Nonprofits receive $100K in new round of CFO grants

The Community Foundation of the Ozarks Inc. announced last week that a half-dozen nonprofit agencies are the latest recipients of a new round of COVID-19 Response and Recovery grants.

Six agencies received a combined $100,000, according to a news release.

The nonprofits that received grants July 31 are:
• Doula Foundation of Mid-America Inc., $20,000 to support its COVID-19 emergency response in southwest Missouri;
• Joplin Family YMCA, $20,000 to help fund inclusive child care services in the Joplin region;
• Ozark Greenways Inc., $20,000 to support its public trail operations in Greene, Polk and Webster counties;
• The Victim Center, $20,000 to aid victims of abuse in Springfield and Greene County;
• Community Partnership of Southeast Missouri, $15,000 to support the Sprigg of Hope Community Resource Center, serving Cape Girardeau and southeast Missouri; and
• Solace House of the Ozarks Inc., $5,000 to boost its operations in Joplin and southwest Missouri.

Nonprofits can apply for up to 25% of their operating budget, with awards capped at $20,000 apiece on a monthly basis. The funding offers operational support to agencies whose fundraising and revenue-generating efforts have been disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic, according to the release. The grants also will help nonprofits that are experiencing an increased need for their services.

The funding is supported by the Missouri Foundation for Health, the Louis L. and Julia Dorothy Coover Charitable Foundation managed by Commerce Trust Co., and donations made to CFO's COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund.

CFO plans to announce grant recipients of another $100,000 from its COVID-19 fund Friday, according to the release.

This week’s round will go toward nonprofits that can provide child care solutions. The grant proposals, due by end of business today, provide services to low-income families; serve children of essential workers, including educators; and provide safe learning environments that include sanitation and physical distancing protocols. CFO pledged the grant funds following Springfield Public Schools’ reopening announcement July 23. For the semester starting Aug. 24, SPS gave parents the option to choose between either a mix of virtual learning and in-class teaching for their children or full-time virtual learning.

Since CFO launched the fund amid the pandemic nearly five months ago, over $1.3 million in grants have been awarded through the organization. Total COVID-related support, which includes grants from donor-advised and employee benevolence funds, exceeds $2.3 million, according to the release.