Morgan Wilkie Fund

The Morgan Wilkie Fund, administered by the Emporia Community Foundation (ECF), is designed to support projects that enhance the well-being and comfort of vulnerable populations within Emporia and Lyon County, Kansas. Since its inception, ECF has distributed over $13.8 million in grants and works through a variety of donor-driven and committee-advised funds to meet local needs. ECF serves as both a grantmaking institution and a conduit for charitable donations to causes within the community. The Morgan Wilkie Fund is one such fund, focused on addressing the needs of elderly people, women, and children in the specified region. Eligible applicants must be nonprofit organizations. The fund explicitly excludes individuals from eligibility. Grants must be used to support programs or services that provide direct care or enhance comfort for the target populations. These could include health, social, or community support initiatives aligned with the fund’s mission. Applications should clearly describe how the proposed project aligns with this purpose and include measurable goals and outcomes. The application process involves submission of a completed grant packet which includes a cover sheet, narrative responses to targeted questions, and supporting documentation such as the organization’s budget, board list, and financial statements. The narrative must describe the problem being addressed, how the project aligns with the fund’s objectives, resource availability, project uniqueness, measurement of success, sustainability planning, and the organization’s timeline for achieving grant outcomes. Applicants must include a project budget listing both committed and potential revenue sources as well as expense categories. Supporting documents must be submitted in the order listed and can be sent via email or physically delivered to the ECF office. Proposals are reviewed by grant committee members composed of both board and community representatives. The committee evaluates proposals based on alignment with the fund’s purpose, community impact, feasibility, and sustainability. The grant operates on two application cycles each year. For the 2025 cycle, proposals must be submitted by either July 1 or October 1 by 5:00 p.m. There is no separate pre-application requirement. All applications must be sent to linda.kehres-schmidt@emporiacf.org or mailed to the foundation's office at 527 Commercial Street, Suite B, Emporia, KS 66801. Applicants may contact Linda Kehres-Schmidt at 620-342-9304 for any questions regarding the process. This is a recurring grant program with deadlines occurring twice per year. As of the current reference date, September 1, 2025, the next upcoming deadline is October 1, 2025. Based on the established biannual cycle, it is expected to reopen in July 2026. The grant does not list specific award amounts or a total funding pool, and there are no matching fund requirements. All submitted proposals should clearly outline project purpose and financial need to support funding determinations.