Community Cares Grants 2026

The Lebanon Area Foundation (LAF), through its Community Cares initiative, has opened the application cycle for its 2026 Community Cares Grants. LAF is a local philanthropic organization based in Lebanon, Missouri, focused on supporting essential services that address the critical needs of residents within Laclede County. This grant cycle is targeted at helping nonprofits and charitable entities that deliver emergency shelter, food distribution, mental health services, addiction recovery, disaster response, and poverty alleviation efforts. The 2026 Community Cares Grant application process officially opened on July 1, 2025. The application format has been refreshed for the new cycle, and applicants are advised to carefully review all changes before submission. The program explicitly supports only essential, life-sustaining services rather than enrichment activities. Applicants must demonstrate that their work provides a vital safety net for vulnerable individuals and families in Laclede County. To be eligible, applicants must be a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, school, government entity, or other recognized charitable organization in good standing. All applicants must submit two complete copies of the application package, including the signed Agency Agreement Contract, which can be downloaded from the foundation's website. All grant-funded activities must exclusively benefit residents of Laclede County. Additionally, recipients will be required to submit quarterly reports, and LAF reserves the right to conduct on-site evaluations to verify the appropriate use of awarded funds. All submissions must be either hand-delivered or mailed—email or online submissions are not accepted. For hand-delivered packets, the deadline is 5:00 PM on Friday, August 29, 2025, to the administrative offices located at the Cowan Civic Center, 500 E. Elm Street, Lebanon, Missouri. If mailing, the packet must be postmarked by August 30, 2025. The final cutoff aligns with previous cycles, which typically conclude at the end of August. Two optional but recommended grant workshops are offered to support applicants. These sessions will be held at the Wallace Building at 325 Harwood Avenue in Lebanon. The workshops are scheduled for Monday, July 21, and Monday, August 11, 2025, both from 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM. RSVP is requested by calling the LAF office at 417-532-8868. Attendance is encouraged, especially for first-time applicants or agencies with new personnel completing the application. Funding distribution is scheduled for four cycles in 2026: January, April, July, and October. Notably, the October disbursement may be prorated depending on the actual pledge fulfillment through LAF’s fundraising campaigns. For questions or to obtain application documents in PDF format, contact the Lebanon Area Foundation at mfries@lafcares.org or call 417-532-8868.