BKD Foundation gifts $105K to United Way agencies

The BKD Southern Missouri Foundation on Tuesday night donated $105,000 to the partner agencies of United Way of the Ozarks to help make up for 2008 funding shortfalls resulting from the recession.

The gift was announced at United Way's annual meeting and recognition dinner at University Plaza Hotel, which drew more than 400 attendees.

The local BKD Foundation's gift goes to the local United Way's 23 partner agencies, which may have had to cut programs or reduce services without the help, according to Cindy Howell, United Way director of marketing and community relations.

"With the turn of the economic climate this past fall, it was difficult to allocate resources to the agencies as initially requested, but this gift will fill the gap and bring funding to original requests," United Way board Chairman Jim Jura said in a news release.

The local BKD Foundation had been seeking a high-impact project for some time, according to local foundation chairman Jason Rader, a partner in BKD's financial services group.

"While we are not a large foundation by any measure, our foundation has been in existence for nearly 10 years and had built up some reserves," Rader said in the release. "We just felt that this would be a great time to step in and help several organizations at once in these trying economic times."

The BKD Foundation is supported by Springfield-based CPA firm BKD LLC.

Also at the annual meeting, United Way elected new board members. They are Raylene Appleby, PJC Insurance; Jim Arnott, Green County sheriff; Kenny Boggs, Teamsters Local 245; Greg Burris, Springfield city manager; Hal Higdon, Ozarks Technical Community College president; John Holstein, Polsinelli Shughart PC; John Himmel, Commerce Bank; Michael Nietzel, Missouri State University president; Nancy O'Reilly, O'Reilly Health & Wellness Consultation Services; Todd Parnell, Drury University president; and Michael Replogle, Chase Card Services.

In 2008, United Way raised $3.4 million, which was 98 percent of its campaign goal, Howell said.