STARKVILLE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION is a non-profit organization (formerly S.O.A.R.) designed to raise funds for projects and programs that make Starkville an incredible place to live. We are an affiliate of the Create Foundation out of Tupelo, Mississippi, and run by a local board of directors who LOVE Starkville and want to see our community THRIVE. We were named CREATE Foundation’s Affiliate of the year!

Investing in our community positively impacts all of us. When people invest in their community, everyone wins! Thriving parks, schools, arts, and youth programs create increased property values, safety, and business growth.

Three ways to support SCF initiatives:

1. 100 People Who Care: supports our annual project grants. In four years, 100 Women poured $97,000 into local programs that impact youth, housing, job readiness, and more. Our newest board Member, Chief Yarbrough has challenged the men in Starkville to start 100 Men Who Care in 2025!

2. Club 1000: supports LARGE annual projects with deep impact. Our goals are big and targeted. $100,000 a year makes these project possibilities into realities. Picture award-winning parks, state-of-the-art after-school programs, and top-notch city infrastructure.

3. Legacy Funds: supports our growing endowment. For people who have invested their lives into Starkville, leaving a lasting legacy is one of the most meaningful ways to make your mark for the next generation. Legacy gifts allow donors to sustain what they love about their hometown by designating where the interest from the endowment is spent. If you love a particular organization or project (like community theater, an after-school program, the library, or a park) Legacy Funds allow you to provide sustainable resources that support these efforts.

SCT directs your funds directly into your community in the ways YOU want to use them to make Starkville and Oktibbeha County the BEST place to live, work, raise a family, and retire. Investing in your own backyard is the easiest investment you will ever make. Please join us!

Our target areas include:

FOUNDATIONAL TARGETS: Housing, health, utilities, transportation, food, safety
COMMUNITY TARGETS: Education, local business, entrepreneurship opportunities, youth programs
ENRICHMENT TARGETS: Parks, beauty, arts, greenspaces, events, culture