June 20, 2022
Potential grantmaking total for both programs exceeds $1.3 million
The Community Foundation of the Ozarks, in partnership with the Jeannette L. Musgrave Foundation and U.S. Bank Wealth Management, presented grants totaling $500,000 on Monday, June 20. These grants comprise two high-impact, multi-year grant programs focused on improving the lives of children and foster families in the Springfield metro area. The grants were announced at the Creamery Arts Center in downtown Springfield, home to the Springfield Regional Arts Council and a number of other arts and culture organizations.
The Musgrave Multi-Year Impact Grants target specific areas of the late Mrs. Musgrave’s core philanthropic interests through high-impact grantmaking. The Musgrave distribution committee identified “Foster Families” as its area of focus for the second set of multi-year grants.
The grant recipients and first-year amounts for the “Foster Families” program are:
- CASA of Southwest Missouri: $95,759 to support the addition of an advocate supervisor, who will train and supervise new CASA volunteers.
- The Connecting Grounds: $43,600 to support the addition of a Family Connection coordinator and trauma-informed training for additional Family Connection site locations.
- Council of Churches of the Ozarks: $50,000 to develop a new case-management program for biological parents whose children are currently in state custody.
- FosterAdopt Connect: $50,000 to provide advocacy and support for biological parents, and mental health support for biological parents, foster families and children in foster care through the YouthConnect Center, Fostering Prevention and Community Connections Youth Project programs.
- Great Circle: $50,000 to expand the Therapeutic Foster Care program, which provides family support and training for the physical, emotional and social needs of children and youth in a supportive foster care situation.
If all agencies meet annual grant renewal guidelines, the total grant awards will exceed $680,000 over the three-year period.
“The foster care system is struggling to meet the needs of children and families across the state and in our region,” CFO President Brian Fogle said. “We have nonprofits doing great work but need more support to extend their ability to meet these needs. These challenges won’t be fixed in a year, which is why this focus area was selected for multi-year grants.”
Representatives from 13 agencies funded by the Musgrave Multi-Year Impact Grants gathered at the Creamery Arts Center on Monday, June 20, to receive the grants and share information about their projects. The Community Foundation of the Ozarks partnered with the Jeannette L. Musgrave Foundation and U.S. Bank Wealth Management on the two programs, which could ultimately total $1.3 million in grant funding to improve the lives of children and foster families in the Springfield metro area.
The CFO and the Musgrave Foundation also presented the second year of grants for the “Change for Children” program:
- Boys & Girls Clubs of Springfield: $30,000 for its student Workforce Development Program.
- OTC Foundation: $50,000 for the Ozarks Technical Community College Study Nursery Partnership to support a full-time staff leader for its early childhood program.
- Ozarks Food Harvest: $25,000 for its Weekend Backpack food program for eligible Springfield Public Schools students.
- Springfield Greene County Park Board – SPARC: $30,000 for staff training on mental and social-emotional behavioral needs of youth in its before- and after-school programs.
- Springfield Regional Arts Council: $22,250 for the Springfield Growing Up in the Arts program.
- The Kitchen Inc.: $41,097 to support an additional case manager at the Rare Breed drop-in center for the pregnant and parenting youth.
- Ujima Language and Literacy: $12,294 to support both the Empowering Young Readers: A Family Literacy Model and Ujima’s five-year development sustainability plan.
Care to Learn also is part of the “Change for Children” cohort, having received $20,000 in 2021 to establish a chapter for Strafford schools.
Between the two programs, total grant awards could ultimately exceed $1.3 million. The Musgrave distribution committee is chaired by Rob Baird and includes Emily Bowen-Marler, Thomas J. Carlson, Ferba Lofton, Danny Perches, Peggy Riggs and Thomas Slaight, with support from CFO staff members Bridget Dierks and Ashley Fleming.
