In March, 23 local nonprofit organizations were awarded grants totaling $44,546 from the Community Betterment Fund, the Kansas Health Foundation Children’s Fund, and various Field of Interest and Unrestricted funds. The March grant cycle is the first of three grant cycles offered by Western Kansas Community Foundation each year. Other grant deadlines are July 1^st and November 1^st. The March grant cycle for 2019 saw changes to the Foundation’s application process, by way of the implementation of a new web-based application system.
For the March grant cycle, the Grants Committee reviewed 30 applications. The awards are as follows:

1. Great Plains MakerSpace, Inc. "Computers and A/V Lab" – $2,400 towards the cost of laptops for the program. 
2. Compass Behavioral Health "Growing the Summer Group Program" - $1,995 for new curriculum used in the Summer Group programs.
3. Lakin USD 215 "Lakin School Daycare Curriculum and Program Grant" - $2,500 to be used towards the purchase of equipment and supplies needed for a new daycare program operated by high school staff and students of USd #215.
4. Friends of the Grant County Library "Summer Reading Program" - $500 to go towards the books and supplies needed for the summer reading program.
5. Dudley Township Library "2019 Summer Library Program: A Universe of Stories" - $1,712 toward performance fees associated with the 2019 summer program.
6. Finney County United Way "Banners for Stuff the Bus School Supply Drive" - $ 850 to purchase new banners for the Stuff the Bus campaign.
7. City of Leoti "Welcome to Leoti" Sign Project - $4,250 for material expenses associated with construction of an electronic informational community sign.
8. Jana’s Campaign "Building On Our Success: Reducing Teen Dating Violence in Western Kansas" - $1,020 to be used for Safe Dates curriculum that will be used to provide comprehensive gender and relationship violence prevention programs for middle and high school students in southwest Kansas.
9. Quilts of Valor "Quilts of Valor" - $450 to assist with costs of materials to produce 8 quilts to present to local veterans.
10. Lane County Economic Development "Lane County Kick Off To Summer Event" - $1,600 towards equipment expense for the community and family fun summer festival.
11. Great Plains Development "Impact Kansas Lives and Families" - $1,740 to be used toward supplies needed to host meeting that will educate local entrepreneurs and community leaders on business planning and funding resources.
12. Tumbleweed Festival "Tumbleweed Festival 2019" - $ 2,500 for production costs related to the community stage and equipment expenses during the festival.
13. Kansas Children's Service League "Frog Street Three's" - $1,000 to purchase curriculum focused on education of three-year olds.
14.  Satanta Area Arts Council "Haskell County Musical Theater" - $2,680 for purchase and licensing of a summer musical theater program, as well as materials and supplies associated with the show.
15. Smokey Hills Public Television Corp. "Literacy Leadership for Children in Southwest Kansas" - $ 2,300 for books, to be given to all children enrolled in public preschool in southwest Kansas, related to the “First Book Club” programming produced by PBS.
16. Garden City Arts "Art in the Park 2019" - $ 2,000 to provide entertainment during the 2019 event.
17. Finney County 4-H "Sewing for Service" - $979 for materials needed for sewing clinics where youth will learn to sew pillowcases and blankets that will be donated to a local child advocacy center.
18. Community Daycare "Commercial Stove Replacement" - $2,000 towards the replacement of a commercial stove.
19. Rotary Club of Sublette "American Legion Hall Refurbishing Project" - $2,500 to be used for an a/c compressor for the American Legion Hall in Sublette.
20. St. Catherine Hospital "Drive Through Flu Shot Clinic" $4,000 for 250 flu shots to be provided to targeted outreach areas of the community during their 2019 flu shot drive.
21. Mosaic "Enhancing Day Services with Computers" - $1,570 for additional computers to be used by day services clients to apply for jobs, look up information, online learning, and connect with family and friends.
22. Big Brothers Big Sisters "Capacity Building/Case Management/Fund Development Project" - $2,000 towards system software required by the national office for customer relationship management.
23. City of Liberal "Liberal Recreation Community Center" - $2,000 towards the cost of updating an old facility with a fire sprinkler system in order to repurpose the building.

Below: Paige Kraus, of St. Catherine Hospital, talks with a patient at the 2018 Drive Through Flu Shot Clinic.