CFO crosses $2 million milestone for COVID-19 grantmaking

With $280,000 in grants from its COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund this week, the Community Foundation of the Ozarks has now granted $2,050,792 in response to the pandemic. Total discretionary grantmaking from the COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund now totals $1,107,579, while grants from donor-advised funds tops $890,000. Funds established by businesses to assist employees have now provided more than $53,000 in relief.

This week’s surge in grantmaking is fueled by an anonymous foundation that has provided $200,000 for grants to support services related to health, education and economic self-sufficiency, primarily for youth in impoverished communities.

These grants also mark a transition to a regional recovery effort. Moving forward, grantmaking from the CFO’s COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund will primarily support agencies providing services to citizens affected by the economic impact of the pandemic.

The fund was established by a $1 million commitment by the CFO and its regional affiliate foundations, the Missouri Foundation for Health and the Louis L. and Julia Dorothy Coover Charitable Foundation managed by Commerce Trust Company. Generous donors have since contributed more than $678,000 to support this grantmaking.

A total of $280,000 is granted to these 25 agencies:

• Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Ozarks: $15,000 to maintain big brother/big sister matches in the Springfield area during pandemic.

• Boys & Girls Club of the Ozarks: $25,000 to provide services to families and children in Branson and assist in the reopening of the club for summer programming. The agency is a partner of regional affiliate Community Foundation of Taney County, and half of the funding for this grant is provided by the White River Valley Electric Cooperative.

• Care to Learn: $10,000 for emergency health, hunger, and hygiene needs for low-income children across the region.

• Care Connection for Aging Services: $10,000 to provide meals for homebound seniors in the El Dorado Springs and Stockton area, which is served by the El Dorado Springs and Stockton community foundations.

• Carthage Crosslines Ministry: $7,000 to support the agency’s food pantry. The agency is a partner of the Carthage Community Foundation.

• CASA of South Central Missouri: $7,178 to support an online system for CASA volunteer connections in Dent, Maries, Phelps, Pulaski and Texas counties. The area is served by the Dent County, Houston, Meramec Regional and St. James Area community foundations.

• CASA of Southwest Missouri: $18,000 to support the increased need of CASA volunteers in the Springfield area due to crisis.

• Community Counseling Center: $10,000 to support behavioral health and recovery programs for low-income individuals in Cape Girardeau. The agency is a partner of the Cape Area Community Foundation.

• The Community Partnership: $10,000 to support vulnerable families in Rolla that lack the resources to locate and purchase the items needed to provide for themselves during the pandemic. The area is served by the Meramec Regional Community Foundation.

• Community Partnership of the Ozarks: $20,000 for continued support of emergency shelters for homeless individuals in Springfield.

• Conway Senior Services Inc.: $1,500 to ensure the safe delivery of meals to seniors. The agency is a partner of Marshfield Area Community Foundation.

• Council to Prevent Domestic Violence Inc.: $8,500 to support individuals in the Lebanon area who are at risk of continued abuse due to the economic downturn.

• Cuba Ministerial Alliance Food Pantry: $5,000 for food pantry expenses in Cuba. The community is served by the Crawford County Foundation Inc.

• Harbor House Domestic Violence Center: $11,500 for fresh meat and produce for domestic violence victims in the Kimberling City area, which is served by the Table Rock Lake Community Foundation.

• Helping Hands Outreach Center of Gasconade County: $5,500 for assistance with emergency expenses for low-income residents of Gasconade County, which is served by the Community Foundation of the Hermann Area Inc. and the Owensville Area Community Foundation.

• Hermann Community Food Pantry: $8,450 for food pantry expenses. The agency is a partner of the Community Foundation of the Hermann Area Inc.

• Lafayette House: $15,000 to support operations and additional COVID-related expenses for the domestic violence shelter in Joplin, which is served by the Joplin Regional Community Foundation.

• Least of These Inc.: $5,000 for food pantry expenses in Christian County, which is served by the Finley River and Nixa Community Foundations.

• Presbyterian Children’s Homes and Services: $10,000 to support the PCHAS Counseling Center in St. Francois County, which provides mental health services for children and families.

• Ripley County Diaper Bank: $7,000 for food, diapers and other supplies for children. The area is served by the Ozark Foothills Regional and Ripley County community foundations.

• Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Ozarks: $10,372 to support increased costs of the Tooth Truck associated with the pandemic.

• SoutheastHEALTH Foundation: $5,000 to offset the expenses of additional safety medical supplies in the Cape Girardeau area, which is served by the Cape Area Community Foundation.

• Unite of Southwest Missouri Inc.: $10,000 to support case management connections for black residents in the Springfield metro area.

• United Way of Pettis County: $15,000 for assistance with emergency expenses for low-income families in the Sedalia area.

• West Central Missouri Community Action Agency: $30,000 for mental health assessment and case management in the Appleton City area.

The CFO encourages all who are able to consider donating to a nonprofit in need or the CFO’s COVID-19 fund. Gifts can be made at cfozarks.org/donate. The CFO is covering processing fees for gifts made by credit card through June 30, 2020.

Grant applications are accepted on a rolling basis with announcements anticipated weekly for the near future. The application process is open to nonprofits and IRS-equivalent organizations like faith and civic agencies. Other COVID-related grant programs are listed online at cfozarks.org/find-grants-scholarships. The CFO does not make grants directly to individuals.