Does Greene County Extension Still Support 4-H?

Submitted Question: “I note you included 4-H youth in your fundraising emails and materials as an area that extension helps. I have been told that the Greene County Extension does not help the 4-H youth any more.  What areas does the Greene County Extension help the 4-H youth?” -- Greene County 4-H parent

Answered by David Burton, Greene County Extension county program director

We don't have a 4-H specialist headquartered in Greene County anymore but the local office and council does a lot to fund and support 4-H as an official Greene County Extension program. In other words, the local council still provides serious support for 4-H programming. Every county 4-H program needs a sponsoring extension council to exist. Since this question has been asked, it reminds me that I need to remind 4-H families about what the local extension council and office is doing in support of Greene County 4-H.

Examples of 4-H things the local office funded in 2014:
• 4-H postage for local requests.
• Free Storage for 4-H supplies.
• Staff position to manage 4-H enrollment fees.
• Mileage for all 4-H specialist travel in Greene County (nearly $1000 last year).
• Council oversight of club audits and finances required by law.
• Local council voted, supported and provided in kind support for two 4-H interns last summer and fall that worked with Greene County 4-H clubs and at the fair. We are doing the same thing this coming summer and fall and those internships are through the Greene County office.
• Council and staff are currently working to build a 4-H endowment.
• I wrote a grant to fund a Greene County 4-H educator in the county who would work with existing clubs and help establish new clubs. We are on round two of the grant and the local office would fund all overhead for that position.
• I am also implementing The Great Game of Business in our local office as an operating model with the goal to generate revenue above our operating costs so we can move toward funding a 4-H position. That is our priority. The last four years we have operated in the red despite having a fundraising campaign. Five years ago we finished the year $45,000 in the red. Last year we were just $6,000 in the read but our reserve funds are nearly gone.
• Media and marketing in support of 4-H programs and fundraisers which gets an audience to local events, like the pie supper, which allows the foundation to fund 4-H projects. This also includes media support for 4-H programs like the Dairy Cow Camp, summer camp and others. The staff and tools needed for the regional news service are all supported out of the Greene County Extension Center.
• Some office and administrative support for the 4-H Foundation.

I suspect there are a few other things too but this was off the top of my head.

Individuals who want to donate to Greene County Extension’s “Give Ozarks” campaign but do not want to give online May 5 need to get their checks to the Greene County Extension Center, 2400 S. Scenic, Springfield, Mo. 65807, by April 24. This will make it possible for the checks to count toward the Give Ozarks totals. Since 1914, Greene County residents have sought help from Extension in areas related to agriculture, gardening, 4-H youth, nutrition, families, business and community development. Your monetary gifts will help make it possible for these community educational efforts to continue.

Please make a donation from midnight to midnight on May 5 at www.giveozarks.org/2015/greene-county-extension in support of Greene County Extension 4-H youth, horticulture, master naturalists, master gardener, human development, nutrition and agricultural educational programs that will take place in the county this year. Our goal for the Give Ozarks campaign is $10,000. Every online donation we can get will move us closer to the goal and give our organization an opportunity to earn some of the incentive dollars being shared by the Community Foundation of the Ozarks.

Making a secure donation is simple. On May 5, donors can log onto www.giveozarks.org/2015/greene-county-extension to complete a basic credit-card donation. All donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by the IRS. Whether you give or not, please share this information with your friends and coworkers!