The Community Foundation of Southeast Kansas is pleased to announce that grant applications are now available for Elm Acres Foundation At-Risk Youth Grants and Rita J. Bicknell Women’s Health Fund grants. Applications will be accepted through April 30, 2021. Elm Acres grants are available for non-profit programs and services for at-risk youth, and Women’s Health Fund grants are awarded through two giving circles for non-profit projects that further the Fund’s mission of improving women’s health and well-being.
Elm Acres Foundation At-Risk Youth Grant applications are available on our Elm Acres page. The application for Women’s Health Fund grants can be found on either our Women’s Giving Circle or Circle of Friends page.
Read on to learn more about these exciting grant opportunities!
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Elm Acres Foundation At-Risk Youth Grants: What you need to know
The Elm Acres Foundation provides support to at-risk youth in the Southeast Kansas community (Crawford, Cherokee, and Labette Counties), including by supporting any entities that provide services for such youth. Since 2017, the Elm Acres Foundation, working through the Community Foundation of Southeast Kansas, has provided an annual grant cycle for programs and services offered to at-risk youth. In 2020, the Elm Acres Foundation awarded $21,944 to eight local organizations, with the amount of each grant ranging from $850 to $5,284.
Past projects that received an At-Risk Youth grant include:
- Communities in Schools of Mid-America provided critical basic-needs support for students and their families in Pittsburg and Parsons.
- Fostering Connections hosted free Family Fun events for foster and adoptive families.
- Kansas Big Brothers Big Sisters provided support and supervision for current mentoring matches and recruited volunteers to serve more youth.
- Restorative Justice Authority purchased laptops and software for staff providing evidence-based programs and services for at-risk youth in Crawford County.
- SEK Interlocal #637 purchased specialized physical-education equipment to assist special-education students at Pittsburg Community Middle School.
For a full list of our 2020 grant recipients, see our 2020 Grant Celebration newsletter.
Rita J. Bicknell Women’s Health Fund Grants: What you need to know
The Rita J. Bicknell Women’s Health Fund is made up of two giving circles, the Women’s Giving Circle (WGC) and the Circle of Friends (COF). The WGC was originally established in 2007, and the COF was created in 2013. The mission of the Fund is to “improve the health and well-being of women by supporting education, increasing awareness and sharing quality of life opportunities to benefit all women.”
Each year, members of the WGC and COF review grant applications and approve grants for programs that further the Women’s Health Fund mission. Grants of $2,000 or less are made by the COF, and grants of more than $2,000 are made by the WGC. Since their creation, the two giving circles have granted more than $300,000 for women’s health programs.
Past projects that received a grant from the Women’s Health Fund include:
- The American Cancer Society operates the Kansas City Hope Lodge, providing free lodging for cancer patients and their caregivers receiving treatment in the Kansas City area.
- Catholic Charities enhanced its Neighborhood Financial Stabilization Project, which assists families and individuals facing a financial crisis, to women survivors of domestic violence.
- The Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas provided Baby Boxes filled with critical baby supplies to teenage mothers in Southeast Kansas.
- The Labette Health Foundation purchased a QCPR Resuscitation baby for neonatal-resuscitation training and birthing stools for expectant mothers.
- Pittsburg Mother-to-Mother Ministry purchased materials for its Parenting the Love and Logic Way and Early Childhood Parenting Made Fun educational programs.
For a full list of our 2020 grant recipients, see our 2020 Grant Celebration newsletter.
Who can apply for a grant?
Elm Acres Foundation At-Risk Youth grants and Rita J. Bicknell Women’s Health Fund grants are available only to 501(c)(3) organizations, schools, units of government, and religious organizations. If you’re unsure whether your group or organization qualifies for one of these grants, please contact us for help.
How to apply for a grant
To apply for an Elm Acres Foundation At-Risk Youth grant, download the grant application from our Elm Acres page. To apply for a Women’s Health Fund grant, download the grant application from either our Women’s Giving Circle or Circle of Friends page. In either case, your application should be typed and should include:
- Proof of non-profit status if not already on file with CFSEK;
- Your organization’s mission statement; and
- A list of your organization’s Board of Directors.
Applications must be returned to CFSEK by April 30, 2021.
Questions?
If you have any questions about either of these grant opportunities, please contact us or email Program Coordinator Sherri Stephens.