July 25, 2024
New program to reduce barriers to nature, outdoor recreation
The first grant rounds from the Community Foundation of the Ozarks for 2024–25 are now open. The CFO’s annual competitive grant programs are supported by a nearly $5 million grantmaking budget — the largest in the foundation’s history. More grant programs will open throughout the year for eligible nonprofit, civic, educational and faith-based organizations across central and southern Missouri.
The CFO’s competitive grantmaking programs are made possible by donors who make gifts that are unrestricted or focus on a general field of interest such as youth, health or education, as well as external partnerships in which the CFO administers grant programs on behalf of funders like the Jeannette L. Musgrave Foundation and U.S. Bank Private Wealth Management, the Louis L. and Julia Dorothy Coover Charitable Foundation and Commerce Trust, and the L-A-D Foundation.
Open Now
- L-A-D Foundation (regional): $55,000 available for projects that conserve the natural and cultural resources of the Ozarks in the L-A-D Foundation’s 12-county service area. Closes Aug. 30.
- Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (Springfield and regional): $120,000 for projects that improve the quality of life for underserved and underrepresented residents. Closes Oct. 3.
- Inclusion & Belonging (Springfield and regional): $40,000 for smaller grant requests to create equitable participation and engagement in local communities. Applications reviewed and awarded through May 1, 2025.
- Holocaust Education (Springfield and regional): $2,500 available for educators, clergy and other community leaders to visit the Holocaust Museum in St. Louis or the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. Applications reviewed and awarded through May 1, 2025.
Opening Soon
- Jewell Schweitzer Collective Impact (Springfield/Greene County): $120,000 for collaborative projects that address priorities identified in the Community Focus Report for Springfield & Greene County. New for 2024, the CFO will work with donor advisors to increase funding opportunities for applicants. Opens Aug. 1.
- Coover Regional (regional): $250,000 for transformative projects in rural communities, in partnership with the Coover Charitable Foundation. Opens Sept. 1.
- Everyone Outdoors (Springfield/Greene County): New for 2024, $60,000 for projects that connect Springfield/Greene County residents with nature and outdoor recreation. Opens Oct. 1.
Opening in 2025
- Musgrave Multi-Year Impact, with the Musgrave Foundation
- Arts & Culture, with Springfield Regional Arts Council and the Musgrave Foundation
- Coover Regional/Rural Schools Partnership, with the Coover Charitable Foundation
- Various field-of-interest programs
In addition to these programs, the CFO’s regional affiliate foundations provide grantmaking programs throughout the year for their respective communities across central and southern Missouri.
Agencies can begin the application process at cfozarks.org/applyforgrants. For more information about these and other grant programs, visit cfozarks.org/grants or follow the CFO’s social media pages.
