CUNA Mutual Retirement Solutions awarded several local organizations with a grant from their endowment fund, the CPI Great Bend and Barton County Donor Advised Fund, held at Golden Belt Community Foundation. These organizations were presented with checks and thanked for their contributions to our communities.
The CPI Great Bend and Barton County Donor Advised Fund was established in 2009 through the Golden Belt Community Foundation when CUNA Mutual Group acquired CPI Qualified Plan Consultants Inc. (CPI) and made a generous donation establishing the corporate grant-making fund. Since then, the fund has grown and CUNA Mutual Retirement Solutions’ Philanthropy committee members continue to review projects that will benefit Barton County.
To involve its employees in giving and to simplify the giving process, CUNA Mutual Retirement Solutions chose to manage its giving through a donor-advised fund at the Golden Belt Community Foundation. Corporate donor-advised funds allow a company to make a charitable gift, establish a fund in the company’s name, and remain involved by recommending grants to charitable agencies or projects. Each year employees accept grant applications and make grant recommendations to the foundation Board of Directors regarding the charitable agencies or projects they wish to benefit. With each grant awarded, CUNA Mutual Retirement Solutions will further its corporate philanthropy and community involvement.
CUNA Mutual Retirement Solutions requested online grant proposals for funding with the intent of providing assistance to a local cause. Since the fund was established in 2009, it has paid out more than $135,000 to Barton County organizations. They received several applications from deserving area organizations and three nonprofits were selected for funding.
Clara Barton Hospital was awarded $4,350 to help provide a course redesign and upgrade to the current Disc Golf course in Hoisington. The Hoisington Recreation Commission supports this project and has contributed $5,000. The grant will help provide nine new Dynamic Discs Veteran baskets, nine new disc tee signs as well as some new course signage. A professional designer will be used to redesign the layout of the current outdated course. The course will be designed to be safe, environmentally friendly and tournament ready. Dynamic Discs who designed the course at Vets Park will be used for this project to ensure the course layouts complement each other.
Friends of Recovery was awarded $2,500 to provide a part-time program coordinator in Great Bend to help open new houses and support the house with case management, including mediation and education. Specifically, this will include understanding Medication Assisted Treatment, new member orientation, trauma informed care workshops, parenting classes to the Oxford Houses and education to the community on addiction, recovery and the Oxford Houses. The Oxford Houses serve the homeless and near-homeless who are in recovery from alcohol and drug addiction with transitional housing.
Barton County Emergency Aid was awarded $4,618 to support rent and utility assistance along with aid to the homeless and transients. Financial support is also given to RSVP to aid in transport of those in need to appointments. The goal of emergency aid is to provide aid to those who are in an “emergency state” of being evicted due to inability to pay rent or utilities being shut off due to nonpayment. Assistance is also offered to the homeless and transients.
