NOTE:

• Please submit a Grant Inquiry Application Form. This inquiry identifies the organization applying for a grant and the specific project the grant is being requested for. Upon receiving the Inquiry Application, our Executive Director reviews the information and, if appropriate, invites the organization to complete an official Grant Application.
• Ministries and/or organizations that have previously received a grant from the foundation, should call the foundation office when applying for subsequent grants so that they use the most updated grant request application and process information.

Rupert Dunklau Foundation Grant

Our Purpose

The Foundation was established in 1968 to provide Rupert and Ruth Dunklau a systematic method of gifting to God’s people a portion of the blessings God had given them.

The Foundation exists to glorify God and serve His gracious will, by providing financial resources for the varied ministries related to the Lutheran tradition, especially the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, educational entities of the Lutheran Church and appropriate projects that promote the welfare of mankind

Focus Areas

• Lutheran Education: The Foundation will support processes, efforts, and programs of ministries that engage people in furthering their education and continued learning opportunities, enabling them to become of greater service in meeting the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual needs of people.
• Health & Human Care: The Foundation will support processes, efforts and programs of ministries that take collaborative and results- oriented approaches that address the varied needs of people in His Church and the communities they serve, thus promoting the welfare of mankind.
• Faith Strengthening: The Foundation will support processes, efforts and programs of ministries that strengthen, enhance and embolden participants and their families to share their Christian faith in His Gospel Message, lived as well as spoken.

The Foundation encourages grant requests that:

• Fall in line with the WKCF mission statement - "Enriching Western Kansas life through philanthropy, leadership, and collaboration."
• Will have a broad impact on the quality of life for a large number of people within the WKCF service area.
• Propose ways to address community issues and problems.
• Leverage other sources of support.
• Stimulate others to participate in addressing community issues.
• Are innovative, a new initiative, or an enhancement of an existing program.
• Are responsive to changing or emerging community needs.
• Are sustainable over time.
• Are collaborative with other organizations for a broader impact.

Core Grant Guidelines

WKCF core grant applications are suited for program-based requests or those that require specific items to impact the services an organization is providing to its patrons. 

The Foundation encourages grant requests that:

• Fall in line with the WKCF mission statement - "Enriching Western Kansas life through philanthropy, leadership, and collaboration."
• Will have a broad impact on the quality of life for a large number of people within the WKCF service area.
• Propose ways to address community issues and problems.
• Leverage other sources of support.
• Stimulate others to participate in addressing community issues.
• Are innovative, a new initiative, or an enhancement of an existing program.
• Are responsive to changing or emerging community needs.
• Are sustainable over time.
• Are collaborative with other organizations for a broader impact.

Women of Purpose Grant Guidelines

The Executive Committee has determined the focus of this year’s Request for Proposals (RFP) to be ‘Empowered Women, Empower Women!' and the following area(s) of interest that should be considered for inclusion in this year’s application:

• Focus on any and/or all of the following aspects of women's causes: health, education, financial, or employment, etc.
• Applications that focus on or address self-confidence, peer-mentoring, at-risk/women in crisis, or skill-building may be considered with greater weight
• Emphasis on females (of any and/or all ages)  
• Impacting females in significant and sustainable ways

Operating Grant Guidelines

The Western Kansas Community Foundation is the current sole trustee of the Ruth V. Gordanier and the Roy P. Mersereau trusts. Under the administration of prior trustees, the trusts made grant awards at the end of each year, and often to recurring grantees. Under the new administration, any organization wishing to access the grant distribution must do so through the competitive application process. Because of the nature of these trusts, organizations may apply for certain operation-type expenses that are considered ineligible in other WKCF grant applications.

Elm Acres Foundation Grant 

The Community Foundation of Southeast Kansas (CFSEK) is proud to announce that Elm Acres Foundation grants are now available for organizations working with at-risk youth in Cherokee, Crawford, and Labette Counties. These grants are aimed at providing essential support and resources to those entities working to uplift and empower the young people in our communities who need it most.

Elm Acres Foundation Grant Basics

The Elm Acres Foundation exists to provide support to at-risk youth in Cherokee, Crawford, and Labette Counties in Southeast Kansas, including by supporting any entities that provide services for at-risk youth. Starting in 2017, that support has included grants awarded through a competitive-grant process hosted by the Community Foundation of Southeast Kansas.

Since then, Elm Acres Foundation at-risk-youth grants have provided more than $120,000 to deserving organizations serving local young people.

In 2022 alone, the Elm Acres Foundation distributed $24,158 to seven organizations, with the average grant award being $3,451. The grant amounts ranged from $2,500 to $4,479, making a significant impact on the programs and services provided by the recipients. These funds enabled these organizations to make a tangible difference in the lives of at-risk youth in Southeast Kansas

Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation Grant

The Foundation will consider requests to support museums, cultural and performing arts programs; schools and hospitals; educational, skills-training and other programs for youth, seniors, and persons with disabilities; environmental and wildlife protection activities; and other community-based organizations and programs.

About Us

Our Mission

The mission of the Derby Community Foundation is to enrich the quality of life in the Derby area by being a catalyst for connecting people and resources with community needs and initiatives.

To fulfill this mission, the Derby Community Foundation is committed:

• As a grant maker—we award grants and scholarships to improve the lives of Derby area residents.
• As a vehicle for philanthropy—we encourage private giving for public good.
• As a community leader—we inspire, educate and cultivate a spirit of philanthropy.
• To respond to changing needs—we promote community involvement and collaboration.

A Little About Who We Are:

In order to better our lives we must better where we spend our lives. For us, that’s Derby, Kansas! This is why the Derby Community Foundation was established; helping our community and its citizens raise a shared standard of excellence in all we do. The spirit of the Derby Community Foundation is refreshing and invigorating. Its contagious persistence brings together people who yearn to share a vision and have the courage to do something about it.

Community Enrichment Grant

Community Enrichment Grants are grants of up to $2,500 made to grassroots non-profits and government entities doing innovative and meaningful work that fits within the Derby Community Foundation’s mission and that enriches or responds to immediate needs within the community. Community Enrichment Grants expand the Foundation’s support to a broad range of organizations throughout the Derby area. The Foundation awards up to $10,000 annually in two cycles per year using a competitive application process.

The Community Enrichment Grants Program is competitive, because a limited amount of funding is available each year. As with any competitive process, the grants are awarded to the applicants whose projects best fit our mission. The Foundation regrets that funds are not available to recognize the meaningful work of all who apply. 

Knights of Columbus Endowment Fund Grant Basics

The Knights of Columbus was founded by Father Michael J. McGivney in 1882 on principles of charity, unity, and fraternity with the intent to bring financial aid and assistance to the sick, disabled, and needy and their families. For decades, the Pittsburg Council of the Knights of Columbus carried out that mission by operating the Knights of Columbus Tower, providing low-income housing and other forms of assistance for local residents. After that building was sold in 2021, council members established an endowment with the Community Foundation of Southeast Kansas.

The Knights of Columbus Endowment Fund continues the council’s mission through an annual grant cycle. Grants are available for programs and projects that accomplish any of the following for the elderly, handicapped, and low-income families and individuals of Pittsburg, Kansas, and the surrounding area:

• Provide housing-, rent-, and utility-needs assistance;
• Provide health and human services to meet their educational, social, physical, spiritual, and psychological needs;
• Promote their health, security, happiness, and usefulness; or
• Improve community services for them.

Last year, this grant opportunity provided funding for 10 local projects, and we can’t wait to see what new projects it can help in 2023!

The Fort Scott Area Community Foundation’s (FSACF) goal is to partner with and be a resource to organizations whose goals are to improve the quality of life in the Fort Scott, Kansas, area. FSACF strives to create connections between donors and a variety of many worthwhile causes.

FSACF was launched in August 2007 to meet the needs of Fort Scott and the surrounding area. FSACF encourages philanthropy and provides donors with a variety of giving options. The Foundation assists donors in meeting their charitable goals by creating a giving and granting environment that addresses the immediate and long-term needs of the Fort Scott area.

We provide funding for nonprofits

FSACF offers funding for Bourbon County nonprofit organizations, including churches, schools, public charities, and government agencies. The Foundation is home to designated funds, field-of-interest funds, and donor-advised funds that provide grants to such organizations according to the instructions of the person who established the fund with us.

Plus, we host an annual competitive grant cycle during which eligible organizations can request funding. And through an agency fund, we can manage and grow nonprofits’ own resources to support their continued success.

Grant applications

We accept grant applications during August, evaluate them during September, and award them during the last week of October. We consider proposals based on how they improve the quality of life for residents in the Fort Scott area.