About Community Foundation of the Ozarks
Community Foundation of the Ozarks Inc. channels large regional grants into schools, community organizations, and place-based initiatives across the Ozarks, with recent awards reaching seven figures for local programs and institutions. A 2024 grant of $1,105,000 went to Eden Villagethe Gathering Tree in Springfield, while $1,065,063 supported Renaissance Charitable Foundation Inc in Indianapolis through a specific program. The foundation also made major 2025 awards to Show Me Youth Ag Academy in Lamar and Lamar Community Betterment Council in Lamar, each above $1 million, showing a willingness to fund both education-linked work and community betterment at substantial scale. Beyond those headline grants, its recent awards include support for university foundations, food access, youth-serving organizations, health-related nonprofits, and faith-based community services. The mix of specific program grants, general operating support, and capital awards indicates a funder that uses multiple grant types rather than a single funding model. Its active programs further point to rural schools, scholarships, regional resiliency, rapid-response support, and impact investing as recurring vehicles for community support across the Ozarks region.
What Community Foundation of the Ozarks Funds
Education shows up through several pathways. The foundation gave $1,060,000 to Show Me Youth Ag Academy in Lamar and $502,593 to Missouri State University Foundation in Springfield, both through specific programs. In community development, it awarded $1,050,000 to Lamar Community Betterment Council in Lamar and $361,910 to City of Warsaw in Warsaw. Human services and basic needs also appear in the recent grants list: Ozarks Food Harvest in Springfield received $279,267, while Child Advocacy Center in Springfield received $244,378. Faith-based and community-serving organizations are part of the mix as well, including $250,625 to Calvary Bible Church of Nixa Missouri in Nixa and $218,330 to Council of Churches in Springfield. The pattern reflects a funder supporting institutions that work in local education, community improvement, food access, and social services.
How Community Foundation of the Ozarks Gives
Typical grant size sits at $10,000 at the 25th percentile, $16,480 at the median, and $35,000 at the 75th percentile, even as the recent grants list also includes several large program awards. The foundation uses a mixed community foundation structure and makes program-related investments. Recent grantees repeat across multiple years, including Community Partnership of the Ozarks, The Kitchen Inc, Missouri State University Foundation, Drury University, and The Gathering Tree, which points to ongoing relationships rather than one-off support. Grant types vary by program and purpose: the list includes specific program grants, general operating support, and capital awards, alongside scholarship administration and impact investing.
