Funds will support Kansas volunteerism

TOPEKA — The Kansas Volunteer Commission (KVC) has awarded nearly $80,000 in funding to four Kansas volunteer connector organizations through the 2018 Volunteer Generation Fund (VGF) grant competition.

The VGF grant will expand the capacity of volunteer organizations to recruit and manage skilled volunteers and increase the infrastructure of volunteer connector organizations. A volunteer connector agency is a community-based organization that provides volunteer opportunities, community resources, training and technical assistance and recognition programs for communities in which they serve.

At a time when Americans are looking for ways to give back, this funding will strengthen the ability of Kansas volunteer connector agencies to recruit and retain volunteers to meet critical challenges, said Jessica Noble, KVC’s executive director.

"The Kansas Volunteer Commission looks forward to supporting the four VGF recipients with funding, training and technical assistance to increase their capacity," Noble said. "This grant will bring much-needed resources to Kansas communities that will allow them to harness the power of volunteering to address local needs.”

This is the eighth year that Kansas has been awarded the VGF grant. In the first six years of the VGF initiative, the KVC awarded nearly $750,000 to volunteer-connectors and community organizations. This funding served as a vital investment in developing and strengthening the volunteer infrastructure of the state, Noble said.

KVC is one of 15 state service commissions to receive a Volunteer Generation Fund (VGF) grant from the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), the federal agency that oversees AmeriCorps and the nation’s volunteer initiatives.

2018 Volunteer Generation Fund Grant Recipients