Springfield Black Tie, Inc., with grant administration support from the Community Foundation of the Ozarks, is accepting 2026 grant applications from nonprofit organizations providing programs, projects, and services that directly benefit the LGBTQ+ community in Springfield and southwest Missouri.
Application deadline: September 20, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. The controlling public grant profile does not state a time zone. Applications are submitted online through the Community Foundation of the Ozarks grant system.
Funding and priorities: The current 2026 public grant profile does not publish a maximum request, total pool, or mandatory match requirement. Springfield Black Tie intends to support programs or projects that would not otherwise be achievable without its financial support and gives preference to direct program activities. Requests solely for staff salaries or training expenses are less likely to be considered. Event-sponsorship-only requests are directed separately to Springfield Black Tie.
Eligibility and geography: Springfield Black Tie states that nonprofit organizations providing programs, projects, and services directly benefiting the LGBTQ+ community throughout southwest Missouri may apply. Selected applicants become beneficiaries of the November 7, 2026 Springfield Black Tie event; awards are expected in late December or January, with a mid-year report required.
Healthcare relevance: The program is not healthcare-specific, but healthcare organizations can be legitimate candidates when their proposed program directly serves the target community. APO Community Health Center, a southwest Missouri nonprofit healthcare organization offering primary care, HIV/STI services, behavioral health and telemedicine, was a 2025 Springfield Black Tie beneficiary. That prior award demonstrates healthcare-sector precedent, but does not guarantee 2026 eligibility or funding.
Atlas fit: Atlas rates the opportunity at 68/100. N9+ fit is 25/100 conditional and QC Healthcare fit is 10/100. The Nonagon N9+ should not be proposed unless the applicant defines a directly relevant healthcare-access project and the funder confirms that the proposed technology/equipment cost is allowable. Atlas does not infer equipment allowability from silence in the public grant profile.
Grant contact: Elyse Riley, President, Springfield Black Tie, president@springfieldblacktie.org. Technical application assistance is available from Latesa Carter at the Community Foundation of the Ozarks.