Coover/RSP Rural Ready FY2027 Grant Program
Coover/RSP Rural Ready FY2027 Grant Program supports rural schools with projects in enterprise, career readiness, community connection, and service to prepare students and strengthen their communities.
Funder: Community Foundation of the Ozarks
Due Dates: October 27, 2026, at 11:45 p.m. (Application) | November 2027 (Final report)
Funding Amounts: Up to $7,000 per request for one year; $185,000 total available
Summary: Supports rural school projects that prepare students for their futures while strengthening their communities.
Key Information: Applicants must be members of CFO’s Rural Schools Partnership.
Description
The Rural Ready program gives rural schools flexibility to address the needs and opportunities that matter most in their communities. The Louis L. and Julia Dorothy Coover Foundation offers the program through a partnership between the Community Foundation of the Ozarks (CFO) and Commerce Trust Company, which partners with CFO to administer its grantmaking. Projects should help students gain the knowledge, skills, experiences, and relationships needed to thrive in an ever-changing world while strengthening the communities they call home.
Supported work includes youth enterprise and economic development, career and workforce readiness, community connection, and volunteer service. Projects can connect students with local employers, build relationships across generations, or improve community spaces in response to needs students identify.
