The Sadie Jones Fund is a grant opportunity administered through the Emporia Community Foundation, originally established to address the vision and hearing needs of children in Lyon and Chase Counties, Kansas. Over time, the scope of the fund has expanded to also include public health and safety projects that benefit children in these counties. Despite this expansion, the fund retains its initial purpose and will continue accepting applications that focus on individual children's vision and hearing needs.
The fund operates on a semi-annual basis, with two application deadlines each year: June 3 and October 1. Only one application per organization is permitted annually, and applications must be submitted by 5 p.m. on the deadline date. Applicants must ensure that funding requests are pre-approved prior to submission. Applications can be accessed online or obtained directly from the Emporia Community Foundation office.
To qualify for funding, applicants must meet several key eligibility criteria. The child in need must be under the age of 18 and reside in either Lyon or Chase County. Additionally, financial need must be demonstrated. Applications requesting funding for glasses are limited to one per year per child. All applications must include a signature from a school nurse to be considered valid.
Applications must be emailed to emporiacf@emporiacf.org or physically delivered to the Emporia Community Foundation office at 527 Commercial St, Suite B, Emporia, Kansas. Upon receipt of a complete application, the foundation will notify applicants of approval or denial within one week. Approved projects must be completed within three months from the authorization date.
The fund’s administrators, the grants committee of the Emporia Community Foundation, broadly interpret the term “medical needs” to encompass a wide range of physical and emotional issues. Their evaluation of financial need is final and not subject to appeal.
