Best Washington County Grants for Nonprofits in Kansas

American Psychiatric Association Foundation

There is no health without mental health. The APA Foundation is working in your community to provide the support and resources we all need to prioritize mental wellbeing where you live, learn, work, worship, and play.

Backed by the medical expertise of the APA and industry-leading strategic partners, we administer community-changing programs, public education campaigns, grants, and awards aimed at increasing mental health literacy, connecting individuals to needed care, and shifting attitudes toward mental health.

Our Mission is to promote the mental health and well-being of individuals and communities. Our Vision is a mentally healthy nation for all – where we live, learn, work, worship, and play.

Diversity Leadership Fellowship

The Diversity Leadership Fellowship identifies and motivates minority psychiatry residents or those interested in minority and vulnerable populations to become well equipped to teach, administer, and provide culturally competent, evidence based mental health and substance abuse services to diverse minority groups and at-risk populations. These populations include—but are not limited to—American Indians/Native Alaskans, Asian Americans/Native Hawaiians/Native Pacific Islanders, Blacks/African Americans, Hispanics/Latinos, LGBTQ, and religious minorities. Program Benefits:

• Sponsorship to attend a minimum of four APA meetings:
  • Two APA Annual Meetings
  • Two Fellowship Forums
• Develop leadership skills in the field of psychiatry and advance understanding of the life experiences of racial ethnic minority communities
• Gain an understanding of APA/APAF Governance through observation and service on an APA Council, Committee, or APAF initiative
• Have the opportunity to sit on the APAF Board of Directors as a non-voting member (one Diversity Leadership fellow allowed)
• Cultivate a professional network with psychiatrists interested in minority mental health and services through exclusive events and engagements with APA leaders. Establish relationships and peer-mentorship with a diverse group of resident fellows with similar career interests and goals

Alkermes

At Alkermes, we apply our deep neuroscience expertise to develop medicines designed to help people living with complex and difficult-to-treat psychiatric and neurological disorders, including addiction, serious mental illness and sleep disorders. With our portfolio of marketed medicines and investigational pipeline candidates, we seek to make a meaningful difference in the way people manage these chronic diseases. Our patient-inspired science, integrated research strategy, sophisticated development capabilities and specialized commercial infrastructure enable us to pursue the development and commercialization of innovative new medicines, including those for people with conditions that have traditionally been overlooked or stigmatized.

Our greatest strengths at Alkermes are our people and our inherent empathy for patients, families and caregivers. Neurological and psychiatric disorders strike people at the core of who they are and impact many facets of their lives. We work with urgency to develop new treatment options for people living with these conditions.

Investigator Sponsored Studies Program

Alkermes seeks to support research designed and conducted by independent clinicians and scientists through our Investigator Sponsored Studies (ISS) program. Alkermes may occasionally announce a Request for Proposals (RFP) for research in clinical areas where gaps in data have been identified. 

The ISS research Alkermes supports must be based in the United States and is typically conducted by experienced researchers who have an established history of successfully completing research with independent funding. Alkermes can provide its marketed products to the ISS programs it supports. In addition, there may be financial support available, but please note that study budgets cannot exceed $300,000 (inclusive of overhead).

• ISS Areas of Interest
  • Sleep Disorders
  • Schizophrenia & Bipolar I Disorder
  • Schizophrenia

Alkermes

At Alkermes, we apply our deep neuroscience expertise to develop medicines designed to help people living with complex and difficult-to-treat psychiatric and neurological disorders, including addiction, serious mental illness and sleep disorders. With our portfolio of marketed medicines and investigational pipeline candidates, we seek to make a meaningful difference in the way people manage these chronic diseases. Our patient-inspired science, integrated research strategy, sophisticated development capabilities and specialized commercial infrastructure enable us to pursue the development and commercialization of innovative new medicines, including those for people with conditions that have traditionally been overlooked or stigmatized.

Our greatest strengths at Alkermes are our people and our inherent empathy for patients, families and caregivers. Neurological and psychiatric disorders strike people at the core of who they are and impact many facets of their lives. We work with urgency to develop new treatment options for people living with these conditions.

Pathways APN Research Awards

The Alkermes Pathways Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) Research Awards™ program is designed to empower the advanced practice nursing community by offering funding opportunities that recognize their vital role in evidence-based care and the advancement of mental health research.

The Alkermes Pathways APN Research Awards provide opportunities for individual grants of up to $10,000 per project for licensed psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioners who are actively engaged in clinical, academic, and/or community health settings and are committed to advancing research in schizophrenia or bipolar I disorder.

Patterson Family Foundation

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. 

At the Patterson Family Foundation, we believe that thriving rural communities aren’t just about the numbers—they’re about the people who choose to live there. A strong and engaged community is built on essentials like access to good jobs, quality healthcare, educational opportunities, and a sense of belonging. But keeping rural communities strong doesn’t happen on its own—it takes all of us working together. That’s why we focus on working with local leaders, businesses, and organizations to invest in the areas that matter most, ensuring that rural places don’t just get by but thrive for generations to come.

Community Needs Grant

We continue to invest in community-focused work through dedicated programs and initiatives that strengthen local leadership and support long-term community vitality. Our Community Engagement opportunities for the 2026 cycle are offered through targeted, collaborative efforts rather than an open call application process, allowing us to work closely with communities and organizations on high-impact, locally driven projects.

This opportunity supports projects that strengthen resident retention and encourage former residents to return by enhancing the spaces, services, and community assets that make rural places appealing to live, work, and build a future. Projects should help communities create environments where people feel connected, supported, and inspired to stay or come home. Applicants should plan to report on community participation, improvements to key spaces or assets, and early indicators of resident retention or increased engagement from returning residents. 

Retina Research Foundation

Across the nation, there were only a handful of voluntary groups with the will and the means to tackle retinal disdorders. Retina Research Foundation, established in 1969, was one of those organizations. By the 1980s, RRF had become a voice for retina research in an effort to reduce the incidence of retinal disease, which was fast becoming the leading cause of blindness in developing countries.

Undaunted, the Foundation steadily raised funds each year for vision scientists who were nationally recognized for their work in retina research. Government funding for eye research increased dramatically, and the field of retina research matured. As this body of knowledge grew, RRF programs were expanded to include major awards that recognize established retina scientists and contribute to their ongoing research. The Foundation also developed scientific exchange programs to disseminate knowledge of the dramatic advances that were being made in the laboratory.

RRF Pilot Study Grants

The mission of the Retina Research Foundation is to reduce retinal blindness worldwide by funding programs in research and education. As a public charity, RRF raises funds from the private sector and the investment of its endowment funds.

RRF is currently welcoming pilot study grant applications for the 2027 grant period. Each grant application must be signed by the principal investigator and either their Department Chair or Dean of Research.

Sports Matter Mission

We believe that sports change lives. In addition to physical and mental health benefits, sports have the power to change our perspectives, our character and our communities for the better. This core belief has guided DICK’S Sporting Goods and The DICK’S Sporting Goods Foundation since the beginning – but not everyone has the same access to play. Through grants and other support, The DICK’S Foundation Sports Matter Program helps under-resourced 501c3 organizations, schools and community teams across all 50 states provide opportunities for youth to play sports.

Why It Counts

• Low-Income Kids Play at Half the Rate of Wealthier Peers
• Participation in Team Sports has Declined 4% Since 2017
• One in Three Kids Can't Participate in the Sports They Want 
• Number of Kids Playing Multiple Sports Has Declined

Sports Matter Program

We Believe Every Kid Deserves a Chance to Play

The Sports Matter Program focuses on supporting youth sports in under-resourced communities.

All grant applications are made subject to review of the applying organization’s reputation and activities, and its agreement to comply with applicable terms and conditions.