Why Community Foundations?

For the majority of 2020 and 2021, parents and educators were worried whether or not schools would be able to reopen safely amid the COVID-19 pandemic. During the summer months of 2020, local schools took it upon themselves to plan and secure supplies to make classrooms as safe as possible. One of those schools taking a proactive approach was Black Hawk Elementary in Kahoka, Missouri.

Principal Betsy Parrish applied for a grant through the COVID-19 Nonprofit Response Fund at the Community Foundation in July and was awarded grant dollars to be used for student's health and safety.

"We were able to purchase chair back pockets for multiple classrooms, plastic pencil boxes to carry supplies, individual pencil sharpeners, individual dry erase markers and erasers, and a lot of hand sanitizer," said Parrish. "I also ordered 3M hooks so that teachers could hang student's backpacks and jackets from their desks so they wouldn't congregate at the coat hooks."

While returning to school during a pandemic may not feel normal, having safety supplies and resources on hand certainly helped ease the anxiety many families were facing. 

For more on the Community Foundation's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, click here. 

We’ve all heard the saying, “It takes a village to raise a child.” This quote becomes even more pertinent when considering children and teens navigating the foster care system. In most cases, it takes a community to ensure these children grow up in a safe and healthy environment; that’s where Birthday Blessings comes in. The nonprofit, based out of West Plains, Missouri, provides hope and cheer to children not only on their birthday, but also on their first day of school, graduation day, during their transition to independent living, and more.

“Our mission is to meet needs and spread cheer in the Missouri foster community. Most of our kids come from a background of poverty,” says Birthday Blessings Executive Director Shannon VonAllmen. “They are victims of abuse and/or neglect. We want them to feel like someone recognizes their existence and values them.”

Currently, VonAllmen and her team of volunteers serve Ralls, Monroe, Marion, Shelby, Macon, Pike, and Lincoln Counties in Missouri. There’s currently a waiting list of circuits who wish to partner with Birthday Blessings; one of those is the 1st Circuit, which includes Clark County. Through a recent grant from the Community Foundation, VonAllmen says they will expand to Clark County and set up a better distribution location in the Hannibal area.

Even though Birthday Blessings is a small organization, they are having a big impact in the lives of vulnerable children in the Show-Me State and the Community Foundation is proud to partner with this agency to spread joy and meet childrens’ needs going forward.

For more on the partnership between the Community Foundation and Birthday Blessings, click here. 

When you ask John and Betty Gebhardt what they’re passionate about, it’s almost an immediate response: the log cabins that sit on the Mississippi River’s Quinsippi Island Park.

The group of 1800s, Lincoln-era log structures include three cabins, a corn crib, a stone smokehouse and log church. A fourth cabin will be re-built later this year. 

In 2007, a group of citizens noticed that the cabins were in need of attention and formed the Friends of the Log Cabins to “restore, preserve and utilize” these historic structures for current and future generations to enjoy. Ten years later, in 2017, the Gebhardts started the Friends of the Log Cabins Fund with the Community Foundation in order to secure a permanent source of income.

“We want to make sure it lasts forever and in order to do that we established an endowment fund which we hope people will contribute to,” said John. “It will eventually pay for someone to oversee this operation so there’s always someone responsible for it.”

Keeping the history alive on Quinsippi Island for generations to come is a goal for the Gebhardts and they encourage other organizations to plan for the future as well. 

“Any organization that’s looking to last long term, needs to think about an endowment fund to cover the ongoing expenses, like staff, because that’s what it’s going to take to keep that operation going,” said John. 

An endowment fund: inspiring and enabling local nonprofits to prepare for future success.

Although the line-up reads like that of a stage in Branson or Chicago, our region’s residents can take in the sights and sounds of The Bee Gees, Johnny Cash, and Willie Nelson in their own backyard. 

The Legacy Theater in Carthage, IL hosts a variety of nationally performing tribute bands, musicians, magicians, ballet, and more. But, it’s not just providing big-city entertainment that makes The Legacy Theater a jewel in West Central Illinois. According to Joy Swearingen, Legacy Theater board member, it’s an economic and educational boom.  

“Our Carthage restaurants show a noticeable increase in customers on show days. For the local folks, it is a great part of developing ‘quality of life’ for this rural area. Educationally, our schools, dance studios and music teachers have a wonderful place for their students to perform as well as become inspired by the arts through shows they see.”

The Legacy Theater received a 2019 Community Foundation competitive grant that will be leveraged through a matching campaign to raise money for professional-quality light and sound equipment. The theater was renting the equipment. By purchasing it, the theater will see a savings for each show and add to its continued improvement efforts.

The markers of the past can still be found in what used to be the Lincoln Colored School, which sits on the edge of Martin Park in Canton, Missouri. From the old school desks, to the students who etched their names on the wall, the restoration of the old school house ensures this piece of Canton’s past is preserved for future generation to learn from and allow its stories to continue being told. 

“This school started back in 1881 and went until 1954 and educated African American kids,” said Phyllis Dean, project director at Lincoln Colored School. “Today, this school is still educating but we aren’t educating only African-Americans, we are opening it up to our community to learn from.” 

Dean established the Lincoln Colored School Endowment at the Community Foundation to honor past students of the Lincoln Colored School while encouraging the success of current and future generations. 

Beginning in 2023, the fund will help African-American students attending Canton R-V Schools reach their educational and extracurricular goals.

For more on the partnership between the Community Foundation and the Lincoln Colored School, click here.