Unified Government and Community Foundation open 2026 Hollywood Casino grant applications

Maggie Knox, associate philanthropic adviser at the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation, and Unified Government staff outlined the eligibility, priorities and timeline for the 2026 Unified Government Hollywood Casino Grant during a March 2 webinar.

The foundation is administering the program in partnership with the Unified Government of Wyandotte County. "My name is Maggie Knox. I am an associate philanthropic adviser with the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation," Knox said, adding that the foundation will review applications for eligibility and forward eligible applicants to the mayor and the board of commissioners.

The grant is open to nonprofit organizations with current 501(c)(3) status; organizations may also apply through an eligible fiscal sponsor. Leslie Stroshine, one of two deputy chief financial officers at the Unified Government, said applicants whose IRS 501(c)(3) status is not in good standing are ineligible. "In that role, I oversee our grant financial administration and compliance," Stroshine said.

Projects that are rarely funded include capital campaigns, endowment building, annual drives, debt retirement, direct cash assistance to individuals, lobbying or political activity, and projects that serve only a specific membership. Equipment requests may be considered only when the equipment directly improves program or service delivery.

Priority will be given to projects that leverage additional public or private funding, align with the Wyandotte County comprehensive plan and local Healthy Communities goals, demonstrate partnerships, set clear measurable outcomes and serve at-risk or underserved populations.

Organizers said approximately $473,000 will be distributed in 2026 and that the funds are divided among the mayor and the 10 members of the board of commissioners, giving each official about $43,000 to award. Knox noted that in 2025 awards ranged from $500 to $28,000 and averaged about $6,700.

Applications opened March 2 and must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. Central on April 20. The foundation will review applications for eligibility in May and June; commissioners will make selections during that period; the commission is expected to approve awards at a July meeting and notifications and funding will follow.

Applicants must use the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation's SmartSimple portal to apply. Knox walked attendees through registration and the application flow, advising that applicants register for a new SmartSimple account if they have not used the platform previously.

Speakers emphasized reporting requirements: grantees must submit a report by May 2027 that includes the residential ZIP codes of clients served; if funds are not fully spent by then, a final report will be due in July 2027.

During Q&A, presenters confirmed the webinar recording will be posted on the Unified Government website and provided technical contact information including grants@growyougiving.org and a phone number for support. When asked whether an annual budget is required, Afton Baxter, manager of grant-making services, said the application requests the organization's annual operating budget and an itemized project budget and advised applicants not to create new documents solely for the application: "Don't create anything new, but yeah, if you have something official, great. If not, yeah, just whatever your planned budget for operating is for this year."

On a question about organizations awaiting an IRS name change, Stroshine said a name change should be acceptable if the EIN/tax ID remains the same, but the grant will be made out to the name on file with the IRS and applicants should include both names in their application.

The foundation will forward eligible applications to the mayor and board of commissioners, who will designate allocations; a majority vote at a commission meeting will approve the final distribution. For technical questions and application help, applicants were directed to the foundation's website and the grants email and phone number provided during the webinar.

The webinar concluded with presenters thanking attendees and reminding them the application materials, recording and guidance will be posted on the Unified Government's site for reference.