Garden City, Kan. – Western Kansas Community Foundation (WKCF) is awarding 28 area nonprofit organizations with grants totaling $67,242 from the Community Betterment Fund, the Kansas Health Foundation Children’s Fund, and various Field of Interest and Unrestricted funds for its March grant cycle. The March grant cycle is the first of three grant cycles offered by WKCF each year. Next grant cycles have application deadlines of July 1st and November 1st.

WKCF grants fund both program and operating expenses. Additionally, WKCF reviews urgent needs requests on an ongoing basis. For the March cycle, WKCF received a total of 34 grant applications at a total amount of $188,000+, plus one urgent needs request. According to Stacie Hahn, WKCF’s Program & Marketing Director, WKCF is receiving more grant applications from across the region which is partly due to the increased presence of the Foundation in communities outside of Garden City.

Twenty-eight grants were awarded totaling $67,242. The awards are:

1. Artesian Valley Health System, Meade; “Meade Rural Health Clinic Entrance” – $2,500

2. Atletico Liberal Futbol Club, Liberal; “25/26 Season Operating Funds” – $1,500

3. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Fi. & Ke. Counties, Garden City; “One-to-One Mentoring” – $5,000

4. City of Garden City, Garden City; “Crater Disc Golf Course” – $2,500

5. Core Community Ulysses, Ulysses; “Core Community Ulysses Poverty Sim & Esdack” – $2,000

6. Dudley Township Library, Satanta; “StoryWalk & Summer Programming” – $2,350

7. Finney County Childcare & Early Learning Network, Garden City; “Supporting GAELC Expansion” – $5,530

8. Finney County Preservation Alliance, Garden City; “Sustaining Technology” – $1,997

9. Fowler Public Library, Fowler; “Summer Reading 2025” – $1,000

10. Friends of Lee Richardson Zoo, Garden City; “Revitalization of the Safari Shoppe” – $4,200

11. Garden City Arts, Garden City; “Art in the Park 2025” – $2,500

12. Grace Place Pregnancy Care Center, Liberal; “Hiring an RN Sonographer” – $2,500

13. Grant Co. Extension Council, Ulysses; “4-H 3D Printing and Shooting Sports Project” – $2,000

14. Great Plains MakerSpace, Garden City; “Expanding Capabilities in GPMS” – $2,000

15. Greeley County Historical Society, Tribune; “Horace Greeley Museum” – $1,395

16. Magic’s HOPE, Garden City; “Funding for Community Outreach in 2025” – $1,200

17. Mosaic, Garden City; “Pool Access for Everyone” – $2,500

18. Pride of Life, Sublette; “Kitchen Equipment” – $1,733

19. Red Dog Children’s Museum, Garden City; “Expanding Red Dog’s Reach” – $2,500

20. Satanta Community Foundation, Satanta; “Revitalizing Satanta High” – $1,000

21. Scott County Historical Society, Scott City; “Irrigation Exhibit Collaboration” – $1,500

22. Scott County Rest Home, Scott City; “Park Lane Oversized Recliners” – $2,109

23. Seward County Historical Society, Liberal; “Dorothy’s House Tour Improvements” – $2,000

24. Southwest Kansas Community Concerts, Garden City; “Artist Fees for 2025-2026” – $1,000

25. Stanton County Community Foundation, Johnson; “Tree Additions to Walking Path” – $3,375

26. The Baker Arts Center, Liberal; “Baker Arts Center Artist Residency Program” – $1,800

27. USD #102 – Cimarron Elementary, Cimarron; “Bluejays After Hours Bike & Scooter Request” – $777.96

28. Western Kansas Child Advocacy Center, Scott City; “Project Archive” – $6,775

One Urgent Needs request was awarded to Catholic Charities of Southwest Kansas in the amount of $3,500.

Staff of Western Kansas Community Foundation always welcome visiting with donors or those interested in contributing to the unrestricted funds so we can help with more community projects and programs. The next grant deadline is July 1, 2025. To learn more about the application process and grant guidelines visit the WKCF website at www.wkcf.org, call at 620-271-9484 or stop by the office at 402 N. Main Street in downtown Garden City.