Oxford, MS – March 12, 2018 – To a successful chef like John Currence, the most natural next step is to give back to the community who has invested in him for years.
“Mississippi has provided me with wonderful opportunities in my career, and I am proud of what my team has built in Oxford,” says Currence. “Through a process made possible by Move On Up Mississippi, we want to take greater strides and help our community move forward into a happier, healthier future.”
Since 2015, Currence’s foundation has worked to inspire and fund educational initiatives to realize healthier futures for children living in Lafayette County. Over the years, Move On Up Mississippi has invested thousands of dollars in several local organizations whose work positively impacts health and wellness throughout the area. Due to gracious donor support and a desire to strengthen ongoing service efforts, the Board of Directors for Currence’s foundation is excited to announce its first funding cycle is now accepting preliminary applications. All organizations working to address health and wellness in Lafayette County are invited to submit a pre-application to the foundation in order to qualify for the competitive grant program that will fund initiatives throughout Fiscal Year 2018-2019.
Any Lafayette County nonprofit organization, public school, government entity, or program sponsored by a qualifying organization and working to positively impact local residents’ health is eligible to submit a pre-application to the foundation’s competitive grant process on or before April 13, 2018. Move On Up is especially interested in applicants whose programs are intentionally inclusive, provide measurable results, and focus on area children and families. Through this cycle, the foundation hopes to reach even further into Lafayette County and support organizations who feel their impact may go unnoticed in Oxford city limits.
Preliminary application materials can be found on the foundation’s website, www.moveonupms.org. The pre-application will ask organizations to provide a summary of their organization and initiative, as well as its initiative’s mission and budget. Complete pre-applications must be received by email or mail in PDF form on or postmarked by April 13, 2018. Move On Up’s Board of Directors will review the preliminary applications and announce applicant finalists by May 2018. Applicant finalists will be required to submit a full grant proposal to Move On Up by June 2018. 
