Kansas Alliance for Nonprofits

08/27/2026

The Kansas Volunteer Commission is excited to announce the 2026 Civic Engagement Conference is on Wednesday, October 28, at the Docking State Office Building (915 SW Harrison St., Topeka, KS 66612). The conference will bring together civic engagement organizations and partners, individuals, schools, and communities to learn, share, and network. The theme of the conference is “Empowering Kansans through Civic Engagement.”

The registration fee is $50 per attendee (a group discount is available for students and AmeriCorps members/staff). This fee includes a light breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack, networking opportunities, and a service project.



Conference registration: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfkPc7wLI7Zd0sD7azpK9IMdKRSQJSn_OfR6dGB_ppsulzD6g/viewform



Presenters

The Commission is seeking proposals for 50-minute workshop sessions at the conference. The morning of the conference will be general sessions for all attendees, and the afternoon will host 8 different breakout sessions. All types of sessions will be considered, including presentations, panels, roundtables, or a combination of the above. Presenters receive up to two free conference registrations. The Commission is particularly interested in receiving speaker proposals from high school and college students sharing best practices around civic engagement, youth service, positive youth development, service-learning, civic education and more!

Speaker Guidelines and Application: Call for Presenters

Vendor Space

The Commission is also accepting applications for vendor booth space at the conference. Vendor booth space is $100, and vendors will receive one free conference registration. Booths will be visited by conference attendees during breaks, lunch and between afternoon sessions. Free vendor booth space available for student-led organizations. Each space is 2’x10’.

Vendor booth application: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf6vwgp7Bk4lNhOONG4-6G1mMYuwYEWHcbVxcpAVs9a94I7rw/viewform?usp=header

Wednesday, October 28, 2026 Docking State Office Building: 915 SW Harrison St, Topeka, KS 66612 7:30am - 3:30pm VENDOR BOOTH FEES $100 per booth space No cost for student-led organization booths VENDOR BOOTH FEES INCLUDE One free conference registration (you will still need to register as an attende...

08/27/2026

MLK Day of Service Mini-Grant Opportunity

Each year, Americans across the country answer that question by coming together on the King Holiday to serve their neighbors and communities. The MLK Day of Service is a part of the AmeriCorps national call to service initiative. The MLK Day of Service empowers individuals, strengthens communities, bridges barriers, creates solutions to social problems, and moves us closer to Dr. King's vision of a beloved community.

These mini grants offer eligible entities grant funding to recruit and engage volunteers in meaningful service activities or deliver a service-learning activity related to Dr. King. A service-learning activity is a teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities. Preference will be given to applicants who engage one other community partner in the event's planning, collaboration, or ex*****on. Service activities should engage a minimum of 10 volunteers, and paid staff may not count as volunteers.

The deadline to apply is October 6, 2026. The grant period is January 1-31, 2027. Click this link to apply: MLK National Day of Service Mini Grant

Apply Here
google.com/url?q=https://kanserve.ksde.gov/resources/commission-mini-grants/mlk-national-day-of-service-mini-grant&source=gmail&ust=1787845368752000&usg=AOvVaw0Ed7Gh8R0OrXN8IWf94kfl



Contact [email protected] with questions.

06/24/2026

The Weaver Awards are now open! The Neighboring Movement is partnering with the Aspen Institute’s Weave: The Social Fabric Project to honor individuals and groups who are building trust, belonging, and connection in Wichita. Twenty recipients will be selected to receive $2,500-$5,000 each to support their work fostering connection.

We’d love your help spreading the word about the Weaver Awards. Applications are open now until August 31.

The Awards are for neighbors who build lasting relationships as they work together to strengthen their community and weave a tighter social fabric. Projects ultimately focus on fostering relationships among participants, but can take many forms, from youth mentorship groups and neighborhood block parties to public art installations and community gardens.

Nominating someone is very simple. You only need to answer three questions. And if you're a weaver yourself, you can also apply directly for an Award. The application is intentionally simple, asking questions about the people involved, the project, and the community, with no need for a detailed budget.

You can get more information, apply for an award, or recommend a neighbor at https://awards.weavers.org/en/wichita/2026 by August 31 .

$2,500 - $5,000 awards for folks connecting Wichita. Some people weave us together. They are the folks most people know and trust, those we count on to get neighbors together when we need to tackle a shared problem or get something done. They show up for others and connect us. They are weavers.You p...

06/22/2026

Register now for Nonprofit Executives Network on Jul 14, 2026 at 10:30am–Jul 14, 2026 at 12:00pm CDT

The Nonprofit Executives Network provides and opportunity for Nonprofit Executive Directors to network, exchange ideas, and provide peer to peer support and mentoring.

Bring your lunch, information about your organizations, business cards and a topic you want to discuss.

Urban League Of Kansas Inc
2418 E 9th St N, WICHITA, 67214

Register at https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/g8pqr4k

06/22/2026

We are offering another Grant Writing 101 Class
Aug 29, 2026 at 9:00am–Aug 29, 2026 at 12:30pm

Description
Grant Writing 101 is for individuals that are new to grant writing. You will learn the basics of how to prepare to write grants, including what information and data you need to get started and how to find grants.

Those that complete this training are eligible to participate in the 2026 Grant Writing Pilot Cohort.

Presented by Cindy Miles, CEO, Uban League of Kansas
Offered in-person, Urban League of Kansas, 2418 E 9th St N, Wichita

$49 each Register at

05/30/2026

Does your nonprofit need lighting upgrades in your building? Evergy has a grant program that will provide an assessment of your lighting in your building and potentially provide grant funding to upgrade your lighting to energy efficient LED lighting. Check out the information below about how to get started!

05/30/2026

An opportunity to promote your organization through tabling!

05/30/2026

Check out the Parent Advocacy Program that is working alongside
Kansas families facing hardships to keep children in the home and out of the foster care system. Please share this resource!

05/30/2026

We all have a neighbor who brings us together. They're the neighbor who started the block cleanup and kept showing up every month after that. The woman who turned her front porch into a gathering place. The people who activate a park or vacant lot. The organizer no one's ever given an award to, but probably should have.

These people are what Weave: The Social Fabric Project calls a weaver.

Weavers are the people who show up. They notice the neighbor who's been quiet lately. They start the community garden, host the block meeting, or organize the neighborhood cleanup. Not because it's their job, but because they believe something better is possible right here. They build relationships that deepen over time, across differences, in the places where they live.

This year, The Neighboring Movement is proud to be a Community Host, in partnership with Weave: The Social Fabric Project at the Aspen Institute, to bring the Weaver Awards to Wichita.

We'll be giving 10 awards at $2,500 and 10 awards at $5,000. That’s $75,000 going directly to the neighbors and community leaders who are quietly and consistently building the Wichita we all want to live in.

Timeline:
June 1, 2026: Applications open
August 31, 2026: Applications close
November 20, 2026: Awardees announced
You don’t have to wait until June to get involved. Right now, the most important thing you can do is think about who you know.

Think about the person on your block who checks in on the elderly couple next door. The organizer who's been running the neighborhood association for years without anyone thanking them. The small nonprofit doing relationship-centered work in a part of Wichita most people drive past without stopping.

That's who this award is for.

On June 1, we'll open applications, and we'll need your help spreading the word. But today, we're simply asking you to hold someone in mind. Someone who deserves to be seen.

Learn more about the Weaver Awards

$2,500 - $5,000 awards for folks connecting Wichita. Some people weave us together. They are the folks most people know and trust, those we count on to get neighbors together when we need to tackle a shared problem or get something done. They show up for others and connect us. They are weavers.You p...

05/06/2026

Treasury Announces IRS Plans to Revise Annual Nonprofit Reporting Form 990

The U.S. Department of the Treasury announced on April 23 that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) plans to revise the Form 990 to require nonprofits to report annually on government grants and contracts and fiscal sponsorship arrangements. The administration alleges without evidence that changes are needed “to detect misconduct and hold wrongdoers accountable.” The announcement notes that the IRS will formally propose regulations, providing the public with the opportunity to submit comments.

The National Council of Nonprofits (NCN) supports existing reasonable regulations and policies that make the charitable nonprofit community the most transparent sector of the U.S. economy. Any changes to federal regulations must maintain the proper balance between protecting and informing the public and preventing excessive and disruptive regulatory burdens that hinder the ability of nonprofits to advance their missions. NCN is closely monitoring this development, and we will prepare resources to help nonprofits advocate throughout the regulatory process.

Worth Quoting
On revising IRS Form 990

“The administration claims these changes are needed to detect misconduct, yet has offered no evidence to justify imposing new requirements on organizations that already operate with strong transparency and oversight. Nonprofits are not the problem, and adding unnecessary reporting will not strengthen accountability.”

— Diane Yentel, President and CEO of the National Council of Nonprofits, Nonprofits on the offensive (paywall), Politico Pro Newsletter, Apr. 30, 2026.