Julia Rabe, Solomon Valley Community Foundation (Mitchell County)
785-534-3884 julia@solomonvalleycf.org

Brief description: Our Board set aside $70,000 for seven $10,000 impact grants for our 7 cities in Mitchell County. The purpose is to inspire our individual towns to Dream Big! Each community must host a city-wide Strategic Doing meeting. We gave $200 mini grants for marketing/promoting their event. Communities apply, but the grants are non-competitive and cannot be used for budgetary items for the city. The project will be identified through the Strategic Doing process and voted on by all that attend the meeting. The list of potential projects will be a road map for the community as they move forward. We patterned our program after one in Osborne County.

Success/benefit to your community: We see a major benefit being the meeting itself and facilitating some very important conversations among community members and city elected officials/ staff. We know that leadership in a community is the most critical factor to successful projects, and the funding is secondary as we see the needs and desires our cities being met. We are thrilled with the growth of our Unrestricted Community Grant Fund that is half of this funding and the partnership with Patterson Family Foundation this is the other half of this grant funding.

Fort Wallace Memorial Association
Jayne Humphrey Pearce (785) 821-1864 pearce23taycod@gmail.com
Deb Goodrich (785) 383-8933 Author.debgoodrich@gmail.com

Brief description: We will give multiple examples of how Fort Wallace Museum tells the story of Western Kansas through photos, film, video, art, and the spoken and written word.

Success/benefit to your community: We believe in capturing the hearts and imagination of both physical and virtual visitors through powerful stories told in multiple mediums.

Russell County Area Community Foundation
Angie Muller (785) 445-3611 director@rcacf.org

Brief description: It’s not just kids that love stickers, adults do too. Colorful stickers are included in the annual RCACF match month mailing and a new one is designed each year. They invoke community pride, serve as a token of thanks, and a little extra nudge for donors to make a gift. Stickers are an inexpensive way to spread some joy. People love to put stickers on water bottles, laptops and places they visit.

Success/benefit to your community: The stickers help RCACF build brand visibility in the community.

Osborne County Community Foundation
Mindy Miller (785) 221-4823 director@osborneccf.org
Heather Hancock hardwareheather@live.com

Brief description: We have worked diligently to reach out to local non-profits, organizations, schools, and public entities with personal and group meetings. What we found lacking was a way to engage those in attendance. We decided to set aside funds from the Patterson Foundation to use at these events. In short, at the conclusion of the event, each attendee receives $20 to allocate to one of our existing funds.

Success/benefit to your community: This concept has been extremely well received. It has brought more people to the table and gained popularity by word-of-mouth. In addition, it has helped us share more information about our funds and greater awareness of how funds are established and then utilized in the communities we serve. We can see greater application at future events and possibly with online giving. We will have multiple success stories to share.

GROW Decatur County Foundation
Abby Hissong (785) 475-4106 ahissong@yahoo.com
GROW office: (785) 475-6321 info@growdcf.org

Brief description: During Covid, we recognized the need to get people out so when our local alumni association cancelled their annual banquet, we decided to do a Cruise Night. Everyone could get out in whatever manner they felt they were comfortable (just cruise main, park and visit with people, watch from their vehicle, eat a burger, etc). It was a huge success and is now an annual event. We pull people in from states away to bring their cars to cruise our brick streets, stop for a bite to eat, catch up with friends old and new, and kick off an amazing weekend in Decatur County. The GROW Foundation board and friends grill porkburgers, provide curbside seating and share information about all that GROW is doing.

Success/benefit to your community: What started out as a “community service” type of event that gave us an opportunity to get our name out, has turned into an event people look forward to. It’s not a fundraiser but a way to give the communities we serve the opportunity to come together for a fun, relaxing, start to the Memorial Day Weekend. Each year others join in, and various clubs and organizations have gotten involved. There is no fee to cruise or to set up as a vendor. Businesses are encouraged to stay open late for people to shop.

Osborne County Leadership
Nadine Sigle (785) 346-6256 nsigle@gmail.com

Brief description: Leadership development continues to be a priority in our counties. Learn and share ideas and strategies on leadership programming which is working in NW Kansas.

Success/benefit to your community: Leadership class participants are becoming more involved in elected and volunteer positions.

Nadine Sigle, Leadership Osborne County: Developing Leadership

Heartland Community Foundation
Sarah Meitner (785) 639-2629 sarahmeitner@gscf.org

Brief description: Give Fest is a community giving day designed to bring donors and nonprofits together in a high-energy, in-person setting. On October 10, 2024, we held three simultaneous events across Ellis, Rooks, and Trego counties, making it a truly regional celebration of philanthropy and a unique opportunity for nonprofits to connect with donors.

45 organizations participated, and in the months leading up to the event, many groups established funds to take part—resulting in 20 new funds. The event raised just over $239,000, with an additional $160,000 in matching funds. To inspire the next generation of givers, we also partnered with donors to provide 5th graders at 13 elementary schools in our counties with $10 vouchers to donate to the nonprofit of their choice.

Success/benefit to your community: Give Fest was more than a fundraising event—it strengthened local philanthropy in lasting ways. It gave us the opportunity to help fundholders communicate the need for both operational and long-term support, a challenge for many nonprofits. It also reinforced that Heartland Community Foundation holds endowed funds for more than 60 local organizations, and that gifts to these funds provide a sustainable source of income for the future. The event also provided key donor insights, as we saw which organizations donors chose to support. We welcomed 200+ new donors, and many of our organization fundholders received gifts to their endowments for the first time in years—or ever. Most importantly, Give Fest advanced our mission to build a culture of philanthropy, connecting donors, nonprofits, and even young students in a meaningful way.

Graham County Community Development (former director)
Dan Steffen (785) 650-2055 or dans.nwk@gmail.com
GCCD: (785) 639-1526 gccd1@grahamcountyks.com

Brief description: The Pitch Your Porch (PYP) program, is a reimbursable grant program where businesses apply for funds (up to $3,000), for façade and signage improvements to their buildings.

Success/benefit to your community: In the first Round of the program, (a pilot through Network Kansas) GCCD awarded grants to 3 Businesses for building improvements. One was a new business that redid the front of their building (paint, gutters, etc.), one was an existing business that added an awning and signage for their building and the 3rd, is adding outdoor seating, signage, etc. The Next Round has been funded by the Graham Co. Community Foundation and a Community Solutions Grant. Awards went to 3 different businesses for signage upgrades and improvements.

Community Foundation for Cloud County
Brenda Gilliland, (785) 243-1008 brendagilliland@gscf.org

Brief description: Holding match month to benefit organization, designated, nonprofit, field of interest, and the Dane G. Hansen match funds at the same time requires some careful planning but can save you time and resources. Hear some tips and tricks that make the process easier and hopefully more successful!

Success/benefit to your community: Our event raised more than $107,000 that was matched by both the Hansen and Patterson Foundations. Multiple new funds were established or grew as a result. The benefits will be felt for generations.

Brenda Gilliland, Community Foundation of Cloud County: Match Month Tips, Tricks and Trials

Carol Sloper, Greater Northwest Kansas Community Foundation
(785) 734-2406 (o) (785) 772-1382 (c); carol@gnwkcf.org
Smoky Hills Community Foundation (Ellsworth County)
Colby Richard (785) 810-1235 director@smokyhillscf.org

Brief description: Steering prospective donors away from Scholarship Funds to Alternative Charitable Giving Funds. Scholarship funds are the most expensive funds for community foundations to manage, and the charitable gift is most often used to support students who are moving AWAY from their hometowns. Having a thoughtful plan of steering donor conversations away from traditional scholarship funds to more innovative / locally impactful solutions is beneficial to the community foundation and the communities they support.

Success/benefit to your community: By developing a strategy and alternative plan prior to meeting with donors that have expressed an interest in scholarship funds, we have been able to turn the narrative round and often establish field of interest funds instead. In Ellsworth, for example, we met with a donor and had a great “discovery” discussion about the motivation behind her gift, the true impact she was seeking to make, and what options resonated with her outside of the realm of traditional scholarships. The result was the establishment of a Field of Interest Fund to provide educational assistance in a different way, and provide assistance to boost the first responder pool in Ellsworth County.

Carol Sloper, Greater Northwest Kansas Community Foundation: Working with Donors to See Beyond Scholarships

Northwest Kansas Economic Innovation Center, Inc.
Randy Speaker (785) 409-0555 randy@nwkeici.org
Caden Pfeifer (785) 324-1731 caden@nwkeici.org

Brief description: We will share various ways to identify local match for housing development. While this will be centered around the Kansas Housing Cooperative program and its match requirement, we will branch out to cover other programs that have local match requirements. We will also share the RIMS II Economic impact model we have developed. We will demonstrate how this model can provide elected officials with the ammunition they need to convince their constituents that supporting new housing development in their communities will benefit the entire community. And we will field questions about the specifics of the Kansas Housing Cooperative program.

Success/benefit to your community: This will provide a better understanding of how to actively engage in supporting housing efforts in their community. We will provide tools that have proven to be successful in other community-based efforts.

Heartland Community Foundation
Savannah Dowing (785) 743-3270 savannah@gscf.org

Brief description: High school seniors learned about community development, philanthropy and grant writing. Students were paired with community partners (nonprofits), learned about their needs and projects, and assisted them with completing grant applications.

Additionally, Heartland Youth Action Council is a dynamic group of young leaders committed to fostering community engagement, social responsibility, and philanthropy among youth. The Council’s mission is to provide an inclusive platform where local youth can actively participate in community development efforts, learn about philanthropy, and make a tangible impact in their communities.

Success/benefit to your community: Both initiatives empower youth by involving them in the decision-making processes that influence the future of their community. Through grants, volunteer initiatives, and leadership projects, these teenagers work to address community needs, promote civic involvement, and inspire young people to become lifelong changemakers.

Savannah Downing, Heartland Community Foundation: Engaging High School Students in Philanthropy

Lincoln County Economic Development Foundation
Kelly Gourley (785) 524-8954 Lcedfdirector@outlook.com

Brief description: In 2023 Lincoln County piloted the MakeMyMove program offering relocation incentives to people with remote-work jobs to attract new residents into the county. The MMM program has challenged us to think about ourselves from an outsider’s perspective, to consider both the big and small struggles of moving to a new place, and to help newcomers connect so they feel like a part of the community.

Success/benefit to your community: Since Lincoln County launched the MMM program, 6 new households (9 adults, 4 children) have made the move coming from the metro areas of Nashville, Atlanta, and Dallas along with North Carolina and Indiana and a local alumni move back home.

Ellis County Historical Society
Amanda Rupp (785) 650-1943 director@echshays.org

Brief description: ECHS launched a walking tour app to accompany our existing historic downtown walking tour (already marked with bronze plaques). This project was initiated by a high school senior and was worked on by staff and another college intern. We utilized the Glide app program and found it very easy to use for design on a tight budget. Each stop on the self-guided tour now has additional information about the site and one to three photos related to the building, subject matter or person who owned the establishment at your fingertips. We also updated the brochure with more information for those who do not wish to use the phone app.

Success/benefit to your community: The walking tour brochure has been the most requested brochure at the Hays Convention and Visitors center for decades and to have a new format has been very welcoming to not only tourists but community members who live around these historic markers every day. It has become another enticing attraction in our beautiful downtown area. We hope to utilize this app to make a guided tour of the local churches in the future and perhaps upgrade to a 3D interactive version in the future.

Amanda Rupp, Ellis County Historical Society: Walking Tour App is a Hit

Innovation Center
Maria Dahlquist (785) 324-2266 maria@nwkeici.org
Kyle Doerfler (785) 639-7077 doerf24@gmail.com

Brief description: Get an overview of the program and hear from a current student/Google Cybersecurity Professional certificate holder about his experience. Ask questions and leave with information on how to share or sign up.

Success/benefit to your community: This program is offering free cybersecurity training to residents of the 26 counties, as well as area high schools. Graduates will possess the skills needed for entry-level cybersecurity jobs with an average annual salary of $70k. One third of these jobs are remote, allowing graduates to stay in their community and work in a field with huge growth potential.

1. Norton City/County Economic Development & Sunflower Electric Power Corp.
   Dallas Gosselin (785) 874-4816 dallas@nortoncountyks.gov
   Diane Stiles (605) 881-6505 dstiles@sunflower.net

Brief description: The session will focus on setting up and operating an interlocal government agency. Explore models for economic development agencies and discuss the strengths and challenges of each approach. An example of an interlocal agreement will be provided. Participant input is encouraged.

Success/benefit to your community: The interlocal government structure for economic development creates ownership throughout the county and ensures a regional approach to economic development, capitalizing on the strengths of each community. The support provided to each varies greatly depending upon their needs and community goals.

Dallas Gosselin, Norton County Economic Development, and Diane Stiles, Sunflower Electric Corp.: Interlocal Agreements

Hays Area Bicyclists Name
Kay Werth (785) 623-1938 haysareabicyclists@gmail.com

Brief description: The Tour die Kapellen (Tour of the Chapels) was organized in 2019 as a joint venture between four rural communities in the Ellis County area along with members of the Hays Symphony and Hays Convention and Visitors Bureau. Through the efforts of volunteers from Hays Area Bicyclists, Catherine, Victoria, Pfeifer, Munjor and the Fort Hays State Music Department, the event has become a popular, uniquely supported, organized cycling ride. The event celebrates the Volga-German heritage in the Ellis County area, as riders visit historic limestone churches, experience the ethnic culture, and listen to professional musicians at each venue – all through a commute on cycle. The solitude of the open, rural terrain is a bonus for anyone hoping to escape a hectic, daily routine. The small town, Midwest friendliness is unforgettable to all visiting Ellis County. In 2022, the Bus Tour was added to accommodate the non-cyclists traveling to Hays.

Success/benefit to your community: The Tour die Kapellen has a profound impact on the Hays community, Ellis County and Northwest Kansas. It brings hundreds of participants, families and cycling teams to an area not generally recognized as a vacation destination. They learn about many of the hidden gems in our area – the German culture, the historic limestone structures, the professional talent from our university. The event has recently received national recognition being listed in the January issue of Bicycling as one of the best Gran Fondo Long Distance Cycling Events in the U.S. Most importantly, our visitors discover the most valuable commodity in our area: the endearing Midwest people.

Luray Community Foundation
Delinda Petty (417) 282-5061 luraycommunityfoundation@yahoo.com

Brief description: This presentation will outline the steps taken to repurpose the former elementary/junior high school building in Luray, Kansas to house a community childcare facility, thrift store, commercial kitchen and mercantile.

Success/benefit to your community: Through the work done by community volunteers, the formerly vacant elementary/junior high school building has been repurposed to provide vital services and opportunities for this rural community.

Delinda Petty, Luray Community Foundation: Repurposing an Empty School for Multiple Needs

Plainville Strategic Doing Marketing project
Kelli Hansen (785) 737-3554 kelli.hansen@ks.gov
Tasha Eichman (785) 259-3178teichman2013@outlook.com

Brief description: From Strategic Doing, a committee was formed to develop a branding strategy and storytelling campaign to unify the community under common themes, develop and market our new identity and promote pride in our hometown for current residents or recruiting new families.

Success/benefit to your community:
By developing a common brand and image, we are linking all community partners and stakeholders together (City, School and Hospital) under one common theme to promote our community in a positive manner and honor our history and heritage. The common branding helps with recruitment, and promotes community pride through merchandise/SWAG available in local businesses.

Kelli Hansen, Office of Rural Prosperity, and Tasha Eichman, NexTech Wireless: Marketing Plainville

Northwest Kansas Economic Innovation Center
Dana Stanton (785) 259-9457 danajstanton@nwkeici.org
Cheyenne County Kansas Community Foundation
Jessica Mathies (785) 772-7314 director@cckcf.org
Email: danajstanton@nwkeici.org and director@cckcf.org (Jessica)

Brief description: This presentation will outline the steps the Cheyenne County Kansas Community Foundation followed, and the supports utilized to open a childcare facility in their community.

Success/benefit to your community: Through the work of their childcare coalition, the group was able to remodel an existing home to open a new childcare facility in Saint Francis, Kansas. The new facility employs two staff members and provides care for 12 children in the community.

Sheridan County Health Department
Monica Reuber (785) 626-7267(cell) 785-675-2101(work) monica.reuber@ambermed.com

Brief description: Overview of the Spanish and English conversational learning “class.” It’s more of a conversation than a specific class to be supportive of a wider range of language abilities.

Success/benefit to your community: Indirect benefits have included connection to additional resources for our Spanish population who wouldn’t have known about the resources otherwise, building relationships between our Spanish and our English speakers, and increasing our Spanish abilities for our Hispanic children. The direct/intended benefit is increasing the English capabilities for our Spanish speaking population.

Monica Reuber, Sheridan County Health Department: Connecting the Community with Language Classes

Osborne County Memorial Hospital
Amy Doane (785) 345-5563 adoane@ocmh.net

Brief description: In 2024, OCMH broke ground on a walking trail around the hospital campus with the goal to improve the health of employees and the greater community. Throughout the summer and fall, the walking trail was widely used by staff and community members who wanted to get active and be outside.

Success/benefit to your community: The walking trail has been a fantastic addition to the OCMH campus. Outside activity is proven to be a key component to a healthy lifestyle both in physical health and mental health. OCMH allows employees to take “on the clock” breaks to walk around the track, get away from their work and refocus. Two employee challenges were issued in 2024. The first was for individuals and nearly 50% of the staff participated. The second was a team challenge and 11 teams of three “raced to Denver” by counting steps. The hospital’s wellness committee started providing weekly education, healthy recipes and will offer another challenge in 2025. We’ve seen individuals of all ages, dogwalkers, and strollers.

Greater Salina Community Foundation
Jessica Martin (785) 823-1800 jessicamartin@gscf.org

Brief description: The Give Back 5 Community Giving Pledge is encouraging people to commit to donating at least 5% of their retirement or other investment accounts to local nonprofits after their lifetime. Pledges can go directly to charity or to an endowed fund held at the Greater Salina Community Foundation. The Community Giving Pledge was started by a local committee made up of financial advisors, nonprofits and the Greater Salina Community Foundation to inspire local giving and strengthen our community’s future resources for the next generation. They believe nonprofits contribute to the community’s social, economic, and cultural wellbeing and are committed to helping build their capacity through the Community Giving Pledge. More information can be found at www.giveback5.org.

Success/benefit to your community: Our goal is to secure 125 individual pledges by June 30, 2025. Since our launch last July, we have 69 pledges from multiple generations. The pledges represent 24 new Funds for the Future through GSCF, (5 individuals and 19 couples). To put this in perspective, GSCF typically averages 2 to 3 FFF per year, and we have secured 24 in six months. We were hoping this campaign would also engage the next generation in planned giving, and so far we feel like we have succeeded with 45% of our pledges Gen-X and younger.

Hansen Museum
Shari Buss (785) 689-4846 director@hansenmuseum.org

Brief description: This presentation will explore the benefits and logistics of offering diverse classes and workshops, ranging from culinary arts to fine arts, including specialized programming for children. Learn how these programs can foster creativity, strengthen community engagement, and generate revenue. The session will cover key aspects such as program development, instructor recruitment, and marketing strategies.

Success/benefit to your community: It offers individuals of all ages the opportunity to develop new skills, express themselves artistically, and connect with others in a supportive environment. Additionally, this strengthens community engagement, supports local artists and instructors, and stimulates economic growth by attracting participants and visitors who also patronize local businesses. Providing enriching and accessible learning experiences, we are fostering creativity, lifelong learning, and meaningful social connections.