CFO grants $11,500 in Inclusion & Belonging program

The Community Foundation of the Ozarks has selected the latest recipients of the Inclusion & Belonging Grants for the 2023–24 grant cycle.

The program supports small grant requests to ensure equitable participation and engagement in local communities.

The six recipients, receiving a total of $11,500, are:

• Jaxon’s Badgers: $3,000 to provide adaptive fitness programming and socialization for individuals with disabilities and limited financial resources in the Joplin area.
• Marionville Elementary: $550 to provide a mobile alternative communication board for nonverbal students and their peers.
• Monett R-1 School District: $3,000 to support, in collaboration with the Monett Historical Society, place-based education and museum exhibits showcasing the historically accurate narrative of Native Americans and immigrants who are a part of the community.
• Nixa Public Schools: $450 to purchase rotating bookshelves that provide access to literacy materials for students with disabilities.
• Southeast Missouri Network Against Sexual Violence: $2,500 to support, on behalf of the Southeast Council on Philanthropy, diversity, equity, access and inclusion training for nonprofit organizations in southeast Missouri.
• Superstars of Point Performing Arts: $2,000 to engage children with disabilities through dance by funding a dance teacher in Springfield.

About $23,000 remains available in the Inclusion & Belonging Grant Program. Agencies may apply for up to $3,000 to support expenses related to:

• Ensuring diverse representation in leadership roles and the community;
• Providing students with equitable opportunity for community engagement and leadership; and
• Hosting events that ensure visible representations of belonging in the Ozarks.

Applications are reviewed and awarded through mid-June. To learn more about the CFO’s grant application process, visit cfozarks.org/applyforgrants.

The Community Foundation of the Ozarks is the region’s largest public charitable foundation serving donors, nonprofit partners and 54 regional affiliate foundations — including the Joplin Regional Community Foundation — with assets totaling $427 million as of June 30, 2023. The CFO’s mission is to improve the quality of life for everyone in central and southern Missouri through resource development, community grantmaking, collaboration and public leadership.