In late August, Central Kansas Community Foundation (CKCF) hosted a convening at Butler
Community College for affiliate leadership, community partners and other interested parties to
share information and opportunities associated with the most recent grant from the Funders
Network.

Presenters for the event included: Jeff Kohler, Mennonite Disaster Service, Cari Cullen, Center
for Disaster Philanthropy and Julie Stimson, Sedgwick County Emergency Management.

One important area of emphasis for the conversations that day was the emerging need for our
communities to be aware of marginalized populations who are under-served during a time of
disaster. Good conversations around diversity, equity and inclusion took place.

Represented affiliate foundations/communities learned about their eligibility for a $1,000 grant
to use for within their area to support this important work.

Grant awards will be used as follows:

Bethel College/North Newton CF
Invest in 22 emergency supply kits-Red Cross 3-day Emergency Pack for Bethe College residential halls which includes Haury and Voth Halls and Warkentin Court. Resident assistants in the buildings will be responsible for securing the supplies.

Butler County
Work with city managers in Butler County towns along with area landlords to collaborate on
increasing the number of renters in the county who hold renters’ and comprehensive auto
insurance. Utilize an informational campaign on multiple platforms to educate area renters on
the risks of being under-insured.

Elk County CF
Educate the community’s knowledge of emergency preparedness, response and recovery through distribution of an informational magnet with important contact details and a QR code that links to a website. Purchase a Heiman Viper Gallonage Nozzle for the Longton Volunteer Fire Department.

Goessel CF
Utilize the services of an engineer to explore the options for flood control and/or prevention in
the community of Goessel.

Halstead CF
Partnering with local organization, The Neighbors Store, the foundation will offer the opportunity for a pillowcase project for underserved populations. Supplies will include non-perishable items and a binder for essential documents.

Hesston College
Purchase six Bleeding Control Stations and five NOAA Weather Radios for placement in the residential areas of the college. Provide education to all students on proper usage of the new equipment.

Hesston CF
Partnering with Hesston Fire/EMS give community members with opportunity to create “GO BAGS” to be used by families in the event of a disaster. Bags will be backpacks that have File of Life documents, LED flashlights, phone chargers and water-resistant document folders.

Hillsboro CF
Working to enhance emergency preparedness in their community, the foundation will provide emergency site drone training and upgrade the body vests for law enforcement.

Newton CF
Partnering with the Harvey County Community Chaplain Response Team, the foundation will continue to grow their program for educating and supporting the Hispanic members of the community.

Peabody CF
Collaborating with students from the Peabody Middle and High Schools and the Peabody Fire Department, the group will work to clean curbs and paint house numbers on them for easier recognition by emergency responders.

Valley Center Police Department
Valley Center Police Department will purchase traffic barricades to assist during high traffic- pedestrian or vehicular-to keep citizens safe during a critical incident.

Wilson County
Partnering with Elk County, the Emergency Management department of Wilson County will provide a magnet with emergency information and a QR code. The public will have an opportunity to obtain the magnets at local partners, including city halls, libraries, senior centers and at community events.

Central Kansas Community Foundation (CKCF) has worked in partnership with the Funders
Network of Coral Gables, Florida for five years as a part of a cohort of community foundations in the Midwest to increase our understanding of the role that philanthropic partners, especially community foundations, play in disaster education, preparedness, response and recovery. Over the years we have received several generous grants from the Funders Network that CKCF has used to support our affiliate foundations in this important work.

October 24, 2022: Central Kansas Community Foundation hosted its Annual Meeting. In attendance were CKCF and Affiliate Foundation Board Members, Community Partners, Charity Leaders and Other Friends. We celebrated with a toast for what has been and what is to come. Pictured below are those we recognized at the event.  You can also review the presentation given and read the fascinating success stories in our 2021 Annual Report. This event was hosted at the Wild Prairie Event Center in Newton, KS. 

ANNUAL MEETING PRESENTATION

2021 ANNUAL REPORT

 

 

A Grant Writing Seminar was held  Friday, September 9th in partnership with Harvey County United Way. It was a huge success. The Porch venue in downtown Newton was utilized to host this well attended event of nearly 50 participants. Kaely Burgess with Health Ministries provided the presentation and did a phenomenal job. Her presentation included the importance of building relationships with funders, the art of storytelling, key dos and don’ts of grant writing, a process to vet requests for proposals, and funder research techniques. A lot of valuable information was shared by Kaely as well as participants in the room.

Newton Public Library Foundation, a CKCF affiliate, has reached 90 percent of its goal for the WHERE COMMUNITY CONNECTS Campaign to help construct a new Newton Public Library to benefit Newton and surrounding communities.

The campaign, with an October deadline, has a goal of $2.7 million to augment funding from the City of Newton and Newton Public Library for the $10 million project. The new library will be built adjacent to the existing library, and is designed to be a place for reading, learning, creating, and connecting. Features such as an updated children’s library, a dedicated teen area, private study rooms, an additional meeting room, and an indoor/outdoor seating area will provide an inviting space for traditional library experiences and new opportunities. By making the library accessible, up-to-date, and inviting, we can ensure that Newton Public Library can continue to provide quality service for generations to come.

LEARN MORE

DONATE TO THE NEW LIBRARY

If you wish to explore alternative ways of giving, please contact Angie Tatro, CEO, to learn more about IRA gifts, gifts of securities, tax credit opportunities and more. She can be reached at angie@centralkansascf.org or 316-239-9451.

The Peabody Community Foundation (PCF) is exploring community improvement, especially as it relates to housing, as part of an opportunity through the Kansas Association of Community Foundations experiment to apply the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) in the rural Kansas context.  PCF is one of five community foundations in the state to participate in the SDG project.

The effort is being led by five local influencers, selected for their community involvement and leadership:  Tom Spencer, Peabody Mayor; Ron Traxson, PCF board member; Becky Nickel, PCF Director; and community leaders, Lynn Berns and Susan Mayo.  This group is making housing their primary focus and anticipates procuring funds for research and the implementation of housing projects.

In addition to conducting dozens of stakeholder interviews, the SDG Team hosted a public meeting facilitated by WSU’s Community Engagement Institute on July 11, all in an effort to solicit input about the housing needs and priorities in Peabody.

“Our SDG Team is energized about the potential of working within the SDG framework to address our community’s needs.  There are 17 SDG goals and we’ve narrowed our focus to Goal 11, Sustainable Cities and Communities,” said Nickel.  “Each goal has several targets under it.  The first target under Goal 11 is adequate, safe and affordable housing which is a real need in Peabody.”

At its April planning session, the PCF Board of Directors named community improvement as a goal for the foundation, which aligns with the SDG goal for Sustainable Cities and Communities. The Board anticipates close collaboration with the SDG Team and the Peabody City Council toward this goal.

The SDG project is supported by the C. S. Mott Foundation and implemented by the Kansas Association of Community Foundations in partnership with the WSU Community Engagement Institute.  PCF, an affiliate of Central Kansas Community Foundation, is a member of the Kansas Association.

In addition to working locally, the five Kansas SDG teams are learning about efforts around the world where the SDG goals are being applied to issues like poverty, education, and hunger.  PCF, like many community foundations, is already working to reduce poverty and promote healthy lifestyles by granting funds to local charities with programming in these areas.  The SDGs provide a blueprint for asset development, community engagement, and investment strategies.

The two-year Kansas SDG project began in September 2021.  Learnings from the Kansas experiment will be shared with community foundations across the nation, as well as abroad, to inform and encourage more community foundations to incorporate SDGs into their work, regardless of their size or location.  The other Kansas foundations participating in the project are Rice County Community Foundation, Legacy-A Regional Community Foundation, Western Kansas Community Foundation, and Bird City Century II Community Foundation.