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.
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.
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.
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.
Pictured above are the presenters and recipients of this years’ Women of the Year Scholarship Cycle (left to right: Casie Powell, Lauren Anton, Kaitlyn McMullin, Savannah Hunsucker, Jennifer Vogts and Ada Schmidt-Thiesen)
65 Total Scholarships
118 Scholarship Recipients
Scholarhip Ammounts:
$250 – $5500 each
Total Amount Awarded:
$127,700
“This year’s scholarship cycle was finalized in May. The scholarship award letters have been sent out and it has been fun to see what the recipients have chosen to do in the next phase of their lives. We wish them all the best as they move forward!” -Kim Stahly, CKCF Scholarship Program Officer.
Are you interested in growing your scholarship programs? View this SAMPLE LETTER from a fund advisor in Fredonia, KS.
He is strategically engaging a targeted people (alumni of a specific graduating class) and successfully connects with them in one very specific way. The proof of their success is in the amazing growth the fund has seen over the years.
The Hesston Community Foundation board of directors voted unanimously to grant $2,000 to team 7862D, Jones Braker and Madi Tozier, to attend the World’s Robotics Championship in Dallas, TX May 5-7, 2022. As the program is outside the scope of school support and funding, the team sought funding in the amount of $3,000 from community sources, including the Foundation, to cover the cost of their team registration and travel expenses.
The duo recently won the Innovate Award at the State Competition. Shortly thereafter, VEX invited Jones and Madi to participate in the World Competition. Their team is the only one from Hesston attending the World Competition. Considered an opportunity of a lifetime, they are the only team to go to worlds in three years from Hesston.
Madi and Jones are sophomores at Hesston High School. Jones is a sophomore, and this is his 2nd year in robotics. He joined the team to exercise his ability to think three-dimensionally in order to create something tangible, something you can see at work. Madi is also a sophomore and is grateful for the opportunity to have attended state and excited to attend World’s. She joined robotics because her brother talked highly of it and it sounded challenging and fun. She has quickly excelled in the program.
The members of the team are perfectly matched. Their innovative robot has a symmetrical design with a claw lift, goal lift and ring scoring technique. Together, they have overcome many obstacles including coding, building, win-point and driving. Their work has qualified them for six awards, including an out-of-state award. The Innovate Award, which qualified them for the World’s Championship, was given to them for a specific, unique piece of engineering that exemplifies thinking outside the box and innovative engineering design.
This spring we held our virtual “State of the Foundation” address on March 16, 2022.
Angie Tatro, CEO of Central Kansas Community Foundation, provided information regarding current events and statistics. CKCF’s Primary Investment Manager, Graystone Consulting, provided a report on the investment pool and also share market considerations. You can watch the recording of the address below. And remember, you can always access our financials at a glance HERE.
(L to R) Marisa Javier (HCF Board Member), Laura Delaney (Parkside Homes CEO) and Max Heinrichs (HCF Chairman)
In 2020, the Hillsboro Community Foundation (HCF), an affiliate of Central Kansas Community Foundation, set up the Helen and Laurine Schafer Charitable Fund. Helen proactively had made arrangements prior to her death, directing part of her estate to HCF for the establishment of a charitable fund, benefiting health related projects in Hillsboro. In the fall of 2021, the HCF board of directors designated a grant of $5,000 to both Parkside Homes and Salem Home.
Starting in 2022 the fund’s spendable balance will be part of the annual grant cycle. We look forward to utilizing this fund to support future health related projects in Hillsboro, fulfilling the charitable intent of these generous donors.
(L to R) -Max Heinrichs ( HCF Chairman), Marisa Javier (HCF Board Member), Lisa Donahue (Public Relations and Marketing) and Peter Mungai (Salem CEO)
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.
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.
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 Hesston Community Foundation board of directors voted unanimously to grant $2,000 to team 7862D, Jones Braker and Madi Tozier, to attend the World’s Robotics Championship in Dallas, TX May 5-7, 2022. As the program is outside the scope of school support and funding, the team sought funding in the amount of $3,000 from community sources, including the Foundation, to cover the cost of their team registration and travel expenses.
This spring we held our virtual “State of the Foundation” address on March 16, 2022.
