CFO grants $6,000 to SEMO-NASV

The Southeast Missouri Network Against Sexual Violence received a $6,000 grant from the Community Foundation of the Ozarks to support diversity, equity and inclusion education for its staff, board, volunteers and “Multidisciplinary Team” members. Those community partners include law enforcement officers, juvenile officers, Missouri’s Children’s Division employees, attorneys, mental health therapists and first responders.

“This grant will allow SEMO-NASV staff, board, and multidisciplinary team members to dive deeper into their individual cultural competencies and biases and learn how they can affect the work done on a daily basis,” said Alix Gasser, development director for SEMO-NASV. “SEMO-NASV wants to make sure that we are speaking up and influencing change, especially for those in the minority in southeast Missouri.”

The grant was announced on Dec. 6 during a presentation in Springfield for the CFO’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Grant Program. A total of $120,000 was granted to seven nonprofit organizations that work to improve the quality of life for underserved and underrepresented populations. For a full list of recipients, visit cfozarks.org/dei23.

The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Grants are funded by the CFO’s unrestricted assets and field-of-interest funds that support a broad area of interest. The grant committee comprises Virginia Bailey, Heather Hardinger, Denise Lofton, Kathy Munzinger, Daniel Ogunyemi, Ana Ortiz, Summer Trottier and Brooke Widmar.

Related grant opportunity

The Inclusion & Belonging Grant Program supports smaller grant requests for projects that encourage diverse representation in community conversations, engagement and leadership across the region. About $34,000 remains available for requests of up to $3,000. Nonprofits can apply at cfozarks.org/applyforgrants. The program is open throughout the year, with grants awarded on a rolling basis as funds are available.

Founded in 1973, the Community Foundation of the Ozarks is marking its 50th anniversary in 2023 as the region’s largest public charitable foundation serving a network of donors, 54 regional affiliate foundations — including the Cape Area Community Foundation — and nonprofit partners across central and southern Missouri through its mission of resource development, community grantmaking, collaboration and public leadership.