The Community Foundation of Southeast Kansas serves the region by encouraging charitable giving benefiting the common good and the quality of life. We inspire leadership with programming that is responsive to the interests and needs of those we serve now and in the future.
A recurring pattern in Community Foundation of Southeast Kansas grantmaking is support for local institutions that anchor civic life, health, and education in Pittsburg and nearby communities. Recent awards include $225,967 to the City of Pittsburg for public affairs and $220,468 to the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas for general operations, alongside other large operating and program grants to schools, nonprofits, and community organizations. The foundation’s work is broad across Southeast Kansas, with priorities that include basic human needs, youth activities, arts and culture, children and youth, women’s health, and healthcare. It also administers named grant programs that channel support into specific needs such as women’s health, agricultural education, at-risk youth, and scholarships. That mix of discretionary community grants and dedicated funds shows a funder that supports both everyday services and longer-term community capacity. The recent grant record also includes support for public affairs, human services, animal welfare, and religious organizations, reflecting a multi-sector portfolio rather than a single-issue strategy. In practice, the foundation funds organizations serving residents across Southeast Kansas, with many awards concentrated in Pittsburg, Fort Scott, and Frontenac.
In health-related giving, the foundation backed the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas with a $220,468 general-operations grant and Mercy Health Foundation in Joplin with $90,833 for health, general. Women’s health is also a defined program area through the Rita J. Bicknell Women’s Health Fund Grants and the Women’s Health Fund, both directed to Southeast Kansas nonprofits. Education appears in several forms: Fort Scott Community College received $83,135 for educational purposes, and Frontenac Education Foundation received $68,592 for general operations. Youth-serving work is another recurring theme, with Point Forward Inc receiving $200,000 for program support and the Elm Acres Foundation Grant Cycle supporting at-risk youth in Crawford, Cherokee, and Labette counties. The foundation also funds basic human needs and human services, including Family Resource Center Inc with a $59,948 human-service grant.
$1.6M
$69.7M
$7.5M
$2.3M
Most grants fall between $8K and $22K, with a median of $14K.
25th Percentile
$8K
Median
$14K
75th Percentile
$22K
Devin Gorman
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Typical grant size is moderate: the 25th percentile is $8,000, the median is $13,645, and the 75th percentile is $22,390. The recent grant list shows both one-time awards and repeated support to the same organizations across years, including City of Pittsburg, City of Frontenac, Countryside Christian School, Usd 234 Fort Scott, and Southeast Kansas Humane Society. That points to ongoing relationships rather than strictly one-off giving. The foundation operates through a mix of general operations, program support, and named funds and giving circles. It also accepts unsolicited applications for several active grant programs, including Community Impact Grants, the Women’s Health Fund, the Bill House Agricultural Grants, and county-specific funds.
Grantmaking is overwhelmingly local and concentrated in Kansas: 90% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state. Among named recipient places in the recent grants, Pittsburg appears frequently, along with Fort Scott and Frontenac; Uniontown and Crawford County also show up in the grant record. The foundation’s active programs extend beyond Pittsburg into nearby Southeast Kansas counties, and some programs reach Kansas and Oklahoma for agricultural education. The recipient country distribution is entirely U.S.-based.
The grant record includes cities, schools, colleges, health providers, human-service nonprofits, an animal welfare organization, and religious organizations. Recent awards went to the City of Pittsburg, Fort Scott Community College, the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas, Family Resource Center Inc, and Southeast Kansas Humane Society.
The foundation lists Arts & Culture, Basic Human Needs / Human Services, Children & Youth, Youth Volunteerism, At-Risk Youth, Women’s Health, Healthcare, and Education. Its active programs also include agricultural education, county-level community needs, and scholarships.
Yes. Several active programs accept unsolicited applications, including Community Impact Grants, the Women’s Health Fund, Bill House Agricultural Grants, Knights of Columbus Fund Grants, Future Fund Grants, Elm Acres Foundation Grant Cycle, Knights of Columbus Endowment Grants, and the scholarship program.
The typical award is in the mid-five-figure range: the 25th percentile is $8,000, the median is $13,645, and the 75th percentile is $22,390. Recent grants also include larger operating and public-affairs awards to local institutions and governments.
The grant record is highly local. 90% of grants go to recipients in Kansas, and the recent grants list shows repeated awards in Pittsburg, Fort Scott, Frontenac, and other Southeast Kansas communities.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Current and upcoming funding from Community Foundation of Southeast Kansas that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Crawford County, KS nonprofits are encouraged to apply.
Deadline: Annual application window; 2022 applications were due August 31, 2022 and 2023 applications were due August 31, 2023.
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Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas | Pittsburg, KS | $255,121 | 2026 | Operating Support |
| Point Forward Inc | Pittsburg, KS | $250,000 | 2026 | Operating Support |
| Support Local Journalism Project | Pittsburg, KS | $222,000 | 2026 | Operating Support |
| Mercy Health Foundation Southwest Missouri Kansas | Joplin, MO | $122,048 | 2026 | Operating Support |
| First Church of the Nazarene- Pittsburg | Pittsburg, KS | $100,100 | 2026 | Operating Support |
| First United Methodist Church Wesley House | Pittsburg, KS | $81,828 | 2026 | Operating Support |
| Family Resource Center Inc | Pittsburg, KS | $68,281 | 2026 | Operating Support |
| Columbus Recreation Commission | Columbus, KS | $60,000 | 2026 | Operating Support |
| Frontenac Education Foundation | Frontenac, KS | $58,817 | 2026 | Operating Support |
| City of Erie | Erie, KS | $53,333 | 2026 | Operating Support |
| Columbus USD #493 | Columbus, KS | $51,285 | 2026 | Operating Support |
| City of Pittsburg | Pittsburg, KS | $48,506 | 2026 | Operating Support |
| Hospital District 1 Crawford County Foundation | Girard, KS | $47,949 | 2026 | Operating Support |
| Kansas State University | Manhattan, KS | $47,500 | 2026 | Operating Support |
| The Salvation Army | Pittsburg, KS | $39,893 | 2026 | Operating Support |
| Angels Among Us | Pittsburg, KS | $37,027 | 2026 | Operating Support |
| Fort Scott Community College Foundation | Fort Scott, KS | $36,897 | 2026 | Operating Support |
| Kansas 4-H Foundation Inc | Manhattan, KS | $35,000 | 2026 | Operating Support |
| DBLO Association | Weir, KS | $33,594 | 2026 | Operating Support |
| Countryside Christian School Inc | Pittsburg, KS | $32,000 | 2026 | Operating Support |
| University of Kansas | Lawrence, KS | $30,900 | 2026 | Operating Support |
| First United Methodist Church | Pittsburg, KS | $30,000 | 2026 | Operating Support |
| Special Olympics Kansas | Mission, KS | $25,670 | 2026 | Operating Support |
| Columbus Museum | Columbus, KS | $25,000 | 2026 | Operating Support |
| Labette Health Foundation Inc | Parsons, KS | $25,000 | 2026 | Operating Support |
| Catholic Charities Inc | Pittsburg, KS | $24,462 | 2026 | Operating Support |
| Fort ScottBourbon County Riverfront Authority | Fort Scott, KS | $23,935 | 2026 | Operating Support |
| Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Four States | Joplin, MO | $23,906 | 2026 | Operating Support |
| USD 234 Fort Scott | Fort Scott, KS | $20,772 | 2026 | Operating Support |
| Fostering Connections | Frontenac, KS | $20,736 | 2026 | Operating Support |
| St Mary's Colgan Catholic Schools | Pittsburg, KS | $20,057 | 2026 | Operating Support |
| First Presbyterian Church | Fort Scott, KS | $20,000 | 2026 | Operating Support |
| Southeast Kansas Recycling Inc | Pittsburg, KS | $18,449 | 2026 | Operating Support |
| Pittsburg State University Foundation Inc | Pittsburg, KS | $18,404 | 2026 | Operating Support |
| Freeman Fort Scott Hospital Inc | Fort Scott, KS | $18,168 | 2026 | Operating Support |
| Our Lady of Lourdes ParishSt Mary's Colgan Catholic Schools | Pittsburg, KS | $18,100 | 2026 | Operating Support |
| Community Food Pantry Fund | Girard, KS | $18,071 | 2026 | Operating Support |
| Uniontown USD 235 | Uniontown, KS | $16,027 | 2026 | Operating Support |
| SEK Community Action Program Inc | Girard, KS | $15,810 | 2026 | Operating Support |
| The Beacon Inc | Fort Scott, KS | $14,763 | 2026 | Operating Support |
| Safehouse Crisis Center Inc | Pittsburg, KS | $14,227 | 2026 | Operating Support |
| Families and Children Together Inc | Pittsburg, KS | $13,630 | 2026 | Operating Support |
| Pittsburg Area Chamber Foundation | Pittsburg, KS | $12,747 | 2026 | Operating Support |
| Catholic Diocese of Wichita - The Lord's Diner-Pittsburg | Pittsburg, KS | $12,724 | 2026 | Operating Support |
| Kansas Livestock Foundation | Topeka, KS | $12,500 | 2026 | Operating Support |
| Big Brothers Big Sisters of Crawford County | Pittsburg, KS | $12,454 | 2026 | Operating Support |
| Crawford County Health Department | Pittsburg, KS | $11,800 | 2026 | Operating Support |
| USD 250 Pittsburg | Pittsburg, KS | $11,428 | 2026 | Operating Support |
| Integrated Behavioral Technologies Inc | Basehor, KS | $11,375 | 2026 | Operating Support |
| Inspire Health Foundation Inc | Pittsburg, KS | $10,772 | 2026 | Operating Support |
Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas
$255,121Operating Support
Point Forward Inc
$250,000Operating Support
Mercy Health Foundation Southwest Missouri Kansas
$122,048Operating Support
First Church of the Nazarene- Pittsburg
$100,100Operating Support
First United Methodist Church Wesley House
$81,828Operating Support
Family Resource Center Inc
$68,281Operating Support
Columbus Recreation Commission
$60,000Operating Support
Frontenac Education Foundation
$58,817Operating Support
City of Erie
$53,333Operating Support
Columbus USD #493
$51,285Operating Support
City of Pittsburg
$48,506Operating Support
Hospital District 1 Crawford County Foundation
$47,949Operating Support
Kansas State University
$47,500Operating Support
The Salvation Army
$39,893Operating Support
Angels Among Us
$37,027Operating Support
DBLO Association
$33,594Operating Support
Countryside Christian School Inc
$32,000Operating Support
First United Methodist Church
$30,000Operating Support
Columbus Museum
$25,000Operating Support
Labette Health Foundation Inc
$25,000Operating Support
Fort ScottBourbon County Riverfront Authority
$23,935Operating Support
Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Four States
$23,906Operating Support
USD 234 Fort Scott
$20,772Operating Support
Fostering Connections
$20,736Operating Support
St Mary's Colgan Catholic Schools
$20,057Operating Support
First Presbyterian Church
$20,000Operating Support
Southeast Kansas Recycling Inc
$18,449Operating Support
Freeman Fort Scott Hospital Inc
$18,168Operating Support
Our Lady of Lourdes ParishSt Mary's Colgan Catholic Schools
$18,100Operating Support
Community Food Pantry Fund
$18,071Operating Support
Uniontown USD 235
$16,027Operating Support
SEK Community Action Program Inc
$15,810Operating Support
The Beacon Inc
$14,763Operating Support
Safehouse Crisis Center Inc
$14,227Operating Support
Families and Children Together Inc
$13,630Operating Support
Pittsburg Area Chamber Foundation
$12,747Operating Support
Catholic Diocese of Wichita - The Lord's Diner-Pittsburg
$12,724Operating Support
Kansas Livestock Foundation
$12,500Operating Support
Crawford County Health Department
$11,800Operating Support
USD 250 Pittsburg
$11,428Operating Support
Integrated Behavioral Technologies Inc
$11,375Operating Support
Inspire Health Foundation Inc
$10,772Operating Support