Stories
Louisiana's “Winning Side:” Powering Democracy through Civic Engagement
The winds of change are stirring strong through Louisiana thanks, in large part, to a network of grassroots organizers, community advocates and policy experts working to improve the quality of life for low-wealth people. Last month, our staff and board visited Louisiana to learn about current...
A Proven Way to Battle Rural America’s Poverty
This originally appeared as an op-ed in the Chronicle of Philanthropy on July 11, 2018.
A county in Mississippi with a 28 percent poverty rate is about to boast the state’s first and only year-round, fully accessible camp for disabled children and adults. A rural...
"As the South Grows" series highlights opportunity in the region
The National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy and Grantmakers for Southern Progress have teamed up on a series of reports highlighting some of the promising systematic change efforts at work across the South. MRBF supported the project and Program Director Lavastian Glenn served on the...
"As the South Grows" series highlights opportunity in the region
The National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy and Grantmakers for Southern Progress have teamed up on a series of reports highlighting some of the promising systematic change efforts at work across the South. MRBF supported the project and Program Director Lavastian Glenn served on the advisory committee.
As the South Grows highlights stories of potential, impact and...
A Crisis of Humanity: Our Statement on the Treatment of Families Seeking Asylum
America is facing not just a humanitarian crisis, but a crisis of humanity.
The board and staff of the Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation are alarmed by the barbaric treatment of families seeking refuge. While the administration has stopped separating children at the border from their parents – a practice known to cause permanent psychological trauma and brain damage – it has announced...
Uplift America Partnership Bearing Fruit in Rural Communities
This post originally appeared on the website of Prosperity Now, an organization dedicated to ensuring everyone in our country has a clear path to financial stability, wealth and prosperity. A key partner in Uplift America, Prosperity Now conducted research to guide the initiative’s design and implementation and now tracks Uplift’s impacts on local lenders and the rural...
Introducing our New Network Officer
The board and staff of the Babcock Foundation are pleased to introduce our newest network officer, Ethan Hamblin, who will manage the Foundation’s relationships and grant portfolios in Louisiana and Appalachia. Hamblin came to MRBF from Berea College, where he served as program associate for strategic initiatives. Prior to his time at Berea, Hamblin worked for the Foundation for Appalachian...
Both/And Investing: Doing well AND doing good
Lately we find ourselves asking how we can be better supporters of our grantee partners, who are working in increasingly difficult circumstances to advance social and economic justice across the South. With rapid expansion of income inequality, the gradual erosion of public goods and outright attacks on families’ safety and dignity, their work is more important than at any point in recent history. The Foundation, our partners and the communities we care about are at a critical juncture and “urgency” is the operative word.
Fortunately, the Babcock Foundation board and staff now have the flexibility to consider increased grantmaking opportunities just when they are needed most. After years of planning and research, 2017 marked the first complete year MRBF’s portfolio was 100 percent invested in a mission-related strategy guided by environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria. These ESG screens require best practices in labor rights, climate impact, natural resource use, corporate governance, supply chain management, community impact and other factors. Not only was the portfolio’s return up more than 20 percent last year, but every asset class outperformed its respective benchmark and achieved ESG impact. The timing of these market gains could not be any better, and we’re committing additional resources to our partners throughout the region.