Five nonprofits awarded CFO grant money

Community Foundation of the Ozarks chose five nonprofits to award $50,000 in grants.

Springfield Community Gardens was the largest recipient of CFO’s Metro Springfield Community Innovation grants presented Friday. The nonprofit will use the $12,000 in funding to train urban farmers and community garden operators on increasing production, according to a news release.

The other recipients, by grant amount, were:
    •    $11,900, Hear Our Voice to start pilot programs at Reed Academy and Central High School next fall teaching students about civic responsibility, voter education and volunteerism;
    •    $11,000, Ride417 to continue its mission of offering free rides home to college and university students who are intoxicated or in an otherwise unsafe situation;
    •    $10,600, Diaper Bank of the Ozarks to educate families and provide them starter kits to encourage use of cloth diapers; and
    •    $4,500, Stars for Autism to expand its Autism Info-Blast project with training seminars and free resource materials.