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July 21, 2026

Grant programs supported by $5.1 million budget

The first grant rounds from the Community Foundation of the Ozarks for 2026–27 are now open. More grant programs will open throughout the year for eligible nonprofit, municipal, educational and faith-based organizations across central and southern Missouri. 

The CFO’s annual competitive grant programs are supported by a $5.1 million grantmaking budget. The CFO’s competitive grant programs are made possible by donors who make gifts that are unrestricted or focus on a general field of interest such as youth, health or education. The CFO also administers grant programs on behalf of funders like the Jeannette L. Musgrave Foundation and U.S. Bank Private Wealth Management, the Louis L. and Julia Dorothy Coover Charitable Foundation and Commerce Trust, and the L-A-D Foundation.  

Open Now

  • Welcoming Communities (Springfield and regional): $135,000 for projects that improve the quality of life for underserved and underrepresented residents. Closes Sept. 17.
  • Inclusion & Belonging (Springfield and regional): $90,000 for smaller grant requests to create equitable participation and engagement in local communities. Applications reviewed and awarded through May 6, 2027, or until funds are fully spent.
  • Rapid Response (Springfield and regional): $100,000 for nonprofits that lose government funding, are affected by disaster, or require time-sensitive funding for innovation or collaboration. Applications for up to $3,000 will be reviewed and awarded through June 1, 2027, or until funds are fully spent.
  • L-A-D Foundation (regional): $55,000 for projects that conserve the natural and cultural resources of the Ozarks in the L-A-D Foundation’s 12-county service area. Closes Aug. 27.

Opening Soon

  • Jewell Schweitzer Quality of Life (Springfield/Greene County): $130,000 for projects that address priorities identified in the Community Focus Report for Springfield & Greene County. Opens late summer/early fall.
  • Everyone Outdoors (Springfield and regional): $120,000 for projects that connect community members with nature and outdoor recreation. Opens Oct. 1. 
  • Coover Regional (regional): $250,000 for transformative projects in rural communities, in partnership with the Coover Charitable Foundation. Opens Nov. 5.

Opening Later

  • Coover Regional/Rural Schools Partnership, with the Coover Charitable Foundation
  • Musgrave Multi-Year Impact, with the Musgrave Foundation  
  • Arts & Culture, with Springfield Regional Arts Council and the Musgrave Foundation
  • Various field-of-interest programs 

In addition to these programs, the CFO’s regional affiliate foundations provide grantmaking programs throughout the year for their respective communities across central and southern Missouri.  

Agencies can begin the application process at cfozarks.org/applyforgrants. For more information about these and other grant programs, visit cfozarks.org/find-grants or follow the CFO’s social media pages.

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