YES! Fund
The YES! Fund, short for Youth Empowerment for Success, has been a crucial source of funding for various programs aimed at empowering the youth for over 20 years. Recognizing the need to address the uninspired youth activities in Manhattan, a committee was formed in 1993 to engage with the young population and understand their concerns. The committee discovered that many young people felt neglected by the community, leading them to express a desire to leave Manhattan as soon as possible. In response, the YES! Fund was established to support diverse opportunities aligned with the youth's needs, fostering their success, well-being, and sense of belonging in the community. The YES! program advisory board carefully reviews the fund's activities to ensure they positively impact youth development and academic achievement, with a strong correlation between young people's involvement in such programs and their overall success.
Manhattan is a city with excellent schools, but it is essential to acknowledge that not everyone experiences the same level of opportunity and well-being within the community. After-school programs supported by the YES! Fund plays a critical role in enhancing youth development and academic success. These programs have improved school attendance, goal-setting, decision-making, and relationships with teachers and authorities. Additionally, students studying to become teachers at Kansas State University actively contribute to the YES! Fund's initiatives by volunteering their time and expertise to coach, tutor, and collaborate with various organizations. The fund serves as a means to turn the innovative ideas of educators and administrators into realities, filling the gap left by limited school budgets. Administered as a component fund of the Greater Manhattan Community Foundation, the YES! Fund continues to significantly impact the lives of young people in the community.
2024 Grants Donate Now
Matching Donors
Every donation made to the YES! Fund is matched dollar for dollar by the following donors:
- Russ Briggs/Briggs Auto Group
- The Master Teacher
- The Deihl Fund
- GMCF Goldstein Community Fund
- Howe Family Foundation
- 1988 Jack Goldstein Charitable Trust
- KS Statebank
- Edward & Karen Seaton Foundation
- Ward and Brenda Morgan
- Memorial Hospital Foundation
2024 YES! Fund Donors
Grant Stories
Explore grant stories from the previous year below or discover Past Grant Stories
Posted Thursday July 25, 2024
Manhattan Arts Center (MAC) received a $10,000 grant from the YES! Fund to support their Across the Palette – MAC Arts Education Programs. This funding is dedicated to providing scholarships and essential supplies for a wide range of art classes, including clay, painting, drawing, and theatre, to foster creativity and self-expression among local youth. The program, which will continue until December 20, 2024, has reached 42 students through private and group music ...
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Posted Thursday July 25, 2024
Friends of Sunset Zoo received a grant for $8,500 from the YES! Fund to support their Z.O.O. Crew Afterschool Program, which provides middle and high school students from the Manhattan USD 383 school district with hands-on experience in animal care. The grant has been crucial in running the program through the spring and upcoming fall semesters, with the current enrollment of 22 students for spring and a planned increase to 35 students per semester. The program includes ...
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Posted Thursday July 25, 2024
True Colors Flint Hills received a $5,000 grant from the YES! Fund for their Program Design & Implementation project. This funding was instrumental in supporting various activities, including drug and alcohol training, a floral arrangement activity, a Pride picnic, an Easter party, a True Colors overnight event, and family dinner and movie nights. The programing successfully reached 100 LGBTQIA+ youth, allies, and volunteers. The YES! Fund enabled True Colors to provide ...
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Posted Thursday July 25, 2024
Wonder Workshop Children’s Museum received a $21,000 grant through the YES! Fund program for their ongoing initiatives. This funding has been essential in covering a range of expenses, including materials for educational activities such as paint, Makedo kits, rockets, and slime materials, as well as costs for field trips, training, and maintenance. The program directly reached 1,500 youth and their families through special events and workshops. ...
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Posted Thursday July 25, 2024
UFM Community Learning Center received a $5,000 grant through the YES! Fund for their After School Tutoring Program. This funding has maintained consistent attendance and excellent tutor-to-tutoree ratios, ensuring high youth development standards. Students engaged in multidimensional learning, encompassing visual, auditory, and kinesthetic methods focused on reading and mathematics while developing a sense of cultural pride. The program also facilitated deeper family ...
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Posted Wednesday July 24, 2024
The House Cafe received a $5,000 grant from the YES! Fund program for its operations This funding has been pivotal in maintaining various activities and programs, benefiting approximately 80-100 youth and 20-30 parents in Ogden. The funds covered salaries for The Way Early Learning Center and several teen center events, providing positive activities that foster better choices and meaningful relationships among the youth. The grant ensured affordable, high-quality, ...
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Posted Wednesday July 3, 2024
PUMA FC Manhattan, Inc. received a $21,500 grant from the YES! Fund to support their Scholarship Program. This funding provided critical financial assistance to 40 families in the Manhattan area, enabling children to participate in various soccer opportunities. The program evaluates applicants based on financial need and extenuating circumstances, ensuring equitable access to their expanding range of soccer platforms. PUMA FC aims to secure additional funds to further enhance ...
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Posted Tuesday July 2, 2024
Kansas Big Brothers Big Sisters serving Riley County received a $22,500 grant through the YES! Fund for their Community-based Match Support and Retention program. This funding has been instrumental in maintaining 134 one-to-one mentoring matches, benefiting 268 individuals (134 youth and 134 volunteers) to date. The program, overseen by Match Support Specialists, achieved a 67% retention rate for matches lasting one year or longer. With ongoing efforts in social-emotional ...
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Posted Tuesday July 2, 2024
The Boys & Girls Club of Manhattan has successfully completed its Before-and After-School Programs with support from a $85,500 grant issued from the YES! Fund. This grant enabled the Club to expand access to educational and recreational opportunities for local youth. The funding covered essential program expenses such as personnel, supplies, and facility costs, ensuring that 2,038 children benefited from enhanced support and extracurricular activities. Looking ahead, the ...
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Posted Tuesday July 2, 2024
Girls On the Run of the Flint Hills received a $9,000 grant through the YES! Fund for their Financial Assistance Initiative. This grant supported their efforts to provide financial aid for program registration fees, purchase running shoes, acquire necessary materials, and cover transportation costs for participants. The grant's impact extended beyond financial support, fostering a sense of community and empowerment among young girls in the Flint Hills area. ...
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Posted Tuesday July 2, 2024
The Manhattan Marlins Swim Team was awarded an $8,500 YES! Fund grant to cover pool rental costs at Genesis Health Club and City Park Pool, ensuring continued training and competition opportunities for their 82 team members. The grant also supported the Little Apple Swim Invitational, which included 150 additional swimmers from across Kansas. Despite the financial challenges following the closure of the K-State Natatorium, the grant helped the Manhattan Marlins balance their ...
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Posted Tuesday July 2, 2024
Pawnee Mental Health used the $6,000 YES! Fund grant to support youth with serious emotional disorders. The funding enabled the creation of a sensory room with furniture and items totaling $2,156.06 and sensory items for session offices costing $460.35. Additionally, various games and supplies, including Dungeon & Dragons kits, were purchased for $232.76. Assistance was provided to a family dealing with a bedbug infestation for $145.17, and $1,000 in gift cards was ...
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