Grant

Dane G Hansen Community Grant for Graham County

STATUS
Accepting Applications
—
FOUNDATION
Graham County Community Foundation
—
COUNTY
Graham County
—
APPLICATION DEADLINE
3/31/2025
?/?/?
(Last day of every month)
?/?/?
(Last day of every month between
Feb
->
Mar
)
Applications are open year round
—

The Dane G. Hansen Foundation initiated a grant opportunity in March 2015 with Greater Northwest Kansas Community Foundation as an avenue to financially help support charitable activities in Northwest Kansas. With this funding, county-wide funds have been established, allocating grant funds to each to be used for projects benefiting the counties and/or communities within.

Apply NowFAQFollow Up

Graham County applications are accepted twice a year: between February 1 to March 31 (end of day) and August 1 to September 30 (end of day). Awards will be announced by the end of May and November respectively and determined based on stated criteria through a competitive application process.

Qualifying Counties

Qualifying counties eligible for participation through GNWKCF include: Cheyenne, Decatur, Ellsworth, Gove, Graham, Logan, Norton, Phillips, Osborne, Rawlins, Russell, Sheridan, Sherman, Thomas and Wallace.

Fund Distribution

Annually, funding is made available for each of these county-wide funds as “pass-through” grants: $25,000 being made available in April, and an additional $25,000 in September. This grant program will sunset at the end of 2025.

County-wide participation in a Strategic Doing initiative supported by the Hansen Foundation is required. Individual Community Foundations may opt to participate in the Ripple Effects Mapping process sponsored by the Hansen Foundation as well.

Applications

Grant applications are accepted online, and available to all counties listed above. The Dane G. Hansen Foundation serves a 26-county area in Northwest Kansas; the other eligible counties not listed can apply through the Greater Salina Community Foundation.

Qualifying applicants

Grants are made to nonprofit organizations exempt from federal taxation under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; and Educational, Governmental, and Religious Institutions. Grants are not made to individuals or businesses.

Please note – there are many nonprofit organizations that fall under a different IRS tax code that are not eligible.  Please look into this prior to filling out your application.

Grantmaking criteria

Grants can address:

  • Education: Enhances the learning environment and expands opportunities for students in Northwest Kansas. Provides increased self-reliance on personal life skills and workforce capability.
  • Health Care: Ensure access to quality health care services and promotes healthy life practices.
  • Economic Development: Development of a robust and sustainable economy includes a diversity of businesses and quality job opportunities.
  • Community Social Services & Security: Enhance access to social services needed for individuals of special needs and supports systems to provide community disaster relief and general community emergencies.
  • Conservation & Environment: Support efforts to improve and maintain high air and water quality, appreciation for our natural environment and enhance economic and social benefits of outdoor resources.
  • Arts & Culture: Provide cultural and artistic opportunities to enhance the quality of life for local residents and to encourage tourism and the exchange of ideas.
  • Community Beautification: Support efforts to improve and maintain public spaces to enhance community pride and encourage socialization among residents.

‍

  • Preference will be given to applications that utilize the Strategic Doing process and address county and/or community goals created through citizen asset mapping and visioning. Consideration should also be given to applications that include community involvement and volunteerism.
  • Grants shall not be used to reduce or replace regular budgetary needs for programs or projects that are tax-supported.
  • Grants are not awarded for endowment or general operating expenses.
  • Grants are not to be used for “Match Day” programs.

Application process

Applications must be received, complete with all items, through the online grant application link no later than the day of the deadline. The deadline is the LAST day of each month**, in order to be reviewed the following month. **Note: Graham, Ellsworth, Osborne, and Russell Counties accept grants twice a year, not monthly. See their fund information for specific deadlines.

Generally, there is no maximum or minimum on grant requests. Some community foundations have established a maximum request and should be noted on the grant description when you apply for the application online. It is the intent of the Hansen Foundation that the Grant Funds be used to award multiple grants in each county. Each county foundation, at its discretion may choose to establish maximum or minimum limitations for the respective county.

If the request is for significant dollars (more than $10,000), covers multiple counties within the service area, is a multi-year request, or for a project that was previously funded directly by the Hansen Foundation, it is suggested the applicant apply directly to the Dane G. Hansen Foundation.

Required documents to be uploaded

  • List of organization’s board members and their board positions
  • Recent financial statement (i.e. – income statement, balance sheet, annual spending budget) – not a full audit report
  • Budget sheet for project breakdown – download and complete: GNWKCF-Hansen-Budget-Sheet (EXCEL or fillable PDF)
  • Organization’s IRS 501(c)(3) determination letter (exception – Governmental, Educational or Religious Entities)
  • Letters of support are generally not required but HIGHLY encouraged. Up to three letters may be added. It is at the discretion of each community foundations as to whether or not they require letters of support.

Also, please ONLY attach PC compatible files in Adobe PDF, Excel (xls or xlsx), Word (doc or docx) or PowerPoint (ppt or pptx).  MacIntosh /Apple file formats are not accepted.

Review process

Requests for grants will be made to the Greater Northwest Kansas Community Foundation online and will be reviewed by local Community Foundation staff and / or advisory committees established within each county.

Applicants are notified by e-mail of an award or decline, normally within thirty days, with some exceptions taking up to sixty days from the application deadline. Applicants will be notified by e-mail if the committee chooses to table the application until the following month, which is usually due to the committee wanting additional information.

Final project report

A final project report will be required from all grant recipients. In addition to answering questions on the project and how the funding was used, you will be required to provide the following:

  • Receipts / Financial accounting of how the funds were used, and
  • At least one photograph (up to three allowed) of the final project.  Please note that we enjoy photos with PEOPLE in them rather than just equipment.  When you upload a picture with people in it, you are consenting to allow us to use the photo in marketing materials and/or social media.  Do not upload pictures of individuals without consent.

The due date for your final report is set 30 days after your project is complete based on your estimated timeline as noted within your application.  A request for extension may be allowed with sufficient reasoning.

Unused grant funds

Unused grant funds for the stated project must be paid back to the Greater Northwest Kansas Community Foundation, PO Box 593, Bird City, KS 67731 and will be credited back to that county’s grantmaking Fund.

‍

Required Documents

No items found.
Please edit through the
GRANTS
collection. 
 
FAQ

Your questions answered

We highly recommend you read the questions in this section before you apply for a grant.

If you have questions that are not answered on this page, please contact us at grants@gnwkcf.org or by calling 785-734-2406.

Apply NowGet in Touch

How do I create a new account?

When you click on the Grant Application link, you will be redirected to the GNWKCF Logon Page.  If you are a first time applicant, you will need to click on the button “Create New Account” and complete the following information:

  • Legal name of the organization
  • Tax ID / Federal Employee ID Number (FEIN)
  • Organization telephone number
  • Organization email address
  • Main organization mailing address (including city, state, zip)

Then click the Next button

  • Main contact’s name, title, phone number, and address
  • Email address for main contact (NOTE – this becomes the username for the account logon)

Then click the Next button

  • Answer Yes or No to whether or not you are the executive officer.
  • If No, click Next to enter that information
  • If Yes, click Next to continue to add additional executive officer information if needed

Then create a password and confirm the password (note that it must be at least 6 characters long)

Click CREATE ACCOUNT

You will then be prompted to confirm whether or not you have received an email that the account was created successfully.  Check your email.  If you do not receive the confirmation, be sure to check your SPAM or Junk Mail folder.  You can continue without receiving this email; however, if it is not confirmed, you may miss important updates or notifications sent via email.

Contact us at 785-734-2406 or info@gnwkcf.org if you have questions.

How do I modify or access an existing account?

When you click on the Grant Application link, you will be redirected to the GNWKCF Logon Page.  If an application has been submitted on behalf of the organization before, you have two choices:

  1. Use the existing account information to apply
  2. Create a new logon for the applicant

It is always preferable to use an existing account if the organization has received prior funding; however, we understand that some organizations will have more than one person apply for funds.  In these cases, each individual may create a unique logon for the organization.  As long as the same FEIN number is noted, GNWKCF can combine the accounts on the back-end of the system.  In this case, just follow the process to create a new logon.

If you want to use an existing account but cannot recall the logon information, click on the “FORGOT PASSWORD” button to have a password reset. If you do not remember the email account associated with the account, please call our office for assistance at 785-734-2406 or email us at info@gnwkcf.org.

May I use the same email account for multiple organization accounts?

We understand that in rural Kansas, it is not uncommon for one individual to help write grants for multiple organizations.  Unfortunately, the grant application portal will only allow one email address to be used for one organization account.

There is a new option to use a “Collaboration” feature in the grant management portal.  Click HERE to read how to use this feature.

How do I know if someone from my organization has already applied for funding?

If you believe there is an existing account setup for your organization but do not have that information, you can contact our office at 785-734-2406 or info@gnwkcf.org to request assistance.

What information is needed to complete the application?

At a minimum, you will need the following:

  • Federal Tax ID Number
  • 501(c)(3) verification letter from the IRS (exception – Governmental, Educational or Religious Entities)
  • Board member list
  • Financial statement
  • GNWKCF-Hansen-Budget-Sheet

It is also useful, but not required, to include:

What if my organization serves more than one community?

Some organizations may serve more than one geographic county.  The Hansen Community Grant Program is designed to provide funds to focus efforts in a given county.

  • When a project may have far-reaching impacts across multiple counties, you may consider applying directly to the Dane G. Hansen Foundation.
  • If your organization has projects that can be implemented separately in each county, you may consider applying to each respective County Hansen Community Funds for the portion of the project that impacts the specific county.

The staff at GNWKCF are happy to assist you in exploring your options by calling 785-754-2406 or emailing info@gnwkcf.org.

When is the deadline to apply?

For the majority of community foundations, the application deadline is the first day of each month; applications received after the first, will not be reviewed until the following month.

For Graham and Phillips counties, applications are accepted twice a year: April 1 – May 31 and September 15 – November 15.  Applications are reviewed within 30-45 days of the deadline.

Awards will be determined based on stated criteria through a competitive application process reviewed by advisory committees established within each county.

How much funding is available?

The Hansen Foundation announced in May 2017 that funding has been made available for each of these county-wide funds as “pass-through” grants for a third year in a row: $50,000 has been made available as of May, and an additional $50,000 to be renewed in September.

Each county’s grant review committee can approve up to $50,000 for each approved round of funding until those approved funds are exhausted.

How do I know which community grant option to use for the application?

Each of the 10 counties in the Greater Northwest Kansas Community Foundation’s region will have it’s own application.  Click the Apply button under your organization’s county name.  The Dane G. Hansen Foundation serves a 26-county area in Northwest Kansas. GNWKCF administers funds for 10 county-wide funds including: Cheyenne, Decatur, Gove, Logan, Norton, Rawlins, Sheridan, Sherman, Thomas and Wallace. The other 16 counties not listed are eligible to apply through the Greater Salina Community Foundation.

Apply Here

Apply to Dane G Hansen Community Grant for Graham County by clicking the "Apply Now" button

Apply Now