Foundation awards more than $45,000 in grant funding

Hoxie, Kan. -- This spring and early summer, the Sheridan County Community Foundation (SCCF) awarded over $45,000.00 in grant funding to support a wide range of community-centered projects across Sheridan County.

From supporting youth arts and student leadership to investing in community beautification and accessibility, these grants reflect the Foundation’s continued commitment to local impact and long-term investment in the people and places that make our county strong.

In March, a $6,000.00 grant was approved in support of the Main Street Arts Council’s 2025 Main Street Summer Theater Festival. Area youth will take the stage in Hoxie to present “Disney’s Dare to Dream Jr” on Friday, July 11 at 7 p.m. and again on Sunday, July 13 at 3 p.m. Performances will be held at the Hoxie High School Auditorium, 1625 Queen Avenue. More details about the production can be found at www.mainstreetartscouncil.com/msstf2025.

In May, the Foundation approved two additional grants. A $5,000.00 award was given to AmberMed, in care of the Sheridan County Wellness Center, to support needed surveillance system upgrades at the workout facility.

A second grant, totaling $14,419.00, was awarded to USD 412 Hoxie Community Schools to assist with the purchase and installation of a new LED message board. This student-led project was initiated by recent Hoxie High School graduates Charlie Foote and Kash Schiltz, who served as the 2023-25 Youth Ambassador Program (YAP) board members with SCCF as well as former YAP Member Kinley Rogers. Foote and Schiltz also submitted a successful companion application to the Dane G. Hansen Foundation for an additional $7,500.00. The message board will be placed above the south entrance to the high school auditorium and will be used to share school and community information throughout the year, with installation expected before the 2025–26 academic year begins.

In June, SCCF approved three more grants totaling $20,000.00.

A $6,000.00 grant was awarded to the Hoxie Housing Authority for the construction of shade structures at the north and south entrances of Ridgewood Manor. These additions will enhance comfort and accessibility for residents and visitors, creating more usable outdoor seating areas.

Two grants were awarded to support community development in Selden. A $4,000.00 grant was approved to assist in the purchase of new audio equipment to be used at public events, improving the quality of announcements and music.

Additionally, a $10,000.00 grant was awarded to support the creation of a large-scale community mural that will honor Selden’s history and identity.

The mural, designed to wrap around the north and west sides of the City’s shop building along U.S. Highway 83, will feature imagery symbolic of Selden and Sheridan County—such as a train, sunflowers, a tractor, a barn, and a Western Kansas sunset. Spearheaded by the Sheridan County Beautification Committee—formed through SCCF’s Strategic Doing process—this mural is envisioned as the first in a series of public art installations throughout the county. A companion grant request for the mural is currently under review by the Dane G. Hansen Foundation.

SCCF accepts grant applications from eligible nonprofits on a rolling monthly basis, with the final day of each month serving as the deadline for review during the following month’s board meeting. Grants are available in the categories of education, healthcare, social services and security, conservation and environment, arts and culture, and community beautification. Application information can be found at www.growsheridancounty.org/grants.

Those inspired by these stories of local impact are encouraged to consider contributing to an existing grant fund or starting a new one. A limited-time matching opportunity—up to $3,000.00 per fund—is currently available to help establish new endowed grant funds. To explore your options, contact SCCF Executive Director Karl Pratt at (785) 677-5090 or director@growsheridancounty.org.

SCCF is an affiliate of the Greater Northwest Kansas Community Foundation based in Bird City. The foundation seeks to encourage, prudently manage, and distribute charitable contributions to improve the quality of life of Sheridan County residents, now and in the future. To learn more, contact Pratt at 785-677-5090, director@growsheridancounty.org, or visit www.growsheridancounty.org. Connect with SCCF at www.facebook.com/sheridanccf.