Before applying, review our funding priorities and eligibility criteria to ensure your project aligns with our funding strategies.
To begin the application process, register to create an account in our Grants Portal. All registration requests are reviewed for eligibility before portal access is granted.
Once in the Grants Portal, submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) describing your organization and project so the Foundation can determine whether your initiative meets our funding criteria.
The Foundation will evaluate LOIs to identify projects that align with our priorities. Projects that are aligned will be invited to submit a full grant application through the Grants Portal.
Upon invitation, submit a grant application that includes a project plan, budget outlining how funds will be used, and supporting documents (financials, letters of support, organizational history).
Once applications are reviewed, the Foundation will send you notifications regarding funding decisions. If awarded funding, you will receive further details on the next steps, including the process for disbursement and reporting.
Location: Organizations located in or serving a county or community within the Patterson Family Foundation’s Kansas or western Missouri catchment are eligible to apply. Read more about the Patterson Family Foundation’s philanthropic catchment.
Nonprofit Status: Applicants need to be a 501(c)(3) organization, school district, or government entity.
Supports small business startups, business growth, and rural entrepreneurship initiatives. Funding can be used for business development, mentorship, and technical assistance programs. (Network support- how to start and grow a business.)
Projects that will not be considered for funding include:
– Co-working spaces that do not have programming
– Capital-only requests – all proposals that include capital require strategies and budget for entrepreneur-support programs, recruitment of program participants, and other activities critical to the success of the program.
Eligible Funding Range: $50,000 – $1 Million
Provides funding for skilled trades training, apprenticeships, and workforce upskilling in high-demand fields including HVAC, electricians, plumbers, welders, diesel mechanics, healthcare, the legal profession, etc.
Eligible Funding Range: $50,000 – $1 Million
Supports new and existing childcare providers to expand capacity, improve facilities, and increase affordability for working families.
Projects that will not be considered for funding include:
– Pre-K and Kindergarten Classrooms
– After School programs
– Summer programs
Eligible Funding Range: $100,000 – $500,000
Other Parameters:
– School district-based centers need to provide pre-approval from their board if establishing a net-new center.
– Ages served include birth to 5 years.
– Home-based providers apply through a community foundation or other non-profit organization.
The Patterson Family Foundation invites innovative proposals to test new solutions specific to economic opportunity. Priority will be given to funding for regional innovation hubs and industry diversification strategies to build more resilient rural communities.
Eligible Funding Range: $25,000 – $500,000
Funding for the expansion and modernization of Career & Technical Education programs that prepare high school students for high-demand industries in rural communities.
Projects that will not be considered for funding include:
– Capital
– Salary/benefits/compensation for existing public school district staff
Eligible Funding Range: $50,000 – $500,000
Expanding dual-credit, AP and/or IB and STEM courses to ensure access to advanced learning opportunities for all rural students.
Projects that will not be considered for funding include:
– Capital
– Salary/benefits/compensation for existing public school district staff
Eligible Funding Range: $50,000 – $500,000
Funding for specialized recruitment of rural teachers, alternative certification, and the development of “grow your own” educator workforce initiatives. All beneficiaries pursuing continuing education need to do so at an accredited post-secondary education institution.
Projects that will not be considered for funding include:
– Capital
– Salary/Benefits/Compensation for existing public school district staff
Eligible Funding Range: $50,000 – $500,000
The Patterson Family Foundation invites creative proposals aimed at improving education in rural communities. We’re looking to fund projects that explore new ideas with the potential for long-term impact and growth. While all innovative solutions are welcome, priority will be given to proposals focused on project-based learning and/or experiential learning.
Eligible Funding Range: $25,000 – $500,000
Funding for initiatives to launch and/or expand healthcare delivery models that are increasing access to care, including but not limited to, mobile integrated health, community paramedicine, community health workers, telehealth delivery, and mobile health.
Projects that will not be considered for funding include:
– Electronic Medical Records
– Payroll, Benefits, or Insurance coverage
– Rent, utilities, or building maintenance
Eligible Funding Range: $100,000 – $500,000
Funding to bring specialty medical services closer to rural communities. Specialty care may include, but is not limited to, maternal care, oncology, chronic conditions, dental, and mental/behavioral health.
Projects that will not be considered for funding include:
– Electronic Medical Records
– Payroll, Benefits, or Insurance coverage
– Rent, utilities, or building maintenance
Eligible Funding Range: $100,000 – $500,000
Programs that develop and promote the education, licensure, development, and recruitment and/or retention of critical healthcare workforce roles in rural communities.
Projects that will not be considered for funding include:
– Capital (for new school building structures only)
– Programs that include scholarship funding need to also directly support the placement of healthcare practitioners in rural communities.
– Housing
– Relocation fees for new hires
Eligible Funding Range: $100,000 – $750,000
The Patterson Family Foundation invites creative proposals aimed at improving healthcare in rural communities. We’re looking to fund projects that explore new ideas with the potential for long-term impact and better health outcomes. While all innovative solutions are welcome, priority will be given to proposals focused on testing new models to expand maternal care in rural areas.
Eligible Funding Range: $250,000 – $500,000
Funding for programs that expand the ability to engage youth and young adults in rural communities. Project focus areas could include getting youth involved in volunteerism, participating in community service organizations, gaining leadership experience and skills, and enhancing youth voices in the arts and local journalism.
Projects that will not be considered for funding include:
– Capital
– Lobby and/or advocacy
– Foster care and/or social service agencies
– Booster clubs and youth sports teams
– Scholarships
Eligible Funding Range: $50,000 – $500,000
We aim to build strong, connected communities through the continuation of our rural community foundation programming. Please note that we are currently not accepting new applications for the community foundation match or capacity building programs. For questions regarding the match program or capacity building program, please reach out to Emily@pffkc.org or the Kansas Association of Community Foundations at Christy@kansascfs.org.
The Patterson Family Foundation is excited to invite creative proposals aimed at enhancing community engagement in rural communities. We’re looking to fund projects that explore new ideas with the potential for long-term impact and growth of community involvement of all generations of rural residents.
Eligible Funding Range: $25,000 – $500,000
2025 Grant Milestone |
Round 1 Date |
Round 2 Date |
|---|---|---|
Launch |
April 1, 2025 |
April 19, 2025 |
Letter of Intent (LOI) Due |
April 18, 2025 |
July 3, 2025 |
Full Application Due |
May 9, 2025 |
July 25, 2025 |
Determinations Communicated By |
August 2025 |
October 2025 |
*Submitting your Letter of Intent (LOI) as early as possible is strongly encouraged. Early submission allows for a timely review, and if approved and invited, provides you with additional time to develop your full grant application.
Interested and eligible organizations can submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) through the Patterson Family Foundation Grants Portal starting April 1, 2025 at 12:00 PM (Noon) CST. LOI applications submitted between April 1 and April 18, 2025 will be considered for Round 1. LOI applications submitted between April 19 and July 3, 2025 will be considered for Round 2.
Registration is required before applying. Organizations will register in the Grants Portal by 12:00 PM (Noon) CST on April 18, 2025 for Round 1 consideration and by 12:00 PM (Noon) CST on July 3, 2025 for Round 2. All registration requests are reviewed for eligibility before access to the Letter of Inquiry (LOI) application is granted.
If your organization already has a Grants Portal account, log in with your existing credentials to access the LOI application. Need help with your login? Please contact us at info@pffkc.org for assistance.
Once your registration is approved, you can complete and submit the LOI application.
We are offering dedicated Office Hours to support applicants through the grant process. These sessions provide an opportunity to ask questions and receive guidance on your application. To reserve a time slot, please email our Office Manager, Sasha Winterowd, at sasha.winterowd@pffkc.org with the following details at least two business days before your preferred session:
Once your request is received, you’ll receive a confirmation email with your scheduled time slot within your selected Office Hours session.
All Office Hours occur from 1 – 3pm.
We are geographically focused on assisting Kansas and western Missouri counties with fewer than 50,000 residents.
The Foundation is committed to a thorough and thoughtful grant review process. To ensure transparency and clarity, we ask that all applicants keep the following guidelines in mind:
Due Diligence: We conduct a comprehensive review to understand your organization, project, and funding proposal. Participation in this process does not imply or guarantee funding.
Competitive Process: Our grant application process is highly competitive. Unfortunately, the Foundation is unable to fund all requests, even those that align with our priorities.
No Commitments Without Written Confirmation: Throughout our review process, we will neither make nor imply any commitment to fund your proposal.
Public Representation: Applicants should not publicly state or suggest that they have received funding from the Foundation unless they have received and signed a formal award letter. If awarded, all approved applicants will receive guidance on obtaining approval for press releases and other public communications describing the grant.
Final Funding Decisions: All funding determinations are final only when confirmed in writing via a formal award letter. Once notified and signed, grantees are welcome to publicly announce the support received. Funding by the Foundation does not imply a future commitment to fund.
For further questions about our grantmaking process, please see our FAQ or contact us at info@pffkc.org.
It is a priority of the Foundation to provide guidance to applicants. To help streamline communication, Program Officers will be conducting regular office hours to answer questions relating to grant opportunities and the application process; please see the “Applicant Support” section above for more details. For technical or other inquiries, please contact info@pffkc.org. We will connect you with a member of our team to address your needs. Please allow 2-3 business days for us to respond.
Patterson Family Foundation applications are designed to be concise and comprehensive. We recommend that applicants collect supporting documentation in advance and allot 30 minutes to complete the Letter of Intent (LOI) application and, if invited, 45 minutes to an hour to complete the full grant application. Applicants will be able to save their progress and return later if needed.
– Copy of current IRS Letter of Determination indicating tax-exempt status
– Copy of most recent 990
– Copy of most recent audit
– Organization budget
– Project budget, including specific line items, other funding sources, and how the Patterson Family Foundation funding will be allocated.
– Anti-discrimination statement adopted by the Board of Directors (if available)
– Conflict of Interest Policy (if available)
– Whistleblower Policy (if available)
– Annual Report (if available)
– Any relevant additional information (e.g., photos, invoices, plans, or other documents related to your project) may be attached as a single file.
Yes. PFF will expect you to explain how the proposed project will not compromise any ongoing work for your current grant.
We are interested in tracking the impact of grants and learning more about the challenges and successes experienced by our grant recipients. Reporting requirements will be tailored to the nature of the applicant’s request and detailed in the Award Letter sent to grantees following the funding determination.
Applicants are restricted to one LOI in this cycle as we expect a high volume of applications. We recognize that projects may have multiple components that touch on more than one grant activity. This is allowed, but applicants should evaluate their organizational priorities and submit their strongest proposal. We encourage applicants to strive for clarity and to explain how the project plan will further our mission of thriving rural communities.
No. Applicants are restricted to a single LOI per cycle.
Consideration for multi-year funding is based on the complexity of the project. We anticipate funding projects for up to three years through our 2025 programming; however, we will make determinations based on the scope of the requested project.
Capital requests must have secured funding for at least 60% of the total project cost. Additionally, the Patterson Family Foundation will fund up to 20% of the total project cost, or up to $2,000,000. The Foundation is interested in understanding the full scope of the project. We encourage you to include information and costs on any programming, marketing, etc. that will occur following the completion of the capital project. Please note that capital funding will not be available through all open grant opportunities. To find which grants will accept capital requests, please refer to the “Available Grants” section.
Example: A rural health clinic is expanding its facility to accommodate more patients. Rather than requesting funding solely for construction costs, the clinic submits a proposal that includes:
⦁ Capital Component: Funding for the expansion of the building.
⦁ Programmatic Component: A plan to increase healthcare services, such as adding a maternal health program and expanding telemedicine access for rural patients.
In this case, the Foundation would be interested in supporting the project because the capital investment is directly tied to improved healthcare access and enhanced services for the community. This aligns with our focus on funding projects where capital expenses contribute to broader, impactful outcomes.
We encourage all applicants to stay within the funding request limits as outlined in the grant opportunity. However, if your organization is working on a project that falls outside of these parameters, you’re welcome to share information about your work with our Programs Team by attending our Office Hours. While it may not be a fit for this specific opportunity, we’ll keep your information on file and follow up if future funding opportunities arise that align more closely with your request.
Yes, organizations can request funding for up to 15% of the total budget for indirect costs. Please note that salary and costs related to a specific programmatic activity will be considered direct program costs.
Yes, organizations that received funding in the past can apply again. Community foundations participating in the Match or Capacity Building programs can also apply for other open grant opportunities. In addition to applying for an open grant, community foundations can act as the fiscal sponsor for multiple organizations, if necessary.
Organizations conducting programming aligning with our available grants that do not meet our tax-exempt eligibility requirements, such as a 501(c)(4) or 501(c)(6) organization, can apply using a fiscal sponsor. You should be prepared to provide contact information, tax status documents, and related information for the Foundation’s due diligence review of the fiscal sponsor organization.
We ask that you wait for official funding confirmation before making any announcements. If awarded funding, you may publicly share that your organization has received a grant from the Patterson Family Foundation. Before publishing any public statements, press releases, or promotional materials, please send your statement to our team for review to ensure accuracy and alignment.
The decision process is highly competitive. While we understand the value of feedback, due to the high volume of applications and the complexity of our review process, we are unable to provide individualized feedback on submissions.
Organization-specific information submitted as part of this grant application is accessible only by the Patterson Family Foundation staff and the Grant Committee, a subset of the Foundation’s Board of Directors. The Foundation will not release any sensitive information gathered during this process unless approved in advance by the applying organization.
No. The Foundation will not accept late submissions or applications submitted outside of the designated Grants Portal. Therefore, you should review the timeline carefully and plan to submit your application materials well before each deadline. If you are experiencing difficulties, please email info@pffkc.org.
The Patterson Family Foundation can only provide funding for charitable activities. Therefore, we do not plan to fund for-profit entities through our active grant programs. We do recognize the important contributions of for-profit organizations toward solving complex challenges. If you are a for-profit entity that believes your work should be part of making progress on thriving rural communities, please email info@pffkc.org so we can learn more about your work.
Yes, the Foundation will fund organizations outside of our catchment if the proposed project directly works in or serves communities within the PFF catchment. Projects working in or serving communities outside our catchment will not be eligible for grant funding. Please refer to our philanthropic catchment map.
Please refer to the “Key Dates” table on this page.
Si necesita ayuda en español, favor de contáctenos en info@pffkc.org.
