Community Foundation of the Ozarks
The Community Foundation of the Ozarks
The Community Foundation of the Ozarks (CFO) was
established in 1973, and in 2000 implemented a regional
strategy to build philanthropic infrastructure throughout the
Missouri Ozarks. Based in Springfield, CFO works with
donors, affiliated community foundations, and agency
partners to support resource development, community
grantmaking, collaboration, and leadership initiatives.
CFO currently has $145 million in charitable assets, 41
affiliated community foundations, and 342 agency partners.
In FY09, CFO distributed $15.6 million in grants, including
over $6 million in targeted rural grantmaking.
The Importance of Rural Schools
Public schools play a critical role in the well-being
of small, rural communities and towns that serve as
rural hubs. Schools provide a focal point of
activity, a sense of civic pride, and a reason for
families to stay in place. Schools are the main
thread in the community fabric; they provide a
sense of purpose.
Our Ozarks Region
The Community Foundation of the Ozarks’ 50-county
service area is firmly grounded in the hills of the Missouri
Ozarks, a unique cultural and geographical region.
Predominantly rural, a significant portion of the Missouri
Ozarks is designated by the United States Department of
Agriculture as an area of “persistent poverty.” In fact, the
Foundation currently works in nine of Missouri’s ten poorest
counties, including Shannon County, annually listed as one
of the poorest counties in the nation.
CFO Response
Recognizing the overarching importance of schools to
rural development, the Community Foundation of the
Ozarks’ board of directors has launched the Rural
Schools Partnership, a holistic program to strengthen
small school districts.
The Rural Schools Partnership resulted from a yearlong planning process involving CFO’s regional
committee, public school leaders, affiliated foundation
leadership, and area business people.
The Rural Schools Partnership embraces three
consensus-based strategies for strengthening
rural schools:


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Develop alternative resources
Promote collaborations and partnerships
Support place-based education strategies
Program Features:
Placed-Based Education
The Louis L. and Julia Dorothy Coover Charitable
Foundation Regional Grantmaking Program of
Commerce Trust will provide $150,000 per year in
grantmaking support for cooperative ventures that
enhance teaching and learning AND innovative placebased education programs.
Place-Based Education
Learning that is rooted in the unique history,
environment, economy, and culture of a particular
place.

The community is the context for learning

Student work focuses on important community issues

Community members are resources and partners in
teaching and learning
Products of student learning address community needs.

Place-Based Education

Pairs relevance with academic rigor
 Deep
thinking in critical content areas
 Sustained academic work as researchers and
scholars
 Meet or exceed state and local accountability
standards
9
Place-Based Education

Models the democratic principles upon which this
nation was built
 Challenges
historic patterns of racism, power and low
expectations for some children
 Values the contribution that every child can make
 Honors every child’s right to exist and succeed
Place-Based Education

Increases the social capital available to address
pressing community needs and interests
Engages youths in partnerships with adults and
organizations to provide services the community might
not otherwise be able to provide
 Strengthens young people’s ties to their communities

Local Example - Forsyth
Local Example - Purdy
Local Example – Route 60 Gardening Project
The Application Process
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
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The Coover grantmaking program will provide $150,000 per
year in grantmaking support for cooperative ventures that
enhance teaching and learning through innovative place-based
education programs. Eight to fifteen projects funded annually
(range: $10,000 to $20,000 per project).
CFO encourages proposals that include local matches or other
leveraged resources.
Applicants who receive funding will be required to make a
presentation on their respective projects at the Rural Schools
Partnership conference on May 6, 2010 in Thomasville, MO at
the historic Thomasville High School. Please include a travel
stipend in your budget proposal.
The Application Process (Continued)


You will notice the application process focuses on the
conceptual nature of your project or program. One of the
highlights of the Rural Education Rendezvous in Thomasville will
be an implementation workshop for grant recipients with Dr.
Doris Williams of the Rural School and Community Trust. Dr.
Williams is a nationally recognized leader in the place-based
education movement.
Applications require a primary contact, program/project
description, collaborating partners, a list of existing resources
that ensure success and a program/project budget.
Questions and Answers
Applications can be found at:
http://www.ruralschoolspartnership.org/grants
Thank you!

Gary Funk
 gfunk@cfozarks.org

Julie Leeth
 jleeth@cfozarks.org
Community Foundation of the Ozarks
425 E Trafficway
Springfield, MO 65806
(417) 864-6199