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Apply

2025 Grant Cycle Application Period is January 2-22.

Applications must be submitted online which can be accessed through the 2025 Application Portal. Grant applications must be submitted by 5:00pm on Wednesday, January 22, 2025.

2025 Application Portal

The Hillsboro Community Foundation (HCF), an affiliate of Central Kansas Community Foundation (CKCF), was established to promote and facilitate charitable giving in support of projects and programs that enhance the quality of life in Hillsboro and surrounding areas.  Each year, HCF accepts applications for grants designed to meet a need or enhance quality of life as part of the Grant Cycle.

The 2025 Grant Cycle application period opens Thursday, January 2, 2025 and continues through Wednesday, January 22, 2025. In total, the Hillsboro Community Foundation has approximately $23,000 available for the 2025 grant cycle.

  • The Hillsboro Impact Fund has approximately $7,000 available for the purpose of supporting charitable project/programs that benefit those in the Hillsboro community.
  • The Hillsboro Community Foundation Arts Fund has approximately $2,500 available to support local art initiatives that enrich the community.
  • The Kansas Health Foundation Fund – Hillsboro has approximately $3,500 to underwrite solutions to local health issues and for the protection and promotion of the health and well-being of individuals and their communities through the encouragement of healthy lifestyles, behaviors, and environments.
  • The Marga Ebel Health Fund has approximately $3,000 to support initiatives that promote the health and well-being of children in and around Hillsboro.
  • The Helen and Laurine Schafer Charitable Fund supports health care in and around the Hillsboro community and has approximately $7,000 available.

The amount requested and types of project/programs will determine the number of grants and amounts to be awarded.

A grant award ceremony will take place during the annual Hillsboro Chamber of Commerce Gala.

General Grant Guidelines

The Hillsboro Community Foundation can make grants to the following entities:
  • 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations
  • Government
  • Education
  • Religious
Individuals or organizations that do NOT fall into one of the above entities are encouraged to partner with a fiscal agent in one of those categories.

Management of the organization should be in the hands of reliable, ethical, and experienced personnel.

Grants are typically restricted to the geographic areas served by the Hillsboro Community Foundation.
The Hillsboro Community Foundation awards grants ranging from $250 to $5,000. Due to high demand, applicants must specify the minimum funding required for their project to be viable. Applications unable to be funded at the minimum request will likely not be approved.

All submissions are subject to the process, procedures, and rules of both the Hillsboro Community Foundation and Central Kansas Community Foundation. Upon review by the HCF Grant Selection Committee, additional information may be requested for clarification.
Yes. Completed applications must be submitted online here.
The project/program must be completed, and a follow-up report must be submitted by Sunday, November 2, 2025, unless other considerations are shared prior to project/program completion.
Yes. Submission of a follow-up report from the previous grant cycle is required to be eligible for grants in the current year. Grantees who do not submit a report will be ineligible for grants for two years.

Please contact Melissa Schreiber, Program Officer-Grants at melissa@centralkansascf.org or 316-283-5474 for the online link for a follow up report.
No. Grants may not be awarded retroactively for project/programs. Please ensure that the project/program will not occur until after grants are estimated to be made.
  • Need – Project/programs where there is an evident need and the organization is in a key position to meet that need.
  • Feasibility – Project/programs that present a well-thought-out strategy for achieving goals with a cost-effective budget.
  • Collaboration – Project/programs that utilize resources to optimize shared goals of multiple organizations.
  • Effective Organizations – Project/programs that expand or improve the services of established organizations.
  • Outcomes Measurement – Project/programs with reasonable and effective measurement or evaluation tools to demonstrate impact of outcomes.
  • Innovation – Project/programs that represent new and promising approaches to unmet community needs.

If you have questions or need further information, please contact

Chad Hughbanks, HCF Associate Director, at director@hcfoundationks.org or 620-947-0170.
Melissa Schreiber, CKCF Program Officer-Grants, at melissa@centralkansascf.org, or 316-283-5474.