March 26, 2019
4-H Innovation Grant Proposals Are In!
Submitted by Jake Wocester and Wade Weber
We’re excited with the response to the first 4-H Innovation Grant request for proposals. The Kansas 4-H Foundation received 13 proposals from individual local units, multiple units collaborating, action teams, state 4-H office and a collaborative effort involving a local volunteer, local professional and state staff. The requests totaled more than $400,000 - a sign of significant, big picture thinking that will grow Kansas 4-H Youth Development.
The energy and enthusiasm behind these innovative ideas are evidence of the passion that fuels our 4-H program. The process now will play out over the next six weeks. A prioritizing committee will review all submissions and rank them based on the established criteria. The proposals are then reviewed by the Foundation Grants and Awards Committee to make sure they fall within the funding policy. Finally, they present a recommendation for the Foundation Board of Trustees to approve at the annual meeting on April 25.
At that point, grants are awarded according to the ranking. As many grants as possible will be funded with existing dollars. Then, the Foundation fund development team will seek additional donors for unfunded proposals. While it is unlikely all proposals can be funded, we will make every effort to fund as many as possible.
Thank you to all who participated in this first year's effort. We look forward to seeing this program grow and impact our Kansas 4-H youth for years to come.