The Hillsboro Community Foundation received a big boost to the growth of the foundation in 2010 when it applied for and received a matching-fund grant of $363,000 from the Kansas Health Foundation’s GROW Il program. As a result, HCF was able to increase the amount of annual grants early in the life of the foundation and expand our operating capability.

Grants from outside agencies and organizations, matching or otherwise, typically require local financial commitment before a grant will be considered. HCF has played a role in helping to meet this requirement for grants related to the Hillsboro Elementary School Playground Project in 2014 and the H4C Childcare Project in 2023.

In 2010, the Marga Ebel Estate donated a planned gift in excess of $350,000 for the establishment of the Marga Ebel Health Fund. In her later years, Marga expressed a desire to help children with the remainder of her estate. Her last teaching position at the Institute of Logopedics helped her to understand the need for resources to help children in need.

Investment earnings from the endowment fund are used to support children’s health. A portion of the annual distribution goes to the Marga Ebel Children’s Dental Care Program. The program provides dental care financial assistance for qualifying families of children attending USD 410 schools.

Since the program began in 2013, over $74,000 has been distributed by the Fund for dental care, along with $106,000 for a variety of other children’s health programs and projects.

The Hillsboro Community Foundation’s motto of “Building Our Community by Connecting Donors Who Care with Causes that Matter” was coined in 2009. The motto built upon the four original objectives outlined at the founding in 2004:

• to advise and assist donors who could benefit by using the HCF to achieve their charitable objectives;
• to receive grants or bequests for the benefit of both specific and broad community charitable interests;
• to make grants from unrestricted community endowment funds to benefit worthy Hillsboro-area charitable, benevolent, cultural, religious, civic, health, scientific and educational purposes;
• to encourage and assist qualified not-for-profit organizations in establishing their own endowments and restricted funds as part of the HCF.

The Hillsboro Community Foundation receives its nonprofit and tax-exempt charity status as an affiliate of the Central Kansas Community Foundation. Based in Newton, CKCF is the host foundation to 18 affiliates in the central Kansas region, supporting rural philanthropy.

As the host and legal entity for the affiliates, CKCF provides administrative, accounting, investment, and many other services for all affiliates. CKCF is accredited with National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations® – the highest standards for philanthropic excellence.

As an affiliate, HCF benefits from the organizational reach, training and guidance of CKCF. HCF is also able to reduce its cost of operations through shared administrative expenses while ensuring compliance with all charitable foundation requirements.

Since 2008, the Hillsboro Community Foundation has held an annual grant-making process in which qualified non-profit organizations may apply for a grant from one of several HCF endowment funds. In this time, over $265,000 in grants have been awarded to a wide range of causes and projects.

Applicants generally include local charities, churches, city departments and USD 410. Requests often cover projects or programs related to the arts, health, underserved children, youth recreation, or education.

A committee consisting of four HCF Board members and two non-Board community members reviews the applications and makes grant recommendations. The annual grant cycle is just one of the methods used by HCF and its donors to create a positive impact in the community.

The Hillsboro Community Foundation delivered its first ever gift to the community by raising more than $10,000 toward the purchase of a thermal imaging camera for the Hillsboro Fire Department. The camera was later credited with helping save the hospital from a near disastrous fire on New Year’s Day, 2006.

Over the years, HCF has continued to support and enable donor contributions to community emergency service needs, such as water rescue equipment, EMS training mannequins, police dash cams, and others.

In 2023, HCF issued grants in support of the purchase of a drone for the fire department and the purchase of rifle-rated armor vests for the police department.

This year the Hillsboro Community Foundation is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its founding in 2004. The foundation was established to give interested donors a way to make a lasting impact in the Hillsboro and surrounding communities through long-term endowments and the funding of community projects.

Through the generous support of individuals, families, businesses, and other organizations, HCF has distributed more than $1,150,000 through the foundation to organizations in local communities over the past 20 years.

Each week in this space, we will remember various accomplishments and events in the foundation’s history, and let you know more about what the foundation does and can accomplish in the future. Join us as we celebrate the Hillsboro Community Foundation in 2024!