A trusted resource for philanthropy serving the Meramec region.
Meramec Regional Community Foundation is the charitable partner of the Meramec Regional Planning Commission, serving Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Maries, Osage, Phelps, Pulaski and Washington counties.
Since our founding on June 4, 2010, Meramec Regional Community Foundation has distributed more than $1.6 million to support the region. We now hold assets totaling $4,515,818.58 as of March 31, 2025.
The Phelps County and Meramec Regional Community Foundations are accepting donations to the Phelps County Disaster Relief Fund to support disaster recovery from the March 14 tornado in Phelps County.
Contributions made to this fund will be distributed through the Phelps County and Meramec Regional Community Foundations to nonprofits assisting with tornado relief and long-term recovery efforts. All donated funds will remain in Phelps County.
Jared Niederer, Chair
April 1, 2025 — Through its annual grant-making, Meramec Regional Community Foundation (MRCF) awarded the Armed Services YMCA of Missouri and KidSight for community projects focusing on children in the Meramec Region. Each program received $750. The awards were announced, and checks were presented at MRCF’s Invite-a-Friend luncheon March 25 at MRPC in St. James.
The Armed Services YMCA of Missouri enhances the lives of military members and their families through programs relevant to the unique challenges of military life. The group intends to use the funding to purchase a lending software for the new ‘Lending Library’ in the early-education classes. The lending software will ensure that borrowing of materials remains organized and scheduled, thereby reducing loss of materials. “The ASYMCA is not federally or state funded, nor has membership fees,” Executive Director Shelley Emperato said. “We are completely run on grants and donations. This grant allows us to provide a quality Lending Library to our military families that utilize our programs, making inventory, check out/in process easy. Easy is what parents need in their lives. This ease hopes to allow for much reading by families and children.”
KidSight is a nonprofit organization addressing the critical gap in pediatric vision care for low-income families. The funding will allow KidSight to provide vision screenings, referral navigation and care coordination for 125 school-aged children in low-income and rural schools within the Meramec Region. According to its application, vision problems are a silent barrier to learning, especially for children who lack access to vision care due to financial, geographic or logistical challenges.
MRCF is an outgrowth of the Meramec Regional Planning Commission (MRPC) and is an affiliate of the Community Foundation of the Ozarks (CFO) in Springfield. The regional affiliate was formed in 2010. Its 12-member board includes representation from each of the eight Meramec counties and from MRPC. Jared Niederer of Gasconade County serves as chairman of MRCF.
Currently, MRCF has 50 funds totaling over $4.4 million. MRPC, in addition to establishing the regional foundation and providing the initial investment to create a grant program, provides staff support to MRCF.
Aug. 9, 2022 — Meramec Regional Community Foundation awarded three nonprofits with grants for community projects. Christ Church Episcopal’ s Back Door Ministry, The Community Partnership’s Capable Kids and Families program, and Council for a Healthy Dent County Project RISE each received $500. The checks were presented at MRCF’s March meeting at the Meramec Regional Planning Commission office in St. James. This year, the MRCF board reviewed a total of 22 grant applications, requesting a total of $10,905 and representing projects in Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Maries, Osage, Phelps, Pulaski and Washington counties.
Christ Church Episcopal Back Door Ministry works as an outreach program to serve the homeless in Rolla. They provide hygiene items, batteries, mending kits, warm blankets, shoes, socks, underwear and clothing. The funds will work to purchase these items to be distributed.
The Community Partnership Capable Kids and Families program is working to provide books for children with developmental disabilities and delays. The funds will work to purchase books to give to program participants during home visits.
Project RISE (Reaching Independence through Support and Education) is a community support program that replicates the Northwest Project in Springfield. The goal is to provide the necessary tools and education to help families overcome the challenges that have kept them in poverty and begin building and sustaining a thriving lifestyle outside of poverty. This program is available to qualifying residents of Dent County and the funds will be going towards the continuation of administering the program.
MRCF is an outgrowth of the Meramec Regional Planning Commission and was formed in 2010. Its 12-member board includes representation from each of the eight Meramec counties and from MRPC.
Currently, MRCF has 59 funds totaling over $3.9 million. MRPC, in addition to establishing the regional foundation and providing the initial investment to create a grant program, provides staff support to MRCF.
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