Area community foundation reaches fundraising goal

The Greater Cape Girardeau Area Community Foundation has hit a milestone in its formation, but more work is required before it can fully hit the ground running.

The Community Foundation of the Ozarks announced in April it was opening a new office in Cape Girardeau, with retired local banker Moe Sandfort at the helm.

Sandfort spent 46 years in executive management positions in banking until his 2011 retirement. He now serves as a senior adviser for the Community Foundation of the Ozarks' east region. Other foundations in the region are in Ste. Genevieve and Perry counties.

For Cape Girardeau's foundation to become an official affiliate, it needed at least $30,000 in restricted funds donated. The money serves as an endowment, not to be withdrawn, although up to 4 percent of its earnings can be spent each year. One percent of the funds is dedicated to administrative costs.

Sandfort told the Cape Girardeau City Council on Monday night the $30,000 has been raised. This means the foundation is able to accept unrestricted funds designated for a specific use or program.

A community foundation is a tax-exempt public charity that allows for establishing a charitable fund. From that fund, donations can be made to a number of groups, including not-for-profit organizations, churches and schools.

"It's an extremely wide range," Sandfort said in a Tuesday phone interview. He said the foundation is willing to provide assistance to anyone who has questions about donations, which are tax-deductible.

Communities included in the Greater Cape Girardeau Area Community Foundation are Cape Girardeau, Jackson and Scott City, though Sandfort said options could be explored if any donors expressed an interest in helping other nearby communities.

Sandfort also is interested in working with other communities in the eastern Missouri region to set up other community foundations. Communities in the west, such as Springfield, already benefit from strong community foundations.

"My objective here is to get these started so every community on this side of the state, up and down the river, can benefit from it," he said.

Mayor Harry Rediger said at Monday night's council meeting through his interaction with other Mississippi River town mayors, he was surprised to learn how many had active community foundations nearby. It would have been difficult for the city to create one on its own, which is why the mayor said he was excited about the involvement of the Community Foundation of the Ozarks and its decision to set up an affiliate in Cape Girardeau.

"I've been very interested in this, and one of my goals was to begin a community foundation for our area," he said.

Sandfort said he still needed help from the council and other entities within the region to spread the word about the foundation and encourage people to serve on its board of governors. He still has not recruited the 12 to 15 people he needs for the board.

Members from Jackson and Scott City would be especially ideal to round out the board. No volunteers have been identified from those communities yet, though Sandfort said he is "in the process of talking to people right now."

"We do have a few openings and if someone has interested, I would appreciate a call from them," he said.

More information about the Community Foundation of the Ozarks and its affiliates is available at cfozarks.org. Sandfort can be reached by emailing msandfort@cfozarks.org.

srinehart@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3641

Pertinent address:

Cape Girardeau, Mo.

Jackson, Mo.

Scott City, Mo.