High Plains Heritage Foundation Annual Meeting Set for Liberal, Kansas

The High Plains Heritage Foundation gathered Thursday evening at the Cooper Clark Room of the Liberal Memorial Library for its annual meeting, a donor and beneficiary event that combined organizational business with a look back at a productive 2024 for the Southwest Kansas and Panhandle region nonprofit.

The formal session began at 6 p.m., preceded by a 5:30 p.m. reception with refreshments. Members worked through the election of directors and officers, the meeting's primary order of business.

The gathering gave the foundation a moment to reflect on ground gained last year. A $61,098 grant from the Patterson Family Foundation covered continued support of the executive director position, providing the organizational backbone for a year that saw HPHF distribute $9,950 in grants to 20 nonprofits across the region. A separate Giving Tuesday campaign stretched donor dollars further: $4,300 raised through that effort was matched dollar for dollar, delivering $8,600 to 17 organizations.

Two new funds came to life in 2024. The United Play Fund and the Gus Riley Memorial Scholarship Fund both launched during the year, expanding the foundation's portfolio of permanent charitable vehicles. When the books closed, HPHF held total assets of $1,427,502.04, a gain of $125,942.11 over the prior year.

Founded in Kansas in October 2003 and granted federal 501(c)3 status in June 2004, HPHF operates as a community foundation serving as a repository and distributor of charitable funds for the high plains of Southwest Kansas and the Panhandle region. Its board of directors manages assets, assesses community needs, and directs funds toward improving quality of life, cultural and educational development, and community wellbeing across the region.

The Cooper Clark Room at Liberal Memorial Library, 519 N. Kansas Ave., hosted the session.