Community Foundation of Dickinson County

What Community Foundation of Dickinson County does

The Community Foundation of Dickinson County, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community foundation established in 1999 and headquartered in Abilene, Kansas (EIN #48-1214850). It connects individual donors, families, nonprofit organizations, and local government entities in Dickinson County with charitable giving priorities through five core fund types: Donor Advised Funds, Designated Funds, Organization Funds, Field of Interest Funds, and Scholarship Funds. The foundation also operates a Community Grants Program, an annual scholarship cycle, a Youth in Action Grants program, the Fairy Godmother Fund for emergency assistance to women, the Welcome Home Scholarship for workforce attraction, and an Invest Dickinson County impact investing loan program. Sub-brands include the Dickinson County CEO entrepreneurship education program and Donate Dickinson County Day.

The foundation's technology stack is lean and largely outsourced: scholarship administration runs on Foundant Technologies' Grant Interface (grantinterface.com), donor fund management is delivered through a hosted fundholder portal (cfdc.fcsuite.com), and operational tooling includes Canva for marketing assets and Dropbox for press kit distribution. No proprietary technology is built or owned by the foundation; the unified online scholarship application portal launched in December 2025 is implemented on top of the Foundant platform rather than as an in-house product. The foundation maintains a small staff of three full-time employees (Executive Director Elizabeth Weese, Marketing and Communications Coordinator Sara Baier, and Grants and Scholarships Coordinator Jen Parks) supported by a 15-member volunteer Board of Directors.

Revenue is generated through charitable donations to endowed and expendable funds, plus returns on professional investment management of more than $30M in assets across 200+ funds. Grantmaking and scholarship distributions totaled $183,476 in 2025 community grants and $193,500 in 2026 scholarship awards. Distribution channels are relationship-driven and event-based, including an Annual Meeting, Scholarship Reception, Donate Dickinson County Day, school outreach across the county, and direct phone and email contact. Customer segments span individual donors, nonprofits, students, and cause-focused donors, with no single donor or grantee representing a dominant share of activity.

Name

Community Foundation of Dickinson County

Legal name

Community Foundation of Dickinson County, Inc.

Website

https://communityfoundation.us

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Community Foundation of Dickinson County is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation in Abilene, Kansas, founded in 1999, that connects individual donors, families, nonprofits, and students in Dickinson County with charitable giving priorities through endowed funds, scholarships, community grants, and impact investing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Foundation and Philanthropic Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK), Family Offices & Philanthropic Advisors (Grantmaking) (BPAGAKAD), Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE), College Access, Scholarships & Student Success Nonprofits (BPAGADAE), Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)

Keywords

• Community foundation services
• Charitable fund management
• Donor advised funds
• Endowment and scholarship administration
• Local philanthropic grants

Headquarters

HQ city

Abilene

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Charitable Donations and Gifts: Receives charitable gifts from donors to establish endowed and expendable funds. Donors contribute cash, appreciated stock, real estate, or other assets to support causes they care about. Funds can be established with flexible terms and named for donors, families, or causes.
2. Endowment Investment Management: Manages over 200 funds and $30M+ in assets through professional investment management. Generates returns that support annual grant and scholarship distributions while preserving principal for permanent endowments.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Community Foundation of Dickinson County is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community foundation that pools charitable gifts from individuals, families, businesses, and organizations into permanent and pass-through funds. It invests and stewards those funds, then distributes the proceeds as grants and scholarships to nonprofits, schools, students, and community causes across Dickinson County, Kansas. It also provides fund administration, donor advised giving vehicles, agency endowments for nonprofits, and a local online scholarship application platform.

Product overview

The Community Foundation of Dickinson County is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in 1999 that connects donors with charitable giving priorities. The foundation does not offer a single tech product but rather provides a portfolio of charitable giving services centered around its endowment fund platform. The core offerings include five types of endowed funds (Donor Advised, Designated, Organization, Field of Interest, and Scholarship Funds), a Community Grants Program, impact investing loans, and the Invest Dickinson County initiative. Supporting programs include Youth in Action Grants, the Fairy Godmother Fund for emergency assistance, and the Welcome Home Scholarship for workforce attraction. The foundation also administers a network of community-specific endowment funds for cities within Dickinson County (Abilene, Chapman, Enterprise, Herington, Solomon, Woodbine). The organization operates a Fundholder Portal powered by Foundant Technologies and an online Scholarship Lifecycle Manager for its scholarship program. Signature events include the Annual Meeting and Scholarship Reception. The foundation manages over 200 funds with over $30 million in assets and has distributed over $20 million in grants and scholarships since inception.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Dickinson County CEO: Entrepreneurial education program for students in Dickinson County
• Donate Dickinson County Day
• Fairy Godmother Fund
• Invest Dickinson County
• Youth in Action Grant Program

Products and services

• Donor Advised Funds A flexible charitable fund allowing individual donors, families, or groups to contribute assets, receive an immediate tax deduction, and recommend grants to qualifying nonprofits and causes in Dickinson County and beyond. Designed for donors who want ongoing involvement in grantmaking decisions.
• Designated Funds A fund type where the donor specifies one or more named nonprofit organizations that will receive ongoing annual distributions from the invested fund balance, providing predictable income to those organizations in perpetuity.
• Organization (Agency) Funds A fund established by a nonprofit organization or agency to invest its long-term reserves or endowment under the foundation's professional management, allowing the organization to focus on mission delivery while benefiting from pooled investment expertise.
• Field of Interest Funds A fund where the donor defines a broad cause area (such as education, health, arts, or human services) and the foundation selects and awards grants to qualifying nonprofits within that area, allowing donors to support a topic without naming specific recipient organizations.
• Scholarship Funds Donor-established funds providing recurring scholarships to students, with applications processed through the foundation's online Scholarship Lifecycle Manager. Available to high school, college, and adult learners based on criteria set by the donor.
• Community Grants Program An open competitive grant cycle awarding foundation funds to nonprofit organizations and community projects addressing identified local needs in Dickinson County, processed through the foundation's online Grant Interface.
• Impact Investing A giving option that aligns a portion of charitable capital with investments intended to produce measurable social or environmental impact alongside a financial return, allowing donors to support outcomes beyond traditional grantmaking.
• Fairy Godmother Fund A named fund of the foundation providing small-dollar direct assistance to local children and families for basic needs such as clothing, school supplies, or other essentials identified by school and community partners.
• Welcome Home Scholarship A named scholarship fund of the foundation designed to support students or adult learners who are returning to, or choosing to remain in, Dickinson County for post-secondary education or local workforce development.
• Youth in Action Grants A grant program empowering local youth to identify community needs and fund small service projects they design and lead, building civic engagement and leadership skills among Dickinson County youth.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $20M in grants and scholarships distributed since founding in 1999
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Dickinson County CEOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDickinson County CEO is a sponsored fund of the Community Foundation of Dickinson County. The program provides entrepreneurship education to local students through the Midland Institute for Entrepreneurship. The foundation provides ongoing sponsorship and fiscal oversight for the program which serves students from multiple schools in the county.
• Rescues for EducationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProgram that trains shelter dogs for work in schools, partnered with Abilene High School's Cowboy Companion project. The project was funded through a Youth in Action Grant from the Community Foundation.
• Quality of Life CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner in the Rising Light Recovery House initiative, providing wraparound services for residents in recovery from substance use disorders.
• Hope CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization providing services for the Rising Light Recovery House, contributing to comprehensive wraparound services for women in recovery.
• New Leaf CounselingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner providing counseling services for residents of the Rising Light Recovery House as part of the comprehensive recovery program.
• Dickinson County Sheriff's OfficeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner providing support services for the Rising Light Recovery House initiative addressing substance use disorder in the county.
• Dickinson County Recovery Court ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization supporting the Rising Light Recovery House through the recovery court program for women in the justice system.
• Central Kansas Free Fair BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the Community Foundation and Jeffcoat Foundation to operate the Golden Ticket Fund, providing carnival wristbands for qualifying children at the CKFF Carnival.
• Sand Springs VenueminorOthersEvent venue hosting the Community Foundation's Annual Meeting and Scholarship Reception events.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Foundant Technologies: SaaS vendor that provides the Scholarship Lifecycle Manager and fundholder portal used by the subject company. An ecosystem/enabling peer rather than a competitor; relevant because Foundant shapes the foundation's service delivery capability.
• Council on Foundations: National membership association for philanthropic institutions including community foundations. Industry-body peer that provides benchmarking, advocacy, and best-practice guidance relevant to the subject company's operations.

Broad incumbents

• Wichita Community Foundation: Significantly larger Kansas community foundation operating with a broader portfolio, more staff, and more funds. Broad incumbent that anchors the same category the subject company competes in within Kansas.

Emerging players

• Kansas Health Foundation: Private foundation focused on health-related grantmaking across Kansas. Comparable as a state-level grantmaking foundation with overlapping donor-advised/grantmaking mechanics, though with a single-cause focus.

Direct peers

• Topeka Community Foundation: Community foundation serving the Topeka/Shawnee County region with similar fund types, scholarship administration, and grant cycles. Comparable in operating model and scale tier.
• Community Foundation of the Ozarks: Larger regional community foundation serving a multi-county area in southwest Missouri with endowed funds, scholarships, and impact investing. Direct peer due to similar products and rural/small-metro operating context.
• Manhattan Area Community Foundation: Community foundation serving the Manhattan, Kansas region with endowed funds, scholarships, and community grants. Highly comparable in structure, products, and rural-Kansas operating context.
• Greater Salina Community Foundation: Another Kansas-based community foundation operating in an adjacent service area with a comparable model of endowed funds, donor-advised giving, scholarships, and local grantmaking. Direct peer due to overlapping geography, scale, and product mix.
• Hutchinson Community Foundation: Kansas community foundation managing endowed funds and distributing grants/scholarships within a defined service area. Comparable mission, governance, and product set to the subject company.

Regional players

• National Philanthropic Trust: National donor-advised fund sponsor and philanthropic services provider that competes for charitable dollars at the national level. Relevant as a competitive alternative for donors who might otherwise establish funds at community foundations like the subject company.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-community-foundation-of-dickinson-county

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Community Foundation of Dickinson County