May 8, 2020
Missouri Foundation for Health doubles commitment to COVID-19 efforts with $300,000 gift
The Community Foundation of the Ozarks announces a major gift of $300,000 from the Missouri Foundation for Health for the COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund, which is awarding grants today to eight more agencies across central and southern Missouri.
This doubles the commitment from MFH, which made its first gift of $300,000 in March to seed the initial $1 million commitment for the fund, along with the CFO, its affiliate foundations and the Louis L. and Julia Dorothy Coover Charitable Foundation managed by Commerce Trust Company. These funds enabled the CFO to activate a fast-track grant program to respond to the emerging needs of nonprofit agencies across its 58-county service region. The first grants were announced April 3, with additional grants each week to support agencies serving vulnerable populations affected by the pandemic.
“The Missouri Foundation for Health has been an outstanding partner with us since the earliest days of this crisis,” CFO President Brian Fogle said. “This continues our strong relationship built over the years where we can help MFH direct its resources across our region using our knowledge of Springfield-area needs and our network of 49 affiliate foundations that help guide our work in rural Missouri.”
Since the initial $1 million commitment, generous donors have made gifts of more than $650,000 to the COVID-19 fund. Awards made from the fund now total $685,579 through 76 grants.
In addition to the COVID-19 fund, donors who hold funds at the CFO have advised another $822,700 in grants to nonprofits working on or affected by the coronavirus. Employers that have established benevolence funds to assist employees have granted $50,233.
Total grantmaking from the CFO for pandemic-related needs now exceeds $1.5 million.
This week’s COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund grants are bolstered by matching gifts from the Republic Community Foundation and White River Valley Electric Cooperative for agencies in their service areas. A total of $47,500 supports these eight agencies:
- Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest Missouri: $7,000 to support the Educate & Feed Our Kids project in Joplin. The club is a nonprofit partner of the Joplin Regional Community Foundation, one of the CFO’s 49 regional affiliate foundations.
- Carthage Crisis Center: $5,000 to support emergency housing for homeless people in the Carthage area. The center is a nonprofit partner of the Carthage Community Foundation.
- Christian Action Ministries: $10,000, with half of the funding from White River Valley Electric Cooperative, to support increased food needs for residents of Taney County. CAM is a nonprofit partner of the Community Foundation of Taney County.
- Help Give Hope: $5,000, with half of the funding from White River Valley Electric Cooperative, to support immediate rental assistance to prevent eviction in the Greene County area.
- Hickory County C.A.R.E.S.: $4,000 to support its food pantry in absence of thrift store income. The program is a nonprofit partner of the Hickory County Community Wellness Foundation.
- Lighthouse Child and Family Development Center: $3,500 for cleaning and other expenses needed while remaining open to provide childcare for essential workers in Springfield.
- Meadowview Baptist Church: $10,000, with half of the funding from Republic Community Foundation, to provide utility bill assistance for low-income residents in partnership with the Republic Ministerial Alliance.
- Osceola School District: $3,000 for supplemental food resources and hygiene supplies for children of all ages in the Osceola School District.
In addition, one new grant was awarded this week from the Pitt Technology Grant program to support technical assistance and access to Springfield-Greene County nonprofits. PTG will provide data cabling cleanup, labeling and additional cabling to Lutheran Family and Children’s Services in Springfield with services and equipment valued at $6,950.
The CFO encourages all who are able to consider donating to a nonprofit in need or the CFO’s COVID-19 fund. Gifts can be made at cfozarks.org/donate. The CFO is covering processing fees for gifts made by credit card through June 30, 2020.
Grant applications are accepted on a rolling basis with announcements anticipated weekly for the near future. The application process is open to nonprofits and IRS-equivalent organizations like faith and civic agencies. Other COVID-related grant programs are listed online. The CFO does not make grants directly to individuals.
