Kristie Diller

CKCF Scholarship Program Officer

How long have you worked at CKCF and how has the scholarship program changed since you were hired?

i have worked at CKCF for almost three years in May (congratulations!!). The work has gotten busier and bigger as we keep growing all the time! I have tried to become more effective and efficient to keep it all together, including playing an instrumental role in establishing Community Force scholarship and grant management program at CKCF.

What is your process for managing scholarships?

I meet with counselors to market new scholarships and send emails to update counselors on open and close dates of scholarships. I update applications online, get scholarship selection committees together and make sure they have their compliance forms signed. We work with counselors and donors on student selection after a decision is made so they have information for HS award ceremony. Finally, I send award letter to recipient and then work with them on getting the necessary information from student so that check can be ordered and sent to college for tuition. Throughout the year, I work with donors to establish the next year’s gift amounts and update applications in Community Force per changes to scholarships.

What do you enjoy about your job?

I enjoy meeting with donors to update their scholarships if they wish to make changes, I also enjoy writing new scholarships and getting to know new donors and learn about why they wish to establish a scholarship, possibly a legacy scholarship in memory of a loved one. Most of the time, I really feel like these people are family to me after working so closely with them throughout the process. On occasion, I attend board meetings and that is enjoyable to me as well – it helps me to see how the whole community foundation model fits together, help with event planning and executing events, etc.

What advice do you have for students applying for scholarships?

Make sure you are eligible for the scholarship before taking time completing the application, build on your accomplishments when writing an essay; sell yourself! Why are YOU the best for this award? Your accomplishments, activities, talents and awards all help prove that you are the best fit. If you list all your activities be sure to focus on one or two of the most important ones by sharing details. Use details and examples to back up your claims and arguments as to why you should receive the scholarships you are applying for. Run spellcheck and grammar check but also have a friend or family member look your application over to make sure everything looks perfect and complete as technology does make errors. Be proud of yourself and your application!

Central Kansas Community Foundation is proud to reward scholarships to many very deserving young people during this time of the year.

Program Highlights

• We manage 91 scholarship cycles per year, ranging in field of interest
• Majority of our scholarship funds award 1 scholarship per year at an average of $500 per award.
• In 2018, our competitive and designated scholarship funds awarded a total of $155,676.64.

Apply for a Scholarship

Our scholarships are opening and closing all the time between February and May. Make sure you check the schedule to find one in your area and use our scholarship database to search for one that is just right for you!

CKCF Scholarship Page

Click here to search available scholarships

2019 Scholarship Cycles

We award scholarships in BUTLER, ELK, HARVEY, MARION, RENO, SEDGWICK, SHAWNEE & WILSON County, Kansas

 

 

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We want high school seniors to apply for a CKCF scholarship! Various cycles in an eight-county region will be opening and closing between now and graduation, with awards announced in early to mid May.

We have scholarships available to students in the following counties: BUTLER, ELK, HARVEY, MARION, RENO, SEDGWICK, SHAWNEE & WILSON County, Kansas

To find a scholarship that you qualify for, visit our online database. You will be asked a series of questions that will help find those you qualify for. For your convenience, you can apply directly through CommunityForce.

Online Scholarship Database

For instructions on how to apply, reference the following document.

Online Application Instructions

For more information, visit our Scholarship Page.

 

Agency/Organizational Fund Overview

An agency fund represents a true partnership in supporting local charities!

We want to recognize a special partner today – charitable organizations with Agency Funds under management. We provide fiscal investment management to thirty-three (33) Agency Funds which includes lower investment costs and compliance for financial staff and auditors.

Agency Funds Defined

Agency Endowment: A not for profit organization provides revocable authorization to the Foundation to manage the money in its fund. The organization can request and receive the entirety of its assets back at with mutual approval between both boards of directors. The fund is recorded on your organization’s books as an asset and on the Foundation books as an asset and a liability. All contributions to these funds must come from your organization directly. We cannot accept charitable gifts from individual donors to Agency Endowment Funds.

Strict Endowment: A not for profit organization irrevocably gifts the fund and all future earnings to the Foundation in perpetuity. An annual payout consistent with our spending policy is designated to the organization. This option is best for organizations that want to assure donors that the endowment’s principal will not be invaded, or those that want to honor a donor’s bequest of an endowment fund. The Foundation can accept charitable gifts from individual donors to this type of Agency Endowment Fund.

Examples

Health Ministries of Harvey County, Inc. Endowment Fund
Florence Historical Society Endowment Fund

What would you do if you had the power to do something remarkable today while making an impact that would last forever, the kind of impact that takes little time and costs you nothing? All of this is possible when you take a moment to review and update the beneficiary designations for your retirement and bank accounts.

If you have any of the following, then you have a great opportunity to leave your own lasting impact:

• IRA, 401(k) or 403(b) retirement accounts
• Investment accounts
• Checking, savings or CD account
• Life insurance you no longer need

The process of naming beneficiaries is easy. It gives you the power and control to tell your administrator who will inherit your accounts when you pass away. With a beneficiary designation, you still own the account and can continue to use it to meet your needs. To name your beneficiaries, ask your account custodian, insurance agent or bank to send you a beneficiary designation form, fill it out and return it. You can name family, friends or an organization like ours to inherit your account. When you leave a gift to us, we will be able to continue our work.

AMY BUDDE

SECRETARY

ABOUT AMY
Amy graduated from Newton High School and Wichita State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance. With her husband Mike they have two kids, Lane 14 and Logan 12.  When they are not at a sporting event for the kids, they enjoy spending family time working on their little hobby farm. Their kids show horses and pigs in 4-H, and they raise a few cattle.

CAREER
For the past 12 years, Amy has worked at The Citizens State Bank, currently serving as Market President. 

AMY IS PASSIONATE ABOUT CKCF!
Bill Hake, Amy’s former boss, asked her to join the board of CKCF after he retired from the bank.  She has really enjoyed learning about CKCF  and finds it is wonderful to be a part of an organization that helps many other non-profit organizations in the Newton community and surrounding communities.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
She serves on the USD 373 endowment committee and is a member of Newton Young Professionals.