Community Foundation of the Ozarks

The CFO's Julie Leeth (third from left) presents a ceremonial check for $11,100 to members of the Nixa Education Foundation.

The Nixa Education Foundation received $11,100 with a recent ceremonial check presentation successfully completing the Harry Cooper Supply Company Campaign for the Ozarks to build long-term education funding through philanthropy.

The Foundation raised $21,930 to receive the matching funds through the Cooper Phase II Challenge for members of the CFO’s Rural Schools Partnership during 2010. The total of $33,030 is designated for the Foundation’s Legacy Fund, which preserves and invests a core amount to create an annual distribution of funds to help stabilize the district’s revenue.

Nixa was among 26 southern Missouri rural schools to participate in the year-long challenge grant opportunity, which raised nearly $1 million from generous donors and the Harry Cooper Supply Company to build long-term sustainability for these districts. The other districts are: Alton, Aurora, Ava, Bolivar, Bradleyville, Cassville, Dallas County, Dora, Eminence, Fair Grove, Fairview, Gainesville, Hermann, Hollister, Houston, Lockwood, Logan-Rogersville, Monett, Reeds Spring, Seymour, Valle, Warsaw, Weaubleau, West Plains and Willard.

The Nixa Education Foundation held a number of activities to raise the funds for the matching-grant opportunity. Foundation President Becky Sawyer said the group had a $100 for 100 campaign for Nixa alumni involved while faculty and staff contribute through payroll deductions. She said students and parents made donations to honor people special to them, and students also created and sold Christmas cards to raise money.

“There’s no way we could have done it without the support of the entire community – faculty staff, students and alumni, and businesses,” Sawyer said. “Everyone had a piece in this and we want to thank everyone. It was truly a combined effort of many.

“We also appreciate the Harry Cooper Company and thank them for this opportunity,” she said. “If it had not been for making this grant available to us, I’m certain we would have $30,000 less in our endowment fund.”

The CFO’s Arts Programming Sustainability Initiative awarded $1,500 grants for projects to encourage audience development and sustainable funding sources for Springfield-Greene County arts and cultural institutions.

These two goals are identified as “emerging issues” in the Arts and Culture section of the 2009 Community Focus Report for Springfield and Greene County.

The grants were awarded to:

• First Friday Art Walk: Development of a three-year plant to sustain and continue growth for the monthly event though directed marketing and increased business collaboration.

• Missouri Film Alliance and Moxie Cinema: Development of a monthly film series to promote the work of local filmmakers through a collaborative business partnership and new marketing strategies.

• SRO Lyric Theatre: Development of survey instruments and marketing materials for the organization’s new branding effort to increase exposure for new audiences of different age, socio-economic and experience levels with lyric theater.

• Springfield Arts Collaborative Endowment: Development of marketing materials for the newly established collaborative arts-endowment campaign.

• Springfield Little Theatre: Increase use of video-marketing strategies both within the theatre and as outside marketing efforts through traditional media sources.

• Urban Districts Alliance: Addition of multicultural performances for “First Night Springfield” to better represent the broadening cultural diversity of our region.

These $1,500 grants are the maximum awards under this year’s Metropolitan Springfield Arts and Culture grants cycle, which included a total of $15,000. Additional applications will be considered as long   as funding is available. For more information, visit: http://www.cfozarks.org/cfo-grantmaking-programs/arts/.

Care to Learn Founder Doug Pitt will be honored on Dec. 9 as the 2010 Humanitarian for his creation of a program to provide basic needs for schoolchildren and his other projects to help people in need in the Ozarks and around the world.

Tickets are still available for the noon luncheon at the Doubletree Hotel, 2431 N. Glenstone Ave., in Springfield. For ticket information, contact Randy Russell at the CFO at (417) 864-6199.

The annual Humanitarian Award was established 21 years ago by longtime Community Foundation of the Ozarks supporter Jewell Thompson Schweitzer to honor individuals in our region who place service to others as the primary motivating force in their lives. The Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce organizes a committee to review nominations and select the annual recipient. The winner receives a $3,000 cash award, which he or she has the option to donate to charity.

In addition to his work on Care to Learn, Pitt is being honored for his role as a goodwill ambassador to Tanzania and his support for construction of wells for clean drinking water in Africa as well as his role as co-chair of the Homelessness Task Force in Springfield. The co-owner of ServiceWorld Computer Center in Springfield, Pitt also is a member and/or philanthropic supporter of the Rotary Club of Springfield-Southeast; the James River Assembly of God; the Springfield Public Schools Foundation; Relay for Life; Worldserve International; the Ozarks Honor Flight; and the Council of Churches of the Ozarks.