A trusted resource for philanthropy serving the Monett area.
Since our founding on Sept. 3, 1998, Monett Area Community Foundation has distributed more than $3.9 million back to the community. We now hold assets totaling $6,734,384 as of June 30, 2023.
Kara Tinklepaugh, President
April 24, 2025 — Brad Ridenour received a Board Member of Excellence Award in recognition for his outstanding contributions to the Monett Area Community Foundation, an affiliate of the Community Foundation of the Ozarks.
Ridenour was recognized for his ongoing support of nonprofit work, and his role as a go-to for community outreach in the Monett area. Just one example: Under Ridenour’s leadership, the former Cox Monett Hospital is being transformed into a nonprofit resource center for those who live in the Barry-Lawrence County 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.”
Oct. 20, 2021 — Because of their efforts to encourage COVID-19 vaccinations in Barry County, the Monett Area Community Foundation and the Cassville Community Foundation have won a $10,000 challenge grant through the Coover Regional Vaccination Initiative. From July 26 to Sept. 20, the percentage of Barry County residents ages 12 and up to receive at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine increased by 8.6%.
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.
At the Cassville Community Foundation’s first fundraiser for 2021, held in August, CCF President Chad Johnson updated the crowd on the Coover Regional Vaccination Initiative and its parameters. The board also provided residents with information about local vaccination schedules at area businesses, including which vaccines would be administered.
The prize is an unrestricted grant, which the MACF and CCF can use for their 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 Monett Area Community Foundation and the Cassville Community Foundation and the great communities that they represent,” said Jill Reynolds, senior vice president at Commerce Trust. “We applaud the leadership of the foundation board members to make their communities safer and take steps towards putting this pandemic behind us.”
The Carthage Community Foundation, Joplin Regional Community Foundation, Sarcoxie Community Foundation, Marshfield Area Community Foundation, Jacks Fork Community Foundation and Community Foundation of the Hermann Area 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.
*Deceased
The application period for affiliate community grantmaking programs are open at various times through the year.
