Community Foundation of the Ozarks

Nixa Community Foundation recently awarded more than $36,000 in grants through its unrestricted, community grantmaking program. Grants were given at the Nixa Community Foundation annual banquet held on February 18, 2010.

Nixa Community Foundation was CFO’s first affiliate community foundation  with its establishment in 1993. Since then, Nixa Community Foundation has granted more than $625,000 to worthwhile programs and organizations serving the citizens of Nixa.

CAPTION: Grantees who received grant checks at the banquet pose for a group picture.

Convoy of Hope has joined the Community Foundation of the Ozarks’ Agency Partner program by establishing the Convoy of Hope Haiti Relief Fund. This fund was established to encourage communities throughout the Missouri Ozarks to participate in relief efforts by utilizing the network of CFO’s 41 affiliate community foundations.

“We know there are many local and national efforts for Haiti relief efforts,” stated Gary Funk, president of CFO.  “We see this as an additional option to help facilitate the relief efforts provided by Convoy of Hope, and we hope our established relationships in the Ozarks will promote giving to the critical services they provide for relief and recovery. We have partnerships with more than 320 non-profits in the Ozarks, and welcome this great new relationship with Convoy in a time of need.”

Part of the Haiti relief effort is “Kits 4 Kids” which asks individuals, families and groups to assemble hygiene kits for children in Haiti. The Missouri Department of Education has encouraged schools across the state to participate with a goal of 100,000 completed kits. The kits include shampoo, soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, hand towel and comb.

For more information on Convoy of Hope, Kits 4 Kids and the continued Haiti relief effort, please visit http://www.convoyofhope.org/.

The Stockton Community Foundation announces the creation of three new charitable funds.  Established by the Hammons Products Company, these funds will strengthen charitable support in the Stockton area.  The funds are:

• Hammons Products Company Fund – This corporate grantmaking fund will support Hammons Products Company’s charitable giving.

• Hammons Products Company Benevolence Fund - This field-of-interest fund will help with  emergency needs of company employees and local Stockton residents for such items as medical, transportation, food, clothing, housing, or other needs resulting from a sudden incident such as accident, fire, or tornado

• Stockton Community Leadership Development Fund - This field-of-interest endowment fund will support the development of leadership skills of Stockton citizens serving in community leadership positions, promoting networking, collaboration, and sharing of ideas.  This fund is set up now, ready to accept contributions and make grants once it reaches $10,000, and it will receive future funding support through a planned giving commitment.

Hammons Products Company President and C.E.O. Brian Hammons says the company is pleased to support the work of the Stockton Community Foundation through the establishment of these new funds.  “Thanks to the Community Foundation of the Ozarks, our local affiliate foundation has the opportunity to make a real long-term difference in the Stockton community.  We’ve seen some results of that already in recent years.  We plan to keep our black walnut business in Stockton, and I’m excited that we can work with the Foundation in supporting its vision to ‘Build upon our heritage and make tomorrow even better.’”

The number of partnerships between local businesses and communities is expanding throughout the region, according to Winter Skelton, development operations officer for the Community Foundation of the Ozarks.  “We see more and more businesses stepping up and creating charitable funds that make sense for their communities,” Skelton said, “and we truly appreciate the opportunity to partner with Hammons Products Company on these new funds.”

The Stockton Community Foundation was established in 2002, and includes 28 different funds with total charitable assets of approximately $620,000.  Since its inception, the Stockton Community Foundation has given more than $150,000 in charitable grants back to the community.  Ginger Hendrickson is the current president of the Stockton Community Foundation board of directors.

The Stockton Community Foundation is an affiliate of the Springfield-based Community Foundation of the Ozarks.  Started in 1973, CFO has 41 affiliates, 1,700 charitable funds, and total assets of nearly $145 million.  Last year, CFO made $15.7 million in charitable distributions.