Newsletter - August 2022 Edition |
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IN THIS ISSUE:
- PRIDE Community Happenings
- Reminder: Deadline for Grants/Awards Applications is September 1
- Congratulations to Spring Grants and Awards Recipients
- Kansas Department of Commerce: Individual Development Account Webinar
- Sponsor Highlight: Black Hills Energy
- Continuing Opportunities Section
- External Funding Resources
- Up for a Community Visit? We Are, Too!
- Catch Us on Facebook & Facebook Live!
- K-State Garden Hour August Schedule
- Events Calendar
- Ways to Support Kansas PRIDE
- 2022 Kansas PRIDE Communities
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PRIDE Community Happenings |
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Silver Lake Hometown PRIDE took on a clean up/beautification project in the 2nd quarter of the year. Groups planted flowers along Main Street, at the community center, and at both welcome signs. Two trees were planted in the parks, the library's garden was spruced up with new vegetable and flower plantings and trash was picked up off the streets and sidewalks.
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What can you do with a bunch of old tires? The Kansas Department of Health and Environment puts them to good use by offering a Waste Tire Grant. Riverton PRIDE successfully wrote for the grant and used the funds to get two benches and two ADA accessible picnic tables. They also received another grant to plant milkweed along their trail. Local 4-H clubs assisted with the planting project.
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Ellis PRIDE recently completed and rehung their historic mural. Curb painting sessions took place in the spring with more signed up for this fall. The group is looking at the Old Jail as a possible next project and possibly a bench, plaque, and landscaping at the historic mural site. Ellis has started to view some of the Kansas PRIDE education videos at meetings. Word is that they've learned a lot!
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Bushton PRIDE reports that they hosted a well attended Easter egg hunt. They also held a craft show/flea market, planted flowers in pots to be placed on Main Street and other areas of town, and started to plan an August community celebration. Due to a high wind event, Bushton PRIDE is working with the City of Bushton to replace a damaged sign along the highway.
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The Blue Rapids Community Action Team has recently created a new pickleball court. They also took on a beautification project by painting a bridge in the city park and adding lights to it. To add to their efforts they reported that the Youth Day of Service was a hit where junior and senior high students worked with entities to clean up and improve the town.
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Pickleball must be in the air! Grainfield PRIDE also completed their pickleball court and 2 GAGA ball courts. Another big project is coming together nicely - a new community daycare structure should be moved to its foundation soon. The daycare was recently mentioned in the Dane G. Hansen Foundation's magazine, Northwest Kansas Today.
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Reminder: Deadline for Grants/Awards Applications is September 1
Interested in applying for grants or awards this fall? Below is a summary of what's available and how to apply. You can see our full write-up in the July 2022 newsletter.
Here's what's available:
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Grants:
- Community of Growth
- Community of Action
- Community Promotion
- Community Emergency Grant
- Volunteers Impact PRIDE
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Recognition Award:
Recognition/Designation
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DON'T FORGET YOUR FOLIO!!!
Folios are now required (one per community, not one per award, that you are applying for). More weight is given for points towards grant applications than recognition, with Community of Excellence as the exception. CLICK HERE to go to our Folios Page. You can update your folio each application period as you learn more. No need to create a new file each round, just edit what you have and send us the updated version or let us know you'd like to transfer your previous folio if no new educational activity has occurred.
We encourage you to apply! If you have questions, don't hesitate to reach out to us at PRIDE@ksu.edu to ask or set up a phone call, we are happy to help! - Jaime Menon, Co-Coordinator of the Kansas PRIDE Program, jmenon@ksu.edu
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Kansas Department of Commerce: Individual Development Account Webinar |
Topeka, Kan. – The Kansas Department of Commerce will soon seek qualified organizations to administer Individual Development Account (IDA) programs. To attract Program Administrators, an introductory webinar will be hosted on Tuesday, August 16, 2022 at 1:00 pm.
The Kansas IDA program allows qualified organizations the opportunity to provide a match on deposits made by low-income participants who are saving to buy a home; make repairs to their existing home; start a business or expand their existing business; or attend continued education classes such as college or a technical school.
The program is structured to provide financial assistance to community charities, and tribal and religious organizations that administer the IDA program in their communities through the sale of tax credits. Organizations can serve a specific region, multiple regions or the state as a whole, and will receive up to $100,000 in tax credits annually. The organization is granted up to 20% of the earned funds to use for operation costs the first two years they administer the program, and 15% for each year thereafter.
If your community development organization is interested in administering an IDA program, Commerce invites you to the webinar on Tuesday, August 16, 2022 at 1:00 pm. The webinar will last approximately one hour and time will allow for questions.
For questions regarding the IDA Program, contact Sara Bloom at sara.bloom@ks.gov or by phone at 785-506-9278.
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Sponsor Highlight: Black Hills Energy
It’s Kansas PRIDE Program sponsor highlight time and today we’re focusing the spotlight on Black Hills Energy. Black Hills Energy provides electric and natural gas services. They partner with communities and customers they serve to provide the kind of energy that fuels those areas and the lives of those they serve. They are committed to healthy, vibrant communities and invest time and resources to help them grow and aim even higher. Thanks to everyone at Black Hills Energy for supporting Kansas communities! You can visit them online here or by clicking their logo.
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.
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CONTINUING OPPORTUNITIES SECTION |
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From K-State Research and Extension
GRANT WRITING WORKSHOPS
K-State Research and Extension Grant-writing workshops are now online. The online workshop is designed to be presented to participants in two 3-hour courses and will cost $60. Local Extension agents are the hosts for the workshops, but since workshops are online, you can attend any workshop in the state. There are two ways to participate: go to our website (https://www.ksre.k-state.edu/community/) and under "Events" on the right side you can register at a scheduled workshop or ask your local extension agent to host. For more information, contact Nancy Daniels: nkdaniels@ksu.edu
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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.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Ever wonder what people visiting your town think? First impressions are important as the community works to improve the overall quality of life and develop its sense of place. Interested in First Impressions for your community? Visit our Webpage to learn more.
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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:
The Clif Family Foundation offers Operational Support grants for projects addressing two or more of their funding priorities:
- Strengthening our food system
- Enhancing equitable community health outcomes
- Safeguarding our environment and natural resources
The deadline for this round of applications is October 1st with February 1st and June 1st deadlines to follow should you need more time to apply. Find out more and access the application process here: https://cliffamilyfoundation.org/grants-program
The Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway Foundation offers grants for projects meeting at least two of the following criteria:
- Your organization or project has significant BNSF employee participation
- Your organization or the services provided are in close proximity to a BNSF main line; or if BNSF is the only railroad or major corporation in your area of the state
- Your request is related to the railroad industry
- Your request is for direct programming or project support
In addition, strong preference is given to requests involving environmental, sustainability, or conservation projects; health and human services; or cultural and historic preservation. Priority will also be given to organizations having an established relationship with the BNSF Railway Foundation (if you don’t have a relationship with them you can still apply – what better time than the present to reach out and start that relationship?). Applications are reviewed monthly, so there is no specific deadline to apply. Go here for the details you need to get started: http://www.bnsffoundation.org/how-to-apply/
The Kansas Volunteer Commission’s mini-grant for the 9/11 National Day of Service has a deadline coming up soon – August 5th. Grants will range between $500 and $1,000 and this is a dollar-for-dollar matching grant meaning whatever you apply for you must be able to include an equal dollar match. The purpose of the grant is to help engage volunteers in their efforts to carry out tribute projects. Find out the full details and get the application here: https://kanserve.org/Grants-and-Funding/2022-Mini-Grants-Series/9-11-Day-of-Service-Mini-Grant. Not a BNSF community? Other railroads have grants and community support opportunities. Let us know what railroad runs through your town and we can forward details to you!
The Walmart Foundation has a Local Community Grants program for programs and projects falling into one of their priority areas:
- Community and economic development
- Diversity and inclusion
- Education
- Environmental sustainability
- Health and human services
- Hunger relief and healthy eating
- Public safety
- Quality of life
The goal here is to reach out to your nearest Walmart’s manager to discuss the project and gauge their interest. It’s the manager who makes initial funding recommendations to the Foundation so make sure you have all the information they’ll need to realize the importance, need, and impact of your project. You can find out about the selection process by visiting their grants page: https://walmart.org/how-we-give/local-community-grants
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 a 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
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Up for a Virtual, or in Person, Community Visit? We Are, Too! |
Our offer at 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
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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: |
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You can also find the K-State Garden Hour schedule on our Facebook page. |
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Quarterly Report Dates:
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January 15th, April 15th, July 15th, October 15th
Awards Deadlines:
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Ways to Support Kansas PRIDE |
Would you like to support communities' efforts to improve the quality of life across Kansas? Companies/organizations can sponsor the program and have the option to serve on the Kansas PRIDE, Inc. board of directors. KPI also accepts individual donations or you can contribute by using the Amazon Smile link here should you do any online shopping. Support your local merchants first, of course! |
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2022 Kansas PRIDE Communities
The following communities are currently enrolled in the Kansas PRIDE program for the 2022 program year. To enroll your community visit our Enrollment and Reporting page and click on the light blue "Enroll" button to get started.
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- Admire
- Alton
- Anthony
- Arlington
- Ashland
- Assaria
- Axtell
- Basehor
- Belleville
- Blue Rapids
- Burden
- Bushton
- Caldwell
- Caney
- Clifton
- Columbus
- Conway Springs
- Courtland
- Delia
- Dover
- Dwight
- Elk City
- Ellis
- Erie
- Florence
- Fort Scott
- Glasco
- Grainfield
- Grinnell
- Harper
- Haysville
- Herndon
- Highland
- Hugoton
- Humboldt
- Iola
- Kinsley
- La Harpe
- Lakin
- Larned
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- Lecompton
- Leon
- Leonardville
- Lewis
- Lincoln
- Lucas
- Luray
- Macksville
- Marion
- McFarland
- Melvern
- Moran
- Mount Hope
- Newton
- Norton
- Olsburg
- Osawatomie
- Overbrook
- Ozawkie
- Perry
- Portis
- Potwin
- Quenemo
- Randolph
- Riley
- Riverton
- Rossville
- Rozel
- Russell
- Saint George
- Savonburg
- Scranton
- Silver Lake
- South Central Neighborhood (Wichita)
- Stockton
- Toronto
- Vermillion
- Wakefield
- Wilson
- Yates Center
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