Foundation Friday: Grow Decatur County

It was another edition of Foundation Friday on the Good Neighbor Hour, this time, Karen Storrs with Grow Decatur County joined the show. Located in Oberlin, they provide a lot of great opportunities for the community like grants, scholarships, and plenty of funds dedicated to great things.

The first topic of discussion was bout the start of the foundation. This year, 2026, is actually their 10-year anniversary, as it was established in 2016. Storrs explained the way it started, and it was pretty incredible.

"It started with a match from the Dane G. Hansen Foundation, and a group of community members got together to take advantage of those matches."

The community saw an opportunity and went after it, which now stands as Grow Decatur County.

Next, Storrs mentioned that their grant opportunities can be applied for on a monthly basis, including things of almost any variety. Community beautification, business grants, and nearly anything else.

The discussion then moved to match month, which Grow Decatur County does in December every year. In 2025, their goal was to raise $100,000 without the matching funds, and the community exceeded that goal, raising $137,000. The matches just made the investment that much better.

"The Patterson Family Foundation and the Dane G. Hansen Foundation each matched $100,000, so our total impact was $337,411 for match month."

Lastly, they talked about creating funds. You can create a fund for nearly anything that you have a passion for or that you see as an issue in the community.

The best way to create a fund or find more information is to give them a call at 785-475-6321 or visit them at their office at 177 S Penn Avenue in Oberlin, Kansas. Their office hours are Monday through Thursday, 9 am to 6 pm, or Friday by appointment. You can also visit their website at growdcf.org

You can listen to the Good Neighbor Hour on Rockit 102.5 KLOE every weekday morning from 5:30-7 am mountain time.