A trusted resource for philanthropy serving the community of Cassville.
Since our founding on Nov. 15, 2004, Cassville Community Foundation has distributed more than $1.1 million in grants to the community. We now hold assets totaling $3,125,179 as of June 30, 2023.
Oct. 20, 2021 — The Community Foundation of the Ozarks has selected the Cassville Community Foundation as an Affiliate of the Year, recognizing excellence in leadership among its 53-member affiliate network. The award comes with a $3,000 prize for the CCF’s community grantmaking endowment.
During the past year’s pandemic-related difficulties, the CCF embraced the opportunity to encourage its community to work together and take advantage of resources available to all. The foundation led a campaign that expanded across the nation for establishing a new fish cleaning station at Roaring River State Park — an effort to preserve the beauty and memories of Roaring River. The CCF also applied for, and received, grant funds through the Coover Regional Recovery Grant Program, allowing the affiliate to help others during a time it was so desperately needed. In addition, the CCF opened three new funds, increased its assets by 103% to more than $1.4 million, and distributed more than $180,000 additional funds to the community than it had the previous year.
The Barton County Community Foundation, El Dorado Springs Community Foundation, Marshfield Area Community Foundation and Perry County Community Foundation also were recognized as Affiliates of the Year for 2021.
Recipients were selected using several criteria — asset growth, new funds established, overall grantmaking and new Legacy Society members — along with examples of community leadership and collaboration throughout the 2021 fiscal year that ended June 30. The awards were announced during the 2021 Affiliate Appreciation Conference on Oct. 7.
“All of our regional affiliate foundations work to improve communities across our region, but these five definitely lead the way,” said Alice Wingo, vice president of affiliates for the CFO. “We congratulate the board members and staff of these Affiliate of the Year winners who do so much to strengthen their rural communities.”
Oct. 20, 2021 — Because of their efforts to encourage COVID-19 vaccinations in Barry County, the Monett Area Community Foundation and the Cassville Community Foundation have won a $10,000 challenge grant through the Coover Regional Vaccination Initiative. From July 26 to Sept. 20, the percentage of Barry County residents ages 12 and up to receive at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine increased by 8.6%.
Regional affiliate foundations of the Community Foundation of the Ozarks opted in on behalf of a single county to participate in the program. The CFO tracked data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for each county to determine the winners.
At the Cassville Community Foundation’s first fundraiser for 2021, held in August, CCF President Chad Johnson updated the crowd on the Coover Regional Vaccination Initiative and its parameters. The board also provided residents with information about local vaccination schedules at area businesses, including which vaccines would be administered.
The prize is an unrestricted grant, which the MACF and CCF can use for their own community grantmaking. The CFO announced the winners of the Coover Regional Vaccination Initiative during its annual Affiliate Appreciation Conference on Oct. 7.
The Coover Regional Vaccination Initiative was supported by the Louis L. and Julia Dorothy Coover Charitable Foundation, managed by Commerce Trust Company. The CFO and the Coover Charitable Foundation have partnered since 2002 to award more than $7 million through grantmaking programs, particularly targeted to rural Missouri. The Coover Charitable Foundation is also a key contributor to the CFO’s COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund.
“Congratulations to the Monett Area Community Foundation and the Cassville Community Foundation and the great communities that they represent,” said Jill Reynolds, senior vice president at Commerce Trust. “We applaud the leadership of the foundation board members to make their communities safer and take steps towards putting this pandemic behind us.”
The Carthage Community Foundation, Joplin Regional Community Foundation, Sarcoxie Community Foundation, Marshfield Area Community Foundation, Jacks Fork Community Foundation and Community Foundation of the Hermann Area also received challenge grants through the Coover Regional Vaccination Initiative for their efforts in their local communities. The program featured a total of $60,000 in challenge grants for winning affiliates.
