Feb. 10, 2022
Funds remain for grant proposals to ensure equitable participation
The Community Foundation of the Ozarks has selected the first round of Ozarks Inclusive Opportunity Grant recipients for 2022. The program, funded through the CFO’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Fund, supports smaller grant requests to ensure the representation of diverse voices in community conversations, engagement and leadership.
The following agencies recently received grants totaling $7,500:
- Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest Missouri: $2,000 to help youth in the Joplin area broaden their worldviews by promoting individuality, cultural identity and appreciation of diversity through the Youth for Unity project.
- Missouri State University’s Department of Theatre & Dance: $1,500 to support venue costs for a 2021–2022 season of The Laboratory Theatre Company, which centers accessibility and diversity in all facets of production.
- Queen City Rock Camp: $2,000 to help provide a safe, supportive environment for girls, trans, and non-binary youth to express themselves through music.
- Springfield Public Schools: $2,000 to support the Business Associated Student Education program, which educates and prepares students with an individualized education program for a successful career and life after high school by providing them with community-based opportunities.
Queen City Rock Camp received a $2,000 Ozarks Inclusive Opportunity Grant to help provide a safe, supportive environment for girls, trans, and non-binary youth to express themselves through music.
“We continually strive to make the Ozarks a better place to live, and one way to achieve this mission is to make it more welcoming and inclusive,” said Brian Fogle, president and CEO of the CFO. “We are excited to see the outcomes of these programs, and the differences they will help make in their communities. We’re proud to partner with these organizations to help create lasting change.”
The Ozarks Inclusive Opportunity Grant Program is part of the CFO’s increased focus on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion grantmaking. Funding through the program is available to nonprofit agencies — including school districts, government entities and faith-based organizations with similar tax-exempt status — that serve communities across the CFO’s service region in central and southern Missouri.
Approximately $22,500 is still available for Ozarks Inclusive Opportunity Grants through June 30. Recipients are selected throughout the year as funds remain available. Agencies can begin the application process at cfozarks.org/applyforgrants.
Donors who wish to further the CFO’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion grantmaking can make a secure online gift at cfozarks.org/diversityfund.
