Best Trego County Grants for Nonprofits in Kansas

Dane G. Hansen Foundation

Dane G. Hansen Foundation was established in 1965 with a generous estate gift from Dane G. Hansen. Mr. Hansen was an entrepreneur whose business interests over the course of his life included, among others, retail, lumber, road and bridge construction and oil.

Reflecting Mr. Hansen’s lifelong love of Northwest Kansas, the charitable foundation that bears his name has a mission to improve the quality of life for the residents and the communities in the 26 counties that make up the northwest quarter of Kansas.

Our Mission: The Dane G. Hansen Foundation is committed to providing opportunities for the people of Northwest Kansas to enjoy the highest possible quality of life. Fulfillment of our mission is predicated on three specific goals:

• Strengthening and supporting our communities
• Creating an environment for growth
• Increasing economic opportunities

Our Guiding Principles

• Health: Healthy individuals form healthy communities.
• Workforce: A capable workforce can build effective community economic opportunities.
• Education: Education, both formal and informal, is the key for improved quality of life.
• Environment:Appreciation for our natural world positively impacts human health.
• Leadership: Leadership, management and volunteerism are essential ingredients of dynamic communities..
• Culture: Attractive communities with cultural opportunities attract and retain residents.

Our Service Area

The Dane G. Hansen Foundation’s primary service area includes the 26 most Northwest Kansas counties. Consideration will be given to proposals from organizations outside the primary service area if the proposal provides substantial benefits to the people or communities within the primary service area.

Applications are received year-round and grants are awarded monthly to benefit Northwest Kansas and its residents.

NEW Fund Match

Helping community foundations and donors establish permanent funds

Beginning in 2025, The Hansen Foundation will offer a new, additional match opportunity to help donors and eligible countywide community foundations create new endowed field of interest, donor-advised, designated, and organization funds.

This matching opportunity will begin in January of 2025 and sunset December 31 of 2027.

How much funding is available and how does it work?

Community foundations can utilize up to $20,000 per year to be secured as follows:

• 1:1 match, up to $2000 for donors’ gift(s) to establish a NEW ENDOWED field of interest, designated, organization or donor advised fund established through the host foundation (GNWKCF or GSCF). Maximum match of $2,000 per fund.
• Please note: either the donor, or the charitable organization that will benefit from the fund, must reside in the Dane G. Hansen 26-county service area to qualify for the match. New donor advised funds must therefore be donors who live in the defined service area.
• Donors must agree to reach the $10,000 fund minimum within 3 additional years.
• 1:2 match for donors’ gift(s) to an existing ENDOWED field of interest, organization, or designated fund held within the host foundation that is not yet at the fund minimum. Maximum of $1,000 per fund.

Note that gifts to existing donor advised funds or any scholarship funds do not qualify.

A fund is eligible for only ONE match during the three-year program.

Fund agreements and proof of donation will be submitted to the host foundation to verify and then submit monthly to the Hansen Foundation for match qualification. Matching dollars will be awarded to the host foundations at the end of each month.

If a foundation does not utilize the full $20,000 in a year, there is no carry-over to the following year, but the foundation will be eligible for the full amount in the remaining years of the program.

Heartland Community Foundation: Trego County Legacy Fund

The Trego County Legacy Fund is an unrestricted community grant funds designated to support current and future charitable needs of communities in the Heartland area. 

What do the funds support?

The funds support a wide variety of community needs and populations with one common goal- to improve the quality of life of the Heartland area.

Grants are typically restricted to the geographic areas served by the community foundation.

What type of support is funded?

• Projects or programs that serve the community and/or advance the mission of the organization
• Seed money to establish or initiate a new project, program, or organization, including operating expenses
• Capacity building or activities that strengthen an organization to increase its ability to fulfill its mission, including technology & equipment, professional development & training, additional staff to implement a new program, etc.
• Capital improvements including new construction or renovation of a facility
• Endowment funds to provide permanent and long-term support for an organization or program

Heartland Community Foundation: Heartland Healthy Living Fund

The Heartland Healthy Living Fund was established in response to the Kansas Health Foundation’s second chapter of the Giving Resources to our World (GROW II) match grant challenge.

What do the funds support?

• Programs and projects that support the public health of Ellis, Rooks and Trego Counties in Kansas.
  • Public health is defined as the protection and promotion of the health and well-being of individuals and their communities through encouragement of healthy lifestyles, behaviors and environments.
• Grants will be made to preventative programs/projects that support healthy living.

Heartland Community Foundation: Heartland Area Action Fund

The Heartland Area Action Fund is an unrestricted community grant funds designated to support current and future charitable needs of communities in the Heartland area. 

What do the funds support?

The funds support a wide variety of community needs and populations with one common goal- to improve the quality of life of the Heartland area.

Grants are typically restricted to the geographic areas served by the community foundation.

What type of support is funded?

• Projects or programs that serve the community and/or advance the mission of the organization
• Seed money to establish or initiate a new project, program, or organization, including operating expenses
• Capacity building or activities that strengthen an organization to increase its ability to fulfill its mission, including technology & equipment, professional development & training, additional staff to implement a new program, etc.
• Capital improvements including new construction or renovation of a facility
• Endowment funds to provide permanent and long-term support for an organization or program

Rooted in rural.

Committed to your community

The Patterson Family Foundation, based in Kansas City, Missouri, is a family-led foundation that extends the legacy of Neal and Jeanne Patterson. The Foundation’s mission, “Working together to help rural communities thrive,” is carried forward through strategic grantmaking and other collaborative initiatives that serve rural counties across Kansas and western Missouri. 

Our Mission

Working together to help rural communities thrive.

Grant Types

Open Call Grants

Patterson Family Foundation’s Open Call Grants are publicly announced and submitted through the Grants Portal. Applications are reviewed using criteria aligned with the Foundation’s priorities, including community impact, feasibility, sustainability, and readiness to implement the proposed work in the Kansas or western Missouri rural community. 

This opportunity increases access to mental health support by expanding services, strengthening local care networks, and promoting prevention, harm reduction, and behavioral health education. Projects should create supportive environments that reduce stigma, increase awareness, and help residents access appropriate care. Applicants should plan to report on services delivered, residents served, improvements in access or awareness, and partnerships that enhance local mental health support.

Dane G Hansen Foundation

Dane G. Hansen Foundation was established in 1965 with a generous estate gift from Dane G. Hansen. Mr. Hansen was an entrepreneur whose business interests over the course of his life included, among others, retail, lumber, road and bridge construction and oil. Reflecting Mr. Hansen’s lifelong love of Northwest Kansas, the charitable foundation that bears his name has a mission to improve the quality of life for the residents and the communities in the 26 counties that make up the northwest quarter of Kansas.

The Dane G. Hansen Foundation is committed to providing opportunities for the people of Northwest Kansas to enjoy the highest possible quality of life. Fulfillment of our mission is predicated on three specific goals: Strengthening and supporting our communities, Creating an environment for growth, and Increasing economic opportunities.

Early Childhood Education Staff Support Grants

Though they are charged with caring for our most precious assets, classroom helpers and teachers in the early childhood field are historically low-wage earners. The Early Childhood Education Staff Support Grant is designed to provide financial recognition for these important workers, reduce costs associated with staff turnover, and stabilize the workforce.

Originally piloted for 5 years, the grant has been enhanced and renewed for another 5 years.

Greater Northwest Kansas Community Foundation

Our mission is to empower our donors, affiliates and charitable partners through education, stewardship and regional collaboration, to create thriving communities and impact present and future generations.

Northwest Kansas Early Childhood Sustainability Grant Fund

To help sustain licensed childcare centers or nonprofit qualified family childcare homes (formerly classified as nonprofit group homes).

To assist with sustainability of quality nonprofit early education centers or qualified childcare homes in Northwest Kansas, the Dane G. Hansen Foundation, the State of Kansas – through the Children’s Cabinet, and the Patterson Family Foundation, have collaborated to create this permanently endowed grant fund.

What is meant by sustainability?

The grant is intended to address a budget shortfall or unforeseen issue that, if not addressed, could result in the closure of the facility or closure of classrooms, or that jeopardizes the standard of care provided.

Applicants can ask for budgetary support for operations in order to divert dollars for a necessary or critical capital expenditure without which the ability of the facility to stay open or provide safe, quality care is threatened.

Examples could include HVAC, structural or safety issues, or issues noted by the fire marshal or during a license review.

When possible, facilities must strive for full enrollment – while always meeting KDHE guidelines. It is understood that facilities will often “hold slots” while a current child in care ages up.