Community Outreach Ministries of Bolivar MO
Help for Today. Hope for Tomorrow.
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Community Outreach Ministries (COM) exists to address poverty and hunger in Polk County, Missouri. According to DataUSA, Polk County has a 14.4% poverty rate, 2% higher than the national average. The medium household income in the county is $44,805, about $6,737 less than the average for the state of Missouri. In 2020, COM served over 1,100 households in Polk County through our food pantry. These households constitute over 2,600 individuals, and each household has a household income of less than 200% of the Federal Poverty Level. When families face hunger or poverty, this has wider reaching impacts in society. Poverty and hunger create stressors in families, which can increase rates of drug use, child abuse and domestic violence, and crime. Children who face hunger also struggle in school both academically and emotionally. However, addressing poverty is a complex challenge that involves a variety of approaches and partnerships with multiple community agencies.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Food Pantry
The COM Food Pantry does food distribution 3 days a week for low-income families to provide food assistance. The Pantry provides TEFAP and USDA food.
Where we work
Affiliations & memberships
Ozarks Food Harvest 2021
Polk County Community Connections 2021
Bolivar Area Chamber of Commerce 2021
External reviews

Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Total pounds of food rescued
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Economically disadvantaged people
Related Program
Food Pantry
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
COM picks up slightly damaged or other food from local food retailers and distributes this food to families experiencing food insecurity. This keeps food out of landfills and feeds people.
Number of people within the organization's service area accessing food aid
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Economically disadvantaged people
Related Program
Food Pantry
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
Number of unduplicated individuals in households who received food assistance from COM's food pantry.
Pounds of produce distributed
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Economically disadvantaged people
Related Program
Food Pantry
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Total dollars distributed for utilities assistance
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Economically disadvantaged people
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
The amount of payments made to utility companies on behalf of low-income clients.
Average number of dollars received per donor
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Economically disadvantaged people
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
The average has decreased because COM has grown it's donor base. For example, we had a 75% increase in monthly donors in 2020. Our donor retention rate is 66%.
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
COM will provide effective programming and develop strong inter-agency partnerships in order to bring the poverty rate in Polk County below 13% by 2030.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
COM's strategies are multi-faceted. First, we address immediate needs by providing food to low-income individuals and ensuring enrollment in SNAP benefits for eligible individuals and families. We also partner with the Salvation Army to provide financial assistance to households in the areas of rent, utilities, shelter, medication, and gas. Addressing these immediate needs helps stabilize families and prevents them from falling further into poverty.
Second, COM has case management and employment access programs to connect households to needed resources and skills training to empower them to get out of poverty and create sustainable lives.
Third, COM partners with community agencies and organizations, including the City of Bolivar and Polk County, Polk Co. Health Center, SBU, churches, and other social service programs to create a holistic, community-wide strategy for alleviating poverty in Polk County.
Finally, COM is committed to sustainable practices as we believe that environmental justice also helps promote economic justice. COM offers a recycling program to the public and also provides education to the public on sustainable gardening and recycling.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
COM currently has a large food pantry that serves over 1,000 individuals every month. As a member of Ozarks Food Harvest, our regional food bank, we are able to acquire large quantities of food for cheap or free and also receive a USDA grant for TEFAP commodities.
We partner with the Salvation Army to provide immediate financial assistance to households in need, typically worth about $30,000-$40,000 per year between The Salvation Army and COM funds.
In 2019, COM acquired a forklift and industrial baler to begin offering a recycling program for Polk County residents. This program is also being integrated into our new Employment Access Program (called "Project Thrive") which offers job and life skills training to underemployed individuals.
COM also partners with local agencies such as OACAC, Polk County Christian Social Ministries, churches, Southwest Baptist University, the University of Missouri Extension, Polk Co. Health Center, and more to ensure clients receive wrap-around services for whatever needs they have.
Finally, the organization's financial capacity is strong as we have grown our savings to sustain the organization for 4-6 months if a crisis were to wipe away every other revenue stream. We have also invested in donor development and saw a 75% increase in monthly donors in 2020, as well as a 66% donor retention rate overall for 2020 (about 20% higher than the national average for nonprofits.)
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
COM began in 2007 as the Bolivar Area Ministerial Alliance before rebranding in 2014 as Community Outreach Ministries. Over the years, we have done a great job in establishing safety-net programs to address the immediate needs faced by families experiencing poverty. Our food pantry regularly assists over 500 households every month and is regularly cited as a strength of the organization. Our ongoing partnership with the Salvation Army has also allowed us to serve financial needs throughout the year and has kept many families sheltered and housed. These services have been vitally important in keeping many people in our community from falling deeper into poverty and hunger.
As we look toward the future, COM is expanding our programming beyond simply addressing the immediate needs into more long-term solutions. In particular, we began an employment access program at the end of 2020. This program provides training and work experience, soft skills classes (in partnership with other area agencies), and case management to increase clients' marketability and employment skills. We also have case managers who help clients analyze and address the obstacles they face in overcoming poverty in the first place so they can be less dependent on services like the food pantry.
Finally, COM is exploring better ways to utilize technology to serve clients, increase efficiency, and address poverty and hunger in Polk County. For example, in 2021 we increased our capacity to send text message and email broadcasts to clients and volunteers. In 2020, we upgraded our phone system to a VOIP system which has increased both staff productivity and ease of access for clients and the public. We are also currently exploring possible ways in include online ordering within the food pantry to decrease wait times for clients and reach more individuals who may experience food scarcity in their homes.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve
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What significant change resulted from feedback?
We recently re-examined our food pantry times. Our new times were developed based on feedback from clients and volunteers about what worked best with their schedules and would be the easiest for them to come. We have also surveyed clients regarding food pantry access in light of COVID-19. In 2020 we converted the food pantry to a drive through. In 2021, we have surveyed clients to assess how well this is working and to get feedback on client preferences for the food pantry model in a post-COVID environment. This feedback will be utilized as we explore how to structure the food pantry after the pandemic.
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Community Outreach Ministries of Bolivar MO
Board of directorsas of 02/22/2022
Mr. Matt Bunn
The Heights Church
Term: 2016 -
Michelle Morris
Polk Co. Health Center
Term: 2018 -
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Not applicable -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Not applicable -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
We do not display disability information for organizations with fewer than 15 staff.
Equity strategies
Last updated: 09/09/2019GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.