$650K in grants issued to local organizations

Myriad local organizations yesterday collectively received nearly $650,000 in grants.

Community Foundation of the Ozarks Inc., in partnership with the Jeannette L. Musgrave Foundation and U.S. Bank Wealth Management, presented the Musgrave Multi-Year Impact Grants, according to a news release. The grants focus on three areas: student citizenship, foster families and change for children.

First-year student citizenship grant recipients, in alphabetical order, are:
• History Museum on the Square Inc., $72,500 to connect K-12 students with experiential learning.
• Leadership Springfield, $62,000 to support its civic leadership access program in partnership with Parkview High School.
• Ozarks Technical Community College Foundation, $35,975 to expand the student-run, nonpartisan Politically Active program.
• Springfield Daily Citizen Inc., $80,000 to increase civic engagement among young people through media consumption.

Second-year foster families recipients, in alphabetical order, are:
• Court Appointed Special Advocates of Southwest Missouri, $13,046 to support the addition of an advocate supervisor.
• The Connecting Grounds, $39,800 to add a family connection coordinator and support trauma-informed training.
• FosterAdopt Connect Inc., $50,000 provide advocacy and support for biological parents.
• Council of Churches of the Ozarks Inc., $50,000 to advocate for and support biological parents.
• KVC Missouri (formerly Great Circle), $50,000 to expand its therapeutic foster care program.

Final-year change for children recipients, in alphabetical order, are:
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Springfield Inc., $30,000 to support its student workforce development program.
• OTC Foundation, $50,000 for support a full-time staff leader for its early childhood program.
• Ozarks Food Harvest Inc., $25,000 for its Weekend Backpack Program providing food for Springfield Public Schools students.
• Springfield-Greene County Park Board, $15,000 for staff training on mental and social-emotional behavioral needs of youth in its before- and after-school programs.
• Springfield Regional Arts Council Inc., $22,250 for its Growing Up in the Arts program to expose underserved students to the arts.
• The Kitchen Inc., $41,087 to add a case manager at its Rare Breed center.
• Ujima Language and Literacy, $12,294 to support a family literacy model and five-year development sustainability plan.

Founded in 1983 by Jeannette Musgrave, the foundation focuses on initiatives impacting children and senior services; health care and education; poverty, hunger and homelessness; and arts and community betterment, according to its website.