Inclusion & Belonging Grant Program

The Community Foundation of the Ozarks administers the Inclusion & Belonging Grant Program to support inclusion, belonging, access, and equitable community participation across the foundation's service area in central and southern Missouri. The Community Foundation of the Ozarks has 55 regional affiliate foundations serving 63 counties south of the Missouri River. The program is intended to make small grants that help local organizations ensure that a broad range of perspectives are represented in community life and leadership. The funder also seeks to provide students with fair and inclusive opportunities for community engagement and leadership and to support visible representations of belonging in the Ozarks. Grant funds may support expenses associated with inclusive participation and engagement in local communities. Eligible requests can address representation of diverse perspectives in leadership roles and the broader community, opportunities for students to participate equitably in community engagement and leadership, and event expenses that create visible representations of belonging. Applicants are asked to explain the effort, the role equity plays in the request, and the proposed dates of participation or equitable engagement when applicable. If a proposal involves membership or participation in a program, organization, or event, the applicant must clarify whether participation has already been approved or whether an application is forthcoming. No matching or cost-share requirement is stated. Eligible applicants are 501(c)(3) organizations and other IRS-approved entities, specifically including government entities, school districts, and churches, that serve the Community Foundation of the Ozarks service area. The program has $90,000 available in total funding, and an agency may receive no more than $3,000 through the program per fiscal year. Agencies may not submit multiple requests during the same fiscal year. The Community Foundation of the Ozarks and its affiliates state that grant awards will not discriminate based on race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, ability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or veteran status. Organizations receiving funds also must not discriminate on these bases in employment practices or policies and procedures governing access to services. The application requires a project name, total request amount, and a one-sentence description of the request. Applicants must also provide a full description addressing the proposed effort and role of equity, describe the project's anticipated impact on access, inclusion, and community awareness in central and southern Missouri, and disclose whether the organization has received an Inclusion & Belonging Grant Program award within the last two years. Where applicable, applicants must describe recent awards from the program. Financial information is provided through a project budget identifying expense descriptions, amounts proposed for grant funding, and program costs outside the requested amount, followed by a budget narrative justification and a description of future funding plans. Applicants may upload optional letters of support from partner agencies or leaders involved with the proposed program as one file, with a 10 MB file-size limit. They may also upload a document or combined PDF containing additional materials relevant to clarifying the proposal, also subject to a 10 MB limit. A separate clarifying-details field is available for additional explanation. The application system uses character counts that include letters, numbers, spaces, and punctuation. The form identifies character limits of 100 for the project name, 20 for the request amount, 250 for the one-sentence description, 3000 for several narrative questions, and 2000 for clarifying details. Applicants must click the submit button to complete submission and receive a confirmation email after the application has been successfully received. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until available funds are fully spent or the application closes for the fiscal year on May 6, 2027. Applications are reviewed as they are received, with notification occurring approximately eight to ten weeks after submission. No separate letter of intent, concept paper, pre-proposal, or other pre-application gating requirement is identified in the provided materials. Potential applicants are encouraged to contact Marie Drenon at mdrenon@cfozarks.org with questions regarding the grant program. The application materials also provide the program phone number as (417) 864-6199. For technical support, applicants should contact Latesa Carter at lcarter@cfozarks.org or (417) 864-6199.

Clearly explain the role equity plays in the request and connect the proposed work to access, inclusion, belonging, and community awareness. Identify proposed participation or engagement dates when applicable and clarify whether participation in a program, organization, or event has already been approved or remains subject to an application. Provide specific budget rationale and explain future funding where applicable. Account for the application system's character count, which includes letters, numbers, spaces, and punctuation.