CFO establishes 53rd regional affiliate

The Fair Grove Area Community Foundation became the 53rd regional affiliate of Springfield-based Community Foundation of the Ozarks Inc.  

The FGACF was formed to fill the philanthropic needs of rural Greene County, according to a news release. To start a permanent grantmaking endowment through CFO, officials with the regional community foundation raised $30,000 in the past six months. The funds will be matched by a $30,000 grant from the Missouri Foundation for Health to support public health related to issues such as education, household income and jobs.  

“Watching our neighbors in Fair Grove raise these funds, undeterred by a pandemic, has been incredible,” said Brian Fogle, president and CEO of CFO, in the release. “As we’ve seen in more than 50 other communities, the philanthropic resources provided by an affiliate foundation will strengthen the Fair Grove area for years to come.”

FGACF is the first new affiliate of the year for CFO, which has steadily grown its network over a 30-year period, according to past reporting. Last year, CFO added three new affiliates.

As of January, the regional affiliates' assets totaled nearly $115 million, according to past reporting.