Recognition Grants

Recognition Grant Guidelines 

Recognition Grants expand the Kansas Health Foundation’s support to a broad range of health-related organizations throughout the state. While the majority of the Foundation’s funding is through invited proposals, the Recognition Grants program is designed to fund unsolicited requests. It is targeted for organizations and agencies proposing meaningful and charitable projects that fit within the Foundation's mission of improving the health of all Kansans. 

Recognition Grants are grants of up to $25,000 per organization. Using a competitive process, the Foundation will award as much as $2 million annually to Recognition Grant projects. Application deadlines are March 15 and September 15 each year. In the event these deadlines fall on a weekend, applications will not be due until the next business day. 

Application deadlines: March 15 and September 15.

Organizations Must Be

• Classified as tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3), a government entity or a church (there are some exclusions, please see restrictions below)
• Located within the state of Kansas or within the Jackson, Jasper or Newton counties of Missouri. (If located in one of the Missouri counties, funds can only be used for projects within the state of Kansas.)
• Not a previous recipient of a Recognition Grant within the calendar year

Non-Eligible Projects

• Medical research
• Contributions to capital campaigns
• Operating deficits or retirement of debt
• Endowment programs not initiated by the Foundation
• Political advocacy of any kind
• Vehicles, such as vans or buses
• Medical equipment
• Construction projects or real estate acquisitions
• Direct mental health services
• Direct medical services

Review Criteria

An independent review committee made up of Kansans from all walks of life who live in different areas of the state evaluate all of the grant applications received in each Recognition Grant cycle. There are many factors and questions that we consider when deciding which projects to fund. They include:

• Does this project involve any of the Foundation’s exclusions listed previously?
• Does this proposal address a significant community health problem that is defined in a clear and compelling way?
• Are the outcomes of the project clear, measurable and reasonable?
• Are the activities planned to address the health problem clear and align logically with the need?
• Is the budget appropriate for the planned activities?
• Does the applicant organization have the capacity to carry out the project’s activities and achieve the defined outcomes?
• If the total cost of the project exceeds the amount of money requested from the Kansas Health Foundation, have commitments from other funding sources been secured to cover the remaining costs?
• How does this project rank when compared with other applications received during the funding cycle?

Deadlines and Restrictions

• All applications must be submitted online to the Kansas Health Foundation by 5 p.m. on the due date. Deadlines are firm, except in the case when the 15th falls on a weekend or holiday. In that case, applications will be due by 5 p.m. the next working day.
• All applications must be submitted online.
• The Kansas Health Foundation does not provide Recognition Grant funding to private foundations, Internal Revenue Code Section 509(a)(3) organizations and tax-exempt organizations with less than $25,000 in gross annual receipts filing a Form 990-N (e-Postcard) with the IRS.
• Your organization’s IRS tax exempt status and filing of a current Federal information return (990, 990-EZ or 990-N) will be verified through the IRS database, with the exception of churches and government entities.  We will also check your organization’s status with the Kansas Secretary of State.  Prior to submitting your online application, you may check your organization’s IRS status at www.irs.gov and your Secretary of State Business Entity Search status at www.kssos.org.
• 990-N Grantseekers: If funding is approved, organizations should be aware that the funds provided by the Kansas Health Foundation could potentially tip small organizations into Internal Revenue Service (IRS) private foundation status. Organizations should seek legal and/or accounting counsel before applying for a grant from the Kansas Health Foundation. For more information, please see: www.irs.gov Publication 557/Private Foundations and Public Charities.
• If your organization has not yet completed a tax year as a registered 501(c)(3), you must wait to apply for a Recognition Grant until you have filed a Form 990, 990-EZ or 990-N. Unfortunately, we cannot accept internally produced financial statements for the prior or current year in place of a completed Form 990, 990-EZ or 990-N.
• Grants are for amounts up to $25,000.  The Foundation wants to support as many programs across the state as possible; therefore, smaller requests are encouraged.
• Your organization’s application is very important to us, and we will strive to assist you in any way possible as you complete the online process. To make sure we can give proper time and attention to answering any questions you may have, we encourage you to complete and submit your application in advance of the March 15 deadline, which is when we experience our highest volume of phone calls and e-mails.
• If we have any questions regarding your application we may contact you for additional information.
• Grant announcements will be mailed on June 1 and December 1 each year. (Please note there are no reporting requirements on Recognition Grants)
• The Foundation will not provide an oral or written explanation for denied applications.

How does your organization apply?

Complete the online application form provided in the link below: 

Recognition Grant Application

If you are returning to a saved application, please access the Sign In page.

Once the application is completed, you will receive an immediate notification that your application has been submitted for consideration. For your convenience, we have included a downloadable template containing the information you will be asked to fill out on the application. However, please keep in mind that the official submission of your information must be done through the online application system.

If you have questions or problems with the application, please call Gina Hess, Kansas Health Foundation Grants Assistant at, (316) 262-7676 or (800) 373-7681. You may also e-mail Gina at rginfo@khf.org.