Benton County Philanthropic Society Grantmaking Program

The Benton County Philanthropic Society Grantmaking Program, managed by the Community Foundation of the Ozarks, aims to enhance community well-being through strategic grantmaking. Eligible applicants include 501(c)3 organizations serving Benton County, focusing on innovative solutions to priority needs. In 2025, the program offers a total grant budget of $50,000, with a maximum request of $25,000. Collaboration among applicants is encouraged, fostering a spirit of community engagement and leadership.

NOTE: Finalists will be determined by the Benton County PHIL members at large, and all finalists will be required to submit a video presentation, which will be shown to members during the review process.
The mission of the Community Foundation of the Ozarks is to enhance the quality of life in our region through resource development, community grantmaking, collaboration, and public leadership.
Benton County Community Foundation
The Benton County Community Foundation works to improve the quality of life for individuals in Benton County through thoughtful grantmaking and community leadership. The Benton County Community Foundation is governed by a Board of Directors, chosen for their knowledge of the area.
The unique role of a community foundation is to conduct a flexible community grantmaking program which addresses the most important needs of the community at any one time. The flexibility this requires is made possible by charitable donors who established unrestricted or field-of-interest funds and place the decision-making in the hands of the community leaders serving on our Board of Directors as well as dollars raised by the Benton County Community Foundation. Grant decisions for this program are made by the Benton County Philanthropic Society (also referred to as The Benton County PHIL - Philanthropic Hometown Impact Leaders).
The Benton County PHIL is excited to award grants to address priority needs in Benton County - including the expansion of current programs and/or the creation of new services. For 2025, the Patterson Family Foundation has awarded a matching grant of $25,000.00, bringing the total grant budget to $50,000.00. The maximum request amount is $25,000.00, with additional amounts of $15,000.00 and $10,000.00 being awarded to the second and third highly-ranked agencies.

Eligibility

501(c)3 organizations or other IRS approved entities (government entities, school districts and churches) serving Benton County are eligible to apply.Grantees must not, in the use of CFO grant funds, discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, ability, sexual orientation, gender identity or veteran status either in its employment practices or in its policies and procedures concerning access to services.

Ineligibility

If your agency received a grant through the Benton County PHIL FY25 grant round last year, you are not eligible to apply this year.