The Manhattan Fund – Caroline Peine Charitable Foundation is a philanthropic initiative co-managed by Bank of America and a designated five-person advisory committee. This foundation is specifically dedicated to enhancing the quality of life in Manhattan, Kansas, with secondary areas of interest including the KONZA Prairie and the recreational development of Keats, Kansas. Caroline Peine, a long-time Manhattan resident with a deep affinity for her community, established this fund to benefit a variety of initiatives and nonprofits serving the local population and environment.
The foundation prioritizes projects that enhance life in the City of Manhattan, benefit the KONZA Prairie ecosystem, and foster recreational facilities in Keats. It funds a wide array of causes, including but not limited to arts and theater, energy assistance for low-income residents, historical preservation, public libraries, park and recreation initiatives, services for the elderly and handicapped, and subsidized childcare that supports working or studying parents. Notable past grantees include the Regional Crisis Center, Sunset Zoo, Special Olympics, and the University for Man (UFM).
Applications are accepted through a two-stage process. Interested applicants must first submit an online Letter of Inquiry (LOI). There are two options depending on the size of the request: small grants for $25,000 or less, and large grants for more than $25,000. Only applicants selected from the LOI stage will be invited to submit a full application, and they will have 30 days from the LOI submission to do so. It is essential that all applications align with the foundation’s goals of improving community life in the specified geographic areas.
The foundation considers applications twice annually. Deadlines for LOI submissions are April 1 for the spring cycle and October 1 for the fall cycle. Based on these dates and the recurring nature of the fund, future applicants can anticipate annual opportunities to apply. As of now, the opportunity is considered active and accepting applications. The next LOI submission deadline is October 1, with a probable re-opening in April 2026 based on this pattern.
The foundation imposes several restrictions. It does not fund operating costs for the city itself, industrial development projects, organized athletics, or religious activities. All submissions must directly benefit eligible geographic zones: the City of Manhattan, the KONZA Prairie, or Keats, Kansas. Funding decisions are made by the five-person committee entrusted by Caroline Peine to be sensitive to the social, cultural, recreational, and historical dimensions of the community.
The foundation is administered by Bank of America’s Missouri office. For application-related inquiries, applicants should contact mo.grantmaking@bofa.com and include the foundation name in the subject line. Additional procedural information and application forms, including PDF and Word versions, are available through the foundation’s website. Guidance documentation and online help are also accessible to support applicants through the submission process.
