Mississippi Center for Cultural Production
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
To support groups and individuals creating social, economic, and cultural transformation toward long-term sustainability through the research, creation, and presentation of arts, culture, and agriculture.
- Income
- $6.1 million
- Spending
- $1.9 million
- Spent on programs
- 83%
- Reserves
- 11.6 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 92%
- Employees
- 20
- Volunteers
- 40
- Highest pay
- $89,864, co-direct/sec
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Strong: 93 out of 100. Higher than 80% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 11.6 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 1% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 69% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 181% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1583% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Good: 70 out of 100. Higher than 19% of charities in its peer group (arts and culture, $1m to $10m).
Independent board
25 of 255 of 7 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
0 of 8Reports no written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
0 of 7Reports no written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
0 of 10Did not give the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
0 of 5Reports no independent review process for its chief executive's pay.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (1)
- $1.6 million spent. For the year ended December 31, 2025, the Mississippi Center for Cultural Production d/b/a Sipp Culture operated the following programs:(i) The DigiCulture Lab is a three-week summer program for middle school students, ages 12 14 in Utica, Mississippi. It is designed to support youth development of agricultural skills and the knowledge to use digital media tools of photography, video, and audio production to build personal and collective rural narratives that are connected to the land, family, food, and cultural production. The DigiCulture Lab supports the mission of Sipp Culture to advance comprehensive community development strategies through connecting stories about family, land, and food with digital storytelling and agricultural production. (ii) The Rural Performance / Production Lab (RPPL) is a creative production process that seeks to support the development of new performance movement, story, and sound rooted in rural history, places, and bodies. Through leveraging the combined assets of a rural, place-based initiative dedicated to cultural production, the Mississippi Center for Cultural Production d/b/a Sipp Culture will support rural artists in the creation of new work by providing time, space, and connectivity. The Mississippi Center for Cultural Production d/b/a Sipp Culture sees this initiative as integral to creating space for rural narratives to fill gaps in the Organizations national story and expand the conversation to include unique and important perspectives. (iii) The Intercultural Leadership Institute (ILI) is a year-long intensive leadership experience for artists, culture bearers, and other arts practitioners. ILI is a collaborative program of Alternate ROOTS, the First Peoples Fund, the National Association of Latino Arts & Cultures (NALAC), the PAI Foundation and the International Association of Black in Dance (IABD). The effort grew out of our direct experiences as leaders of the founding cultural organizations. The Mississippi Center for Cultural Production d/b/a Sipp Culture often found that many personal and professional leadership programs emphasized dominant cultural norms, modes of learning and social approaches that didnt match the Mississippi Center for Cultural Productions d/b/a Sipp Culture's commitment to cultural equity and change-making in the Organizations own communities. (iv) Small Farmer Apprentice Program trains both aspiring and experienced farmers in the skills needed to meet the production needs of the Organizations rural community. This program supports participants over three years through an 18-month apprenticeship with financial support and training in small-farm agricultural production. Produce grown through this program has provided support for the ElderShare initiative and the local farmers market.(v) Trading in Cultural Memory This research project will seek to answer the paramount question: What is the role of artists as health workers and trainers using the call-and-response methodology in the context of Utica, Mississippi? This question will guide inquiry around the cultural practices that have sustained and innovatively designed wellness in rural underserved communities. This project is a collaboration with RISE Research and Evaluation and the Center for Africana Studies at Indiana University Indianapolis.(vi) TBD Fund A regional regranting program of the Andy Warhol Foundation supporting Mississippi visual artist in the creation of new public facing projects that aspire to expand Mississippis collective narrative, build new audiences, and deepen community dialogue. It considers visual art activities that are experimental and collaborative for individuals and groups to include new exhibitions, public art, visual art publications, online projects, residencies, photography, graphic design, filmmaking, performances, and screenings and beyond. The name TBD is representative of the artistic process which, at its core, is constantly being determined.(vii) Rural Routes Design Lab is a new program that fosters a model of partnership where artists, creators, and cultural organizations learn from and with Sipp Culture and their peers from across Central Mississippi. Through this program, artists gain insights into traditional and innovative approaches to community-engaged and informed practice and receive support in creating artwork that transforms the ways we think, dream, and work together. The Rural Routes Design Lab emphasizes the importance of working closely with the community throughout the planning and implementation of public art to ensure artists meaningfully center community members in their work.(ix) Advancing Well-being in the Arts Initiative is a multi-year, multi-organization effort to strengthen the well-being of arts organizations and the communities they serve through arts and culture. This initiative is part of a national collaboration of the National Art Partners and funded by the Wallace Foundation. It provides unrestricted funding to arts organizations with annual operating budgets under $500,000.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since May 2021.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 21, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.