CFO receives $250,000 national grant to grow rural civic engagement

Date: Sept. 18, 2025

The Community Foundation of the Ozarks has received a 2025 Civic Hub grant from the Trust for Civic Life, a national grantmaker supporting rural communities. The grant, totaling $250,000, will support work by the CFO and its regional affiliate foundations to bring together people across the region in new and meaningful ways. The CFO is among a cohort of 26 organizations to receive funds from the Trust for Civic Life in this cycle. 



The CFO will redistribute a portion of the funds through its affiliate foundations to support civic engagement programs in their own communities. Grant funds will also support rural Youth Empowerment Project chapters, the development of a civic engagement playbook, and regional convenings that build community connections and increase a sense of belonging in rural communities across central and southern Missouri. 

Through its Civic Hubs grants program, the Trust for Civic Life invests $8 million annually into locally led groups across rural America that strengthen civic engagement and create opportunities for long-term community collaboration. These grants support a wide range of efforts like local events, public spaces, new programs and communitywide initiatives — all designed to bring neighbors together to solve challenges and build stronger connections.

“When people come together to tackle the issues right in front of them — like building a playground, keeping a library open or creating new jobs after a factory closes — they see firsthand what’s possible when everyone pitches in,” said Charlie Brown, executive director for Trust for Civic Life. “Those local experiences make communities better, build trust and prepare people to face bigger challenges together.”

The Trust’s grants program aims to reach and fund groups working on the ground that are difficult for national philanthropy to find and fund. The latest round of funding awarded $8 million in grants ranging from $150,000 to $500,000, with the 26 new grantees together serving 382 rural counties across the country. 

“We are thrilled to be able to expand our community development efforts in central and southern Missouri in partnership with the Trust for Civic Life,” said Winter Kinne, president and CEO of the CFO. “Trust and connection within our communities depends on finding common purpose and are critical to fulfilling our mission of improving the quality of life for all.” 
The CFO will share more information about related events and grant programs as they develop. 


About The Trust for Civic Life: Launched in 2024, the Trust for Civic Life is a new grantmaker bringing together 21 national foundations and philanthropists to strengthen civic culture in rural communities. Through its core Civic Hubs program and small grants funding for experimental projects, the Trust aims to invest $50 million into 500 communities by 2028, supporting local work that fosters trust, belonging, and civic participation. Learn more at trustforciviclife.org.

About the CFO: The Community Foundation of the Ozarks is the region’s largest public charitable foundation serving donors, nonprofit partners and 55 regional affiliates with $549 million in assets under management as of June 30, 2025. 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.

Community Foundation of the Ozarks
Mailing: P.O. Box 8960 · Springfield, MO 65801
Physical: 300 South Jefferson, Suite 400 · Springfield, MO 65806
Phone: 417-864-6199 · Fax: 417-864-8344
cfozarks.org