The end of another very competitive grant cycle has come, bringing with it 28 applications and over $115,000 in grant application requests. Golden Belt Community Foundation recently completed the March competitive grant cycle and awarded 13 charitable organizations a combined total of $28,860. Awards were granted to programs and projects within Barton, Pawnee, Rush and Stafford Counties.
The open, competitive grant process, attracts nearly 100 grant applications each year. Grant applications are reviewed three times a year, in March, July, and November. Programs or projects must demonstrate need and show how the program will benefit the communities of the Golden Belt. Programs that established new or fostered existing collaborations among various groups or organizations are considered favorably. Since 2002, over $2.27 million has been reinvested into charitable programs and agencies of the Golden Belt.  
Another avenue for funding a part of the many applications we receive is through our network of donor advisors. Each grant cycle, requests for funding are shared with donors and if they feel a draw or connection to the request, they may choose to fund it. Executive Director for Golden Belt Community Foundation, Christy Tustin says, “We work with many individuals who are interested in learning about funding needs in our communities. So, when we share these requests, often there are projects and programs that our donors also wish to support.”
The top two awards for this cycle went to: Great Bend Foundation for the Tot Spot Playground in partnership with Great Bend Rotary and Barton County Young Professionals; and Heartland Farms, operated by the Dominican Sisters of Peace, to support Eric Frieb’s Eagle Scout Project to construct an educational outdoor pavilion.
Competitive Grant Awards for March, 2015 include:
Grants Funded Through the Kansas Health Foundation Health and Well-Being of Youth Fund
$500 – Central Kansas Upward Bound – Recycling containers for youth-led recycling program
$993 –   Great Bend Children’s Learning Center – Free standing slide for playground
$7,500 – Great Bend Foundation – Tot Spot playground equipment
$5,000 – Heartland Farms – Construction material and supplies for educational outdoor pavilion
$275 –   National Wild Turkey Federation – Hearing and eye protection
$467 –   USD 495 Fort Larned – Six Ergo active chairs for students
Grants Funded Through the Kansas Health Foundation Fund
$1,000 – Rozel Pride, Inc. – Exercise equipment
Grants Funded Through the Jim and Kathi Armatys Donor Advised Fund
$357 –  Central Kansas Dream Center – Long range walkie-talkies
$510 –  Holy Family School – Kindergarten science experiments
Grants Funded Through the Glenn and Elaine Mull Family Fund
$1,215 – Larned Garden Club - Four plaques engraved with 650 names in rose garden
$2,500 – Pawnee County Extension – Summer food program for children
$606 –   Pawnee County Extension – From Garden to Canner, food preservation classes for youth
$590 –   Pawnee County Extension – Nutrition program for first grade students at Phinney Elementary
$160 –   USD 496 Pawnee Heights High School – Track and field equipment
$5,000 – Heartland Farms – Construction material and supplies for educational outdoor pavilion
$2,187 – Lasting Life Ministries – Dressers and bedding for Life Giving Center
For questions, call Golden Belt Community Foundation at 620-792-3000 or email gbcf@goldenbeltcf.org.   
Golden Belt Community Foundation
At $17.46 million in total assets and more than 155 funds under management, Golden Belt Community Foundation has been connecting people who care to causes that matter since 1996. For more information about Golden Belt Community Foundation, call (620) 792-3000 or visit their website at www.goldenbeltcf.org.