ElDo, Stockton Community Foundations partnership receives Rural Ozarks Health Initiative Grant

In each of the next three years, the CFO will make 10 grants of $10,000 (a total of $300,000 over the course of three years) to rural affiliates in the CFO’s network to address locally identified health issues.

Other recipients for 2018 include the Bolivar area, Cape Girardeau area, Crawford County, Mountain Grove area, Perry County, Republic, Ripley County, Table Rock Lake area (Stone County) and the Truman Lake area (Henry County).

This is the second phase of the Rural Ozarks Health Initiative, following the selection last year of three affiliates to receive three-year, $150,000 program grants to systemically address pressing health needs in their communities. The affiliates selected for the first phase of ROHI – Carthage, Monett, and Cassville – were not eligible for this second round of grants. This grant program was developed by Missouri Foundation for Health and the CFO because of a disparity in health indicators between urban and rural areas of Missouri and the scarcity of grant resources available for rural issues in general.

“For all of the 10 leading causes of death, rural rates are higher than urban, and rural areas face challenges of access and resources,” said CFO President Brian Fogle. “Thanks to their generosity and commitment to the rural parts of our state, Missouri Foundation for Health’s partnership will allow areas to address these challenges at the local level, with decisions made by those who know and care for their communities the most—their own residents.”

Missouri Foundation for Health is a resource for the region, working with communities and nonprofits to generate and accelerate positive changes in health. As a catalyst for change, the Foundation improves the health of Missourians through partnership, experience, knowledge, and funding.

“The Community Foundation of the Ozarks has a direct connection to the communities it’s serving, which makes our partnership even more meaningful,” said MFH President and CEO Bob Hughes. “This relationship will assist in further addressing the most pressing health needs of rural communities. Collaboration is key in this work, and we are looking forward to learning more about how we can be a resource to nonprofits working on similar issues.” More information about ROHI is available at: www.cfozarks.org/rohi.

The El Dorado Springs Community Foundation and the Stockton Community Foundation are affiliates of the Community Foundation of the Ozarks. The El Dorado Springs Community Foundation holds assets of more than $800,000 as of Dec. 31, 2017. The RCF has distributed more than $480,000 back into the community since its inception in 2001. The Stockton Community Foundation holds assets of more than $1 million as of Dec. 31, 2017. The SCF has distributed more than $570,000 back into the community since its inception in 2002. Community Foundation of the Ozarks 425 E. Trafficway Springfield, MO, 65806 (417) 864-6199 Fax (417) 864-8344 www.cfozarks.org.

COMMUNITY FOUNDATION PARTNERSHIP RECEIVES GRANT – CFO Vice President of Affiliates Alice Wingo presents the ROHI grant award to Marilyn Ellis, president of the Stockton Community Foundation, and Kay Forest, president of the El Dorado Springs Community Foundation. The Community Foundation of the Ozarks and Missouri Foundation for Health have awarded a $10,000 grant to a partnership between the El Dorado Springs Community Foundation and the Stockton Community Foundation through the Rural Ozarks Health Initiative to address health issues in communities served by the CFO’s two Cedar County-based affiliate foundations. The foundations will redistribute the grant to nonprofits addressing health needs in Cedar County and the surrounding area, with the application period expected to open this fall.

“The community foundations from El Dorado Springs and Stockton are so grateful to receive this grant,” said Kay Forest, board chair of the El Dorado Springs Community Foundation, which submitted the application for the grant. “We will use this $10,000 to fund projects in Cedar County to improve local health and wellness through nonprofit groups based here in Cedar County.”