Heartland Community Foundation
The Heartland Community Foundation raised $410,145 for Ellis, Rooks and Trego counties during its fifth-annual Twice As Nice campaign in February – surpassing its goal and earning all of the matching funds available from the Dane G. Hansen Foundation.
Heartland raised almost $185,145 from donors: $63,410 in Rooks County, $62,000 in Ellis County, and $59,735 in Trego County. The Hansen Foundation committed matching dollars up to $50,000 per county, plus a bonus $25,000 per county for the foundation’s administrative fund upon reaching the goal.
Thanks to the generous community support, tenacious board members, and business partnerships, Heartland was able to capture all of the match dollars, which added $225,000 to the total.
Money raised will be invested into the foundation’s county grant endowment funds, which make funds available to award as grants to local nonprofits, charitable programs and projects. The money raised in each county stays in that county.
Donations in Ellis County increased more than 20 percent compared to a year ago. That increase was helped in part by a special initiative led by Hays-area banks. Every bank in Hays donated to the campaign, putting their collective total at almost $7,500.
Donations varied in amount, but ranged from $50 to $1,000 each. Participating banks included: Astra Bank, Bank of Hays, Central National Bank, Commerce Bank, Emprise Bank, Equity Bank, Farmers Credit Union, First Kansas Bank, Golden Belt Bank, Golden Plains Credit Union, Gorham State Bank, High Plains Farm Credit, and Sunflower Bank.
“It is awesome to see all of the banks and financial institutions in Ellis County come together and raise money for Heartland Community Foundation,” said Josh Dreher, HCF board member and senior vice president at Bank of Hays. “When I made the ask, it was obvious that each institution wanted to be a part of an effort that will leave a lasting impact in Ellis County. I am proud to be a part of the banking community and Heartland Community Foundation.”
Several of the banks hosted special initiatives during the month to encourage employees to give, as well. First Kansas Bank and Bank of Hays both had “blue jeans” days during the month, for an employee donation on top of their corporate donations. Bank of Hays employees raised $860.
Golden Belt Bank hosted a “healthy habits” program all month long. For every “healthy habit” an employee noted, the bank made a donation to Heartland. The entity ended up donating $1,000.
Because of the success of the annual Twice As Nice campaign and the commitment of matching funds from the Hansen Foundation, the county grant endowment funds have each passed the half-million mark in just five years. The current balance of those funds is: $572,728 (Ellis County), $541,956 (Rooks County), and $535,282 (Trego County).
“We are so grateful to our community of supporters in Ellis, Rooks, and Trego counties," said Sarah Meitner, executive director of the Heartland Community Foundation. “We were unsure how the economic climate might impact giving, but the communities exceeded our expectations.”