OUR MISSION
To inspire charitable giving for the enhancement of the Garnett area community.

OUR VISION
To foster a thriving, inclusive community for future generations to call home.

HISTORY

The Garnett Community Foundation was created in 2010 in response to the Kansas Army National Guard gifting their building to the City of Garnett. City leaders developed an ambitious plan to transform the 52,000 square foot facility into a recreation and workout center for the entire community to enjoy, and the Foundation provided a way to garner donations for the project. Through its affiliation with the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation, the Garnett Community Foundation established the “Building the Future” fund and donations were used to remodel the facility to include a basketball court, walking track, and wellness center with exercise equipment, as well as support operating expenses. Because of generous donors, no tax money was used in the project, and the Garnett Recreation Center opened on May 2, 2011. 

Since then, the Foundation has received donations for several other projects including the patriotic pole banners that honor 300+ local veterans and the professional 18-hole disc golf course in North Lake Park. In 2017, the Garnett Community Foundation became a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, giving its Board of Directors full management and control of the Foundation’s assets and activities. 

While the Foundation has experienced positive growth in recent years, the need to create a perpetual funding stream to support the Garnett area community - now and in the future - has become our main focus. Beginning in 2025, the Foundation will work to execute a strategic plan to build permanent funds for the broad charitable needs of our community, provide donors with solutions to achieve their charitable goals, and enhance the strength of our nonprofit community.

A Special Thank you to the Patterson Family Foundation for playing a major role in our Foundation’s growth by granting funds for matching gift campaigns, capacity building, and professional development of staff and board members.