The brain drain is not weather — it is the sum of choices, and choices can change. Here are five concrete ways to help, whether you have five minutes or five dollars.
1. Take the survey
It takes about five minutes, and every response sharpens the picture of why people stay, leave, or come back. Take it here — and send it to one person who left.
2. Use the data
The next time someone says “everybody is leaving” — or “nobody is leaving” — bring numbers. Our interactive dashboards cover every county and town in the state, and the FAQ answers the most common questions in plain language.
3. Bring us to your community
We present the brain drain research to churches, civic clubs, schools, and local governments across Mississippi. Email j.mcgraw@workingtogetherms.org to schedule a talk — we will come to you.
4. Tell us your story
Did you leave? Come back? Almost leave? The specifics — a job offer, a school, a neighborhood, a feeling — are exactly what policymakers need to hear. The survey has room for your story, or email us directly.
5. Fund the work
This research is free to everyone — every dashboard, every report. Producing it is not. Gifts are processed securely by Working Together Mississippi, our parent 501(c)(3) — they are tax-deductible and fund this research directly.