Kansas Opens Second Round of Towns Grants: $500,000 for Communities of 5,000 or Fewer
Kansas Lieutenant Governor and Commerce Secretary David Toland announced a second round of Towns Grant funding, making $500,000 available for quality-of-life improvements in rural communities. Administered by the Kansas Office of Rural Prosperity, the program offers grants of $1,000 to $25,000 for individual communities and up to $50,000 for projects spanning multiple ZIP codes, supporting small-scale projects that strengthen local capacity, encourage youth and community engagement, and promote volunteerism and local investment.
Eligible applicants include communities with 5,000 or fewer residents and qualifying distressed urban census tracts. Applicants must provide a 10% match, with in-kind contributions permitted for communities under 1,000 residents. Communities previously funded by the Department of Commerce may apply, although preference will go to those without funding since 2019.
Applications opened October 23 and close December 23 at 5 p.m., with awards expected in January 2027. An informational webinar is scheduled for October 30 at 10 a.m. Guidelines and registration are available at kansascommerce.gov/towns.
The Department of Commerce said the Towns Grant is aimed at small, fast-moving community projects that let rural towns use limited funding to encourage local participation and investment, with project types, review procedures and past recipient lists set out in the guidelines on its website.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 堪萨斯州小镇塞内卡邮局壁画（资料图）。Joe Jones 作，公共领域，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / The post office mural in the small Kansas town of Seneca (file photo). By Joe Jones, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
