About Peoples Heartland Foundation
To promote and foster charitable giving in the heartland by providing a platform for individuals and communities to accomplish their charitable goals.
Focus Areas
community developmenteducation / scholarshipsrecreationhistoric preservationgrantmaking / philanthropy support
Who They Fund
local community residents / general publicyouth and after-school participantsrecreational athletes / wrestling programsseniors (Srader Center patrons)farmers and fair participantspet owners / dog park users
Funding Style
About Peoples Heartland Foundation
The Peoples Heartland Foundation’s most distinctive pattern is its place-based capital giving in Kansas, where large project grants repeatedly support schools, fire protection, fairgrounds, and community facilities. One of the largest recent awards went to Smith County Community Foundation for the Ken Sidles Training Facility, and another sizable grant supported architectural services for Pratt Point Pavillion in Pratt. Those grants sit alongside support for public infrastructure and local institutions rather than a single program area. The foundation also uses matching and unrestricted grants to back community projects. Recent examples include general unrestricted support for The Roy & Elsie Blythe Foundation and the Smith County Community Foundation, plus dedicated project funding for local improvements such as a dog park in Pratt and exercise equipment at the Srader Center in Smith Center. Education is another recurring thread, with grants to Pratt Community College and USD 237 Smith Center. Across the recent grant list, the work is tightly tied to Kansas communities, especially Smith Center and Pratt, and it reaches both public agencies and nonprofit partners.
What Peoples Heartland Foundation Funds
Community development appears through physical improvements and public facilities. The foundation gave $15,247 to Smith County Free Fair for construction of a livestock barn at the fairgrounds, and $20,000 to Center Township for flag poles at Fairview Cemetery. Education and youth programming show up in support for schools and colleges. USD 237 Smith Center received $19,645 for education and AED units, while Pratt Community College received $23,407 for education. Recreation and local amenities are also part of the portfolio. The City of Pratt received $10,000 for Pratt Dog Park, and the City of Smith Center received $11,285 for exercise equipment and mats at Srader Center. Public safety and local resilience are another clear theme. Lebanon Fire Department received $25,821 for fire/weather siring and supporting equipment, followed by $11,562 for new radios.
How Peoples Heartland Foundation Gives
Typical grant sizes cluster in the low five figures, with a p25 of $10,210, a median of $12,225, and a p75 of $23,287. The recent list also includes both larger project grants and smaller local awards, including one-off amounts under $6,000. The foundation’s structure suggests a donor-centered model: it accepts donor advised, field of interest, designated, endowed, and non-endowed funds, and it runs matching grant support for local projects. Recurrence is visible in the recent grants list, where Smith County Community Foundation, Pratt Community College, The Roy & Elsie Blythe Foundation, and USD 237 Smith Center each appear more than once across 2024 and 2025.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$238K
Total Assets
$11.7M
Total Revenue
$2.4M
Total Expenses
$454K
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $10K and $23K, with a median of $12K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$12K
75th Percentile
$23K
Geographic Reach
Local2 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
ERNEST H RICHARDSON
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