Newsletter - March 2023 Edition

IN THIS ISSUE: Sponsor Spotlight: Kansas Rural Water Association Severe Weather Awareness Week PRIDE Community Happenings From Our Friends at NextGen Under 30 Awards and Community of Excellence Deadline Reminder Community Service Tax Credit Program (CSP) Continuing Opportunities Section External Funding Resources Up for a Community Visit? We Are, Too! Catch Us on Facebook K-State Garden Hour March Webinar Events Calendar Partner and Resource Links Sponsorship Opportunity 2023 Kansas PRIDE Communities

Sponsor Spotlight: Kansas Rural Water Association We'll be highlighting Kansas PRIDE program sponsors and partners in the newsletter and on social media throughout the year. We're grateful for the continued support provided by the Kansas Rural Water Association (KRWA). KRWA works to provide the education and leadership necessary to enhance the effectiveness of Kansas' water and wastewater utilities. In addition to their work in the water and wastewater aspect of communities and rural areas of Kansas, KRWA understands the importance of volunteers working to improve the quality of life across the state through the Kansas PRIDE program. Thank you for supporting Kansas communities! Did you know KRWA hosts the Midwest's most respected water/wastewater industry conference? If you're registered to attend this March event, come by and see us at Kansas PRIDE's booth (#155) for details about the program, its partners, and sponsors. You can also find more information about KRWA on their website: https://krwa.net/

Severe Weather Awareness Week Tornadoes, lightning, winds, floods, hail – severe weather season is nearly upon us. March 6-10 marks Severe Weather Preparedness Week in Kansas this year with a statewide tornado drill occurring at 10 AM on Tuesday, March 7th. One of the purposes of this designated week is to remind us about the types of severe weather we might expect and what we can do prior to keep ourselves and community members safe. The National Weather Service and Extension Disaster Education Network both have some great resources, from emergency kit planning and safest shelter locations, to preparing children for severe weather. Kansas PRIDE, thanks to the generosity of the Kansas Masons, has a Community Emergency Grant that can be applied for in cases of natural occurring disasters. While we hope no one ever needs to apply, it’s there should there be a need. - Jan Steen, Kansas PRIDE Program Co-Coordinator, jmsteen@ksu.edu

PRIDE Community Happenings

Wilson PRIDE, Inc. recently received a grant from Midwest Energy (a Kansas PRIDE sponsor) to restore a roadside sign about 15 miles outside of town on K-156. The sign is visible to everyone driving on the highway and is at an important turn-off that takes drivers north into Wilson. Improving the sign will help those driving to Wilson, especially at night, and is an important piece in people's first impression of the town.

Arlington Community PRIDE is starting a new project. In case you didn't see it on our Facebook page, #ArlingtonKSRocks is where area artists can paint rocks however they like, adding the PRIDE group's Facebook address to the underside. The rocks are left somewhere in public, even other towns, where people can find them and learn about the awesome things happening in Arlington.

From Our Friends at NextGen Under 30 We are excited to announce that nominations for the 2023 NextGen Under 30 program are now open! Our mission is simple: we seek to recognize the next generation of leaders and innovators in our communities. Through our network and programming, we strive to provide mentorship and resources to young people so they can become successful entrepreneurs, professionals, and community leaders. Now is the time to nominate innovative, creative-thinking, and inspiring young individuals who push the boundaries and our communities forward. To learn more about nominating someone for this awards program, deadlines, and more, visit nextgenunder30ks.com. You can also find a nomination booklet and flyers here.

Awards & Community of Excellence Deadline Reminder! Just a quick reminder that the Kansas PRIDE Awards deadline for Round 1 of 2023 is May 1. This is also the new deadline for Community of Excellence designation applications. Look for the full announcement in last month's newsletter. Food for thought - looking for potential matching funds for your applications or projects? You may consider contacting your local Masonic Lodge. Want us to help give you a Masonic contact local to you? Email us and we are happy to facilitate that connection. And as always, don't hesitate to reach out to pride@ksu.edu with any questions!

Community Service Tax Credit Program (CSP) The Kansas Department of Commerce once again has $4.1 million in tax credits to award under the Community Service Tax Credit Program (CSP).   If your organization is interested in applying for CSP Tax Credits, the Department of Commerce invites you to an introductory webinar on Wednesday, March 1 at 1:00 p.m. Applicants may request up to $200,000 in tax credits.    Registration is required to attend. Registration information for the webinar can be found here.   CSP assists private nonprofit organizations and public healthcare entities in undertaking major capital campaigns for projects involving: Community service, including childcare Non-governmental crime prevention Youth apprenticeship and technical training Healthcare services

CONTINUING OPPORTUNITIES SECTION

Kansans are blessed with a multitude of opportunities to bring federal and state funding into your communities for housing, downtown development, trails, historic preservation, and more. The Gretzky Rule: You miss 100% of the shots you don't take. Kansans in 100 of 105 counties have taken Grant Writing Basics classes and reported writing $38 million of successful grants in their first year after completion. Classes are online and named for a local unit cohost. To register https://bit.ly/3P9RhcW. All classes cost $60. NEW THIS YEAR: A micro-credential for completion of the class and supporting documents showing evidence of learning.

FIRST FRIDAY E-CALLS K-State Research and Extension offers entrepreneurship webinars every first Friday of the month.  Visit our Webpage for all past sessions. Registration information for upcoming sessions can be found HERE.

External Funding Opportunities Want to put your new grant writing skills to use? Here are some opportunities for project funding outside of the Kansas PRIDE grants: Child Care Aware of Kansas, in partnership with the Kansas Department for Children and Families provides funding opportunities and technical assistance for communities working to address access to high-quality, affordable child care. There are two funding opportunities available - Initial Child Care Coalition Building funds of up to $2,000 for communities to support coalition-building activities and Implementing Child Care Capacity-Building Plans with funding up to $45,000 for eligible coalitions. Applications are received and reviewed on a rolling basis with a deadline of June 30, 2023. You can find out more information on the grants and eligibility here: https://ks.childcareaware.org/community-grants/ The Sparkplug Foundation funds start-up organizations and projects of established non-profits in the areas of education, community organizing and music. Smaller organizations and projects are included in the areas they fund. Letter of Intent deadline is May 8, 2023, with an application deadline of May 24, 2023, if invited to apply. You can find examples of past winners and more details here: https://www.sparkplugfoundation.org/information/ New Belgium Brewing offers small grants focused on the area of bicycle advocacy. They offer $500 - $5,000 grants for projects that increase daily bicycle ridership, break down barriers and foster support for riders, and that promote bike accessibility in communities facing inequities. Grant cycle opens March 1 and closes March 31 with winners being announced in May during National Bike Month. Find out how to apply here: https://www.newbelgium.com/company/mission/small-grants-details/ Additional Funding Resources Is your Kansas PRIDE community looking for funding to help with certain projects? Let us know what the project is, how much you're seeking, and what your timeline looks like. We have access to an external grants database and likely can give you some links to potential funding sources. Just email us at PRIDE@ksu.edu with your request and project idea. Not a Kansas PRIDE community? This resource is a great reason to join! You can also reach out to your local Extension office which should have access to the database as well. - Jan Steen, Kansas PRIDE Program Co-Coordinator, jmsteen@ksu.edu jmsteen@ksu.edu

Up for a Virtual, or in Person, Community Visit? We Are, Too! Our offer near the end of each newsletter is to engage your community remotely, or in person! Our model has changed slightly - we prefer virtual for initial steps as our introduction videos can be shared widely throughout the community. We would be more than happy to host a Zoom meeting where your PRIDE group members, city council members, chamber participants, Masonic Lodge, or other groups could individually log in to see the presentation or discussion and ask questions. In person is a great way to get assessments or other community planning done, and we are happy to do a survey read out as a neutral party, or help you through a Strategic Doing session. Just e-mail us at PRIDE@ksu.edu to set up a schedule. To view pre-recorded webinars giving an introduction to the program, step-by-step instructions on how to enroll or report, fundraising, recruiting volunteers, and more, head over to our Education page for more. Keep your eye on that page, as we will be updating our Toolkit soon! - Jan Steen and Jaime Menon, Kansas PRIDE Program Co-Coordinators, PRIDE@ksu.edu We often post items of interest on our Facebook page between newsletters. Grants, volunteer training, project ideas, and even the occasional Live stream will pop up. Click the button below to like and follow the program activity there: Like Us On Facebook!

EVENTS CALENDAR Quarterly Report Due Dates: April 15th, July 15th, October 15th, January 15th  Awards Deadlines: May 1st, September 1st

Partner and Resource Links

Sponsorship Opportunity

The Kansas PRIDE Program uses no state or federal dollars to fund community projects or recognition. Sponsors support communities participating in the program by helping to fund grants and awards and have the opportunity to serve on the Kansas PRIDE, Inc. Board of Directors. It’s not just the communities that benefit – the sponsors get a lot out of it, too! To see how your company's or organization's support can benefit communities throughout the state, visit our Sponsors and Sponsorship page to find out how to donate.

2023 Kansas PRIDE Communities The following communities have enrolled in the Kansas PRIDE program for the 2023 program year. Communities are added to this list each month (or this list more frequently) as they enroll for the current program year. To enroll your community, visit our Enrollment and Reporting page and click on the light blue "Enroll" button to get started.

Admire Alton Anthony Arlington Axtell Basehor Belleville Blue Rapids Burden Bushton Caney Columbus Conway Springs Delia Elk City Ellis Erie Glasco Grainfield Grinnell Harper Highland Humboldt Independence Iola Kinsley La Harpe Lakin Larned Lecompton Lenora Leon Leonardville Lincoln Lucas Luray Marion McFarland Melvern Morton County Elkhart Rolla Nickerson Norton Olsburg Overbrook Ozawkie Perry Potwin Randolph Riley Riverton Russell Saint George Scranton Silver Lake South Central Neighborhood (Wichita) Toronto Vermillion Wilson Yates Center

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