The 2025 Application is Now Closed
Round 4
Kansas-based organizations have the chance to apply for $5,000 & $10,000 grants.
The Networked Community Solutions Grant makes funding available to encourage collaboration among Networked participants through cross-sector team building and collective action.
Kansas-based organizations that participated in NetWorked from July 2025 through June 2025 may apply as Lead Applicants. Applications will be considered in the order in which they are received.
The NetWorked Community Solutions Grant is a project by Network Kansas with funding support from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas, the Kansas Health Foundation and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.
In three grant rounds, Network Kansas has awarded $265,000 in grant awards.
Stay Tuned for 2026 Applications
More details to come as the 2026 conference approaches.
Past Grant Awardees
Find community projects from the past grant cycles.
The Networked Community Solutions Grant is a pilot project by Network Kansas with funding support from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas, the Kansas Health Foundation and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.
STEM Harvest
To Infinity & Beyond
McPherson Community Foundation
Mobile Robotics
Coffeyville Area Community Foundation
Coffeyville Innovation Labs Maker Space Youth Kickoff
Go Topeka
Topeka Social Entrepreneurship Engagement Project
Thrive Allen County
Empowering Community Engagement Program Pilot
Graham County
Revitalization of Graham County thru Community Involvement
Rice County Community Foundation
One Voice: Creating more equitable and accessible services in Rice County for Spanish-Speaking Neighbors
Elk County
RISE Elk County
Graham County
Leadership Graham County
Ellsworth County
#BecauseWeCare
Montgomery County
Coffeyville Innovation Lab for Youth-Robotics & Drones.
Thirve Allen County
Future Community Conversation Update
Rooks County
Rooks County Speaker Series
Mitchell County
Building Remote Work in North Central Kansas
Harvey County
13 Ways to Kill Your Community Book Club
Labette County
Altamont Landsdowne Placemaking Project
Storytime Village
Equity in Literacy Coalition
Black Entrepreneurs of the Flint Hills
Yuma Street Cultural Center Launch
Lawrence Music Alliance
MixMaster2024 Music Conference
Graham County
Pitch Your Porch
Harvey County
Paint the Town
HOPE-CDC
Affordable Housing Development
Kansas State University
Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities (CEC)
Legacy Regional Community Foundation
Suicide Prevention and Awareness Community Mural
NXTUS
Rural Access to Community Health Innovation
Riordan Clinic
World Peace Wichita
Sunflower Community Action
Voter Engagement
Thrive Kansas
Building a Family-Friendly Future: A Local Civic Action Guide
Republic County E-Community
How an Entrepreneurial Community Developments – Video Storytelling for Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities Conference
Jewell County Community Development Association Inc.
Jewell County: Healthy Habits, Healthy Lives
Common Sense Collective
CrossTalk: Common Sense Communications
Four County Entrepreneurship Network
Four County Collaborative: A Destination Marketing Summit
Plainville Wellness Coalition
Children’s Cupboard
Harvey County Breastfeeding Support
Strengthening a Culture of Breastfeeding through Public Park Spaces
Storytime Village
Building the Village: Community Outreach Leading to the Storytime Village Literacy Center Launch
Mindful Living is Active Living
Coming Home to the Heart
Lawrence Music Week Project Team
MixMaster2025 + Lawrence Music Week
Wichita County
WC Community Health Needs Assessment
NXTUS
Amplifying Voices of Community Health Innovators
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Who can apply?
Project teams must have representation from at least three different sectors found below:
- Community Development Organizations
- Community Foundations
- Economic Development Organizations
- Entrepreneurship Support Organizations
- Health Foundations
- Health Organizations
- Minority-led Organizations
What are the roles in a team project?
Each project team must identify an individual to fill each of the following roles. Best practice has proven that one person should not fill multiple roles. Applications with one person filling multiple roles will be considered ineligible. Project teams may identify additional roles within the grant application, as applicable.
Lead Applicant
- Must be an existing Networked participant as defined above
- Agrees to be identified and named as the Lead Applicant on the grant application for the project team
- Accepts grant funds into the Lead Applicant’s organization to be used for the intended project
- Agrees to use the grant funds for the intended project
- Manages the project budget by paying and tracking project expenses
- Maintains accurate project budget statements
- Collects project-related invoices, receipts and other financial documents on behalf of the project team
- Submits accurate and timely financial information for the final project report template
- Serves as the point of contact for financial-related inquiries that are routed to the project team by Networked
Project Coordinator
Serves as the primary point of contact for project-related inquiries that are routed to the project team by Networked
Coordinates suppliers/vendors/volunteers/speakers, as applicable, for the project team
Manages project timelines, due dates and deadlines to ensure project is efficiently implemented
Oversees internal and external project-related communication for the project team
Oversees the coordination of marketing and external project-related communication
Leads trouble-shooting for project-related challenges
Reporter
Oversees data collection and reporting (i.e. participant reach, demographics, etc.)
Serves as the primary monthly report writer for the team
Gathers information from project team members and the Lead Applicant to enter into the monthly project team report and the final project team report
Submits complete project team reports monthly and the final project team report
Organizes project team meeting agendas
Captures project team meeting minutes
Supports the project coordinator when collecting information for internal and external project-related communicationIs responsible for overseeing project planning and logistics
Are multiple applications allowed across organizations/teams?
No; organizations may only participate on one project team UNLESS the organization is a statewide organization with offices in distinct geographies. Individuals cannot serve on more than one project team. Project teams should only submit one project during the application period.
Can organizations participate as a Lead Applicant on multiple applications?
No; organizations serving as the Lead Applicant may only serve as Lead Applicant on one project team.
What are eligible project types?
Projects must be brand-new efforts OR brand-new components to Phase 3 grant projects that meet the eligibility criteria within the Networked impact area and project type. For brand-new components of Phase 3 grant projects, Phase 3 grant teams must have complied with Phase 3 requirements and be considered eligible to reapply.
Project teams will submit a project plan and budget as part of the application.
Each team will select ONE of the following impact areas:
- Civic Engagement – defined as projects that generate greater issue-based awareness among people and/or ways to engage in non-partisan public service opportunities (not campaigning or lobbying)
- Community Development – defined as projects that are focused on helping people and/or groups to improve neighborhoods and/or public spaces (not passive real estate)
- Engaging Broadly – defined as projects that generate greater awareness, appreciation, empathy and understanding for broader population segments and/or populations of focus
- Entrepreneurship Support – defined as projects that are focused on serving entrepreneurs, business owners and/or leaders of social enterprises (not new business starts)
- Data Collection and Storytelling – defined as projects that are focused on helping improve organizational understanding, capacity, technology and capability to capture data, store data, protect data and/or analyze data to share stories of impact for public awareness and/or activations.
- Food Access – defined as projects that are focused on creating greater access to healthy, nutritious food through retail or mobile distribution, pantries, farmers’ markets, food halls, etc.
- Health and Wellness – defined as projects that are focused on improving active living, healthy eating, tobacco prevention, mental health or reducing disparities in access to care
- Youth Enrichment – defined as projects that are focused on improving leadership, community-based mentoring, tutoring, entrepreneurial and/or other related programming for young people incoming to grades 3rd through high school senior in public, private and/or homeschool learning environments OR collegiate undergraduates (not childcare-related; specific grade levels 3rd-high school or collegiate undergraduates will be required to be selected)
How will projects be selected for funding?
Applications that are complete and meet eligibility criteria will be considered for funding in the order received until grant dollars are exhausted.
What guidance will be used to analyze applications?
Networked Community Solutions Grant applications will be analyzed for:
- Community input – A surveying or community conversation project to solicit public input on a matter relevant to the selected impact area
- Community outreach – An event that involves gathering the public to discuss and engage in activities that are relevant to the selected impact area
- Community service – A project that engages volunteers and others to benefit an effort, initiative or goal relevant to the selected impact area
- Marketing – digital and/or hardcopy campaigns to educate the public on a matter relevant to the selected impact area
- Eligibility – The project and its team members must meet the grant eligibility requirements
- Completeness – The grant applications are submitted in full; incomplete applications will not be reviewed or considered for funding; applications may not be edited once they are submitted
- Project plan – The project should reflect the specified impact area with clear approaches, success indicators and implementation processes to better ensure success
- Proposal quality – The project is assessed for planning and programmatic quality with particular emphasis on projects with actions, methods or approaches deemed as innovative, creative and achievable; returning applications will be analyzed for clearly-articulated and distinctly-new components of existing projects within 2026-2027
- Budget – The budget narrative clearly describes and justifies project costs
How much funding is available for each project?
The entire grant funding pool is $100,000. Project teams may apply for either $5,000 or $10,000 grants in support of their proposed project.
- No other funding amounts may be requested or awarded
- Matching funds are not required for this grant fund
- Administrative expenses may not exceed 25 percent of the grant award
What are allowable expenses?
Networked Community Solutions Grants are designed for short-term needs and may include covering expenses relating to:
- Convening support – venue fees, refreshments
- Curriculum, books
- Engagement incentives – gift cards, gas cards, swag – branded t-shirts, pens, cups, mugs and other promotional materials
- Paid advertising campaigns – social media, radio, internet, mobile, etc.
- Postage – Stamps, envelopes
- Printing – postcards, flyers, posters, banners, brochures, etc.
- Short-term staffing support for projects – stipends, honorariums, facilitators
- Software/technology for action projects– public engagement tools (i.e. Telephone Town Halls, surveys, pop-up kiosks, etc.)
- Supplies – Office supplies, equipment
What are ineligible expenses?
- Purchased vehicles
- Contributions to capital campaigns
- Operating deficits or retirement of debt
- Construction projects, real estate acquisitions
- Endowments
- Grants to individuals
- Annual fund drives
- Fundraising events
- Political activities, lobbying and/or Candidate endorsements
- Religious activities
- Refinancing existing debt
- Acquisition of or holding passive investments such as commercial real
estate or purchasing securities - Repayment of delinquent federal or state income taxes
- Repayment of taxes held in trust or escrow, e.g., payroll or sales taxes
- Increasing a pool of funds that generates tax credits
- Financing non-grant purposes, and / or financing costs other than what
is described in the grant application
What should project teams do if they don't expend all grant funding?
Project teams are expected to expend all awarded grant funds. If more than $1,000 is remaining in unused funds, the project team is expected to return funds to Network Kansas:
- Check made payable to the Kansas Center for Entrepreneurship dba Network Kansas
- Email request for an ACH debit initiated by Network Kansas
Remaining funds of $999 or less, may remain with the project team and is not expected to be returned to Network Kansas.
