A trusted resource for philanthropy serving the Hermann area.
Since our founding on June 6, 2005, the Community Foundation of the Hermann Area has distributed more than $3.6 million in grants to the community. We now hold assets totaling $4,463,520.98 as of June 30, 2024.
Geoff Neill, President
April 24, 2025 — Gary Heldt received a Board Member of Excellence Award in recognition for his outstanding contributions to the Community Foundation of the Hermann Area, an affiliate of the Community Foundation of the Ozarks.
Heldt was recognized for his ongoing commitment to the CFHA, where he has served as president and has helped with many of the funds opened within the Hermann affiliate. He also established the Erik R. Heldt Scholarship Fund in memory of his son, who gave his life for his country. The fund has distributed more than $300,000 to support the education of students in the Hermann area.
This award was part of the CFO’s annual recognition of affiliates and affiliate leaders, presented April 10 prior to the Rural Philanthropy Summit. The conference, cohosted by the CFO and Philanthropy Missouri, was held April 11 at the Lodge of the Four Seasons in Lake Ozark. For a full list of honorees and grant recipients, visit cfozarks.org/affiliates2025.
“We believe that place-based philanthropy can be transformative for a community, but it requires passionate leaders to make that transformation possible,” said Alice Wingo, vice president of affiliates for the CFO. “We are grateful that these forward-thinking leaders volunteer so much of their time and energy to improve the quality of life for everyone in their communities.”
July 17, 2024 — The Community Foundation of the Ozarks recently recognized the Community Foundation of the Hermann Area for its philanthropic leadership to the community. As one of the CFO’s Affiliates of the Year, the Community Foundation of the Hermann Area received a $5,000 award to supplement its annual grantmaking.
Selection for the award was based on growth in several categories, as well as examples of community leadership, collaboration and the promotion of planned giving. As of May 31, the CFH’s assets had grown 9% to more than $4 million in 71 charitable funds. From July 1, 2023, to May 31, grantmaking from those funds totaled more than $315,000 to address community needs and support causes important to donors.
“Every community needs champions who selflessly dedicate their time, talent and treasure to improve the lives of others,” said Alice Wingo, vice president of affiliates for the CFO. “As our regional affiliate network has grown over the last 31 years, these exceptional leaders provide great examples for others to follow.”
April 27, 2023 — During the Rural Philanthropy Summit on April 25, the Community Foundation of the Ozarks presented Tom Jacquin with a Board Member of Excellence Award. He serves as a board member for the Community Foundation of the Hermann Area.
Jacquin was recognized for his work in many charitable activities in Hermann. He serves as the auctioneer for the Blue & White Night, a role through which he was able to raise funds for scholarships to graduating seniors of Hermann High School. The program is a partnership between the Community Foundation of the Hermann Area and the Gasconade County R-1 School District in an effort to attract young people back to the Hermann community after graduation.
Jacquin was one of five board leaders honored within the CFO’s network of regional affiliate foundations. Five affiliate foundations were also recognized as Affiliates of the Year. Along with the recognition, affiliate foundations received a total of $23,000 to supplement their annual grantmaking to the communities they serve. The awards mark 30 years of the CFO’s Affiliate Foundation program, which began in 1993 with the establishment of the Nixa Community Foundation.
“For 30 years, our regional affiliate foundations have done so much to improve the quality of life in many communities across our wide service area,” said Alice Wingo, the CFO’s vice president of affiliates. “Foundation leaders like Jacquin work hard to build long-term, sustainable resources that will benefit all sectors of a community. With exemplary foundations and leaders like the ones honored today, these 53 towns, counties and regions have bright futures ahead.”
The awards capped off the Rural Philanthropy Summit, presented by the CFO and Philanthropy Missouri at the Oasis Convention Center. The event is believed to be the first statewide gathering of philanthropists and foundations focused on the development of rural communities.
April 27, 2022 — Ron Kraettli, vice president of the Community Foundation of the Hermann Area Inc. board of directors, received a Board Member Award of Excellence from the Community Foundation of the Ozarks.
He was one of five board leaders honored within the CFO’s network of regional affiliate foundations. The awards were presented on April 25 during the CFO’s Affiliate Appreciation Conference in Springfield.
“Ron has been instrumental in initiating the GRO Project in Hermann and securing funding for the program. He also oversees the work for CFHA in managing the annual appeal program to solicit support from donors in the community,” said Alice Wingo, Vice President of Affiliates for the CFO. “He manages the database of names and addresses as well as coordinates the letter-writing campaign and mailing for this project, which brings in just under $10,000 each year in support of their endowment fund.”
Kraettli also serves on the CFO Board of Directors and Executive Committee; he is the incoming Board Secretary beginning July 1.
“One cannot serve on a foundation board without first deeply loving one’s community,” CFO President Brian Fogle said. “That love is expressed through their excellent leadership and dedication that make their communities a better place to live for all their neighbors.”
Oct. 20, 2021 — Because of its efforts to encourage COVID-19 vaccinations in Gasconade County, the Community Foundation of the Hermann Area has won a $10,000 challenge grant through the Coover Regional Vaccination Initiative. From July 26 to Sept. 20, the percentage of Gasconade County residents ages 12 and up to receive at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine increased by 8.1%.
Regional affiliate foundations of the Community Foundation of the Ozarks opted in on behalf of a single county to participate in the program. The CFO tracked data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for each county to determine the winners.
In true community collaborative style, the CFHA partnered with the Gasconade County Health Department and Hermann Area District Hospital to increase COVID-19 vaccinations throughout Gasconade County, including the Owensville area. In an effort to increase vaccination rates, clinics were offered at churches, libraries and other community places, providing residents with convenient ways to get the vaccine near their homes.
The prize is an unrestricted grant, which the CFHA can use for its own community grantmaking. The CFO announced the winners of the Coover Regional Vaccination Initiative during its annual Affiliate Appreciation Conference on Oct. 7.
The Coover Regional Vaccination Initiative was supported by the Louis L. and Julia Dorothy Coover Charitable Foundation, managed by Commerce Trust Company. The CFO and the Coover Charitable Foundation have partnered since 2002 to award more than $7 million through grantmaking programs, particularly targeted to rural Missouri. The Coover Charitable Foundation is also a key contributor to the CFO’s COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund.
“Congratulations to the Community Foundation of the Hermann Area and the great community that it represents,” said Jill Reynolds, senior vice president at Commerce Trust. “We applaud the leadership of the foundation board members to make their community safer and take steps towards putting this pandemic behind us.”
The Carthage Community Foundation, Joplin Regional Community Foundation, Sarcoxie Community Foundation, Cassville Community Foundation, Monett Area Community Foundation, Marshfield Area Community Foundation, and Jacks Fork Community Foundation also received challenge grants through the Coover Regional Vaccination Initiative for their efforts in their local communities. The program featured a total of $60,000 in challenge grants for winning affiliates.
