The Manhattan Fund

The Manhattan Fund – Caroline Peine Charitable Foundation is a philanthropic grantmaking entity established with the express purpose of enhancing the quality of life in the City of Manhattan, Kansas. The fund also supports efforts in the KONZA Prairie and recreational initiatives in the nearby town of Keats, Kansas. Managed in part by Bank of America through its Missouri Private Bank Philanthropic Solutions office, the foundation operates in conjunction with a five-person committee appointed by Caroline Peine. This committee ensures that the fund remains sensitive to the cultural, social, recreational, and historical needs of the community. Caroline Peine had a lifelong connection to Manhattan, Kansas, and chose to focus her legacy on enriching this region through targeted charitable support. The Foundation supports a broad spectrum of program types, including arts and culture, community improvement, education, employment, environment, food and nutrition, health, housing, human services, and youth development. Projects that directly benefit the City of Manhattan, the KONZA Prairie, or contribute to recreational development in Keats are eligible for consideration. Examples of previously supported initiatives include local institutions such as the Regional Crisis Center, the Sunset Zoo, Special Olympics, and UFM. The Foundation is particularly receptive to proposals from Manhattan-based nonprofit organizations that address local needs in energy assistance, child care to support working or studying parents, historical preservation, elder and disability services, and access to cultural programming like theater. The grant submission process is structured in two stages. Applicants must first submit an online Letter of Inquiry (LOI) by April 1 for the Spring Cycle or October 1 for the Fall Cycle. LOIs are submitted online via the foundation’s application portal, with applicants selecting the appropriate form for either a Small grant (up to $25,000) or a Large grant (over $25,000). Following LOI submission, selected applicants will be invited to submit a full proposal within 30 days. While no specific components of the full proposal are listed in the guidance, applicants are expected to align with the foundation’s priorities of community enrichment and development in the eligible geographic areas. The fund explicitly excludes certain activities from consideration, including requests for operating costs related to the City of Manhattan or its municipal facilities, industrial development projects, organized athletics, and religious or church-affiliated purposes. Grant decisions are typically rendered two to three months after the full application stage, and Bank of America serves as a co-manager of the trust. The foundation does not provide rolling support; all applications must follow the designated biannual cycle. The fund is designed to be recurring with predictable cycles, offering consistent opportunities for local nonprofits to receive funding aligned with community-identified priorities. Contact for inquiries or support during the application process is handled through the Missouri grantmaking office of Bank of America via [email protected]. The foundation’s procedures and additional information can be found on its website: https://peinefoundation.org/application-guidelines. All grants are one year in duration, though multi-year initiatives may be considered if budget justification is provided.

Ensure geographic relevance and alignment with mission. Foundation prioritizes projects that improve life in Manhattan, support KONZA Prairie, or recreationally benefit Keats.