Golden Belt Community Foundation
Golden Belt Community Foundation is a Form 990 public charity based in Great Bend, Kansas. Formed in 1996, it primarily serves Barton, Pawnee, Rush, and Stafford counties in central Kansas, providing grants and scholarships and serving as a vehicle for charitable giving.
Golden Belt Community Foundation at a glance
In short: Golden Belt Community Foundation gave $1.7M across 54 grants in 2025 (avg $31K), mostly in Kansas. 26% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,700,643
- +72.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 54
- +28.6% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $31,493
- +34.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $13,796
- Total assets
- $41,428,205
- +14.6% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 26% first-time grantees (14 of 54, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Kansas (88% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Golden Belt Community Foundation
- How to Apply
-
Most grants are awarded through an open, nondiscriminatory competitive application process. Volunteer committee members review applications before approval by the board.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1307 Williams, Great Bend, KS 67530
Phone: (620) 792-3000
Website: https://goldenbeltcf.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
3 open opportunities from Golden Belt Community Foundation
GBCF: Spring Community Building Grant
Golden Belt Community Foundation
Amount
Up to US $3,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
GBCF: The CPI Quality of Life Barton County Fund Grant
Golden Belt Community Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
The Neighborhood Youth Grant
Golden Belt Community Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Who Golden Belt Community Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Great Bend Recreation Commission Foundation ($297K). Together the top 10 received $1.1M.
Grant Size Distribution
222 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 194 grants of 222 (87%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily serves Barton, Pawnee, Rush, and Stafford counties in central Kansas. In filing year 2025, 88% of grant dollars went to recipients in Kansas, 8% to California, 2% to Massachusetts, 1% to Illinois, and 1% to Ohio.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 54 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Golden Belt Community Foundation open to new grantees?
26%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 14 of 54 grantees (26%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $22K; repeat grants $35K. How we count
Medians: $12K first-time, $18K repeat.
- 67% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+4%). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2020–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $696K (2021) to $1.7M (2025). In 2025 it made 54 grants totaling $1.7M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Great Bend Recreation Commission Foundation Great Bend, KS | Operating Support | $296,762 |
| University of Southern California Sol Price School of Public Policy Los Angeles, CA | Operating Support | $129,600 |
| Great Bend Alive Inc Great Bend, KS | Community Devel | $127,362 |
| Barton Community College Great Bend, KS | Educational | $113,870 |
| Golden Belt Humane & Animal Welfare Society Inc Great Bend, KS | Animal-Related | $101,929 |
| First Christian Church Great Bend, KS | Operating Support | $74,905 |
| Barton County Historical Society Great Bend, KS | Equipment | $71,949 |
| University of Kansas Hospital Authority Kansas City, KS | Operating Support | $50,182 |
| Great Bend Zoological Society Inc Great Bend, KS | Environment, Public Space | $49,611 |
| Prince of Peace Catholic Church Great Bend, KS | Human Services | $37,209 |
Ready to take the next step with Golden Belt Community Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $41,428,205 | $7,093,202 | $6,340,092 | $1,700,643 | 54 | $1,705,550 |
| 2024 | $36,153,053 | $3,123,731 | $1,769,938 | $985,935 | 42 | $1,316,536 |
| 2023 | $32,933,291 | $2,660,784 | $1,954,222 | $1,206,229 | 44 | $746,831 |
| 2022 | $29,424,800 | $5,830,057 | $3,603,817 | $1,638,156 | 50 | $552,460 |
| 2021 | $32,071,471 | $2,324,679 | $1,588,293 | $696,341 | 32 | $450,117 |
| 2020 | $27,913,804 | $2,203,122 | $1,728,686 | $1,282,968 | 49 | $436,973 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s 2024 filing says it provides funding for scholarships and grants benefiting charitable, religious, and governmental organizations, as well as individuals for education and basic needs when facing significant hardship. The filing identifies health and well-being of children and youth, services for the indigent, recreation and play space, education, and the arts as areas where it has awarded significant grants.
Examples of grantees’ work include Great Bend Alive Inc, whose stated mission is to bring positive change to the downtown corridor through development, design, promotion, and preservation; Barton County Historical Society, which preserves historical information and materials relating to Barton County; and Family Crisis Center Inc, which provides advocacy and support to survivors and secondary victims of domestic and sexual violence, child abuse, and neglect. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not the foundation’s.
The foundation’s website lists initiatives including Come Home Reverse Scholarship, Keep 5 in Kansas, Giving Tuesday, and Prairie Godmothers. Two grant opportunities described in the available program information are the CPI Quality of Life Barton County Fund, which supports projects making tangible and visible community improvements, and the Neighborhood Youth Grant, which supports youth-related organizations, programs, and projects benefiting children and families in Barton, Pawnee, Rush, and Stafford counties. The program descriptions exclude individuals, operating expenses, and political activities; the CPI fund also excludes similar items.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 54 grants totaling $1,700,643. Grants ranged from $5,049 to $296,762, with a median of $13,796. The foundation says most grants are awarded through an open, nondiscriminatory competitive application process; volunteer committee members review applications before the board approves them. It requires grantees to submit a report describing program or project outcomes and how grant funds were spent.
Among the largest 2025 grants were $296,762 to Great Bend Recreation Commission Foundation for operating support, $129,600 to the University of Southern California Sol Price School of Public Policy for operating support, $127,362 to Great Bend Alive Inc for community development, $113,870 to Barton Community College for educational purposes, and $101,929 to Golden Belt Humane & Animal Welfare Society Inc for animal-related purposes.
The Neighborhood Youth Grant favors projects that leverage matching funds. Its program description allows grants to public charities, private operating foundations, and government units for public purposes; it says the foundation will not normally grant to private non-operating foundations. The CPI Quality of Life Barton County Fund description gives similar eligibility categories and says grants are not normally made to private non-operating foundations. The foundation’s gift and fund acceptance policy says proposed funds or gifts are considered case by case and may be accepted or declined.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Chelsea Steffen as president, Mel Waite as vice president, Janell Foote as treasurer, and Amber Littler as secretary. It also lists Baudilio Hernandez, Jim White, Cora Anderson, Don Hardin, Zach Stejskal, and Kimbra Galliart as board members.
The foundation’s website lists Jason Murray as executive director, Linda Chisholm as administrative assistant, Teresa L. Powelson as program officer, and Mackenzie Mitchell as development and communications coordinator.
Golden Belt Community Foundation is led by Jason Murray, Executive Director on every filing since 2024; 1 of 13 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Jason Murray
Executive Director
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$86K (2024) → $110K (2025)
Chelsea Steffen
President
Treasurer → Vice President, 2023
Vice President → President, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Baudilio Hernandez
Board Member
Director → Board Member, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jim White
Board Member
Director → Board Member, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Cora Anderson
Board Member
Director → Board Member, 2022
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Janell Foote
Treasurer
Director → Board Member, 2022
Board Member → Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Amber Littler
Secretary
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Joyce Miller
Board Member
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mel Waite
Vice President
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Zach Stejskal
Board Member
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Don Hardin
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kimbra Galliart
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Michelle Beran
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (16)
- Former: Mike Cargill (2023–2024) — Board Member
- Former: Katie Hammeke (2024) — Board Member
- Former: Kayla Johnson (2024) — Board Member
- Former: Christy L Tustin (2020–2023) — Executive Director
- Former: Kara Jecha (2020–2023) — President
- Former: Kim Guesnier (2020–2023) — Secretary
- Former: Laura Luft (2020–2023) — Treasurer
- Former: Kathleen Foster (2021–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Joan Panning (2020–2022) — Secretary
- Former: Leonard Bunselmeyer (2020–2022) — Board Member
- Former: Sheryl Schamaun (2020–2022) — President
- Former: Alan Hoffman January to June (2022) — Board Member
- Former: Alan Hoffman (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Kelby Adams (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Scott Higgason (2020) — Director
- Former: Tyler Alpers (2020) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $110K, to Jason Murray (Executive Director).
Frequently asked questions about Golden Belt Community Foundation
How much does Golden Belt Community Foundation give each year?
Golden Belt Community Foundation gave $1.7M across 54 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $986K across 42 grants.
What is Golden Belt Community Foundation's typical grant size?
Golden Belt Community Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $13,796, and its average grant was $31,493, across 54 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Golden Belt Community Foundation that year got $22K on average.
Where does Golden Belt Community Foundation give grants?
Golden Belt Community Foundation gives mostly in Kansas: 88% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The next largest state was California (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Great Bend, KS (32 grants), Larned, KS (5 grants), Hoisington, KS (3 grants) and Ellinwood, KS (2 grants).
Does Golden Belt Community Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 35% of Golden Belt Community Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (19 of 54) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990. Recurring purposes include "Educational" (9 grants), "Human Services" (6 grants) and "Environment, Public Space" (5 grants).
Who are Golden Belt Community Foundation's largest grantees?
Golden Belt Community Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Great Bend Recreation Commission Foundation ($296,762), University of Southern California Sol Price School of Public Policy ($129,600) and Great Bend Alive Inc ($127,362), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 33% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Golden Belt Community Foundation?
Golden Belt Community Foundation reported $41.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $7.1M.
What does Golden Belt Community Foundation fund?
The foundation’s 2024 filing says it provides funding for scholarships and grants benefiting charitable, religious, and governmental organizations, as well as individuals for education and basic needs when facing significant hardship. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Golden Belt Community Foundation?
Most grants are awarded through an open, nondiscriminatory competitive application process. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Golden Belt Community Foundation's EIN?
Golden Belt Community Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 74-2804940. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS July 27, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 19, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 20, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS June 3, 2025)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 10, 2026)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS August 10, 2021)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
Live grants for the work Golden Belt Community Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
- Nixa Affiliate Grantmaking Program Up to US $10,000 · Due October 19, 2026
- Community and School Grants $28,000 total pool; 10-15 grants expected · Due October 19, 2026
- Mary Pinola/Crescenta Valley Chamber Education Fund $500 - $5,000 for ongoing programs; up to $15,000 for Strategic Initiative Grants · Due October 19, 2026
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Golden Belt Community Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Golden Belt Community Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 18, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/golden-belt-community-foundation-morg_afb813a98acb4910bd9caf437edc4b8b
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_742804940_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Golden Belt Community Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/golden-belt-community-foundation-morg_afb813a98acb4910bd9caf437edc4b8b},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-18. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Golden Belt Community Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
Golden Belt Community Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?