Community Foundation of the Ozarks

Michelle Ducre, executive director of the Community Foundation of Southwest Missouri, Inc., has announced that her organization has received a $625,000 bequest from the late Guthrie Gilmore. The Guthrie Gilmore Fund will benefit three charities that were important to Mr. Gilmore: the First Presbyterian Church of Carthage, American Red Cross, and First United Methodist Church of Carthage. Mr. Gilmore and his wife, Harriet, were members of First Presbyterian Church, where Guthrie served as a deacon. Mr. Gilmore was a veteran of World War II, where he served as a First Sergeant in the U.S. Army. After returning home from the war, Mr. Gilmore worked as a farmer until his retirement.

Carthage attorney Kevin Checkett provided professional assistance to Mr. Gilmore’s planned giving document, and additional support was provided by Doug Crandall of Southwest Missouri Bank Trust. This is the third bequest gift received by the Community Foundation of Southwest Missouri, Inc. during the past six months.

The Community Foundation of Southwest Missouri, Inc. was established in 1999. It serves Barton, Jasper, McDonald, and Newton counties. The foundation currently has 60 different funds and distributed $640,356 in charitable grants during the past fiscal year. It’s total charitable assets are approximately $5.5 million.

The Community Foundation of Southwest Missouri, Inc. has been a regional leader in promoting charitable planned giving. In fact, in its relatively short history, the foundation already has garnered 8 Legacy Funds via bequest, which combine for more than $950,000 in philanthropic funding. This movement is supported by a strong local Legacy Society, which currently has 11 members. Legacy Societies recognize individuals and families who have made charitable planned giving commitments and provide momentum for local philanthropy efforts. Lori Smith is the Community Foundation of Southwest Missouri, Inc.’s board chair.

The Community Foundation of the Ozarks is proud to support the work of the Community Foundation of Southwest Missouri, Inc. For more information contact Michelle Ducre, 417-359-5534.

In February, the Louis and Dorothy Coover Foundation, a partnership between CFO and Commerce Bank, awarded more than $267,000 to 13 nonprofit agencies serving the people of the Ozarks. Agencies across the Ozarks are familiar with the impact of the grantmaking program, but what is often left out of the newspaper articles is that these grants would not have been possible without Louis and Dorothy Coover’s decision to make a planned gift that established this foundation upon their passing.

Dorothy worked at Commerce Bank for more than 30 years, and always found time to work on behalf of the needy, on top of her career. A member of St. John’s Episcopal Church, it was there that she met her husband Louis L. Coover. After a long courtship, they were married until his death in 1970. The couple had no children, and through their estate plan they left a generous portion of their assets to serve the needs of the community.

In 2003, CFO and Commerce Trust Company partnered to expand the impact of grantmaking within the region. Since then, the Louis and Dorothy Coover Regional Grantmaking Program has awarded more than $2 million in support of worthy projects that directly impact the quality of life in the Ozarks. The most recent Coover awards focused directly on thoughtful solutions to conditions associated with rural poverty.

The Louis and Dorothy Coover grantmaking program will continue to be essential to efforts to address the challenges facing our communities. It’s an ongoing effort that’s possible because of a very personal decision made by the Coovers long ago to give something back.

• For more information about the Louis and Dorothy Coover Regional Grantmaking Program, visit the grantmaking section of our website.
• For more information about planned giving, visit the planned giving section of our website.

CFO is pleased to announce the recent addition of new Legacy Society members. The Legacy Society is comprised of donors who have made a planned gift to the Community Foundation of the Ozarks or one of its affiliates. The Legacy Society was created to recognize and thank donors in their lifetimes and to offer the opportunity to introduce ourselves and learn more about the donor’s philanthropic wishes.

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.