Community Foundation of the Hermann Area

A trusted resource for philanthropy serving the Hermann area.

P.O. Box 62 | Hermann, MO 65041 | (209) 777-2284 | Email Us

Our Mission

Our mission is to enhance the quality of life in the Hermann area through resource development, community grantmaking, collaboration and public leadership.

Since our founding on June 6, 2005, the Community Foundation of the Hermann Area has distributed more than $2.8 million in grants to the community. We now hold assets totaling $3.4 million as of June 30, 2021.

Our Leadership

Our foundation is led by members of our community.

Ron Kraettli, President
Tom Jacquin, Vice President
Melissa Overkamp, Secretary
Dustin Kallmeyer, Treasurer
Justin Alferman
Stephanie Austermann
Carol Brandt
Chuck Hartbauer
Gary Heldt
Tom Jacquin
Melissa Lensing
Bartow Molloy
Janet Rogers
Chris Theissen
Stephanie Walker
Mark Wallace
Martha Hermosillo, Foundation Coordinator

Advisors: Dr. Geoff Neill and Brett J. Hellman

CFO honors Ron Kraettli for board member excellence at annual affiliate conference

Ron Kraettli, left, accepts his Board Member of Excellence Award from Judy Cantoni, CFO East Region manager.

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.”

Community Foundation of the Hermann Area receives $10,000 grant for COVID-19 vaccination efforts

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.

Community Foundation of the Hermann Area grants $14,950 to local agencies

The Community Foundation of the Hermann Area Inc. has awarded total grants of $14,950 to six nonprofit agencies, with $10,000 dedicated to recovery needs related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Coover Regional Recovery Grants are made possible by the Louis L. and Julia Dorothy Coover Charitable Foundation, managed by Commerce Trust Company in partnership with the Community Foundation of the Ozarks. The Community Foundation of the Hermann Area Inc. is one of 30 CFO affiliate foundations to receive Coover grant funding this year and chose to use its award to hold a community recovery grant round for eligible nonprofits.

The Community Foundation of the Hermann Area Inc. awarded its Coover Regional Recovery Grants to:

Franklin County Court Appointed Special Advocates: $2,500 to support operations
Gasconade County R-1 School District/Families in Action: $500 to support Prom Breakfast/Project Graduation
Historic Hermann Inc.: $2,000 to support the Historic Hermann Museum Signage and Archival Project
Ministerial Alliance of the Hermann Area: $2,500 to support Samaritan Outreach
Touch of Hope/Children’s Relief Mission: $2,500 to support operations

“One of the benefits of the CFO’s affiliate network is the ability of local leaders to make decisions in the best interests of their own communities,” said Jill Reynolds, senior vice president at Commerce Trust. “Using leaders across rural Missouri to award Coover Charitable Foundation grant dollars has contributed to this partnership’s success in distributing more than $7 million since 2002.”

The Community Foundation of the Hermann Area Inc. also announced the latest grants from its community grantmaking fund. A total of $4,950 will support these agencies:

Gasconade County R-1 School District: $500 to support Families in Action
Hermann Fire Company No. 1: $2,700 for extrication tools; $1,250 for radios and lights (supported by the Wilford Kallmeyer Emergency Responders Endowment Fund)
Historic Hermann Inc.: $500 for museum signage