Greater Northwest Kansas Community Foundation
Greater Northwest Kansas Community is a public charity based in Bird City, Kansas, formed in 2009. It works with affiliated foundations, donors, and charitable partners to support community grantmaking across a 15-county area of Northwest Kansas.
Key facts about Greater Northwest Kansas Community Foundation
In short: Greater Northwest Kansas Community Foundation gave $2.2M across 116 grants in 2024 (avg $19K), mostly in Kansas. 38% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- EIN
- 48-1025832
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $2,243,849
- Grants made (2024)
- 116
- Average grant
- $19,344
- Median grant
- $11,168
- New grantees (estimate)
- 38% first-time grantees (44 of 116, 2024)
- Total assets
- $94,620,124
- Primary geography
- Kansas (99% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- How to apply
- Applications must be submitted online through the Grant Portal. Full details ↓
- Deadline
- Most grants are due on the last day of the month, but some funds have different deadlines.
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990 · View filing
Total Assets
$94.6M
+32.5% YoY
Annual Giving
$2.2M
+7.6% YoY
Grant Count
116
+12.6% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$19K
-4.4% YoY
Is Greater Northwest Kansas Community Foundation open to new grantees?
38%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 44 of 116 grantees (38%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $15K; repeat grants $22K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $13K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s mission is to empower donors, affiliates, and charitable partners through education, stewardship, and regional collaboration to create thriving communities and impact present and future generations.
Its 2024 grants included awards designated for education, health care, recreation and sport, arts and humanities, community improvement, and public and societal benefit. Among the grantees, Thomas County Community Foundation says its mission is to endow funds to improve quality of life for Thomas County residents. Wild West Historical Foundation says it shares stories of Plains culture and provides a venue for community events and meetings. Goodland Activities Center describes its mission as serving the community as a health and physical fitness facility for children and adults.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 116 grants totaling $2,243,849. Grant amounts ranged from $5,007 to $164,589, with a median of $11,168. The largest awards included $164,589 to USD #407 Russell County for education, $152,405 to Logan Community Development Foundation for philanthropy and grantmaking, and $149,428 to USD #294 Decatur Community Schools for education.
Review Cycle
vary; most grants are due by the last day of the month for review the following month.
Open Grants
11 open opportunities from Greater Northwest Kansas Community Foundation
Brush Family Foundation Fund Grant
Greater Northwest Kansas Community Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Cheyenne County Impact Fund Grant
Greater Northwest Kansas Community Foundation
Amount
Up to US $5,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Dane G Hansen Community Grant for Ellsworth County
Greater Northwest Kansas Community Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Ready to take the next step with Greater Northwest Kansas Community Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation describes its work as serving a 15-county area of Northwest Kansas. Its 2024 grant dollars went primarily to Kansas recipients: the filing reports 99% in Kansas and 0% each in Colorado, Georgia, and New Hampshire.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 116 itemized grants.
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $1.7M (2020) to $16.9M (2022). In 2024 it made 116 grants totaling $2.2M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was USD #407 Russell County ($165K). Together the top 10 received $843K.
Grant Size Distribution
496 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 463 grants of 496 (93%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| USD #407 Russell County Russell, KS | Education | $164,589 |
| Logan Community Development Foundation Inc Logan, KS | Philanthropy, Voluntarism, Grantmaking Foundation | $152,405 |
| USD #294 Decatur Community Schools Oberlin, KS | Education | $149,428 |
| West Central Kansas Association Inc Russell, KS | Health Care | $107,577 |
| Phillips County Community Foundation Inc Phillipsburg, KS | Philanthropy, Voluntarism, Grantmaking Foundation | $66,632 |
| Russell Recreation Commission Russell, KS | Recreation & Sport | $44,955 |
| USD #274 Oakley Public Schools Oakley, KS | Education | $42,056 |
| Phillips County Phillipsburg, KS | Public & Societal Benefit | $39,226 |
| City of Oberlin Oberlin, KS | Public & Societal Benefit | $38,473 |
| Lucas Arts and Humanities Council Inc Lucas, KS | Arts, Culture & Humanities | $37,525 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $94,620,124 | $25,469,267 | $5,805,729 | $2,243,849 |
| 2023 | $71,387,211 | $17,466,214 | $4,619,092 | $2,085,112 |
| 2022 | $54,366,423 | $31,578,418 | $18,851,038 | $16,933,700 |
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $94,620,124 | $71,387,211 | $54,366,423 |
| Revenue | $25,469,267 | $17,466,214 | $31,578,418 |
| Expenses | $5,805,729 | $4,619,092 | $18,851,038 |
| Net Investment Income | $3,549,416 | $1,845,558 | $1,116,266 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 9, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 12, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Mike Posson as president, Joan McKenna as vice president, Tom Keller as treasurer, and Mitch Gillespie as secretary. Directors listed are Harry Joe Pratt, John O Farmer IV, Raelene Keller, Kris Yost, Travis Rickford, and Chuck Moore.
Greater Northwest Kansas Community Foundation is led by Darci Schields, Executive Director on every filing since 2020; 1 of 12 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Darci Schields
Executive Director
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$55K (2020) → $77K (2024)
Mike Posson
President
Director → President, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Harry Joe Pratt
Director
Vice President → Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Raelene Keller
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Travis Rickford
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tony Haffner
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Chuck Moore
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John O. Farmer IV
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kris Yost
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Joan McKenna
Vice President
Director → Secretary, 2022
Secretary → Vice President, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mitch Gillespie
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tom Keller
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (4)
- Former: Cora House (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Cindy Burr (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Clint Bursch (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Rebecca Antholz (2020–2021) — Secretary
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $77K, to Darci Schields (Executive Director).
Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 593, Bird City, KS 67731
Phone: (785) 734-2406
Website: https://gnwkcf.org
Frequently asked questions about Greater Northwest Kansas Community Foundation
How much does Greater Northwest Kansas Community Foundation give each year?
Greater Northwest Kansas Community Foundation gave $2.2M across 116 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $2.1M across 103 grants.
What is Greater Northwest Kansas Community Foundation's typical grant size?
Greater Northwest Kansas Community Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $11,168, and its average grant was $19,344, across 116 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Greater Northwest Kansas Community Foundation that year got $15K on average.
Where does Greater Northwest Kansas Community Foundation give grants?
Greater Northwest Kansas Community Foundation gives mostly in Kansas: 99% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Goodland, KS (15 grants), Russell, KS (8 grants), Oberlin, KS (7 grants) and Saint Francis, KS (6 grants).
Does Greater Northwest Kansas Community Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 116 grants with a stated purpose on Greater Northwest Kansas Community Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Public & Societal Benefit" (30 grants), "Education" (20 grants) and "Arts, Culture & Humanities" (11 grants).
Who are Greater Northwest Kansas Community Foundation's largest grantees?
Greater Northwest Kansas Community Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include USD #407 Russell County ($164,589), Logan Community Development Foundation Inc ($152,405) and USD #294 Decatur Community Schools ($149,428), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 21% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Greater Northwest Kansas Community Foundation?
Greater Northwest Kansas Community Foundation reported $94.6M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $25.5M.
What does Greater Northwest Kansas Community Foundation fund?
The foundation’s mission is to empower donors, affiliates, and charitable partners through education, stewardship, and regional collaboration to create thriving communities and impact present and future generations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Greater Northwest Kansas Community Foundation?
Applications must be submitted online through the Grant Portal. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Greater Northwest Kansas Community Foundation's EIN?
Greater Northwest Kansas Community Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 48-1025832. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Here's the math on researching Greater Northwest Kansas Community Foundation by hand.
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