It’s a two-part answer, and it depends on your intent as a donor.

If you are interested in donating to the relief effort, for immediate needs and expenses, your best bet is to donate to a reputable agency with expertise in these areas, like Convoy of Hope or the American Red Cross.

However, for intermediate and long-term recovery needs, consider the Oklahoma City Community Foundation’s Tornado Recovery and Community Emergency Fund. The fund was opened by the OCCF in 1999 following another tornado, and is designed to help with longer-term needs that will include rebuilding homes and schools, city infrastructure repairs and other problems that will remain long after immediate-relief agencies have left town.

As CFO and the Ozarks learned with the 2012 Branson, 2011 Joplin, and 2003 Stockton tornadoes (as well as with other disasters), long-term funds are necessary to help a city rebuild and recover, a process that will take years.

If you do wish to give to the initial relief effort, please do not collect items like clothes, cleaning supplies or even food and water; the agencies on the ground in Moore, like the ones listed above, will best know what is needed and how to obtain and manage it in the days and weeks to come.

Bearcat Alumni Scholarship Fund -The Gasconade County R-1 Alumni Association has established this revocable endowment to fund scholarships for the school district. It is a component of the Community Foundation of the Hermann Area.

Children’s Backpack Fund – This fund will support the efforts of the backpack food program through the Herman Food Pantry. This is a new Agency Partner in the social services category and is a component fund of the Community Foundation of the Hermann Area.

Children’s Emergency Fund – This fund will support emergency needs of children in the school district. This is a component of the Community Foundation of the Hermann Area.

Homer Fahrner Alumni Scholarship Fund – The Gasconade County R-1 School District established this fund, which will distribute to the school district. This is a component of the Community Foundation of the Hermann Area.

Hermann Food Pantry Fund – This fund will distribute back to the Hermann Community Food Pantry. It is a new Agency Partner in the human services category and a component of the Community Foundation of the Hermann Area.

Larussa Trust Endowment Fund – This fund will support the Friends of the Garden.

Sensory Garden Fund – The Friends of the Garden established this organizational capacity fund.

Coach Bill Sharp Scholarship Fund – The Richards R-V Foundation established this fund to honor the coach. This is a component of the Community Foundation of West Plains, Inc.

SSC Home Field Advantage Fund – The Springfield Soccer Club will use this fund to assist with their capital campaign. This is a new Agency Partner in the community development category.

Violet Chapter 480 OES Fund – The Stockton Public Schools Foundation and the Stockton School District established this fund for scholarships. It will distribute back to the school district. This is a component of the Stockton CF.

Students from four south-central Missouri schools attended a kickoff for the third class of the South-Central Student Leadership Initiative, designed to develop skills to create future community leaders for the Ozarks region.

Six additional south-central Ozarks schools will participate in this pilot project of the Rural Schools Partnership, an initiative of the Community Foundation of the Ozarks. Sigler is beginning his second year of the two-year program, while Collins is beginning her first.

Students from Alton, Bakersfield, Dora and West Plains attended this year’s kickoff event on Friday, May 10 at Shannon Hall, Missouri State University – West Plains’ Mountain Grove satelitte location. Missouri State University-West Plains is a partner on the SCSLI, along with the RSP, the MSU Rural Education Center and the Thomasville Place-Based Learning Collective.

The students were welcomed by CFO’s south-central region staff associate, Carol Silvey, based in West Plains. The students will have opportunities to learn from both adults and peers through activities that emphasize the RSP’s mission of place-based education that connects rural schools and their communities.

Two speakers, both from the medical field, shared thoughts and advice with the students, who also had time to get to know one another during the morning event.

First, Jeanne Looper, Chief Operating Officer for Ozarks Medical Center in West Plains, talked about her rise to the C-suite of medical administration and the traits someone might need to rise to a position of leadership. The former secretary for Sam Walton, who as a single mother returned to school in her late 20s to become a nurse, told the students that they should always be willing and ready to take on a task, and also to value where they come from.

“Think of ways you can be helpful and make an impact,” said Looper, who rose through the nursing ranks and into administration. It’s not the place she thought she’d wind up, but she knows she’s still making a difference. “Every time I hire a physician, I know I’m making a huge difference for the people of this area.”

Over lunch, Mountain Grove-based physician Dr. David Barbe spoke to the students. Barbe who opened his own clinic in Mountain Grove in the 1980s, eventually affiliating 1997 with St. John’s (now Mercy), will begin a year as President of the Board of the American Medical Association on June 1. Barbe is also the board chair for the Mountain Grove Area Community Foundation.

Like Looper, Barbe urged students, above all, to be present and engaged in their lives and activities, embrace and share their talents, and be ready to step through a door when it is opened for them. “A lot of life is just showing up,” Barbe said.

The next session for these students is planned for October.

Christian Action Ministries Endowment Fund – This endowment was established to assist the CAM organization with its mission. This is a new Agency Partner in the faith category and a component fund of the Community Foundation of Taney County.

Reynolds Family Fund – Brad and Jill Reynolds established this family and community fund to assist with their family’s charitable giving.

Waynesville Career Center Fund – This fund will assist the Career Center’s programs. This is an addional Agency Partner fund in the education category through the Waynesville R-VI School District Foundation.

On Thursday, May 2, the Rural Schools Partnership and the Community Foundation of the Ozarks invited educators, administrators and students to Thomasville, Mo. for the fourth consecutive year to celebrate rural schools and those who continue to help them thrive.

The keynote speaker was Dr. Arthur Mallory, a longtime state education official and rural schools advocate. Like  many educators, Dr. Mallory is a noted storyteller, and he didn’t disappoint. Among the anecdotes he shared with the gathered teachers (and future teachers) were memories negotiating rural Dallas County school politics with his father, D.A. Mallory, who was recognized on two occasions in Time magazine for his work in the area. Dr. Mallory was presented with a copy of one of those magazines, as well as an

eight-page article about the Mallorys by former CFO President Dr. Gary Funk that was specially printed for this year’s Rural Schools Rendezvous.

The afternoon agenda featured Springfield educators Dr. Judy Brunner and Dr. Karen Scott, who spoke primarily to the members of the Ozarks Teacher Corps. They presented best practices for everything from classroom management to safety in a crisis situation, drawing on their extensive classroom and administrative experience to help prepare the OTC’s crop of teachers-to-be for their looming jobs in the classroom. The 2013 class of the Ozarks Teacher Corps was also introduced; look for photos on this site later this week.

Finally, the Rural Schools Partnership awarded $70,000 to six organizations as part of the 2013 Coover Place-Based Education grant round, a partnership with the Louis L. and Julia Dorothy Coover Charitable Foundation Regional Grantmaking Program of The Commerce Trust Company.

This year’s recipients are:

• Aurora Youth Empowerment Project: $2,500 to expand on programs and partnerships to help fight the growing poverty problem in Aurora and Lawrence County.

• Clinton Christian Academy: $9,162 to help fund Project Conserve, through which students take a hands-on role in environmental education and sustainability practices with the goal of being better environmental stewards.

• GLADE (Green Leadership Academy for Diverse Ecosystems) and Logan-Rogersville R-II Schools: $9,250 to expand their mission to bring effective environmental education strategies to area schools and train teachers to recruit and mentor GLADE students for community conservation activities.

• Placeworks Arts Initiative: $30,000 to expand into more schools and offer new programming — including, for the first time this fall, musical and theater arts projects — to teachers across southwest Missouri.

• Reeds Spring R-IV School Foundation: $9,695 to expand the district’s In-Vessel Food Waste Composting Program.

• Willard R-II School District: $9,393 for technology and transportation costs associated with natural resource studies and expanding the school’s 21^st Century School initiative.

The recipients of this year's Senior Issues grants at the April 8 award ceremony.

This morning’s “Making a Difference” segment on Springfield’s public radio station KSMU featured the partnership between the CFO and the Greene County Senior Services’  Tax Fund Board.

On April 8, the Senior Board and the CFO awarded more than $80,000 in grants to improve the quality of life for Greene County seniors. It’s the second year of this partnership, which leverages public and private dollars to reduce duplication of effort or services.

Reporter Mike Smith talked to several of the grant recipients about the important services they provide to help senior citizens stay in their homes as long as possible, which was the highest priority among seniors surveyed after voters approved the property-tax increase several years ago. The CFO’s funding comes from field-of-interest funds where donors specified support for senior citizens.

Click here to hear the full story.

Care to Learn – Union Star Fund – This fund will assist with emergency health, hunger and hygiene needs of children in the Union Star School District.

Children’s Smile Center Fund: Aurora – This fund will support Children’s Smile Center as it expands services and adds a location in Aurora, Mo. This is a component fund of the Aurora Area Community Foundation.

Consumer Credit Counseling of Springfield, Missouri, Inc. Fund – This fund will support the mission of providing credit counseling.

Megan Cramer Memorial Fund – This family and community fund will allow Megan’s parents, Carter and Genny, and her sister, Stephanie, to honor her memory and legacy.

Courtney Lee Gant Anti-Bullying Memorial Scholarship Fund – Phil and Lisa Gardner established this scholarship fund to honor Courtney. It will award to a Stockton student pursuing a degree in the Fine Arts area. This is a component fund of the Stockton Community Foundation

Calton Green Athletics Fund – The Conway School Foundation established this fund.

Healthy Nevada Fund – This fund will assist Healthy Nevada as it works to cut costs and improve quality and access for rural healthcare.

RD & Marjorie Hjelmeng Family Fund – This family and community fund was established by Marjorie Hjelmeng and her daughter, Connie Johnson, in celebration of Mrs. Hjelmeng’s 95^th birthday. This is a component fund of the Marshfield Area Community Foundation.

Kids Matter Fund– This fund established by the Eldon Area Community Betterment Association will help address the needs of children in Miller County. This is a component of the Eldon Community Foundation.

Kirbyville R-VI School Foundation Capacity Fund – This fund will support the project and programs of the Kirbyville School District. This is a fund of the Community Foundation of Taney County.

Kirbyville R-VI School Foundation Endowment Fund – This endowment will support the long term needs of the Kirbyville school district. This is a component of the Community Foundation of Taney County.

Lawrence County Historical Society, Inc. Adamson Cabin Fund – This fund will support the continued restoration and maintenance of the Adamson Cabin. This is a component fund of the Mt. Vernon Area Community Foundation.

Peoples Savings Bank Scholarship Fund– This fund established by Peoples Savings Bank of Hermann will distribute to Gasconade County R-1 Schools, Montgomery County R-2 Schools, New Haven Schools and Francis Howell High School. This is a component fund of the Community Foundation of the Hermann Area.

Rails to Trails Fund – Eldon Area Community Betterment Association established this organizational capacity fund to assist with trail renovation and maintenance. This is component of the Eldon Community Foundation.

Rebuild Joplin Fund – Thisfund will assist Rebuild Joplin as it provides long-term recovery and rebuilding systems, mainly through residential housing. This is a component fund of Community Foundation of Southwest Missouri.

The Glenstone Square Big Idea Program is a grant of office space as well as funding. The selected agency will receive the use of a 1,000-square-foot office unit in the Glenstone Square Office Complex, on South Glenstone Avenue just north of Sunshine Street in Springfield, including utilities and some furniture. One organization will receive this one-year grant to begin July 1, 2013. The opportunity is open to all nonprofit agency partners of the CFO.

The grant is valued at $20,000 ($16,000 in in-kind donations of office, utilities and furniture) plus a $4,000 unrestricted grant for operations or innovations associated with the project.

An application for the Glenstone Square Big Idea Program is available online by clicking here.

Contact Bridget Dierks, Director of Nonprofit Services, at (417) 864-6199 with questions about the program. Applications are due on June 1, 2013. The recipient of the grant may move in on July 1, 2013.

The fund makes the foundation an official member of the Rural Schools Partnership, and eligible for grants and programs from that program, an initiative of the Community Foundation of the Ozarks.

The Neosho Area Community Foundation was established in 2011 and currently oversees more than $96,000 in assets.

Read on for a full press release from the NACF, and how you can donate to the 1842 Fund.

Pictured: Members of the Neosho Area Community Foundation (NACF) and the Neosho R-V Charitable Foundation welcomed the incoming Neosho R-5 Superintendent Dan Decker at the school’€™s administration building. The R-V Charitable Foundation created and endowment fund to be held by the NACF. According to information provided, by establishing an endowment with the NACF the Neosho R-V will be eligible to qualify for grants and scholarships through the Community Foundation of the Ozarks.

From the Neosho Area Community Foundation

The Board of Directors of the Neosho Area Community Foundation is pleased to announce the establishment of the 1842 Fund.  This fund was established by the Neosho R-V Charitable Foundation to support educational programming and activities in the Neosho schools.

School district patrons and alumni can support the 1842 Fund and by so doing receive a charitable deduction for their donation. The establishment of the 1842 Fund also makes the Neosho R-V School District a member of the Rural Schools Partnership, a program of the Community Foundation of the Ozarks which promotes resource development for local schools, collaboration between school and community and place-based grant opportunities for the 114 southwest Missouri schools participating. The Neosho Area Community Foundation is an affiliate of the Community Foundation of the Ozarks a public charitable foundation with 501c3 status. Those wishing to donate to the 1842 Fund or any of the other funds that are component funds of the Neosho Area CF can do so by writing a check to the Neosho Area Community Foundation and indicating the fund name in the memo line, or donate online at www.cfozarks.org/donate (be sure to indicate the 1842 Fund in the “Fund/Program” field).

Michael Chatman (left) and SBJ Editor Eric Olson

Michael Chatman, CFO Senior Vice-President of Philanthropy and Regional Affiliate Partnerships, was this morning’s guest at the Springfield Business Journal’s monthly “12 People You Need to Know” breakfast at the Hilton Garden Inn. The series, an editorial initiative of the paper to bring the people and stories they write to life for an audience of professionals, features editor Eric Olson in a one-on-one conversation with a Springfield-area newsmaker.

Questions for Chatman, who joined CFO in Spring 2012 after several years in southern Florida and 15 years working for Anheuser-Busch’s philanthropic department, touched on:

CFO’s specialized role in Ozarks philanthropy: “Our secret sauce is really in our thought leadership. We know the community, have knowledge, and can help donors vet charities that are having the greatest level of impact, and work with estate planning attorneys as well as financial advisers.”

Strategies for promoting corporate giving and philanthropy in the Ozarks: “Part of [corporate giving] is altruistic, but some of it is cause marketing. I think corporations should get something in return for sponsorships and giving … I would love to see the Community Foundation here play a major role in working with businesses in establishing corporate business funds and putting together corporate giving plans to make their giving more purposeful.”

His 225,000-strong Twitter audience and popular weekly giving Tweet-chat “Why I Give”: “‘Why I Give’ is a vision I had about two years ago to give donors and philanthropists and humanitarians an opportunity simply to share their giving story. It’s been beyond my wildest imagination to have people internationally … take a part in that. It’s taken on a life of its own.”

If you would like to read more about the SBJ conversation with Michael, or about the “12 People You Need to Know” series in general, go to sbj.net.