United Way of Reno County among Kansas nonprofit organizations selected to receive grants up to $5,000
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — United Way of Reno County is among 87 Kansas nonprofit organizations selected to receive grants up to $5,000 to fund innovative projects combating hunger and food insecurity across the state.
The grants, totaling $423,685, are part of a mass action campaign launched by the Kansas Health Foundation in April to advance its Hunger Free Kansas initiative.
United Way of Reno County partners with local organizations including the Food Bank of Reno County to address food insecurity throughout the region. The organization focuses on education, health and financial stability for families while collaborating with local social service agencies to provide resources to residents in need.
"Hunger Free Kansas was created by the Kansas Health Foundation as a way for organizations to collaborate and work toward a shared goal of ending hunger in Kansas," said Lindsay Wilke, associate director of network mobilization for the Kansas Health Foundation. "We were blown away by the number of Kansas organizations that applied to get involved in this endeavor and are excited to see their experimental solutions implemented to make progress on food insecurity."
Organizations were required to submit innovative ideas addressing hunger and food insecurity in one of four categories: cross-sector learning, school-based nutrition programs, alternative food systems, or social services access.
The Kansas Leadership Center is providing support and training to grant recipients through a one-day Strategy Lab workshop designed to strengthen project plans and provide tools for effective collaboration. Participating organizations can receive up to an additional $1,000 for travel expenses.
"KLC's mass action strategy is built on the belief that progress happens when folks from a variety of backgrounds, each with unique ideas, unite in a shared direction—learning, challenging, supporting and inspiring one another to act," said Shaun Rojas, senior director of civic engagement at the Kansas Leadership Center.
The funded projects will begin following the Strategy Lab training session scheduled for July 25.
Reno County has existing food assistance infrastructure through organizations like the Food Bank of Reno County, which operates in partnership with The Salvation Army to provide emergency food assistance to residents throughout the county.
The Hunger Free Kansas initiative represents a coordinated statewide effort to address food insecurity, which affects thousands of Kansas families. According to the Kansas Health Foundation, the grants are designed to test innovative approaches that could be scaled up for broader implementation.
More information about Hunger Free Kansas is available at HungerFreeKansas.org.
In other Kansas Leadership Center news, the Kansas Leadership Center is accepting applications for grants that provide free access to leadership development programs for organizations across multiple sectors.
The Leadership Transformation Grant application window opens Aug. 11 and closes Sept. 14, with selected organizations receiving a full year of access to KLC's leadership training programs in 2026.
The grants target Kansas organizations in education, faith, government and nonprofit sectors that want to develop leadership capacity throughout their workforce. Recipients will gain access to KLC's structured program sequence including "When Everyone Leads," "Your Leadership Edge" and specialized courses designed to create cultural change within organizations.
"Leadership is an activity, not a position, and anyone can lead, anytime, anywhere," according to KLC's framework, which emphasizes developing leadership skills at all organizational levels rather than just among executives.
Research conducted by KLC indicates that comprehensive leadership development leads to more engaged workforces in nonprofit organizations, with employees showing greater commitment and job satisfaction. Third-party research by ORS Impact found strong links between increased leadership behaviors among employees and positive organizational culture change.
Organizations receiving grants must establish a core team of three to six individuals responsible for attending KLC events, recruiting participants, participating in evaluation efforts and utilizing KLC resources. The core team members must be identified in the application process.
Eligible organizations include school districts, higher education institutions, churches and faith-based groups, city and county government agencies, community foundations, health organizations and civic associations.
The grant covers program costs but does not include books and materials, which organizations must purchase separately or require participants to buy.
KLC will host informational webinars for interested applicants on July 29 at 11 a.m. and Aug. 7 at 3 p.m. Registration is available through the organization's website.
The Kansas Leadership Center, founded by the Kansas Health Foundation, provides leadership training to foster stronger, healthier and more prosperous Kansas communities. The organization operates on the principle that sustainable progress requires developing leadership capacity throughout organizations rather than relying solely on traditional management structures.
More information about the grant application process is available at kansasleadershipcenter.org or by contacting Camille Scott at cscott@kansasleadershipcenter.org.
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