GREAT BEND, Kan. – Golden Belt Community Foundation is pleased to announce our summer 2017 grant recipients. Awards are both strategic and competitive to meet long term goals and short-term needs.
STRATEGIC GRANTS
Strategic grants define an area of focus allowing for greater community impact. GBCF is committed to providing substantial resources to create and enhance outdoor play or recreational space. Funding arrives from a percentage allocation from the Kansas Health Foundation Children’s Health Endowment Fund of the Golden Belt Community Foundation. GBCF anticipates maintaining this area of focus with the fund through 2022, apportioning over $150,000 towards the health and well-being of youth. Strategic funding for outdoor play spaces assisted with the following awards:
$15,000 – City of Larned – Playground Equipment
Kansas Health Foundation Children’s Health Endowment Fund
Larned PRIDE is acquiring existing playground equipment from the Larned School system due to the construction of a new school. The play equipment comes from three different schools and will need to be moved to new locations this fall. They also will receive the fall protection pieces, PVC pipe edging, and free-standing pieces, such as tether ball and basketball goals. Pride wants to be strategic in placing the equipment, ensuring each area of town still has a neighborhood play space. GBCF funding will be used to purchase additional pieces of equipment for underdeveloped areas, benches, and lights.
$19,686 – City of La Crosse – Playground Equipment
Kansas Health Foundation Children’s Health Endowment Fund
This winter’s ice storm damage created a trickle effect in the La Crosse city park. This spring, the city started removing severely damaged trees and ended up addressing projects like the replacing the torn volleyball net, sprucing up the parking area, and adding sand to the fall zones. GBCF funding will be used to purchase 4 new play features including a sand digger, replacing the slide, adding a climbing rock, and the addition of swings.
JULY COMPETITIVE GRANTS
Golden Belt Community Foundation’s competitive grants bring in applications from several area nonprofits with a variety of needs. Awards are based on projects most closely aligned with specific grant fund criteria and available funding. Competitive grant awards include:
$17,588 – Great Bend Fire Department – Virtual fire extinguisher digital training system
Barton County Quality of Life Endowment and Kansas Health Foundation Health Endowment Fund
This interactive fire prevention training system allows important fire safety education training for our schools and community. The technology screen reacts to the laser driven fire extinguisher and other digital fire prevention components. This is safer than using a live fire, eliminates the time consuming clean up, and expense associated with using an actual extinguisher.
$1,500 – ElderCare – Emergency food and water supply
Barton County Quality of Life Endowment Fund
This grant will be used to supply a 3-day emergency food and water supply to elders in the event of an emergency. The project ensures continuation of foods to the homebound during a disaster.
$5,000 – Central Kansas Dream Center – Elevator
Amos Bayer Endowment Fund
This grant is to assist with the elevator going from the chapel in the basement area of the building to the third floor that will eventually accommodate apartments for married couples and a medical clinic.
$3,394 – City of Larned – CPR Training Equipment
Kansas Health Foundation Children’s Health Endowment Fund
Larned EMS and Larned Pride are partnering to provide CPR training to school age children, child care providers, and to babysitters. Interactive manikins give participants a visual aid and immediate feedback when performing compressions at the correct depth and speed.
$3,000 – Barton County Emergency Aid – Utility & Rent Assistance
Albert Gumbir Charitable Fund
This grant is to support people that are experiencing emergency financial situations with past-due utilities and rent. Albert Gumbir established this fund to assist people with basic needs.
$2,717 – St. John’s Child Development Center – Interactive White Board
Kansas Health Foundation Children’s Health Endowment Fund
This grant is to assist with a second location interactive white board that allows for an amplified projection of an image from a computer to a white board, combining touch function with dry erase writing.
$2,500 – Fort Larned Historical Society – Trade and Food Kiosk
Kansas Health Foundation Children’s Health Endowment Fund
The Santa Fe Trail Museum trade and food kiosk will have information panels and interactive puzzles for visitors and youth to match types of food to the American Indians, Americans, and Mexican traders. There also will be information regarding the types of different trade items conducted along specific trails.
For questions regarding the competitive grant process, donor advised funds and other opportunities, please call Golden Belt Community Foundation at 620-792-3000 or email gbcf@goldenbeltcf.org.
Golden Belt Community Foundation
At $21 million in total assets and more than 160 funds under management, Golden Belt Community Foundation has been connecting people who care to causes that matter since 1996. Golden Belt Community Foundation exists to provide non-profit organizations in central Kansas with a permanent source of support and to serve as a vehicle for charitable giving for donors. GBCF serves the counties of Barton, Pawnee, Rush, and Stafford. For more information about Golden Belt Community Foundation, call (620) 792-3000 or visit their website at www.goldenbeltcf.org.