Ripley County Community Foundation Grant Program

The Ripley County Community Foundation Grantmaking Program is a local philanthropic initiative administered under the umbrella of the Community Foundation of the Ozarks. Its mission is to enhance the quality of life in Ripley County, Missouri, through responsive grantmaking and community engagement. The program is overseen by a Board of Directors selected for their knowledge of the area, with representatives from the Ozark Foothills Regional Community Foundation serving on the grantmaking committee for the FY26 cycle. This structure ensures that funding decisions are made by individuals with a deep understanding of local priorities. The foundation’s funding is derived from both unrestricted and field-of-interest charitable funds contributed by donors who entrust local leaders to make grant decisions that address the most pressing community needs. Grant recommendations are made as funds become available, offering flexibility to support a wide range of initiatives within the county. The program underscores a commitment to equity and inclusiveness in its award process, explicitly prohibiting discrimination in both funding use and organizational operations. Eligible applicants for this program include IRS-approved 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, as well as government entities, school districts, and churches, provided they serve Ripley County. A key eligibility condition unique to this program is that 501(c)(3) organizations must have annual operating budgets below $250,000 to qualify. The grant opportunity is designed to support small-scale community efforts, with a maximum request amount of $500 per project for this cycle. The application requires standard organizational details, along with narrative responses covering project description, goals, community impact, geographic scope, and financial needs. Applicants must upload an annual agency budget or a projected budget if one is not maintained. They must also provide a project budget that distinguishes requested and external costs, describe other funding sources, and submit an EIN confirmation letter. Optional uploads may include visual or supporting documents such as diagrams or partnership letters. Applications must be submitted by 12:00 p.m. (noon) on October 17, 2025, through an online system that uses character-limited fields. The grant system counts all characters, including letters, numbers, punctuation, and spaces. Technical assistance for the application process is available from Latesa Carter at 417-864-6199, while questions about the grant program itself should be directed to Misty Edwards at 573-785-6402.

This grant application system uses a character count that includes letters, numbers, spaces, and punctuation.