About CFO Grants

The CFO offers a series of grant cycles based on its July–to–June fiscal year, so grant cycles are announced beginning in July.
Discretionary grants are made possible through the generosity of donors who want to support a specific cause or a general field of interest, such as education or animal welfare. Each cycle has its own criteria and deadlines.
Organizations within the CFO’s service region are eligible to apply if they hold IRS tax status of 501(c)3 or education, faith or government institutions with similar tax-exempt status.
The CFO uses Foundant’s Grant Lifecycle Manager, a separate online platform, to accept applications and track grant progress. The CFO’s affiliate foundations also offer grants to eligible agencies within their geographic service areas.
Types of Grants
The CFO offer a variety of grant opportunities.

Multi-Year, High-Impact Grantmaking
The CFO makes larger-scale, multi-year grants such as The Northwest Project and the Advancing Mental Wellness and Musgrave Multi-Year Impact grant programs.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Through two grant programs, the CFO is committed to achieving positive impact with regard to issues of diversity, equity and inclusion across our region.

Springfield Metro Area
Several competitive grant cycles are open for eligible Springfield-Greene County agencies. These are often tied into the goals outlined in the Community Focus Report for Springfield-Greene County, with an emphasis on collaboration.

Affiliate Community Grantmaking
Many of the CFO’s affiliate foundations offer grants within their geographic service areas. Each affiliate determines its own criteria and deadlines.

Coover Regional Partnership
The Louis L. and Julia Dorothy Coover Charitable Foundation, in partnership with Commerce Trust Company, offers grants that support rural communities and the principles of place-based education.

Musgrave Foundation Partnership
The CFO administers grantmaking for the Jeannette L. Musgrave Foundation, which has granted more than $17 million in grants to agencies in Springfield-Greene County.

Specialty Grants
Donors with specific interests support focused grants ranging from pediatric cancer to youth orthodontic treatment. Some of these cycles are open throughout the year, while others have specific deadlines.
Our Programs Team
Friendly service from dedicated staff.
Our Programs Team assists nonprofit agencies, students and others seeking grants, scholarships and technical assistance with our online management systems.