By Winter Kinne, President and CEO
President & CEO Winter Kinne reflects on a year of growth and change
At first glance the title ‘A Final Word’ sounds so, well ... final. But upon reflection, it makes a lot of sense. A final word for this publication and, in many ways, a final(ish) word on fiscal year 2024 that ended June 30. Here at the CFO, we get the chance to reflect twice a year — once with the turning of the calendar and then again at the end of the fiscal year.
I love the chance and reminder to reflect. It must be built into my need for context and to understand the why. I’m not always good about celebrating the wins as I want to focus on the next thing that can be accomplished, but I am aware and working to improve this part of me. Reflection is important.
In the vein of both reflection and celebration, I want to share some end-of-fiscal-year highlights with you. These are preliminary numbers and, gosh, they make me awfully proud of this organization!
- We gave away 11,157 grants and distributions totaling $63,147,543.
- We took in 32,821 gifts and contributions totaling $70,274,956.
- Two community foundations became new CFO affiliates — the Bootheel Regional Community Foundation, based in Dexter, and the Phelps County Community Foundation.
- We launched the Generosity Collective, a high-impact giving circle supporting the Springfield community, with 64 members its first year.
- We purchased 300 S. Jefferson Ave. in downtown Springfield, the new (likely forever) home of the CFO.
- We released the 2023 interim update of the Community Focus Report for Springfield-Greene County, and began prepping the report’s 20th anniversary edition.
- We established 229 new funds that help people and organizations support causes they care about the most.
- We honored Dr. Heather Lyons-Burney, a volunteer pharmacist and board president for My Neighbor’s Charitable Pharmacy in Branson, as the 2023 Humanitarian.
- We unveiled a universal scholarship application to make the application process simpler for students.
And the list could go on and on.
Claude Monet, one of my favorite artists, once said “It’s on the strength of observation and reflection that one finds a way. So we must dig and delve unceasingly.”
We’ll continue to dig and delve as we transition into fiscal year 2025. It will be an exciting year with a planned physical move, additions to our team and elevation of our community leadership work — all while continuing our tradition of helping people create funds for causes they are passionate about during and after their lifetimes, and of being a flexible and responsive grantmaker.
This time next year, I know there will be plenty to reflect upon — I’m already looking forward to it.
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Winter Kinne is the President and CEO of the Community Foundation of the Ozarks · This essay is featured in the summer 2024 edition of Passion & Purpose: The CFO Magazine.
