The Community Foundation of the Ozarks is committing $1 million in charitable funding to its COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund to support nonprofit agencies affected by the coronavirus outbreak.
This assistance is targeted for nonprofits working to support vulnerable citizens across the CFO’s 58-county service region of central and southern Missouri. As “second responders” in disaster circumstances, nonprofits are called upon to provide services such as childcare, needs of seniors and other high-risk individuals, food insecurity, transportation and physical and mental wellbeing.
The initial funding for this commitment is provided by the CFO, Missouri Foundation for Health and the Louis L. and Julia Dorothy Coover Charitable Foundation managed by Commerce Trust Company.
MFH is extending a multiyear partnership with the CFO by providing $300,000 in funding for COVID-19 response and recovery. The CFO also has had a long-standing partnership with the Coover Charitable Foundation, which will repurpose about $350,000 in annual grant funds to the CFO to focus on COVID-19 related issues. The CFO also will repurpose the majority of its FY21 discretionary grantmaking budget for this fund.
The CFO will announce an accelerated grantmaking process within several days. Information will be posted at cfozarks.org/COVID19 and distributed via traditional and social media channels.
The COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund continues to accept donations from the general public at cfozarks.org/donate. Checks can be sent to: Community Foundation of the Ozarks, P.O. Box 8960, Springfield, MO, 65801. Please note “COVID-19” on the check.
The CFO is cited in Springfield-Greene County’s long-term disaster recovery plan as the lead charitable foundation to coordinate the philanthropic response to a community emergency. The CFO will convene area grantmakers to coordinate additional funding opportunities either through the CFO’s COVID-19 fund or by reducing duplication of effort among philanthropic funders.
The impact occurring for nonprofits across the region holds many similarities to the CFO’s experience in providing disaster response and recovery through philanthropy since 2003.
“We already are seeing how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the work our nonprofits do to fill gaps and support community needs,” CFO President Brian Fogle said. “We are so grateful to our funding partners for their quick assessment in making funds available and their confidence in the CFO to get this money working for the nonprofits in our region.”
The CFO grants to 501(c)3 and equivalent nonprofits such as faith and civic entities, which in turn provide services to their constituents. Under IRS rules, the CFO does not make grants directly to individuals.
The Community Foundation of the Ozarks is a regional public charitable foundation established in 1973 that provides asset and resource development, grantmaking and public leadership through a network of donors, 49 affiliate foundations and some 600 nonprofit partners across central and southern Missouri.
