On Nov. 15th the Golden Belt Community Foundation celebrates its 15th anniversary. It began 15 years ago when a group of local individuals envisioned a way for people to give back to their local communities. The result was the establishment of the Golden Belt Community Foundation.
Founding donor Nelva Grimes reflected on the Foundation’s success, “Good things happen when people see a need and truly support it.  Thirty-seven founding donors planted the seed and along with the Board of Director’s vision, the Kansas Health Foundation’s challenges, and the Investment Committee’s wise investments, this milestone is just the beginning.”
Serving Barton, Pawnee, Rush, and Stafford counties, the Golden Belt Community Foundation was started with gifts from founding donors, both individuals and local businesses, who believed in creating a permanent endowment for the area. Each founding donor gift then was matched by the Kansas Health Foundation, Wichita. Since its establishment, the Community Foundation has grown to an all-time high of $7.6 million earlier this year and has awarded approximately $1.4 million to over 160 charitable organizations.
“Much good has been accomplished thanks to many generous donors who established funds for a variety of organizations and causes. Each of these funds provided grants to be awarded annually for the betterment of the community,” said Christy Tustin, Executive Director of the Golden Belt Community Foundation.
Throughout the years the foundation focused on building a permanent community endowment and currently manages about 120 endowment funds. Each of these funds is specifically designed to provide grants to an organization or charitable cause in perpetuity. Today about 90% of the foundation’s assets are permanently endowed.
The foundation also has benefited from a partnership with the Kansas Health Foundation in Wichita. Through a series of matching fund challenges and opportunities to participate in special initiatives, such as the Nutrition and Physical Activity Initiative, the foundation was able to make a difference in the health and well being of youth and others in the Golden Belt area. In addition, the foundation partners with the Great Bend and Larned Chambers of Commerce to facilitate Leadership Golden Belt each year.
Incorporated in 1996, the Golden Belt Community Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation whose mission is to plan, work, and invest today for a more secure, improved, and better tomorrow. For more information about the Golden Belt Community Foundation, call (620) 792-3000 or visit their website at www.goldenbeltcf.org.