Contribute to an Existing Fund
Your gift through the community foundation may support the charitable cause most important to you, or be pooled with other contributions to impact the greater Parsons community through an annual competitive grant cycle. These grants fund projects to improve the health, education, parks, recreation, the arts and social services in this area.
If you would like to give to a specific fund, please review the list below and visit Give Online or Contributing Options for instructions on how to give.
Unrestricted Funds:
- Parsons Area Touch the Future Fund: An endowed fund established by the Board of Directors as a permanent resource to address current and future community needs.
- Memorial Fund for Native Sons and Daughters: An endowed fund combining gifts made to the Foundation in honor of loved ones. This fund provides unrestricted granting dollars for local needs.
- Zetmeir Family Fund: In honor of the late Sonny Zetmeir, the Zetmeir family established an endowed, unrestricted fund for grant making.
- Pearl Brennecke Fund: An endowed fund for grants at the board’s discretion. Those who knew Pearl believe she would have liked this fund to benefit those in need in Parsons. When possible, this wish is honored for grants to those organizations or causes benefiting the disadvantaged.
- Murland and Charlene Taylor Family Fund: 80% of this endowed fund is unrestricted for community improvements with grants awarded through a competitive application process. The remaining 20% is a designated gift to St. Patrick's Catholic school.
- Pat and Dick Combs Fund: Dick Combs was one of the original PACF board members and created this endowed fund with the vision of leaving a legacy for current and future community improvements.
- Hunter and Main Family Funds: These are the two original funds established at the community foundation for the general benefit of the area.
- Christine Hinkle Perpetual Fund: Using fund earnings, annual grants for the betterment of the community will be made in Christine’s name.
- Operating Funds: PACF places earnings from an endowed operating fund into an unrestricted fund used for the foundation’s operational expenses.
Field of Interest Funds:
- Bike Share Labette Fund: Established by Leadership Labette class of 2021 for new equipment and maintenance of existing equipment for the Bike Share program in Labette County.
- Breaking Down Barriers to Learning Fund: Established by the Leadership Labette Class of 2023, this fund benefits CTE/Vo-Tech programs in schools throughout Labette County.
- Celebrate Parsons Fund: In conjunction with the city of Parsons, members of the Katy Days Festival board established this fund as a depository for donations to fund educational events promoting Parsons heritage and history.
- Donald J. Seifert Family Fund for Parsons: Established to support charitable, educational, religious and/or governmental entities serving Parsons.
- Downtown Parsons Fund: When the Downtown Parsons organization merged with the Chamber of Commerce, its funds were placed at the community foundation for investment and dispersal.
- Bonnie Oden Fund: Bonnie left a lasting legacy with this endowed fund which provides grants to assist those in need.
- Ellen F. Willis Memorial Fund: Established to honor his late wife, this fund provides annual grants to support community events and projects and to assist the vulnerable.
- Helen C. McGuire Jones Endowed Fund: Established to help provide needed funds for Curious Minds Discovery Zone or other youth related activities.
- Historic Oakwood Cemetery Endowed Improvement Fund: Established to assist with maintenance and upkeep at Oakwood Cemetery in Parsons.
- Dr. Jack W. Martin Memorial Fund: Established to support need-based scholarships for girls' softball and/or equipment purchases, with preference given to recreational level softball programs.
- Kansas Health Foundation Leadership Fund: Leadership Labette received a $100,000 grant invested through the community foundation with earnings used to defray the expenses of the Leadership Labette annual program.
- Kansas Health Foundation Children’s Health Fund: Also for Leadership Labette, this $100,000 grant was given with the earnings used to support the annual children’s project chosen by the current leadership class.
- Kansas Health Foundation Fund for Public Health: Established as an endowed fund for the GROW II grant to specifically promote the health of communities and individuals through the encouragement of healthy lifestyles, behaviors, and environments. Half of all earnings made through the GROW II grant are deposited into this fund. In order for the KHF to track this fund, no other contributions are mingled with it.
- Kansas Health Foundation Operating Fund: Established as an endowed fund per the parameters of the KS Health Foundation GROW II grant, this fund helps sustain the operations of the Foundation.
- Parsons Area Point of Pride Fund: Established to create, maintain, and beautify areas within a 25-mile radius of Parsons, to help promote visitors to our area of Southeast Kansas.
- Parsons Police K-9 Fund: Established to purchase a drug dog for the Police department and for ongoing care and training to support current and future K-9 officers.
- Parsons Spotlight Concert Series Fund: With the dissolution of the Parsons Area Concert Association, this fund was created for donors to assist the City of Parsons in booking concerts.
Scholarship Funds:
- "Do it Right" Teach & Iris Turner Scholarship Fund: Established to assist both traditional and non-traditional students with educational costs.
- Carrie Williams Memorial Scholarship Fund: Established to provide financial assistance to a Parsons High School student enrolling full-time in a four-year college or a technical school.
- Fred & Neola Strathe Education Scholarship Fund: Established to provide financial assistance to a Parsons High School graduating senior enrolling full-time at LCC and majoring in education.
- Hazel Wall Scholarship Fund: Initially started as a memorial fund honoring Hazel Wall, family members contributed to make this an endowed scholarship fund to provide an annual scholarship for an LCC student pursuing elementary education.
- John and Bonnie Latzer Art Scholarship Fund: Twice a year, the 1st place student in the Fall and Spring LCC Art Shows receive a scholarship from this endowed fund.
- Taran Sack Memorial Fund: This endowed fund honoring the life of Taran Sack provides an annual scholarship to a Parsons High School student demonstrating a quest for learning in a variety of academic and nonacademic areas.
- Steve and Jackie Ray Accounting and Business Administration Award: Annually the LCC scholarship committee will choose a student majoring in accounting or business administration for this scholarship.
Designated Funds:
- Altamont Saddle Club Fund: This fund provides designated gifts to the Altamont Food Pantry, PALS, the Labette County Fair (add-ons for 4-H horse show participants), and the LCHS Alumni Foundation (sunshine fund and hygiene closet).
- City of Altamont Designated Fund: Established to facilitate fundraising efforts for the initial building cost and ongoing maintenance of a Veteran's Memorial to be located in Altamont.
- Donna's Pet Food Pantry: Donna's Pet Food Pantry, a mission of the First Presbyterian Church, offers free dog and cat food to individuals in need. Donna's Pet Food Pantry also offers low cost spay and neutering of pets.
- Parsons Area Splash Pad for Youth: This fund will create a splash pad (water feature) in Parsons for children to use and will be maintained into the future by the City of Parsons.
- Oak Grove School Fund: This fund will help support the renovation and ongoing operations of the historic Oak Grove School as an educational enrichment facility in Neosho County.
- Oswego (USD #504) Educational Fund: Established to support non-traditional needs and expenses of the students and staff of USD #504 - Oswego, Kansas school district.
- John and Marjorie Troy Endowed Fund for Parsons Senior Center: While the city pays for building maintenance and utilities, there are number of other expenses for programs and cleaning that are paid through donations to the Senior Center. This fund provides an annual distribution to assist with those expenses.
- Labette County Fair Endowment: Established to help the support the annual Labette County Fair operations.
- Murland and Charlene Taylor Family Fund: 20% of the earnings of this fund are designated for the benefit of St. Patrick’s Catholic School with earnings from the remaining 80% used to make grants, benefiting the greater Parsons area, at the discretion of the PACF board.
- PACF Emergency Disaster Relief Fund: Established to provide support for relief efforts to aid the victims of any disaster within the 25-mile radius of Parsons.
- Parsons Public Library: This fund is established to help with general operating expenses and program expenses of the Parsons Public Library.
- Paul and Berniece LaForge Fund: Until the principal and interest are completely paid out, this fund provides an annual grant of $7,500 to Labette County Emergency Assistance Center and $7,500 to St. Patrick’s Catholic Church.
- Curious Minds Discovery Zone (CMDZ) Endowment: Perpetual fund, initiated by John and Bonnie Latzer, to provide annual grants to CMDZ for operations.
- Labette Community College (LCC) Endowment for the Arts: Once this fund reaches a balance of $250,000, annual distributions will be made to LCC to promote programs for the arts within the college as well as outreach to the community.
- Virginia Wommack Endowed Fund for Labette Community College Athletics: Begun by Virginia Wommack, this fund may be added to by others to support athletic programs at LCC.
- Virginia Wommack Endowed Fund for Proud Animal Lovers Shelter (PALS): Also started by Mrs. Wommack, this fund will provide annual grants to PALS for their operations and may be added to by others.
- Parsons Educational Foundation (PEF) Endowment: Perpetual fund, initiated by John and Bonnie Latzer, to make annual grants from the earnings to support the operations of the Educational Foundation.
- Parsons Educational Foundation Technology Education Endowment: This fund, also initiated by John and Bonnie Latzer, will make annual grants to the PEF once the balance reaches $25,000 to be distributed to USD 503 to promote educational activities for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
- Safe Haven Outreach Mission Designated Fund: Established as a way to raise money to assist with needed repairs and maintenance at Safe Haven homeless shelter in Parsons, Kansas.
- Stella Wells Christmas Basket Fund: Established to fill 700+ boxes of food and Christmas gifts for families in need in our communtiy.
Donor-Advised Funds:
- Allen Family Fund
- Ron D. Eads Donor Advised Fund
- Kenneth L. and J. Corrine Ervin Family Fund
- Hughes Family Fund
- Matt Maloney Memorial Fund
- Pat and Lori LaForge Fund
- Ray Family Fund
- Shaun Hill PASS Fund
- Ted Hill Memorial Fund
- Tom & Sally Lundblad Charitable Foundation Fund
- Troy Family Fund
- Wall / Selanders Family Fund
Agency Funds:
- 506 Foundation Endowed Fund for Education
- Care Cupboard Hygiene Pantry Endowed Fund
- Crosstimbers Food Pantry Endowed Fund
- Eden Early Learning Academy
- Labette Community College Foundation Scholarship Funds
- Parsons Educational Foundation Funds
- First Baptist Church of Parsons Lay Leadership Fund
- Labette Assistance Center Endowed Fund
- Labette Center for Mental Health Services
- Labette Health Foundation Endowed Fund
- Parsons Arboretum Foundation Endowed Fund
- Parsons Economic Development Minority Incentive Fund
- Parsons Pathways to Freedom Fund (Veteran's memorial wall)
- Parsons State Hospital General and Endowed Funds
- Southeast Kansas Respite Services Endowed Fund
- Wildcat Extension Education Foundation Endowed Fund
Charitable Gift Annuity:
- Virginia Wommack Fund
Note: Once a charitable gift annuity has been established there can be no further contributions to it as the annual income from the fund is set per the initial gift.
To contribute to a fund listed above, please click Give Online or go to Contributing Options to receive instructions for mailing a check, making a wire transfer, or transferring securities.