Community Foundation of the Ozarks

The Ozark High School Youth Empowerment Project was presented with a $2,500 prize on Monday, March 8th for creating a winning video in the Community Foundation of the Ozarks’ 60 Second Challenge video competition. The winning video, titled, “Someday We’ll All Be Philanthropists”, is student-created and developed piece which provides a 60 second synopsis of the work of the Ozark High School Youth Empowerment Project (YEPO). YEPO is a youth-driven component of the Finley River Community Foundation, an affiliate of the Community Foundation of the Ozarks.

Students at schools which are part of the Rural Schools Partnership were given an opportunity to create a 60 second web video. These videos speak of a challenge, project, or group in their school. Students were encouraged to be as concrete or as abstract as they liked. CFO received excellent submissions from throughout the Missouri Ozarks, and student members of the Springfield Youth Empowerment Project selected first, second, and three third place winners to receive monetary prizes to continue their good work.

To see all the challenge winners and to watch the videos, visit our website here:

60 Second Challenge

Picture: YEPO students and sponsors receive the $2,500 grant from CFO in a ceremony held March 8th at the Ozark High School auditorium.

Congratulations to the Greater Seymour Area Foundation for recently awarding more than $3,000 in grants to the Seymour area during their community grant round.  The grants presented at the February 23^rd event were as follows:

Ozarks Family YMCA – Seymour Branch, $399
Seymour Head Start, $692
Friends of the Library, $500
American Legion Auxiliary Unit 306, $130
Accelerated Reader Program, $500
Seymour Senior Citizens Center, $500
Regional Outreach Christian Center, $300

Congratulations to the GSAF for their continued work in the Seymour region! To view more information on GSAF, please visit their webpage, here.

PHOTO: GSAF President Janice Blankenship addresses board members and grant recipients at the event.

Nixa Community Foundation recently awarded more than $36,000 in grants through its unrestricted, community grantmaking program. Grants were given at the Nixa Community Foundation annual banquet held on February 18, 2010.

Nixa Community Foundation was CFO’s first affiliate community foundation  with its establishment in 1993. Since then, Nixa Community Foundation has granted more than $625,000 to worthwhile programs and organizations serving the citizens of Nixa.

CAPTION: Grantees who received grant checks at the banquet pose for a group picture.