Local foundation awarded $5,000 grant

The Houston Community Foundation received a $5,000 grant during the annual Affiliate Appreciation Conference for the Community Foundation of the Ozarks.

The CFO selected two affiliates from its 51-member affiliate network for $5,000 grants at the Nov. 12 virtual conference; 10 others received $1,000 grants. The recipients were drawn from affiliates that had completed annual activities and provided conference inspiration. Because pandemic protocols prevented the CFO’s in-person gathering this year, many affiliate leaders also participated in the National Conference for Growing Community Foundations, hosted online by the Kansas Association for Community Foundations in late October.

The local affiliate had several accomplishments during the 2020 fiscal year. The foundation focused on board governance by updating its bylaws and recruiting new board members, awarded its first scholarship from the John and Naomi Montgomery Scholarship Fund, and secured $10,000 through the CFO’s Rural Ozarks Health Initiative project to support food security during the pandemic.

The HCF board of directors includes: Ross Richardson, president; Cynthia Ramsey, vice president; Heather Sponsler, secretary; Rob Harrington, treasurer; Dee Dee Dunn, Brad Gentry, Kristin Hart, David Keeney, Trisha Peaks and Parke Stevens Jr.

Founded in 2006, the HCF holds assets of $1,165,149 as of June 30, 2020.