April 30, 2026
Grants support nonprofits facing financial challenges due to loss of government funding
The Community Foundation of the Ozarks, in partnership with the Louis L. and Julia Dorothy Coover Charitable Foundation and Commerce Trust, granted a total of $500,000 to 23 nonprofits and school districts on April 30. The grants were presented at Hatch Auditorium at the Library Center in Springfield.
The Coover Regional Resiliency Grants support agencies that serve low-income individuals and families in rural communities and are facing financial challenges due to the loss or significant reduction of federal and/or state funding. This year’s Coover Regional grant program was doubled by a match from The HWS Charitable Foundation Inc., a private foundation with a passion for improving economic outcomes of residents in rural communities.
Nonprofit leaders gathered at Hatch Auditorium in Springfield on April 30 to receive the Coover Regional Resiliency Grants, presented by the Community Foundation of the Ozarks in partnership with the Louis L. and Julia Dorothy Coover Charitable Foundation and Commerce Trust.
The recipients are:
- Boys & Girls Club of Poplar Bluff: $21,750 to implement quarterly STEAM camps in partnership with Three Rivers College.
- Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest Missouri: $25,000 to support the “Workforce Readiness and Life Skills” program, which helps Jasper County teens build essential career skills.
- Bright Futures Joplin: $2,700 to expand “Project Access” to meet the increased demand for food, clothing, transportation and educational supplies.
- The Brook Wellness Center: $24,200 to sustain recovery support services in Stone and Taney counties that were previously supported by local and federal funding.
- CASA of Southwest Missouri: $20,000 to bridge the funding gap for a full-time advocate supervisor for Christian County.
- Children’s Learning Center: $25,000 to improve safety and access by upgrading its Camden County facility with ADA-accessible door openers and new playground doors.
- Citizens Against Domestic Violence: $25,000 to hire a consultant to expand the Sexual Assault Prevention Partnership in Benton, Camden, Miller and Morgan counties.
- Clearwater R-1 School District: $23,350 to purchase and implement “Project Lead the Way,” a nationally recognized STEM curriculum.
- Community Clinic of Southwest Missouri: $22,500 to support the medical needs of Jasper County residents who have been impacted by cuts in services and funding.
- Eminence R-I School District: $25,000 to support “Small School, Big Futures,” which provides targeted support resources to students from low-income families.
- FosterAdopt Connect: $25,000 to support the Mountain Grove resource center, which provides assistance, training and guidance to families in south central Missouri.
- Innovative Industries: $21,000 to purchase and implement 3D printing technology to create adaptive equipment, retail products and seasonal items, expanding employment and skill development opportunities for adults with developmental disabilities in Jasper County.
- Jefferson Franklin Community Action Corp: $25,000 to implement two technology-based systems that increase efficiency and staff capacity.
- Missouri Delta Foundation: $25,000 to purchase an advanced ultrasound unit that will enhance diagnostic capabilities and establish local telehealth consultations.
- Missouri Empowerment Project: $25,000 to maintain the Intensive Family Services programming in Camden, Christian, Dallas, Hickory, Laclede, Polk, Taney, Webster, Wright and Texas counties.
- Osage Beach Senior Center Inc.: $12,500 to support senior activities and the center’s daily hot lunch program.
- Ozark Action Inc.: $25,000 to provide training cost assistance and supportive services to low-income individuals in Douglas, Howell, Oregon, Ozark, Texas and Wright counties.
- Safe House for Women: $25,000 to provide rental assistance to survivors of domestic violence in need of stable housing in Cape Girardeau County.
- Southeast Missouri Food Bank: $25,000 to expand the school food pantries within its service area through five to seven new pantries.
- Southwest Missouri Community Alliance: $25,000 to implement the second phase of case management and data collection software to better serve clients in Barton, Jasper, McDonald and Newton counties.
- Webster County Heath Unit: $20,000 to support low-income families in Webster County by expanding resource navigation, improving referrals, and providing emergency support and essential items for babies.
- West Central Missouri Community Action Agency: $25,000 to develop a client-centered website and maintain service continuity amid recent funding cuts, while improving access to program information, eligibility guidance and resources.
- West Side Senior Center: $7,000 to provide operational support to serve Camden and Morgan County seniors and to contribute to a newly established endowment.
“As a member of the Greatest Generation, resiliency came naturally to someone like Mrs. Coover,” said Jill Reynolds, senior vice president at Commerce Trust and chair of the Coover Foundation grant selection committee. “I think she would be proud of the focus of this year’s program, and the work all of these organizations do to foster resiliency in our communities.”
Julia Dorothy Coover, a 30-year Commerce employee, founded the Louis L. and Julia Dorothy Coover Charitable Foundation in 1992 to honor her husband’s memory. The private foundation, managed by Commerce Trust, has funded more than $9.2 million in grants to benefit rural communities and school districts across the CFO’s service area since the partnership began in 2001.
