Grants & Initiatives

Typical applications for funding are solicited from organizations that are actively involved in projects that need Capital or Marketing funds for attraction development projects. Other funding applications may be for Regional projects where more than one organizations or communities may work collectively.

Mariah Fund’s Mission is fairly narrow and direct:  We solicit applications for project funding usually once per-year, typically during the month of February and announce our selections by the first week of April.  All applications must be completed on-line through the Mariah Fund website.  Grant projects must fall into one or more of three specific areas: Tourism, Cultural or Heritage.  Within the application, you are requested to clearly determine how your project meets this first challenge.  Second, projects must be within the State of Kansas, and more specifically have direct benefit to a 22 County area, defined in Southwest Kansas and known as being Wild West Country (a regional description developed through the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism).

Qualified Projects may be funded under two broad categories: Capital Development (broadly defined as being ‘brick and mortar’) In some cases this may be rehabilitation of a historical building or feature, or leveraging of a ‘Main Street’ type of projects where it will encourage private and public partnerships to preserve areas of historical significance and provide visitor opportunities, and Marketing Development projects that are designed to support community or regional events, or awareness of existing venues – inviting visitors to attend and by extension increase tourism economic impacts to Kansas and the Southwest market region.  Visit Mariah Fund’s Grant Guidelines for specific funding information for each category.

All of these examples center on a common theme of adding capital-value to organizations that are directly, or indirectly involved in the tourism industry and making them more successful in meeting their individual and collective missions.  By extension, leading to development of the entire SW Kansas region and encouraging multiple partnerships.

Our Funding – At the root of this long-term coalition for regional tourism and cultural, heritage development, is the sole-funding agreement that Mariah Fund has negotiated with Boot Hill Casino & Resort in Dodge City, Kansas.  While the Casino does not participate in the administration or management of Mariah Fund, it’s clear that grants we make should in some way connect with Dodge City by enhancing the opportunity for regional collaboration in support of tourist visitation and enjoyment.  That ‘measured success’ ensures continued Donor funding of Mariah Fund, Inc.

Fields of Interest – Determine which Area below fits the description of your Grant Project:

1. Events – Broadly described as being local or regional community events that encourages visitors to attend and brings measurable local economic  impacts that can be reasonably calculated according to Mariah’s or other acceptable financial models.
2. Entertainment/Sports – Funding the active solicitation by communities of larger venues with a broad interpretation of being focused on entertainment or sports and drawing visitors or participants from a wide area. 
3. Travelling Exhibits – Mariah Fund strongly believes that travelling exhibits add materially to SW Kansas through: children and adult education; experiential activities that may not easily be witnessed otherwise; encouragement of diversity through cultural learning and overall quality of life for the region and local communities.
4. Heritage/ Culture – Funding of projects that support maintenance, expansion and improvement of Museum’s and educational programming within the SW Kansas region that are focused on the preservation and presentment of Kansas’ strong history and culture.
5. Regional Tourism Development – Mariah Fund places a strong focus on marketing of Southwestern Kansas’ Wild West Country as a target destination that provides our visitor with a diverse experience, whether that be events, historical or geographic destinations, agri-tourism, recreation and hunting, entertainment venues, etc.  The wide retail economic impact affects all of our communities. 
6. Educational Seminars – Mariah Fund has funded an educational component each year for the specific benefit of members of Wild West Country tourism entities, and the larger Non-Profit community within the region.  Our target goal is to bring seminars to the region in order that they are affordable to attend and strengthens each of the attendee’s in marketing, grant writing, board development, and participation with others in similar fields of interest.