The Golden Belt Community Foundation recently completed the spring competitive grant cycle awarding $12,820 to charitable organizations in Barton, Pawnee, and Rush counties.  
Seventeen applications were received from agencies requesting more than $35,000 in funding. Programs or projects must demonstrate need and show how the program will benefit the communities of the Golden Belt area. Projects establishing new or fostering existing collaborations are favored.
The spring 2014 grant recipients are:
Grants made possible through the Kansas Health Foundation Children’s Health Endowment Fund
$2,500 City of Burdett / Burdett Pride to support the Burdett City Park revitalization project
$750 Central Kansas CASA for a volunteer training program
$1,000 Holy Family School to support the “Books for Literacy” project
$367 Fort Larned National Historic Site to support a photography workshop at Fort Larned this summer
$500 Great Bend Zoological Society to support guest speaker, Jack Hanna, who will be in Great Bend this fall
$2,400 USD 431 Hoisington for technology allowing students that are homebound, hospitalized, or temporarily unable to attend regular school to connect with the classroom electronically
$300 USD 496 Pawnee Heights to support the summer reading program in Rozel
$1,389 Sunflower Diversified Services Foundation for the Incredible Years preschool director to attend a conference and for the purchase of play equipment
Grant made possible by the Arts & Culture Field of Interest Fund
$269 Kansas Humanities Council to support Hometown Teams, a Smithsonian Institution traveling exhibition, to Ellinwood as part of a statewide tour in 2015
Grant made possible by the Amos Bayer Endowment Fund
$1,000 Welcome Inn Senior Center to assist with the roof repair
Grant made possible by the Jim and Kathi Armatys Donor Advised Fund
$1,895 Lasting Life Ministries to purchase a commercial oven range for the Hungry Heart Soup Kitchen
Grant made possible by Larry and Kathy Schugart Donor Advised Fund
$200 Great Bend Garden Club to assist with the repair of the memorial plaques at Great Bend cemetery
Grants made possible by the Rush County Endowment Fund
$250 Walnut Valley Senior Citizens to help support the continuation of their exercise program
At $12.95 million in total assets and more than 151 funds under management, the Golden Belt Community Foundation has been connecting people who care to causes that matter since 1996.  For more information about the Golden Belt Community Foundation call (620) 792-3000 or visit their website at www.goldenbeltcf.org.