The Community Foundation of the Ozarks is committing $1 million in charitable funding to its COVID-19 Response and Recov
Date: March 20, 2020
Subject: CFO announces $1 million response for COVID-19
Contact: Louise Knauer, CFO, lknauer@cfozarks.org
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.
Community
Foundation of the Ozarks
425 E. Trafficway
Springfield, MO,
65806
(417) 864-6199
Fax (417) 864-8344
www.cfozarks.org
