Community Foundation of the Ozarks

The Community Foundation of the Ozarks and the Greene County Senior Citizens’ Services Tax Fund Board announced a new partnership that will create an $80,000 grant pool to fund projects or programs that will improve the health, nutrition and quality of life for Greene County residents ages 60 and above.

The grant cycle is open to agencies with 501(c)3 or equivalent non-profit status, such as faith-based or government organizations. Applications may be made for any amount up to the full amount of the grant pool. Grant applications will be considered each quarter with the first deadline at 5 p.m., Thursday, March 15, 2012. The grants will be awarded on Monday, March 26.

The Greene County Senior Services Fund Board was created after county voters in 2005 approved a levy of $0.05 per $100 of assessed valuation to provide services to residents aged 60 and over. The Tax Board is using $40,000 of its overall revenue to partner on this grant round. The CFO is matching those funds with $40,000 in private charitable dollars designated by donors for similar grantmaking goals for seniors.

The application form and instructions are available at: http://www.greenecountymo.org/senior_fund.

This grant cycle represents a new partnership between the two organizations. Preference will be given to proposals for innovative projects to improve the well-being of seniors in Greene County, said Denny Pilant, vice-chair of the Greene County Senior Citizens’ Services Tax Fund Board. The seven-member Tax Fund Board, which is appointed by the Greene County Commission, will consider the proposals each quarter as long as funding remains available.

In an effort to help more Joplin tornado survivors return to permanent homes, the Community Foundation of Southwest Missouri today opens applications for a $2.5 million grant cycle with a priority on affordable housing proposals.

The CFSWMO, an affiliate of the Community Foundation of the Ozarks, will give preference to proposals that will increase the availability of new or rehabilitated affordable housing located in Joplin or Duquesne.

The application form is available online at: www.formstack.com/forms/CFO-cfswmotornado. The application deadline is 5 p.m., Friday, Feb. 17, 2012. Applications for other proposals also will be accepted, with preference given to housing needs. The application process is open to 501(c)3 and other IRS-recognized non-profit and charitable groups, such as faith-based organizations.

This grant cycle is made possible by the generosity of donors to the Joplin Recovery Fund administered by the CFO and CFSWMO; the Lilly Endowment, Inc.; the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation; and a $500,000 grant awarded Wednesday evening by The Home Depot Foundation in conjunction with the re-opening of the Joplin store destroyed in the May 22, 2011 tornado.

“The survivors of the May tornado cannot continue their journey toward recovery if they are still living in government-provided trailers or doubling up with family or friends,” CFO President Brian Fogle said. “With thousands of homes destroyed on May 22, we recognize that affordable housing is one of the highest-priority needs and one where philanthropy can help address that particular gap in the housing market.”

This is the second grant cycle available for the Joplin Recovery Fund, which the CFO/CFSWMO opened on May 23 to accept donations for mid- to long-term recovery needs. Since then, $300,000 has been awarded to 18 non-profit agencies.

For more information about the Joplin Recovery Fund, and other funds established by private donors for Joplin’s relief and recovery efforts, visit: www.joplinrecoveryfund.org. Donations to the Joplin Recovery Fund can be made online at: www.cfozarks.org/donate; or by mail to: Community Foundation of the Ozarks, P.O. Box 8960, Springfield, MO, 65801.

Joplin residents celebrated another milestone on their journey toward recovery with a grand re-opening of the Home Depot store, one of the sites hardest hit on May 22 when the tornado claimed the lives of an employee and several customers and destroyed the store.

Just as the Atlanta-based retailer had resolved to rebuild its own store, it also reinforced its commitment to rebuilding Joplin with The Home Depot Foundation awarding a $500,000 grant to the Joplin Recovery Fund. That funding will be included in a new housing grant cycle to be announced Jan. 12  by the Community Foundation of Southwest Missouri, Inc., the CFO’s largest affiliate.

“On May 22, we had a disaster that struck this community and we are part of this community,” said Ann Marie Campbell, president of Home Depot’s Southern Division. “As leaders and managers, there is no script to deal with that size of disaster. It continues to be one of the toughest things we’ve had to deal with as a company.

“That’s why we’re here today because of the spirit of this community that says there is hope; there is resiliency,” she said.

CFSWMO board members and CFO staff associate Michelle Ducre accepted the ceremonial check for $500,000 before store manager Steve Cope led the “ribboncutting” – actually powersawing a long board functioning as a ribbon.

“Wow, a half million to our community along with the commitment to come back,” Ducre said, in thanking Home Depot.

With flourishes including cheerleaders, a drum corps, a Color Guard, Home Depot leaders treated customers a a drop of hundreds of balloons filled with slips of paper to redeem for gifts, cupcakes, and grand re-opening sales throughout the store.

But the tragedy won’t stay far from the minds of employees and customers; at the store’s front entrance is a fountain and a stone marker “in remembrance of the lives lost, and to a future of rebuilding in their memory.”