Mrs. Fuqua-Mathiesen and Mr. Mathiesen have also made a planned gift that will leave a bequest to the Chad A. Fuqua Memorial Fund ensuring that the Hollister parks will remain an important part of the city. This planned gift recognizes Mrs. Fuqua-Mathiesen and Mr. Mathiesen as members of the Legacy Society.

In August 2008, at the age of 40, Chad Fuqua was struck and  killed while riding his motorcycle by an alleged drunk driver.   Prior to his untimely death, Fuqua served as Director of Parks and Recreation for the City of Hollister for ten years.   Alderman and Park Board Member, Scott McCaulley, stated, “ I can’t think of a major event we have had in Hollister that didn’t have Chad’s mark on it.” City aldermen voted in September 2008 to re-name the Town Hall Square Park to the Chad A. Fuqua Memorial Park to honor his service to the community.

The Taney County Community Foundation is an affiliate of the Community Foundation of the Ozarks. It is comprised of 37 funds with assets totaling approximately $2.8 million. In fiscal year 2009, the Taney County Community Foundation granted more than $125,000 back to the community. Please click here to learn more about the Taney County Community Foundation.

Legacy Society membership is a tangible step toward building charitable assets for the future and sustaining the organizations that serve our communities and neighbors.

CFO’s board of directors understands the importance of planned giving. Because of this, garnering 25 new Legacy Society members in this fiscal year is an annual goal.

For more information on how to give back to your community, please visit this link.  To view a complete list of Legacy Society members, please click here.

Leaving a bequest is a wonderful way to support the organizations you love after you pass on, and CFO can assist these plans. Henrietta Hedge was a retired schoolteacher with a passion for volunteerism and a heart filled with generosity. She loved her church, the First United Methodist Church of Carthage, and upon her passing left $100,000 in an endowment to be held with the Community Foundation of Southwest Missouri, Inc. to support the organization. Now the First United Methodist Church of Carthage will always remember Ms. Hedge for her thoughtful long-term support of their congregation.

Thoughtful planned giving has played a significant role in the growth of the Community Foundation of Southwest Missouri, providing new life to our towns, schools, and the non-profits we serve. A planned gift is simply a legacy to a charitable entity made through a deferred/intentional gift that keeps resources here, working for the benefit of organizations that serve our community. To learn more about planned giving and how you can give something back to your community, visit the planned giving section of our website.

For more information on becoming a Legacy Society member and leaving a planned charitable gift, please contact one of our offices in Springfield, Carthage or West Plains.

Nita Jane Ayres, Kimberling City, MO (Table Rock Lake Community Foundation)
Paul O. Barker, Springfield, MO (Community Foundation of the Ozarks)
David & Susan Belcher, Little Rock, AR (Community Foundation of the Ozarks)
John & Barbara Brockschmidt, Springfield, MO (Community Foundation of the Ozarks)
William & Sylvia Cornette, Forsyth, MO (Taney County Community Foundation)
Bridget & Andy Dierks, Springfield, MO (Houston Community Foundation)
Brian & Renee Fogle, Springfield, MO (Aurora Area Community Foundation)
JW and Kirsten Gibbs, Springfield, MO (Community Foundation of the Ozarks)
Mildred & Leona Hoffman, Ste. Genevieve, MO (Valle Schools)
Mimi Kauffman, Springfield, MO (Community Foundation of the Ozarks)
Paul & Charlene Koch, Springfield, MO (Community Foundation of the Ozarks)
Margo Murray, Oakland, CA (Ozark County Community Foundation)
John Nixon, Ozark, MO (Finley River Community Foundation)
Jill & Brad Reynolds, Springfield, MO (Community Foundation of the Ozarks)
Richard & Carol Silvey, West Plains, MO (Community Foundation of West Plains)
Winter Skelton, Springfield, MO (Mount Vernon Area Community Foundation)
JC Smith, Clinton, MO (Truman Lake Community Foundation)
Doug Thornsberry, Springfield, MO (Community Foundation of the Ozarks)
Price Baker Walden, Bolivar, MO (Bolivar Area Community Foundation)

The Foundation’s board of directors has challenged the organization to enlist at least one new Legacy Society member from each affiliate and 20 new members from metropolitan Springfield during this fiscal year. Through thoughtful planned giving, we strengthen community grantmaking, support sustainability of the foundations serving our neighbors and keep vital community capital in the Ozarks region. We hope that you’ll consider making a planned gift to the Foundation or your favorite charity. Please remember that the Community Foundation of the Ozarks staff stands ready to assist you in this effort.

To learn more about the Legacy Society, you can watch a short video featuring CFO’s honorary Legacy Society Ambassadors discussing what inspired them to give something back to their community and even some helpful dialog about how to make a charitable planned gift.