Jim McNiell received the Board Member of Excellence Award from the Community Foundation of the Ozarks in recognition of his outstanding leadership and contributions to the Houston Community Foundation, an affiliate of the CFO.
McNiell was recognized for leading community engagement efforts for the HCF, including spearheading the foundation’s annual high school basketball tournament and building partnerships that expand awareness of the foundation’s mission.
The award was part of the CFO’s annual recognition of affiliates and affiliate leaders, presented April 23 prior to the Rural Philanthropy Summit. The conference, cohosted by the CFO and Philanthropy Missouri, was held April 24 at Missouri S&T in Rolla. For a full list of honorees and grant recipients, visit cfozarks.org/2026affiliateawards.
“The leadership, generosity and commitment of our affiliate communities is so important to celebrate,” said Ashley Silva, vice president of development and philanthropic services for the CFO. “Across our region, volunteers and partners are doing meaningful work every day to improve quality of life. We are grateful to the passionate affiliate leaders that make this work possible.”
What is an affiliate foundation?
Led by volunteer boards, affiliate foundations work with the CFO to improve the quality of life in their respective communities. Affiliate foundations connect with local donors and nonprofits to develop charitable funds and address community needs through grantmaking, while the CFO provides fund management, back-office support and additional philanthropic resources.
The Community Foundation of the Ozarks is the region’s largest public charitable foundation serving donors, nonprofit partners and 55 regional affiliate foundations with $549 million in assets under management as of June 30, 2025. The CFO’s mission is to improve the quality of life for everyone in central and southern Missouri through resource development, community grantmaking, collaboration and public leadership.
