The end of another very competitive grant cycle has come, bringing with it 16 applications and over $31,689 in grant application requests. Golden Belt Community Foundation recently completed the July competitive grant cycle and awarded 16 charitable organizations a combined total of $10,271. 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 $2.7 million has been reinvested into charitable programs and agencies of the Golden Belt.  
Another avenue for funding a part of the many applications the Foundation receive is through their 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 recommend a grant from their own donor advised fund. 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.”
Competitive Grant Awards for July, 2015 include:
Grants Funded Through the Arts and Culture Fund
$250 – Great Bend Jazz Festival, Inc. – Christmas Swing Concert
Grants Funded Through the Kansas Health Foundation Youth Endowment
$599 –   St. John’s CDC – Toy Storage Shed
$750 –   USD 349 Stafford – School canine program including aluminum dog walk
$1,000 – USD 496 Pawnee Heights – Science and Math Hands-on Projects for students
$1,180 – USD 395 La Crosse – Library enhancements (books, supplies, ebooks)
$1,248 – Smoky Hills Public Television – Literacy leadership books for children
$1,500 – St. Joseph Catholic School – Web based testing software
Grants Funded Through the Glenn and Elaine Mull Family Fund
$168 –   Central Kansas Dream Center – Soup kitchen supplies
$400 –   Pawnee County Health Department – Safe Sleep for Newborns / Halo Sleep Sack Swaddlers
$500 –   The Salvation Army – Pawnee County school supply program
$711 –   USD 495 Ford Larned – Staff book study (32 copies of The Highly Engaged Classroom)
$965 –   City of Larned EMS – Combi-board to reduce risk of spinal injury
$1,000 – Rush County Conservation District – Women on the Farm (Barton, Pawnee and Rush Counties)
For questions call Golden Belt Community Foundation at 620-792-3000 or email gbcf@goldenbeltcf.org.   
Golden Belt Community Foundation
At $18.5 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.