ROBERT PIERCE
• Leader & Times
Although finances seem to be tight year-round, the last three months seem to find less money in many people’s hands than at other times of year, as Christmas shopping and holiday gatherings seem to be at the top of the list of most families’ priority list.
Monday, the Meade County Community Foundation is starting its annual Match Month campaign to help some area non-profits help those families, and Director Cheyenne Federau said while foundation will again get a $100,000 match from the Kansas City-based Patterson Family Foundation, MCCF’s match portion has been raised to $200,000.
“It’s still the same amount we can get, but we have to raise more money to get it,” she said.
This year’s Match Month will end Nov. 12. The 2025 campaign ran from mid-September to mid-October. Federau said with that time period running into fall harvest season, the dates for this year’s Match Month were bumped to a later time of year.
“We’re hoping that’s done,” she said of harvest season. “It should be done and closer to the end of the year. That was the decision that was made when I was out on leave, but it gave me more time to get prepared. It’s going to work.”
MCCF in 2025 was only required to raise $100,000 to get the match from the Patterson foundation, and with $114,000 raised locally, Federau said foundation officials were excited about what they saw. She said even with this year’s local match raised to $200,000, she is hopeful to reach that mark before Nov. 12.
“We have a ways to go,” she said. “We have a lot more. We have 27 non-profits on board with us this year. That’s quite a jump. I think we only had 14 last year.”
To reach the $100,000 mark in 2025, Federau said MCCF had many information meetings and gatherings in Plains, Meade and Fowler with non-profits in those communities.
Federau said several non-profits and schools have already submitted applications for funding. Those include Meade Elementary School and Meade Junior High School to help with that district’s Buffs of the Month program, as well as to purchase classroom equipment and supplies for STEM and music programs.
The City of Fowler too is raising money for a mini-park in that community.
“Mini-parks are more than just green spaces,” Federau said reading from the City of Fowler’s application. “They are the heart of a community. By adding picnic tables to Fowler’s mini-park, we aim to transport this area into a welcoming gathering place where residents of all ages can connect, share stories and create lasting memories. These tables will encourage family outings, neighborhood picnics and community events, fostering stronger connections and a greater sense of belonging for everyone in Fowler, Kan.”
Likewise, Plains’s Joyce L. Hamm Golf Course is looking to replace cups, flags, tee boxes and ball washers and make repairs to the clubhouse and improvements to the course.
“The funds would also be used to pay the City of Plains to maintain the golf course greens and fairways,” Federau said.
These are just some of the applicants Federau has already received before Match Month even begins.
“In the past, we really haven’t had that component, and I hope that helps our donors see where their funds are going and what our needs are,” she said.
With this year’s Match Month ending closer to the holiday season, Federau is hoping to capture more end-of-they year giving with the event than MCCF received in 2025 and encourage people to do that.
“We don’t want to do it right on Christmas where everybody’s all spent out and doesn’t have the funds in their budget to do that,” she said. “We’re hoping it will be a sweet pot, but we’ll see.”
Banquet tickets can also be purchased on the Web site.
“There’s a tab that says ‘Banquet Tickets,’ and you can buy them directly from there, or you can find me, or we have several non-profits that are selling them as well,” she said. “All the non-profits will have a tab on the Web site, so you can donate directly to them. If you buy banquet tickets, you can put them, and they’ll get 25 percent of the sales for the banquet tickets. I don’t have it up yet because I don’t want people donating now. I want them to wait until Match Month so we can get the match for that.”
Federau said MCCF primarily is trying to promote getting funds to non-profits, and she emphasized match funds will be used.
“We would love for you to donate specifically to us as well, but we think that helps the donors see where their funds are going exactly and not us choosing through a grant cycle,” she said.
More information about Match Month will be available on the Meade County Community Foundation Facebook page and at www.meadecountycommunityfoundation.org.
Federau said she is excited for the upcoming campaign.
“The banquet is this whole new aspect that I am anxiously excited about,” she said. “It’s going to be a lot of work, but I think it’s going to be a lot of fun too. I’m hoping that will be successful, and we’ll get to see all of you there. We want people to come. I hope we have a great turnout for that. I hope we get a lot of participation this year, and we’re able to make that match. It’s a cool deal to see everybody rally together to help out our community.”
