Kansas Grants for Nonprofits

Bell's Brewery Sponsorships and Donations

Sponsored events and donations play a key role within our Bell’s philosophy. Through these events, we are able to not only give back to the communities we sell our beer in, but also get to have a great time with our fans! We are always looking for new opportunities and welcome your suggestions and applications. Please keep in mind that while we would love to be able to participate in everything, we sometimes must respectfully decline.

We do have a few guidelines we follow for all sponsorships and donations, please read through them below before proceeding to our application.

• Requests must be submitted at least 8 weeks prior to the event start date or the date the donation is needed. Any events submitted with less than 8 weeks’ notice will automatically be declined. We want to give every event we are involved in the best chance for success, which means we need time to plan. While 8 weeks is our minimum time requirement, additional time is always appreciated, especially for larger events.
• We do very little traditional advertising, instead we focus our efforts on sponsorships. When we partner with an event or an organization, we like to be involved! That said, if your proposal only involves a logo placement, we will politely decline in favor of events that offer us a chance to interact with our fans.
• We’re an eccentric bunch here at Bell’s and love to be involved with events that reflect your community’s eccentricities, uniqueness and inclusivity.
• We are always happy to consider requests for donations of Bell’s swag for homebrew competitions, fundraisers and events! That said, due to Michigan state law, we are not legally allowed to donate beer to events in any state. We’re sorry, but we legally cannot make any exceptions.

Charitable Contributions

Our goal with financial contributions from BOK Financial and the BOKF Foundation is to enhance the quality of life and economic wellbeing in the communities where BOK Financial operates and where our employees work and live including Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. Our charitable contributions are focused on four pillars of giving: United Way, economic development, education and basic needs

Our long-term strategic plan guides all contributions to assure maximum impact in the community and to develop mutually beneficial relationships with our nonprofit partner agencies. BOK financial contributions are budgeted on an annual calendar basis. We accept online charitable contribution/grant applications throughout the year.

Pillars of giving

Basic Needs

We provide volunteer and financial support to organizations serving the most vulnerable members of our community. Our efforts largely focus on organizations providing direct services addressing such issues as poverty, hunger, healthcare, housing and safety.

Education

An equitable, robust educational system drives long-term community growth. We support local nonprofits whose primary mission is promoting basic education, including public school foundations, early childhood education, financial literacy, and institutions of higher education.

Economic Development

Actions that raise the standard of living and economic health of our communities make them better places to live and work. We provide support to local chambers of commerce; nonprofits focused on workforce development, job training, etc.; and public/private partnerships investing in our communities.

NOTE: For nonprofit organizations new to U.S. Bank Foundation, a Letter of Interest is available. Community Affairs Managers will review Letter of Interest submissions periodically to learn about new and innovative programs and organizations in their regions and markets. After reviewing a Letter of Interest, a Community Affairs Manager may reach out with a request for a full application. You can access the Letter of Interest by clicking the “Submit a letter of interest” link at the bottom of this page. Letters of Interest may be submitted at any time during the year.

Community Possible Grant

Through U.S. Bank’s Community Possible® grant program, we invest in efforts to create stable jobs, safe homes and communities.

Funding Types

Within these general guidelines, we consider the following funding request types:

Operating grants

An operating grant is given to cover an organization’s day-to-day, ongoing expenses, such as salaries, utilities, office supplies and more. We consider operating support requests from organizations where the entire mission of the organization fits a Community Possible grant focus area.

Program or project grants

A program or project grant is given to support a specific, connected set of activities, with a beginning and an end, explicit objectives and a predetermined cost. We consider highly effective and innovative programs that meet our Community Possible grant focus areas.

Capital grants

A capital grant is given to finance fixed assets. The U.S. Bank Foundation considers a small number of requests for capital support from organizations that meet all other funding criteria, whose entire mission statement fits a Community Possible grant focus area, and with which the Foundation has a funding history. All organizations requesting capital funding must also have a U.S. Bank employee on the board of directors. U.S. Bank does not fund more than 1% of the non-endowment total capital campaign fundraising goal. All capital grant requests are reviewed and approved by the national U.S. Bank Foundation Board or by the U.S. Bank Foundation President.

Focus Area: PLAY

Creating vibrant communities through play.

Play brings joy, and it’s just as necessary for adults as it is for kids. But in low-income areas there are often limited spaces for play and fewer people attending arts and cultural events. That’s why we invest in community programming that supports ways for children and adults to play and create.

Access to artistic and cultural programming and arts education

Our investments ensure economic vitality and accessibility to the arts in local communities, as well as support for arts education. Examples of grant support include:

• Programs that provide access to cultural activities, visual and performing arts, zoos and aquariums and botanic gardens for individuals and families living in underserved communities
• Funding for local arts organizations that enhance the economic vitality of the community
• Programs that provide funding for arts-focused nonprofit organizations that bring visual and performing arts programming to low- and moderate-income K-12 schools and youth centers

Supporting learning through play.

Many young people across the country do not have the resources or access to enjoy the benefits of active play. Supporting active play-based programs and projects for K-12 students located in or serving low- and moderate-income communities fosters innovation, creativity, and collaboration and impacts the overall vitality of the communities we serve. Funding support includes:

• Support for organizations that build or expand access to active play spaces and places that help K-12 students learn through play and improves the health, safety and unification of neighborhoods in low- and moderate-income communities
• Programs that focus on using active play to help young people develop cognitive, social and emotional learning skills to become vibrant and productive citizens in low- and moderate-income communities

Focus Area: WORK

Supporting workforce education and prosperity.

We know that a strong small business environment and an educated workforce ensure the prosperity of our communities and reducing the expanding wealth gap for communities of color. We provide grant support to programs and organizations that help small businesses thrive, allow people to succeed in the workforce, provide pathways to higher education and gain greater financial literacy.

Investing in the workforce.

We fund organizations that provide training for small business development, as well as programs that support individuals across all skill and experience levels, to ensure they have the capability to gain employment that supports individuals and their families. Examples of grant support include:

Small business technical assistance programs

Job-skills, career readiness training programs with comprehensive placement services for low- and moderate-income individuals entering or reentering the labor force

Providing pathways for educational success.

To address the growing requirements for post-secondary education in securing competitive jobs in the workplace, we support:

• Organizations and programs that help low- and moderate-income and at-risk middle and high school students prepare for post-secondary education at a community college, university, trade or technical school and career readiness
• Programs and initiatives at post-secondary institutions that support access to career and educational opportunities for low- and moderate-income and diverse students

Teaching financial well-being for work and life.

Financial well-being is not only critical for financial stability, it’s crucial in helping individuals be successful in the workplace. Examples of grant support include programs that positively impact:

• K-12 and college student financial literacy
• Adult and workforce financial literacy
• Senior financial fraud prevention
• Military service member and veteran financial literacy

Focus Area: HOME

Working to revitalize communities one neighborhood at a time.

Children and families are better positioned to thrive and succeed in a home that is safe and permanent. Access to sustainable low-income housing is increasingly challenges for low-moderate income families. In response, our giving supports efforts that connect individuals and families with sustainable housing opportunities.

Access to safe, affordable housing

We provide financial support to assist people in developing stability in their lives through access to safe, sustainable and accessible homes. Examples of grant support include:

• Organizations that preserve, rehabilitate, renovate or construct affordable housing developments for low- and moderate-income families, individuals, seniors, veterans, and special-needs populations
• Organizations that provide transitional housing as a direct steppingstone to permanent housing
• Organizations that focus on Veterans housing and homeownership
• Construction of green homes for low- and moderate-income communities
• Energy retrofit programs for low- and moderate-income housing developments

Home ownership education

Owning and maintaining a home requires significant financial knowledge, tools, and resources. We support programs that assist low- and moderate-income homebuyers and existing homeowners. Examples of grant support include:

• Homebuyer education
• Pre- and post-purchase counseling and coaching
• Homeownership-retention programs designed to provide foreclosure counseling

The Kauffman Foundation works in partnership with organizations that share our vision and passion for education, entrepreneurship and the Kansas City community. We look for ways to advance programs and to leverage additional funding and resources in these areas. We consider our grants to be investments, and we look for a return on the investments we make.

Entrepreneurship

An entrepreneurial spirit is at the heart of the work we do across the Kauffman Foundation every day.

Our founder, Mr. Kauffman, believed it was a fundamental right for anyone who had a big idea to be able to bring it to life. We work with entrepreneurs, empower them with tools and resources, and work to break down barriers that stand in the way of starting and growing their businesses.

Here's the reality: Too many are left out of our economy. A recent report expands on the connection between the long-term decline in entrepreneurship and the effect on productivity and growth. The lackluster productivity drags down wages and living standards. Put simply – fewer startups mean a lower quality of life for Americans. We need to contribute to a new economic model. One that infuses entrepreneurship into the economy and removes barriers to starting and growing businesses.

As Mr. Kauffman said, we believe that everyone has a fundamental right to turn an idea into an economic reality, regardless of who you are or where you're from, with zero barriers in the way.

Entrepreneurship Focus Areas

Communities

Creating supportive communities for entrepreneurs to make an idea a reality by empowering entrepreneurs everywhere as agents of progress. The strategy, including convenings such as the ESHIP Summit and the Mayors Conference on Entrepreneurship, will build a new model of economic development by pioneering the principles, culture, tools, and metrics of successful entrepreneurial communities.

Learning

Creating a learning community of entrepreneurs, providing people with ideas the connections, tools, and support needed to be successful, like launching a revamped Kauffman FastTrac and expanding 1 Million Cups to more markets and demographics.

Market Gaps

Working together with communities and collaborating organizations to level the playing field for entrepreneurs that have been systemically left behind due to demographic, socioeconomic, and geographic barriers through existing entrepreneur support grant programs, issuing requests for proposals (RFPs), and amplifying learnings across the field of entrepreneurship support.

Policy

Reducing barriers and providing support by empowering entrepreneurship advocates, educating entrepreneurs' and policymakers' understandings of how policy affects entrepreneurship and continuing to build relationships with policymakers.

Research

Creating actionable insights, data-driven models, and practical tools that align with core strategies and support reducing barriers for entrepreneurs through key reports, such as the Kauffman Indicators of Entrepreneurship and other papers or articles.

Since its inception, the Foundation, which is still led by Lester T. Sunderland's descendants, has focused on supporting construction projects, awarding grants to nonprofits in the Kansas City region and other markets traditionally served by the Ash Grove Cement Company. 

 The Foundation prefers to make grants for construction and special interest projects rather than for annual operating expenses. 

Grants for planning, design, construction, renovation, repairs and restoration of facilities are considered. Areas of interest include higher education, youth serving agencies, health facilities, community buildings, museums, civic projects and energy efficient affordable housing projects sponsored by qualified tax-exempt organizations. 

Funding Areas

In recent grant cycles, the Board of Trustees has awarded the majority of grants in four broadly defined areas:

Health Care and Hospitals

A growing area of need in many of the communities the Foundation serves. In 2017, more than $2.9 million was awarded to hospitals and health-care groups to build and improve their facilities. 

Human Services

The Foundation awarded over $7 million to human service nonprofits in 2017, and the majority of grants in this area were awarded to groups that provide essential services to youth and families. Grantees included a range of youth-focused groups, including the Kansas 4-H Foundation, Kids TLC, Ronald McDonald House & Boys & Girls Clubs. 

Higher Education

In 2017, the Foundation awarded more than $10 million to over 45 educational organizations. Grantees included community colleges, private colleges, and public universities. 

Arts and Culture

Background

The Penn National Gaming Foundation, a 501(c)3 private foundation, was launched in 2005 by Penn National Gaming, Inc. in the wake of Hurricane Katrina to provide assistance to the nearly 2,000 Penn National employees impacted by the storm. The Foundation awarded over $1.4 million in grants for immediate needs such as food, water, clothing, shelter and medical needs.

The Foundation also supported relief efforts across the Gulf Coast through donations to organizations such as Hope Haven Shelter in Bay St. Louis, the MS Law Enforcement and Firefighter Katrina Relief Fund, KaBOOM! and its efforts to rebuild playgrounds on the Coast, and the Gulf Coast-area Salvation Army. 

Today, the Penn National Gaming Foundation is proud to support numerous local non-profit organizations in the communities in which Penn National operates, focusing on projects that promote community development, education, human services, cultural affairs and diversity, health services, and programs that provide support and services to veterans, active members of the military and their families. 

Our Commitment

Penn National Gaming Foundation, Inc. grants shall be used to address the broad needs of the residents of the communities in which Penn National Gaming, Inc. (PNGI) operates or has a business interest, which currently includes the following states: Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and West Virginia. 

Funding Criteria

Foundation grants shall generally fall in the following categories: 

Community Development. Projects and programs related to community infrastructure improvements, public safety, economic development, housing, historic preservations, citizen involvement, civic leadership training, and other general community activities. 

Education. Programs which support per-school, elementary and secondary education, post-secondary education and special education programs.

Human Services. Programs which address the needs of children and youth, senior citizens and disadvantages populations, especially in times of natural or man made disaster.

Cultural Affairs & Diversity. Programs and facilities designed to foster an understanding, appreciation and celebration of different cultures and encourage participation among individuals of different cultures and belief systems.

Health. Local health and medical-related programs.

Projects we support

Generally, the Mabee Foundation supports organizations or projects in the following areas:

• Educational
• Social and Humanitarian Services
• Medical and Health
• Cultural and Religious

The Mabee Foundation Board of Trustees considers grant requests at its quarterly meetings the second Tuesday in January, April, July and October. Grant requests must be received by the first business day of December, March, June and September to be considered at the corresponding Board meeting.

The Mabee Foundation only makes grants for construction projects, renovation projects and for the purchase of major medical equipment.

Grants

Mabee Foundation grants are ‘challenge grants,’ meaning that the organization must raise the remaining funds required to finish the project within one year of the awarding of the grant or risk cancellation of the grant.

The Mabee Foundation will grant up to 20% of the total costs of the project (with a maximum amount of $2,000,000).

Construction must commence within two years after satisfying the grant challenge. Payment is not made on the grant until the challenge has been satisfied and construction has started.

NOTE: We require that all organizations contact the Foundation office (via phone or email) at least 30 days before submitting a grant request to discuss funding eligibility.

Willard and Pat Walker Charitable Foundation

The purpose of the Willard and Pat Walker Charitable Foundation, Inc. is to support charitable, religious, scientific, literary, or educational endeavors, either directly or by contributions to organizations that qualify as exempt organizations under Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

The Foundation’s Executive Director and Board, comprised primarily of members of the Walker family, strive to provide funding to organizations which they feel will benefit most from the Foundation’s support. There are obviously many worthy organizations, and it is the desire of the Walker Foundation to support as many of those organizations as possible. It has been the Walker Foundation’s great privilege over the years to support numerous charitable organizations, each of whom has accomplished great things within its own community. 

As the number of grant requests has grown, it has become necessary for the Walker Foundation to establish guidelines and procedures for processing the multitude of requests that it receives. 

About Rachael Ray Foundation™

The Rachael Ray Foundation™ is funded by a portion of proceeds from each sale of Rachael's pet food, Nutrish®. The Foundation was launched by Rachael in 2016 to better support the causes she cares for most such as helping animals in need.

The Rachael Ray Foundation and Best Friends Animal Society are committed to helping Best Friends Network Partners increase lifesaving in their communities through impactful, innovative, and inclusive programming. Every year, there are two types of Rachael Ray grants for which partners can apply.   

Grants for Animal Rescue to Save More Lives: The Rachael Ray Save Them All Grants

The Rachael Ray Save Them All Grants fund projects to reduce the lifesaving gap of cats and dogs in U.S. shelters. We welcome project proposals from public and private shelters, rescue groups, and other animal welfare organizations that enable lifesaving in a community.  

The Rachael Ray Save Them All Grants fund projects that increase lifesaving of cats and dogs in U.S. shelters. We welcome project proposals from public and private shelters, as well as rescue groups and other animal welfare organizations focused on impacting lifesaving at shelters. 

Your organization can apply for a grant of up to $50,000, with the amount requested not exceeding 10% of your operating budget. The average grant awarded last year was just under $13,000, therefor granting may only cover partial funding needed for your project. 

Project Requirements

• Projects can be focused on just one event/program or can include multiple events/programs.   
• Proposed projects should align with regional priorities. Projects that satisfy these priorities will have the largest impact on lifesaving in each region.   
• We welcome project proposals from public and private shelters, rescue groups, and other animal welfare organizations that enable lifesaving.
• If the applicant that is applying is an organization that is already no-kill, their project needs to be impacting a shelter that has a lifesaving gap and has not achieved a 90% save rate.  
• If awarded, the applying organization will need to submit quarterly impact statistics of how many lives were impacted through the project.  
• The impacted shelter’s intake and outcome data will need to be submitted as well, in order to calculate the reduction in gap to 90%, which will measure success of the project.  
• Best Friends will make calculations for reduction in lifesaving gap after all data points are submitted. These two metrics (impacts and reduction number in lifesaving gap) will be used for grant accountability and measuring success.  

Regional Priorities

Before you begin an application, please review the priorities for your region to ensure that your project aligns. 

Southeast: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina 

South Central: Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas

Great Plains: Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota

Mountain West: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming

Northeast: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont

Pacific: Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington

Midwest: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, Wisconsin

Mid-Atlantic: District of Columbia, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia