# Mississippi United Methodist Foundation

Mississippi United Methodist Foundation is an Endowment / Foundation based in Ridgeland, United States.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Endowment / Foundation
- **Headquarters:** Ridgeland, United States
- **Region:** North America
- **Address:** 581 Highland Colony Pkwy, Ridgeland, MS 39157, United States
- **Founded:** 1967
- **Assets under management:** ~$180M (Altss estimate)
- **Website:** methodistfm.org
- **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/methodist-foundation-mississippi

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

Founded in 1967, the Mississippi United Methodist Foundation (MFM) was established to provide financial resources and expertise to Wesleyan congregations and missions. Executive Director John Branning oversees the Ridgeland-based entity, which serves as the primary investment agency for the Mississippi Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church and for the Great Lakes Annual Conference of the Global Methodist Church. MFM manages collective investment vehicles including a Short-Term Fund and a Long-Term Fund, deploying across early-stage, seed, startup, and expansion-stage venture exposures alongside general venture allocations. The foundation partners with the United Methodist Higher Education Foundation on scholarship programs for Methodist students. Its geographic focus spans the US Southeast and the broader regions served by its affiliated conferences. Total portfolio assets sit near $180 million (Altss estimate). The foundation operates from a commercial office in Ridgeland, with no additional physical offices disclosed. Governance rests with a board that included Jan Hitt as president for the 2023-2024 term and Ben Walton — also of Solidus Capital Solutions — as chairman of the investment and finance committee. Beyond pooled investments, MFM administers clergy health support and ministerial scholarship funds for the Great Lakes Annual Conference. The foundation's architecture is distinct: it functions as a shared treasury for Methodist conferences rather than a grantmaking philanthropical endowment. MFM directly originates deal flow through denominational networks and clergy relationships, structuring pooled funds that make venture and growth allocations accessible to individual churches — a model closer to a church-member investment cooperative than a traditional foundation.

## Sectors

- Early Stage
- Venture (General)

## People

- John Branning — Executive Director
- Todd Marion — Associate Director and Chief Financial Officer
- Ben Walton — Board Member and Chairman of the Investment and Finance Committee
- Jan Hitt — Board President (2023-2024)

## Questions

### Who runs investment decisions at the Mississippi United Methodist Foundation?

The foundation's Executive Director is John Branning. Todd Marion serves as Associate Director and Chief Financial Officer. The Investment and Finance Committee is chaired by board member Ben Walton, who is also associated with Solidus Capital Solutions.

### Does the Mississippi United Methodist Foundation operate as a grantmaking foundation or an investment pool?

MFM functions primarily as a pooled investment manager for Methodist conferences, churches, and missions. It offers short-term and long-term investment products. Its grantmaking is channeled through specific programs like clergy health support and ministerial scholarships rather than a broad philanthropic mandate.

### What is the relationship between MFM and the Global Methodist Church?

MFM provides investment management and stewardship education for the Great Lakes Annual Conference of the Global Methodist Church. This marks a relationship that extends beyond the foundation's core affiliation with the Mississippi Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church.

### Which asset classes and stages does the foundation target in its collective funds?

The portfolio includes venture capital allocations spanning early-stage, seed, startup, and expansion/late-stage investments. The foundation pools these within its Short-Term Fund and Long-Term Fund vehicles alongside what are described as general venture exposures.

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Last updated: 2026-06-03T20:00:00.000Z

Canonical page: https://altss.com/profile/mississippi-united-methodist-foundation

Maintained by Altss — https://altss.com — methodology: https://altss.com/methodology