OTC receives $25,000 grant from the William T. Kemper Foundation & Commerce Bancshares Foundation

The William T. Kemper Foundation & Commerce Bancshares Foundation have presented the OTC Foundation, the fundraising arm of Ozarks Technical Community College, with a joint grant totaling $25,000.  The gift, which was made to support the college’s Major Gifts Capital Campaign, will be used toward furniture, fixtures and equipment for the expansion of the Information Commons West, located on the Springfield campus.

“We are grateful for the generosity of these organizations, and that they have chosen to support higher education and their community through a gift to OTC,” said Dr. Hal Higdon, president of Ozarks Technical Community College.  “This gift will help us to provide much-needed classroom space in Springfield, which will make it possible for the college to serve even more students for years to come.” 

The William T. Kemper Foundation was established following his death in 1989. The Foundation is dedicated to continuing Kemper’s lifelong interest in improving the human condition and quality of life through the support of education, health and human services, civic and economic development, and the fine and performing arts.  The Commerce Bancshares Foundation, a division of Commerce Bancshares, Inc., is also committed to giving back to the community. They invest more than a million dollars annually in organizations throughout the Commerce Bank service area.

“This grant brings the total money raised by the OTC Foundation’s Capital Campaign to $10,632,048,” said Cliff Davis, vice president for Institutional Advancement and executive director of the OTC Foundation.  “We have been honored by the support of our community, of area business leaders, and of vital organizations like these two Foundations.”

The OTC Foundation, now in its 14^th year of operation, works to meet the ever-increasing needs of Ozarks Technical Community College through the funding of scholarships, new programs, and capital improvement projects.  The current Major Gifts Capital Campaign includes efforts to raise money for scholarships, as well as for a Center for Health Education, Student Support programs, and Workforce Development.