Community Foundation of the Ozarks

The Grantmakers’ Challenge for Children continues its final of a five-year effort to address the pressing challenges associated with children in poverty in Springfield.  To date, participating grantmakers and philanthropists have committed or granted $20,505,775.20  in local resources for local preventative solutions to targeted children’s issues. 

This program works to address the following:

• to marshal local charitable assets in a way that leverages resources and provides for measurable interventions that address community “red flags;”
• to heighten public awareness of the threats to many children and their lasting impact on our society at large; and
• to demonstrate to other potential donors in our community that they can make a difference by giving back to the community and investing in the future of our children.  The Challenge is an ongoing effort, additional donors and funding organizations are encouraged to participate.

To read more about this program and to see the full list of participants, visit our website here.

The Grantmakers’ Challenge for Children continues its final year of a five-year challenge.  At this time, more than $19.7 million from 34 different organizations and families has been granted or pledged to organizations which address children’s issues in Springfield and Greene County.

The challenge was created in 2006 as a direct response to the Community Focus Reports in 2004 and 2005, which stated that overcoming the pressing challenges related to the needs of our children would shape the future of Springfield and Greene County.  Red flag issues addressed in the reports suggested there were three main community needs with relation to children in the Springfield area:

• Education systems ill equipped to educate the growing numbers of impoverished children
• At risk children lacking appropriate health care
• Domestic instability and poverty in the home

The gifts listed in the Grantmakers Challenge for Children report that address the three red flags outlined in the 2004 Community Report Card are a testament to the positive community action which occurs in Springfield by thoughtful donors and organizations.

We look forward to continuing this final year of the Challenge.  To view the latest report (PDF format), please here.

The Grantmakers’ Challenge for Children begins its final year of a five-year challenge this fall.  This challenge was created as a direct response to the Community Focus Reports in 2004 and 2005, which stated that overcoming the pressing challenges related to the needs of our children would shape the future of Springfield and Greene County.  Red flag issues addressed in the Reports suggested there were three main community needs with relation to children in the Springfield area:  Education systems ill equipped to educate the growing numbers of impoverished children, at risk children lacking appropriate health care, and domestic instability and poverty in the home.

The Grantmakers’ Challenge is a collaboration of organizations and families in the Ozarks which works to address these community needs with targeted grantmaking.  At this time, nearly $17.1 million from 34 different organizations and families has been granted or pledged to organizations which address these problems.  These gifts, which address the three red flags outlined in the 2004 Community Report Card, are a testament to the positive community action which occurs in Springfield by thoughtful donors and organizations.

We look forward to this final year of the Challenge.  To learn more about the Challenge and its 34 partners, please click here…