The following article was published by the Rural School and Community Trust’s Center for Midwest Initiatives in their weekly e-newsletter. You can learn more about the Trust and CMI (and sign up for updates) at cmi.rural.edu.
Albert Bryant is a first-year mathematics teacher in tiny Everton, Missouri, his hometown. A graduate of Drury University, Albert was in the inaugural class of the Ozarks Teacher Corps, an effort dedicated to encouraging outstanding teacher prospects to return to their rural home communities as teachers. The Ozarks Teacher Corps is funded by the Community Foundation of the Ozarks’ Rural School Partnership and provides participants with a $4,000 per year scholarship, seminars on rural education issues, and a variety of networking opportunities.
Albert is one of six spring 2011 graduates who were hired for rural Ozarks’ classrooms. One other student was dismissed from the program for non-participation, and another returned their scholarship after accepting a position in an urban school. Albert and his colleagues have been featured in Education Week, USA Today, School and Community, and they have become ambassadors for rural schools. The program currently includes 25 future teachers from Drury, Missouri State University, and Evangel University. The second class is comprised both of December ’11 and May ’12 graduates. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted January 11th, 2012 in Ozarks Teacher Corps | No Comments »
(Pictured left to right: Terrill Story, Ramona Rhinhart, YEP board members, and Community Foundation board members: Kelly Money, Errica Hartley, Lindsey Pantaleo, Jenna Davis, & Jon Hartley.)
Recently, the St. James Area Community Foundation granted $2,000 to the St. James Youth Empowerment Program (YEP) to help them with their Firehouse Coffee Shop. St. James YEP’s Firehouse Coffee Shop has emerged from a place-based grant from the Rural School Partnership’s Coover grants program.
The partnership between the local community foundation and the school-centered YEP program is exactly the kind of collaboration that is needed to strengthen school and community in small towns. Congratulations to everyone in St. James for this good work.
Also in the last few weeks, the St. James Area CF threw a New Year’s Eve Gala at Matt’s Steakhouse, where they raised more than $10,000, as posted on their Facebook page.
If you would like to learn more about the Firehouse Coffee Shop project, go to the St. James YEP link at http://yep.groupspot.net/St.-James/Default.aspx.
Posted January 5th, 2012 in New Funds, YEP | No Comments »
We are in the midst of what is often the called the “Giving Season.” December and the holidays often bring out the best in people’s philanthropic tendencies (altruism and tax breaks are behind this seasonal phenomenon!). It is important for your organization to take advantage of this by sending out solicitations to support your school foundation or community foundation.
A very good tool for giving is the IRA Rollover opportunity, available to donors age 70-and-a-half and older, who have an IRA account. Eligible donors may donate up to $100,000 annually from their IRA to any charitable organization. Small gifts are permissible, too; and you should note that many people have the ability to make gifts in the $500 to $5,000 range from their IRAs.
Click here to download a PDF of our helpful IRA Rollover brochure.
Click here for some more specifics on IRA rollovers, the current provisions for which are effective through December 31, 2011.
Also, with December 31 fast approaching, many donors are making contributions to school foundations, funds or favorite agencies before the end of the calendar year. If you choose to contribute to a fund managed by CFO, you can do so online via our donations portal (PLEASE LIST THE NAME OF YOUR FUND OR AGENCY IN THE DESCRIPTION FIELD WHEN YOU GET TO IT), or you can call our offices at (417) 864-6199. If you choose to mail a check to CFO (P.O. Box 8960, Springfield MO, 65801), be advised that it must be POSTMARKED no later than December 31, 2011.
Posted December 26th, 2011 in Uncategorized | No Comments »
