Newsletter - June 2023 Edition

IN THIS ISSUE: We're Hosting a Grant Writing Workshop! Sponsor Spotlight: Networks Plus Community Happenings Around Kansas A Big Thanks to Collaborative Partner: Dane G. Hansen Foundation Reminder: NextGen Under 30 Application Deadline: July 28 Continuing Opportunities Section External Funding Resources Up for a Community Visit? We Are, Too! Catch Us on Facebook K-State Garden Hour June Webinar Equitable Entrepreneurial Ecosystems for Rural Main Streets Events Calendar Partner and Resource Links Sponsorship Opportunity 2023 Kansas Community Empowerment/PRIDE Communities

We're Hosting a Grant Writing Workshop! We're announcing this early so you have a chance to register and get it on your calendars. Kansas Community Empowerment, in partnership with K-State Research and Extension, is offering an a 2-evening grant writing workshop on December 5 and 7 from 6-8:30 PM each night. These are normally offered during the day, and we've had requests recently to see if there's an option for those who can't take off work to participate. Click here or on the image below for more details and to register. Note: The first six registrants representing currently enrolled local Kansas Community Empowerment (PRIDE) committees are eligible for a reimbursement scholarship upon completion of the workshop. Email Jan at jmsteen@ksu.edu after you register to get on the list. If this date doesn't work for you, please check the regular link in our Continuing Opportunities Section for other offerings.

Sponsor Spotlight: Networks Plus We'll be introducing Kansas Community Empowerment (PRIDE) program sponsors in the newsletter and on social media throughout the year. This month we're shining the spotlight on Networks Plus. Networks Plus offers comprehensive cybersecurity and managed IT services for northeast Kansas businesses. Doing great work in the IT arena since the early 1990s, Networks Plus works for the success of their partners, providing resources, solutions, and best practices to help businesses thrive. Thanks to everyone at Networks Plus for supporting Kansas communities. You can visit them online at https://www.networksplus.com/. Interested in becoming a Kansas Community Empowerment (Kansas PRIDE) sponsor? Check out our sponsorship details near the end of the newsletter!

Community Happenings Around Kansas

Leonardville PRIDE hosted its Picnic in the Park on May 6th. Food was served to 75 people. Music was provided by Ben Schardein, with rock painting, cornhole, basketball, and other fun in the park taking place at the event. The group also reports that they've made some repairs to their Little Library.

Yates Center can now move forward with their "Adore Your Door" project and will paint 75 doors in the community. There has been a distributor supply issue with paint which has now been resolved. The local lumberyard is helping with pricing and the committee has met to go over project details.

Friends of Vermillion provided an update on their Community Center renovations. Kitchen electrical wiring has been updated for safety and to better accommodate large appliances. An old bathroom was demolished with two new ones installed. Additional improvements include new plumbing, sheetrock, insulation, and doors.

Haysville PRIDE reports that they held their regular Bierock Fundraising event recently. In addition to raising funds for community projects they also welcomed non-PRIDE members who were interested in helping and learning more about what Haysville PRIDE is and what the group does for the community.

A Big Thanks to Collaborative Partner: The Dane G. Hansen Foundation  We’re proud to work with the Dane G. Hansen Foundation in support of Northwest Kansas communities and thankful for all they do. The Dane G. Hansen Foundation provides opportunities for people in Northwest Kansas to enjoy the highest possible quality of life. Through their mission they work to strengthen communities, create an environment for growth, and increase economic opportunities. To fulfill their mission they invest in education, health care, economic development, community social services and security, conservation and the environment, arts and culture, and community beautification. The Kansas Community Empowerment program provides grants, technical assistance and resources to support communities in the Dane G. Hansen service area. In addition, K-State Research and Extension also provides Community Vitality programming to these communities in the form of community assessments, grant searches, grant writing workshops, educational resources, and presentations. You can find out more about the Dane G. Hansen Foundation and the great work it’s doing in Northwest Kansas, including grant opportunities, scholarships, and other initiatives, by clicking here or the logo above.

Reminder: NextGen Under 30 Application Deadline: July 28 Looking for a way to recognize leaders (in this case, under age 30) in your community? NextGen Under 30 Kansas is an annual recognition program that acknowledges and honors young professionals in Kansas who are making a difference in their community through exceptional leadership skills and achievements. Through this program and other opportunities, we hope to encourage these individuals to continue calling Kansas their home. Application deadline is July 28. Nominate Today!

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 KCE/PRIDE grants: The Willard and Pat Walker Foundation supports charitable, religious, literary, scientific, and educational endeavors. Their next window to apply is August 15th through October 1st and all organizations are required to contact their office at least 30 days prior to submitting a request. This is in order to discuss funding eligibility. More details can be found here: http://www.walkerfoundation.org/ Brothers Helping Brothers supports small and rural fire departments and EMS in the United States with equipment needs. These fire departments are eligible to apply for tools and equipment that allow them to perform their duty. Fire departments and EMS organizations that serve a population of fewer than 10,000 people, or have less than 30 employees, can apply for equipment grants, used equipment, and backup safety systems. Application details can be viewed on their website: https://www.brothershelpingbrothers.org/grant-request/ The Foundation for Rural Service, established by the NTCA-The Rural Broadband Association, has a Community Grant Program for communities served by an NTCA member company. These grants are designed to support local efforts to build and sustain a high quality of life in rural America. Grants range from $250 to $5,000 and are awarded in November. Grant application deadline is September 5, 2023. Project priorities include technology and broadband focused, long-term impact on community and its residents, promotion of community participation and engagement, and creating a more sustainable community – also including: business and economic development, community development, education, and telecommunications. You can see past recipients, find an application guide, and more here: https://www.frs.org/programs/grant-program/community-grant. If you’re not sure whether your telephone/internet provider is an NTCA member, be sure to ask as you will need a letter of support from them to apply. You can also find a recent list of NTCA partners in the Central Region of the U.S. here: https://www.ntca.org/about-us/our-partners Additional Funding Resources Is your Kansas Community Empowerment (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 multiple external grants databases and likely can give you some links to potential funding sources. Just email us at KSCE@ksu.edu with your request and project idea. If you've utilized Jan for grant searches - KCE/PRIDE community or otherwise - please report back to us on any successes you might have so we can determine effectiveness and continue to provide this service. Not a KCE/PRIDE community? This is just one of many resources that make it worthwhile to join! You can also reach out to your local Extension office which should have access to the database as well. - Jan Steen, Kansas Community Empowerment Program Co-Coordinator, 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 KCE/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 KSCE@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. - Jan Steen and Jaime Menon, Kansas Community Empowerment Program Co-Coordinators, KSCE@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!

Note: Our Facebook page address has recently changed! You shouldn't be affected if you already like the page, but if you visit it via a bookmark, you can find the new link via the button.

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

Partner and Resource Links

Sponsorship Opportunity

The Kansas Community Empowerment 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 Community Empowerment Enrolled Communities The following communities have enrolled in the Kansas Community Empowerment 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 Ashland Assaria Axtell Basehor Belleville Blue Rapids Burden Bushton Caldwell Caney Clifton Coats Columbus Conway Springs Delia Dwight Elk City Ellis Erie Florence Fort Scott Glasco Grainfield Grinnell Harper Haysville Herndon Highland Horton Hugoton Humboldt Independence Iola Kinsley La Harpe Lakin Larned Lecompton Lenora Leon Leonardville Lincoln Lucas Luray Macksville Marion McFarland Melvern Morland Morton County Elkhart Rolla Nickerson Norton Olsburg Osawatomie Overbrook Ozawkie Perry Potwin Randolph Riley Riverton Rossville Russell Saint George Scranton Silver Lake South Central Neighborhood (Wichita) Toronto Vermillion Wakefield Wilson Yates Center

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