Best Cooper County Grants for Nonprofits in Missouri

Rapid Response Grant 

The Community Foundation of the Ozarks is now accepting applications to the Rapid Response Grant Program. This opportunity, which is open to the CFO's entire service area, provides one-time support to agencies with urgent, unanticipated needs such as: loss of federal and/or state funding, natural or manmade disasters, time-sensitive opportunities for collaboration or innovation, etc. A total of $80,000 is available for this first year of the grant program, with a maximum request amount capped at $3,000.00.

The maximum request amount is $3,000.00.

This is a one-time grant. Agencies may not submit multiple requests in the same fiscal year. Final reports will be due 6 months after funding is awarded.

Our Mission

Empower Students to Thrive in an Evolving World

STEM and CTE Grants for Your School

PLTW provides STEM and CTE-aligned curriculum grants for elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools to implement or expand PLTW Launch, PLTW Gateway, PLTW Computer Science, PLTW Engineering, and PLTW Biomedical Science STEM programs.

We work with companies and foundations across the U.S. to make these grants possible.

PLTW Launch

Caterpillar Foundation understands the importance of equipping individuals and communities with the skills, resources and services they need to thrive in our changing world. Investments in workforce readiness and STEM aim to create human infrastructure through an empowered, prepared and skilled workforce. 

Caterpillar Foundation has worked with PLTW to expand access to STEM education. Through this collaboration, Caterpillar Foundation is supporting PLTW grants to schools interested in starting and expanding PLTW programs beginning in the 2027-2028 academic year.

PLTW Launch

Program Expansion

Missouri Department of Social Services 

The Missouri Department of Social Services is responsible for coordinating programs to provide:

• Public assistance to help Missourians with food stamps, health care, child care, child support, blind services and other basic needs
• Health care coverage for eligible Missourians
• Child welfare services to help ensure the safety, permanency and well-being of Missouri children
• Specialized assistance to troubled youth

While many programs give needed financial assistance and services, other units work toward reducing financial dependency of the citizens on government assistance.

The Department of Social Services also has teams dedicated to:

• Protecting the integrity of public assistance programs by combating fraud, waste and abuse
• Administering and managing Medicaid audit and compliance initiatives
• Offering support to law enforcement agencies to help protect Missouri children

ToRCH Care Smart Growth and Service Line Modification

Purpose and Background Information

Missouri is transforming how rural healthcare works through ToRCH Care. Missouri’s ToRCH Care’s purpose is to help preserve access to essential services, advance high-priority health focus areas (e.g., maternal health infrastructure, behavioral health (BH) infrastructure or diagnostics, outpatient care and chronic disease management infrastructure), and strengthen regional care coordination. These goals will be advanced through coordinated implementation across several RHTP program areas. Additional information on the RHTP program can be found at Rural Health Transformation | mydss.mo.gov.

The Strategic Minor Renovations Program is one component of ToRCH Care’s Provider Transformation initiative. The program supports strategic investments to stabilize, modernize, and transform rural healthcare infrastructure and access-to-care capacity. Strategic Minor Renovations investments are structured across multiple horizons:

• Horizon 1 – Core Access and Service Preservation: Minor renovations or alterations to prevent disruption of core care access and preserve essential services. Horizon 1 focuses on urgent safety, compliance, and access risks that could jeopardize continued operation of essential healthcare services.

• Horizon 2 – Smart Growth and Service Line Modification: Smart growth and service-line modernization to “right-size” rural care access by renovating, reconfiguring, equipping, or repurposing existing spaces and capabilities into high-rurademand service lines. Horizon 2 is the focus of this IFB.

• Horizon 3 – Transformative and Future-Facing Projects: Larger-scale transformation, innovation, training, shared technology, or multi-partner redevelopment projects that reimagine rural care infrastructure. Horizon 3 is not the focus of this IFB.

PLTW Computer Science

Ameren has partnered with PLTW to inspire students and provide the hands-on STEM learning experiences necessary to thrive in life beyond the classroom. Ameren is a long-time supporter of K-12 STEM education in the region and is working with PLTW to provide grant support to high schools interested in implementing or expanding their PLTW Computer Science programs.

At a time when computer science affects how we work and live, PLTW Computer Science empowers students in grades 9-12 to become creators, instead of merely consumers, of the technology all around them. The program's interdisciplinary courses engage students in compelling, real-world challenges. As students work together to design solutions, they learn computational thinking – not just how to code – and become better thinkers and communicators. Students take from the courses in-demand knowledge and skills they will use in high school and for the rest of their lives, on any career path they take.

Through this partnership, Ameren has committed funds to support PLTW grants to schools interested in starting or expanding PLTW Computer Science programs beginning in the next academic year.

PLTW Program Status

Program Expansion

PLTW Computer Science

Ameren has partnered with PLTW to inspire students and provide the hands-on STEM learning experiences necessary to thrive in life beyond the classroom. Ameren is a long-time supporter of K-12 STEM education in the region and is working with PLTW to provide grant support to high schools interested in implementing or expanding their PLTW Computer Science programs.

At a time when computer science affects how we work and live, PLTW Computer Science empowers students in grades 9-12 to become creators, instead of merely consumers, of the technology all around them. The program's interdisciplinary courses engage students in compelling, real-world challenges. As students work together to design solutions, they learn computational thinking – not just how to code – and become better thinkers and communicators. Students take from the courses in-demand knowledge and skills they will use in high school and for the rest of their lives, on any career path they take.

Through this partnership, Ameren has committed funds to support PLTW grants to schools interested in starting or expanding PLTW Computer Science programs beginning in the next academic year.

PLTW Program Status

New Program

PLTW Launch

PLTW Launch's 43 interdisciplinary modules bring learning to life. The program empowers students to adopt a design-thinking mindset through compelling activities, projects, and problems that build upon each other and relate to the world around them. And as students engage in hands-on activities in computer science, engineering, and biomedical science, they become creative, collaborative problem solvers ready to take on any challenge.

Through this partnership, Ameren has committed funds to support PLTW grants to schools interested in starting or expanding PLTW Launch programs beginning in the next academic year.

PLTW Program Status

New Program

Grant Award and Distribution Schedule

• Total Award: $15,000
  • First Year: $10,000
  • Second Year: $5,000