Thank you for your interest in the Mississippi Blues Trail and the Mississippi Blues Foundation.

There are currently two funds that could use your donations:

The Benevolence Fund

Many of Mississippi’s older blues musicians are living in extreme poverty and in need of food, shelter, medical care and other assistance. 100% of donations to the Benevolence Fund go directly toward providing money and resources to fill these needs. Several thousand dollars have already been given to musicians to help fill these needs.

The Blues Trail Fund

The Mississippi Blues Foundation is involved in supporting additional activities relating to the Mississippi Blues Trail, including assisting smaller communities pay for the creation and maintenance of Blues Trail markers where they are needed to honor musicians or historically significant locations. This fund also provides money to be used for other blues-related projects such as the Mississippi Blues Trail Curriculum used by teachers across the state. The curriculum has been successful in teaching students not only about the history of the blues, but other relevant topics including geography, Civil Rights, and various humanities themes. We believe this teaching tool, along with other projects funded through the Foundation, fosters pride and continued interest in this important musical heritage.

The Mississippi Blues Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) entity whose mission is to promote the objectives of the Mississippi Blues Commission (MBC) by fostering an appreciation of the Blues and to promote authentic Blues music for the purposes of tourism, education, preservation, economic development and academic study and to support the benevolent activities of the MBC. The Foundation has been active in its fundraising endeavors, including the creation and sale of Mississippi Blues Trail license plates, from which a portion of the proceeds goes to the Benevolence Fund.