The Heartland Community Foundation, dedicated to supporting Ellis, Rooks, and Trego counties, is excited to announce the opening of its spring grant cycle. As of March 15, applications can be submitted online until 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, May 15, 2026. Approximately $150,000 in funding is available in this grant cycle.

To assist applicants, the community foundation is offering three FREE grant-writing workshops and lunches. To RSVP for the training, called 10 Tips for Better Grant Writing, email heartland@gscf.org. The workshop dates are as follows:

• Ellis County: April 14, from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., at the Hays Public Library, Schmidt Gallery, 1205 Main St., in Hays

• Rooks County: April 15, from 12 p.m.-1:30 p.m., at the Plainville Memori-al Library, 200 1st St., in Plainville

• Trego County: April 17, from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., at the HCF office/ Pfanennstiel Law, 110 N. Main St., in WaKeeney This grant cycle aims to support local initiatives that fulfill one or more of the following goals:

• Directly benefiting communities in Ellis, Rooks, or Trego counties.

• Enhancing the quality of life for individuals and expanding the capacity or outreach of applying organizations through programs, projects, or capital improvements.

• Providing seed funding to kickstart new projects, programs, or organizations that will serve the community.

Funding is made possible by the Legacy Funds of Ellis, Rooks, and Trego counties, along with contributions from the Dane G. Hansen Community Grant Fund, the Heartland Healthy Living Fund, Heartland Area Action Fund, Kansas Health Foundation Fund for Heartland Community, the Neighbors Feeding Neighbors Fund, and the Stockton Community Fund.

Eligible projects must be based in Ellis, Rooks, or Trego counties and will undergo a competitive evaluation process. Nonprofit organizations, government entities, educational institutions, and churches are all encouraged to apply. All applications must be submitted online by 11:59 p.m. on May 15. Detailed funding criteria and the application form can be found at https://heartlandcommunityfoundation. org/ grants/ For further inquiries, please reach out to Sarah