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 its inception in 2014, the Foundation has awarded gifts exceeding $5.1 million to the community of Arkansas City.

The Foundation’s mission is to assist the communities of Arkansas City and Cowley County, Kansas, in providing a quality cultural environment for 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 the 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.