orleans; and internationally, are in Mexico and Haiti. For more information, visit www.wkkf.org.
