Community Foundation of the Ozarks

PAID IN FULL 🌟 The CFO, in partnership with the Jeannette L. Musgrave Foundation and U.S. Bank Private Wealth Management, presented a Musgrave Capital Campaign grant for $172,175 to WomensMedicalRespite. Announced during a grant presentation today, the grant will fully pay off the mortgage on the nonprofit’s residential facility on East Page Street in Springfield. It is one of three grants, totaling $302,000, awarded through this year’s campaign. Here is the complete list of grant recipients for the 2024 Musgrave Capital Campaign: • Women’s Medical Respite: $172,175 to pay off the mortgage on the house it recently purchased and renovated to increase the number of women it can serve. • AcompañARTE Cultural Center: $30,000 to support floor repairs, building maintenance and the purchase of art materials to expand art education offerings. • City of Springfield, Missouri/Springfield Art Museum: $100,000 for the Springfield Art Museum expansion and renovation project. The CFO and Musgrave Foundation will present the grants to AcompañARTE Cultural Center and the Springfield Art Museum at an event on Dec. 19. Learn more at https://lnkd.in/gDXa_UEB.

NOW HIRING 💻✨Have a heart for philanthropy and a mind for technology? The CFO is hiring for the position of IT and Operations Specialist for our growing organization. This full-time role is responsible for enhancing the CFO’s IT operations, security and infrastructure. This position provides ongoing technical support and ensures compliance with data governance policies and optimizing workflows to improve productivity, in alignment with CFO’s mission, vision and values. The CFO offers competitive pay with generous benefits and paid time off to help our staff members successfully navigate work-life balance. This position will be based in Springfield, Missouri, with some flexibility permitted for remote work. Benefits include: • Up to 28 days of paid time off annually, effective upon hiring; • 10 paid holidays; • Employer-paid health, dental and vision insurance for staff members with partial support for eligible dependents; • Employer match of up to 5 percent of base salary for a 403(b) retirement plan; • Employer-paid life insurance and short- and long-term disability coverage; • A commitment to staff development through professional learning and networking; educational assistance and social and mental wellness activities; • A downtown Springfield office environment with some flexibility for limited remote work. The deadline for first consideration is Monday, Nov. 4. Learn more and apply at https://lnkd.in/eUKWhpnV. #sgf #ozarks #springfieldmo #itjobs #philanthropyjobs

Paddle up next time you're in Cassville 🥒 🏓 On a blustery day in late September, Rachael Freeman and Bob Crouthamel could be found in the City Park of Cassville preparing for the city’s second annual pickleball tournament. Like many communities in the Midwest, Cassville has caught the pickleball bug. The sport’s playability and intergenerational appeal have many cities adapting tennis courts to smaller pickleball courts. But Cassville has become a destination among afficionados. “This is the pickleball hub, right now,” Crouthamel, executive director of the Cassville YMCA, said. “They’re coming from Arkansas, parts of Oklahoma — they want to come to Cassville.” The courts’ quality — flat, clean and neatly painted — is a big draw for the out-of-towners, who also enjoy the small town’s other charms: locally owned restaurants and nearby Roaring River State Park. Freeman, coordinator for the Cassville Community Foundation, described the impetus for the courts: “The CCF had money that we needed to use for mental health, but it was very broad in what that looked like.” The money had come from a grant from the Rural Ozarks Health Initiative, a partnership between the Community Foundation of the Ozarks and Missouri Foundation for Health. “So we were able to grant $54,000 from the CCF for the first eight courts.” This spring, the city received a $20,000 Coover Regional Vibrant Communities grant to expand the courts. The grant program’s goal was to combat the epidemic of loneliness and social isolation growing across the country for the past decade. While players came from as far away as New Mexico in September, the courts have impacted the lives of locals. Austin Tripp, a Cassville native, regularly visits the park for pickleball. “It’s such a nice change to the park,” he marveled, “I wasn’t even allowed to come to this park as a kid.” Freeman’s pride in the park is evident: “I pass the park on my work commute every day, and it’s incredible to see it always filled with pickleball players. It really just brings people together!” #pickleball #placemaking #ruralphilanthropy #ozarks #swmo #missouri #cassvillemissouri

Last call to RSVP!🚨Tomorrow from 2-4 p.m. at the Schweitzer Brentwood Branch Library in Springfield: the Springfield Daily Citizen and the CFO will cohost a panel discussion on media literacy, how to spot disinformation and bias, and how to discuss these ideas with every generation. The panel includes: • Dr. Jonathan Groves of Drury University • Amanda Hawkins of Pipkin Middle School • Katy Pattinson of the Schweitzer Brentwood Branch Library Daily Citizen President and CEO David Stoeffler is the moderator for this event. The event is free to attend, but seating is limited. Learn more and reserve your spot today at https://lnkd.in/dHvFZEmD.

Empowering foster families in Howell County 👚👕The Chaos Closet proves that a little care can make a big difference. The boutique-like stop off the square in West Plains provides clothing, essentials and a few extras for kids who reside in foster homes. “Kids in foster care in Missouri get an annual clothing allowance, but it doesn’t provide everything that a kiddo is going to put on their body for an entire year,” says DeeDee Button, who founded the nonprofit with her husband, Ed. The Buttons saw the need firsthand through kids they fostered. Efforts to save and pass along items grew from their home to a storage building and ultimately the colorful storefront that opened last year. “I didn’t want kids to really associate coming in here with hand-me-downs,” DeeDee says of its cheery atmosphere. “I wanted it to feel like you had the dignity of going to a store, just without the exchange of money.” Racks of clothing serve babies to teens. Larger items like beds are lent out, returned, sanitized and reused. Necessities like diapers and formula are found alongside other wares, like makeup and jewelry, that aren’t essential — but are important. “This is the fun stuff to make them fit in with their peers a little more,” DeeDee says. “That’s all they want.” Another item of need is new underwear. That mission is supported by the Community Foundation of West Plains, Inc., which has granted funds to stock the closet’s shelves with all-new undergarments. In the process, DeeDee says, the CFO affiliate’s actions also raised awareness for the need — one that’s always there but not always top of mind. “That funding has had this rippling effect out into the community, which is really great,” DeeDee says. #ruralphilanthropy #fosterfamilies #ozarks #ruralmissouri

I’m inspired and grateful after attending ComNet24 (my first ComNet!) last week. The Communications Network created a much-needed space for networking and knowledge-sharing, and the diverse and passionate professionals the conference brought together reminded me of the dedication, wisdom and compassion of the people in our field. And it all happened in Kansas City, one of my favorite places, to boot. 𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀: • 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆. (And conciseness!) Use images and words that engage the senses, as this is what the audience will remember. Word choice matters; weed out bland filler to get to the heart of the story.  • 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗜! Whether you’re a techno-utopianist or the thought of AI makes you want to abandon society for a cabin in the woods, familiarity with AI tools will ensure your marketability in the very near future — and it’ll make your job easier. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t ethical considerations to make if you’re thinking about using AI tools. 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗔𝗜 𝗷𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲. • 𝗔𝘀𝗸 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸. Wherever you are, you’re surrounded by more experience and expertise than you might realize — don’t take it for granted. Folks’ willingness and kindness in sharing never fails to astound me. (Plus, you’ll never know who you might run into out in the world: During a ComNet breakfast last Thursday, I unknowingly sat down and chatted with a man I learned was Dr. Clarence B. Jones, the personal lawyer, speechwriter and friend of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I’m still in a daze.) Looking forward to putting these principles into practice. #ComNet24 #NonprofitCommunications #Networking #Storytelling #AI #artificialintelligence

🌟Please join the Ozarks Region Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP Global), the Community Foundation of the Ozarks and the Ozarks Health Advocacy Foundation to celebrate generosity in our community. Our National Philanthropy Day luncheon will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 19, at the DoubleTree Hotel’s Glendalough Conference Center in Springfield. The event will recognize excellence in philanthropy and humanitarianism through several awards: • The CFO’s annual Humanitarian Award • OHAF’s Child Advocate of the Year • The Ozarks Region Chapter of AFP’s annual awards honoring eight individuals and organizations Order your tickets today at https://lnkd.in/gWMNfTsA.

📣 Reminder: RSVP for a refresher on how to think critically in an age of information overload. 📰 Join us next week — 2-4 p.m. on Oct. 24: the Springfield Daily Citizen and the CFO will cohost a panel discussion on media literacy, how to spot disinformation and bias, and how to discuss these ideas with every generation. This event will be held at the Schweitzer Brentwood Branch Library in Springfield. The panel includes: • Dr. Jonathan Groves of Drury University • Amanda Hawkins of Pipkin Middle School • Katy Pattinson of the Schweitzer Brentwood Branch Library Daily Citizen President and CEO David Stoeffler is the moderator for this event. The event is free to attend, but seating is limited. Learn more and reserve your spot today at https://lnkd.in/dHvFZEmD.

🌞Warm up on this chilly fall day with a story about soil and self-sustainability from Passion & Purpose: Summer 2024.🌿 “For me, it was over the first time I had a carrot straight from the ground,” said Mia Jones, executive director of United Community Change Last spring, the CFO toured Central High School’s green spaces, where students participating in the UCC’s BLACC Ag Academy, funded by a $30,000 Jewell Schweitzer Collective Impact Grant, are discovering the power of urban farming. Jones and Central science teacher Paul Epps — among other partners of the BLACC Ag Academy — are inspiring a new generation to think about where their food comes from and the importance of community in growing it. Urban farms don’t just offer fresh produce in food deserts; they build social bonds, provide education and promote economic opportunity. Learn more about this important program and read other stories from our summer magazine at https://lnkd.in/g8Afc_f8. #urbanfarming #urbanfarm #communitybuilding #SGF #philanthropy

Last week, the CFO's VP of Community Impact Bridget Dierks and VP of Communications & Marketing Matt Lemmon visited southern Montana for a meeting of the Philanthropic Preparedness, Resiliency and Emergency Partnership (PPREP). PPREP, a program of The Funders Network, is a cohort of funders and foundations from across the Midwest, including the CFO, that have responded to significant disasters. In Montana, Bridget and Matt visited the Beartooth Mountains to learn how communities responded and recovered from 2022 flooding along the Yellowstone River and its tributaries. PPREP visited with city, county and community foundation leaders about their response and ongoing needs and discussed best practices for helping our regions prepare for similar events. The group also discussed community development and disaster preparedness among Native communities, including insights from Partnership With Native Americans. Thank you to TFN, Center for Disaster Philanthropy and many others who helped us generate ideas for better preparing and supporting our communities in central and southern Missouri.