April 12, 2024
Latest grants support special summer camps, powwow and more
The Community Foundation of the Ozarks has selected the latest recipients of the Inclusion & Belonging Grants for the 2023–24 grant cycle. The program supports small grant requests to ensure equitable participation and engagement in local communities.
The five recipients, receiving a total of $12,000, are:
- Children’s Center of Southwest Missouri: $3,000 to support signage and counter wraps at the Joplin facility that promote the center’s nondiscrimination policy.
- Drury University: $1,500, in partnership with Springfield Public Schools, to support a summer program for Black youth and adults in Springfield to learn about and celebrate the achievements of people of African descent.
- Marshfield Saddle Club: $3,000, with support from the American Indian Center of Springfield, to revitalize the Marshfield Powwow and educate others on Native American cultural practices.
- Queen City Rock Camp: $1,500 to support volunteer stipend costs for a week-long summer day camp that provides a safe, supportive environment for girls, transgender and nonbinary youth to express themselves through music.
- Springfield Public Schools: $3,000, in collaboration with its English Language Development program, to support a new mural emphasizing the cultural and linguistic diversity of Parkview High School students.
About $11,000 remains available in the Inclusion & Belonging Grant Program. Agencies may apply for up to $3,000 to support expenses related to:
- Ensuring diverse representation in leadership roles and the community;
- Providing students with equitable opportunity for community engagement and leadership; and
- Hosting events that ensure visible representations of belonging in the Ozarks.
Applications are reviewed and awarded through mid-June. To learn more about the CFO’s grant application process, visit cfozarks.org/applyforgrants.
