Ten years ago, we started up the KMEA Fund in hopes that we could guarantee the legacy of the Kansas Music Educators Association by offering scholarships to students, award grants to teachers, and provide a vehicle for people that want to financially support the future of music education in Kansas. We had several financial hurdles to pass before we could begin to realize all of those goals.
First of all, to be a viable fund within the Greater Salina Community Foundation, we had up to five years to surpass a minimum balance of $10,000. We were able to to pass that goal in a little over a year. Our next self-imposed hurdle was to have $50,000 in the KMEA Fund. With that amount, we could fully fund our current five scholarships from the proceeds. We worked for five years to clear this hurdle There is no way this could have been done without the support and confidence of John Taylor, our KMEA Executive Director. Over the next five years, we have steadily grown to around $125,000. Our main growth opportunities are the annual “Match Madness” events held by the GSCF.
The Greater Salina Community Foundation is having its 2019 “Match Madness” on March 21 where they will match up to 50% of all money donated that day. I will be representing the KMEA Fund. Here’s how it works – you give me a check made out to “GSCF” with “KMEA Fund” in the memo line. It can be any amount from $1 up to $2,000. I will deliver all the collected checks on March 21 for the matching funds to apply. It’s as simple as that!
You can give me your check at KMEA or mail it to me at 521 S. Estates Drive, Salina, KS, 67401, prior to March 21. There is also an option to donate online on March 21 by going to “MatchMadnessGSCF.org” and following the directions. Be sure and designate Kansas Music Educators Association as the recipient.
March 21, 2019, is not the only day you can contribute to the KMEA Fund. Any of the other 364 days in the year you are invited to further the legacy of the Kansas Music Educators Association by a donation to the Fund. Feel free to send a check designated for the “KMEA Fund” to our Executive Director, John Taylor, 614 N. Parkdale, Wichita, KS, 67212.
We can start realistically developing a plan to apply for and award grants from the KMEA Fund. After the logistics are finalized, we hope to begin awarding very small grants. Hopefully, when the awards get started, there can be even more interest in seeing the KMEA Fund grow.
In ten years, we have grown from a dream to a reality. That is a great thing. My hope is that we can soon be celebrating some new growth in music education here in Kansas that was helped along the way by the KMEA Fund.
