Western Kansas Community Foundation (WKCF) is awarding 25 area nonprofit organizations with grants totaling $89,875.28 from the Community Betterment Fund, the Kansas Health Foundation Children’s Fund, and various Field of Interest and Unrestricted funds for its March grant cycle.
The March grant cycle is the first of three grant cycles offered by WKCF each year. Next grant cycles have application deadlines of July 1 and November 1. Additionally, the WKCF awards Urgent Needs requests throughout the year.
For the first cycle of 2024, what were previously two grant opportunities (Core and Operating applications) have been combined into a single Community Grant application process. This change will now allow organizations to continue to apply for their program needs, but also their operating needs in any of the three grant cycles, rather than during the first grant cycle alone.
“With every program, there are inevitably going to be operating expenses intermingled with the programmatic expenses; the two are not always mutually exclusive. For the Foundation, providing grants is not merely providing financial assistance, but rather seeding community resilience, sustainable development, and growth,” said Stacie Hahn, WKCF’s Program and Marketing Director. “By allowing organizations to apply for their operating needs together with their programmatic needs, we hope to provide better support for the organizations than when the two parts were separated by different application opportunities.”
March grant cycle awards included:
- ABC Pregnancy Care Center “Fatherhood Connect” – $5,000.
- Atletico Liberal Futbol Club “24/25 Season Operating Funds” – $1,500.
- Bluejay Education Foundation “Outdoor Play Area for Special Needs Students” – $4,500.
- Cimarron Community Development “Park Seating Project” – $2,500.
- Community Day Care Center “Summer Fun in the Sun” – $1,479.
- GCCC Endowment Association “Construction Trades Training Center” – $5,000.
- Garden City Ministerial Alliance “Community Cultural Days” – $2,500.
- Great Plains MakerSpace “Pivot Robotics Expansion” – $4,782.
- Greeley County Health Department “Parking Lot Accessibility” – $5,000.
- Greeley County Health Services “Improved Surgical Resources” – $5,000.
- Immigrant Connection “Immigrant Connection” – $1,500.
- Kansas Children’s Service League “HS & EHS 2024” – $5,000.
- Kansas Legal Services “The Equal Justice Project” – $2,370.
- Magic’s HOPE “Community Outreach Program” – $1,500.
- Oral Health Kansas “Begin with a Grin” – $5,000.
- Real Men Real Leaders “Building Youth Into Leaders” – $2,500.
- Red Dog Children’s Museum “Ready to Roam” – $2,100.
- Satanta Aging Program “Replacing Heating & AC Units” – $6,994.28.
- Satanta High School FFA “Community Athletic Park” – $4,650.
- Seward County United Way “2024 Operating Funds” – $1,500.
- Southwest Health Transport “Southwest Health Transport” – $1,500.
- Southwest Kansas Community Concerts “Artist Fees 24/25” – $1,000.
- Tumbleweed Festival “Tumbleweed Festival 2024” – $1,000.
- USD #507 “High School Gym Renovation” – $1,000.
- Western Kansas Community Foundation “Jumpstart 2024” – $15,000.
Community Grants Total: $89,875.28
Additionally, one Urgent Needs Grant was awarded totaling $3,500 to Western Kansas Child Advocacy Center Scott City Mobile Therapy Unit.
Staff of Western Kansas Community Foundation always welcome visiting with donors or those interested in contributing to the unrestricted funds to help provide grants to more community projects and programs.
The next grant deadline is July 1.
To learn more about the application process and grant guidelines visit the WKCF website at www.wkcf.org, call at 620-271-9484 or stop by the office at 402 N. Main Street in downtown Garden City.
