Rita J. Bicknell Women's Health Endowed Fund

The Rita J. Bicknell Women's Health Endowed Fund is administered through the Community Foundation of Southeast Kansas and consists of two giving circles: the Women's Giving Circle and the Circle of Friends Giving Circle. The Women's Giving Circle was established in 2007, and the Circle of Friends Giving Circle was established in 2013. The Women's Health Fund's stated mission is to improve the health and well-being of women by supporting education, increasing awareness, and sharing quality-of-life opportunities that benefit women. Each year, members of the two giving circles review grant applications and approve funding for programs that fulfill this mission. The program is focused on women's health and well-being. The source specifically identifies education, increased awareness, and quality-of-life opportunities for women as areas aligned with the fund's mission. The source does not provide a detailed list of eligible project expenses, prohibited costs, indirect-cost limits, equipment restrictions, capital restrictions, or other spending rules. It also does not identify a required cost share or matching contribution. Applicants should therefore rely on the current application or any separate grant guidelines for expenditure requirements that are not stated on the supplied program page. Funding is divided between the two giving circles. The Circle of Friends Giving Circle offers grants of up to $2,000, while the Women's Giving Circle provides grants in excess of $2,000. The source does not state a maximum award for the Women's Giving Circle, a minimum award for the Circle of Friends Giving Circle, the total amount available for the current grant cycle, or the number of awards expected to be made. Historical announcements referenced on the page report total grantmaking of $61,755 in 2025, $59,205 in 2024, and $52,000 in 2023, but those historical totals are not identified as the available funding for the current application cycle. The opportunity is presented within the Community Foundation of Southeast Kansas's grant resources for nonprofits, and the 2025 historical announcement describes grants to area nonprofits. The supplied source, however, does not state formal current-cycle eligibility requirements such as required 501(c)(3) status, fiscal sponsorship rules, organization-age requirements, faith-based restrictions, or eligibility for governmental entities, educational institutions, individuals, or businesses. It also does not explicitly define an eligible county, city, service area, or statewide geographic restriction. Formal eligibility and geographic requirements beyond the nonprofit context are therefore not established by the supplied material. Women's Health Fund grant applications are available during September, and the supplied cycle information specifies September 1 through September 30. For the current cycle, the application period is September 1, 2026 through September 30, 2026. No letter of intent, concept paper, pre-proposal, notice of intent, or other pre-application gating requirement is identified in the supplied source. The page provides a Grant Applications link, but it does not list application questions, required narratives, required financial documents, attachments, portal-specific steps, presentations, site visits, evaluation criteria, or reporting requirements. No award-notification date, performance period, or project start and end dates are stated. The opportunity is recurring. The source states that each year members of the two giving circles review grant applications and approve funds, and it states that Women's Health Fund applications are available during September. Based on the current September 2026 cycle, the next expected cycle is September 2027. Past grant recipients are announced through the Community Foundation's newsletter, blog, and Facebook page, and the supplied page includes historical announcement links from 2008 through 2025, although the pasted source does not enumerate the names of the individual recipient organizations. The Community Foundation of Southeast Kansas lists its address as 100 S. Broadway St., Suite 100, P.O. Box 1448, Pittsburg, Kansas 66762. Its telephone number is 620-231-8897 and its fax number is 620-231-0292. Office hours are weekdays from 8:00 A.M. to 4:30 P.M.

Demonstrate direct alignment with the Women's Health Fund mission by showing how the proposed program will improve the health and well-being of women through education, increased awareness, or quality-of-life opportunities.