Press Release For Grant Awards 2024
The V.J. Wilkins Foundation, a private, not-for-profit Foundation, recently awarded grant monies totaling $516,207 for applications received in 2024.
Since inception in 2014, the Foundation has awarded gifts exceeding $5.1 million dollars to the community of Arkansas City.
The Foundation’s Mission is to assist the community of Arkansas City and Cowley County, Kansas in providing a quality cultural environment of Arts, Music, Language and other endeavors.
Recipients for 2024 include:
- Arkansas City Area Arts Council/Burford Theatre Arts
- Arkansas City Music and Dramatics Club
- Camp Horizon
- City of Arkansas City
- Cowley County Farmer's Market Association
- Etzanoa Conservancy
- Music Theatre Wichita's Ark City Theatre Camp for local youth at the Burford Theatre
- South Kansas Symphony
- Southwestern College's Summer Music Festival
- St. James Church of God in Christ's Intimate Worship Concert
- Summer Professional Theatre Program, in cooperation with Cowley College Foundation
- Tacolalah Festival
- USD 470 ACHS Choir & Elementary Music Education
- Winfield Public Library
The current Board of Trustees for the Foundation includes James Wilkins and David Wilkins, both of Denver, and Karen Zeller, Jennifer Munson, and Tasha Bucher, all of Arkansas City.
Grant recipients must be in keeping with the Mission of the Foundation which is to financially assist organizations within the community having an IRS 501(c)(3) designation or organizations affiliated under an umbrella of an organization having charitable or philanthropic IRS designation or educational institutions.
Additional information can be obtained on the Foundation’s Website: www.vjwilkinsfoundation.org.
The deadline for 2025 grant applications is August 1, 2025.
Scale of Impact
$5.1 Million
Funds Gifted to Date
16
Projects Funded in 2024
Countless
People Helped
Our Projects
A few of our most recent programs can be viewed below. With such a strong and varying project base the number of people impacted by The VJ Wilkins Foundation is countless. Click the Link Below to see a list of some past recipients and projects.
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Tacolalah
ButtonThis is an annual event that brings together citizens from various ethnic groups not only locally but from other communities as well. It is a fun day of song, dance, food and fun. As the Presenting Sponsor for this event V.J. Wilkins Foundation allows us to hire various talented people to entertain throughout the entire day.
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Arkansas City Area Arts Council
ButtonThe Burford Theatre Concert Series, Bison-Bison Film Festival, and The Kids Act Program are 3 Major initiatives bringing Art and Cultural experiences to people of all ages in the community.
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Nitty Gritty Theatre
ButtonThrough school and community partnership, Nitty Gritty Theatre uses creative play and socially conscious theatre to proactively cultivate mental and behavioral health within each child.
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Bookmobile Outreach
ButtonArkansas City Public Library is improving literacy rates within our school district. In less than four months after creating this new Bookmobile outreach service, ACPL has reached 9 childcare providers & residential units with 14 deliveries of almost 800 circulated items, attended 6 community events with the intention of participating in many more, created 639 new patron accounts who previously weren't cardholders, and anticipate serving hundreds of children every summer through partnerships with Ark City Rec and USD 470.
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Etzanoa Conservancy
ButtonEtzanoa is a protohistoric Wichita town that contained about 20,000 residents in 1601. Etzanoa Conservancy will be an outdoor educational center to allow for a “hands-on” approach to archeology in both scientific inquiry and cultural understanding.
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Camp Horizon
ButtonCamp Horizon is now able to reach new populations and provide new opportunities for guest and campers. Updates to indoor and outdoor worship spaces has provided opportunities for Weddings and other Performing Arts to take place year round. Major improvements have been made towards making camp accessible to all, with ADA parking and sidewalks as well as an ADA splash pad Camp Horizon now serves over 4,000 guests annually.
