Community Foundation of the Ozarks

Springfield public radio station KSMU’s bi-monthly “Making a Difference” segment focused on the history of the CFO as we celebrate our 40th anniversary today.

Reporter Mike Smith interviewed one of the CFO’s founders, Springfield attorney Fred Hall, along with Chief Financial Officer Susanne Gray and President Brian Fogle. Hall was among the 11 members of the Greene County Estate Planning Council who incorporated the CFO on June 18, 1973 to create a public charitable foundation. Since then, of course, it became the Community Foundation of the Ozarks and now includes 44 affiliate foundations across central and southern Missouri.

The Board of Directors and the CFO staff want to express our gratitude and appreciation to not only those 11 founders, but to all of our donors, partners, and professional advisors who understand and support the concept of a community foundation as a vehicle for private philanthropic dollars to improve the quality of life across our region.

The CFO welcomed partners, supporters and community members to an open house Thursday to celebrate our 40th anniversary.

Mayor Bob Stephens offered a proclamation that included declaring Tuesday, June 18, as “Community Foundation of the Ozarks Day” in Springfield to mark the actual date of the CFO’s founding in 1973. During his remarks, he noted that the day had been one of his best ever as mayor because he also attended the annual Gift of Time volunteer awards luncheon. Between the generosity citizens express through their gifts of time and charitable dollars, Springfield is a very fortunate place to benefit from both, he said.

The open house event also included recognition of the newly landscaped Fanny Baldwin Garden adjacent to the CFO on the Jordan Creek Greenway. The family of Mrs. Baldwin established a fund at the CFO to support a garden honoring “Posey,” as she was known, who was a familiar sight in downtown Springfield in the early 1900s as one of our first urban gardeners. The CFO partners with the Springfield-Greene County Park Department, which planted and re-landscaped the space. CFO Board Chair Jill Reynolds says the garden exemplifies the best spirit of community foundation philanthropy in creating amenities, as well as addressing more serious social issues.

CFO President Brian Fogle likened the building of the CFO over 40 years to the history of building cathedrals, which may take 200 years to build. The cathedral builders understood that they may never see their vision fully realized; likewise, donors who choose to leave planned gifts to benefit their communities understand that they may never see the outcome, but their legacy will survive.

For more information about the CFO’s 40th anniversary, click here.

Every Friday (or almost every Friday) we share the news of new groups and individuals choosing to make philanthropic gifts and investments in their community. You can read more about types of funds available at CFO here. Click here for a full list of non-profit Agency Partners. For more information on fund types and how to get involved, contact Winter Skelton at wskelton@cfozarks.org.

Cephas M. and Annie W. Close Trust Fund – C. Major Close and Ruth Ann Pennell established this donor advised fund to continue their family’s legacy and will, in part, help fund the Friends of the Garden for Close Memorial Park expenses.

Kids’ Harbor, Inc. Fund – This fund will assist this child advocacy center that serves the Lake of the Ozarks area, Fort Leonard Wood and surrounding areas. This is a component fund of the Community Foundation of the Lake, and is a new Agency Parther in the social services category.