The deadline is Friday, April 5, for submitting applications for a casino grant.
This year, $650,000 will be given away through the grant program. The Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway contributes $500,000 annually to the fund, and this year, Schlitterbahn will contribute $150,000, according to Unified Government officials.
Last year, according to UG officials at a February UG meeting, there were 58 grant applications and 49 recipients of grants. The median award was $8,000, while the highest grant awarded was $54,763, and the lowest awarded was $1,000.
Grant programs may be proposed in the healthy living area, including fitness programs, healthy food programs and other related topics. Applicants must be not-for-profit organizations that will provide programs for residents of Wyandotte County. The grants are for charitable initiatives, and local governments, individuals and businesses are not eligible to apply. The grant guidelines says that applicants should try to leverage the grant funds.
According to UG officials, since 2013, the UG has awarded $3,975,000 through the casino grant program. The casino contributed $3 million of the fund, with Schlitterbahn contributing $900,000.
During a discussion on the casino grant program in February, Mayor David Alvey suggested that the grant program be studied during the next year to consider giving more funds to a single initiative. Some of the commissioners did not want to see it change.
Currently, the total amount of the available grant funds each year is divided by the number of UG commissioners and mayor, and then each commissioner decides how that portion of the money will be spent. This year the amount is $59,090.90. The UG Commission as a whole then approves the allocations recommended by each commissioner.
Final distribution of funds is scheduled for approval this year in late June.
More information about the casino grant program is online at the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation website, https://www.growyourgiving.org/grant/unified-government-hollywood-casinoschlitterbahn-vacation-village-grant-fund.
In a separate program, the UG also is accepting ideas from residents about budget initiatives. A form is online for residents to provide their opinions about the UG’s spending priorities and initiatives for the 2020 budget. Residents may suggest programs that they would like to see the UG fund.
The deadline for the UG’s budget initiative form is at noon Friday, April 5, to the UG budget office at City Hall, through email to [email protected], or online at https://www.wycokck.org/WycoKCK/media/Finance/Documents/Budget/2020-Citizen-Community-Stakeholder-Budget-Input-Form-New.pdf.