RENO COUNTY, Kan. – Communities across Reno County could receive a proportionate share of a $50,000 grant pool thanks to this year’s Love Where You Live Resident Perception Survey.
Hutchinson Community Foundation is gearing up for the third and final year of the survey with a mobilization meeting on Tuesday. Reno County residents are invited to join the Zoom session at noon Aug. 11 to learn more about the initiative, what residents have already said over the past two years of the survey, and about this year’s $50,000 grant pool.
Each town will be eligible for a grant based on its share of all survey responses received countywide. The maximum share per community is capped at 30 percent.
The survey officially opens Aug. 17 and closes Sept. 30 at RenoSurvey.com.
Those wishing to attend the Zoom meeting should register at tinyurl.com/v6bt55mx or at RenoSurvey.com.
The assessment is part of the foundation’s Love Where Live Community Empowerment Initiative, a three-year effort designed to strengthen Reno County communities by amplifying residents’ voices, encouraging community engagement, and promoting collaborative action. The benchmarking data provided through the process is informing how residents can make lasting positive change and build stronger community pride. The results are also informing future initiatives and investments of foundation grants.
Hutch CF contracts with Innovation Economy Partners to administer the project. The Ohio-based firm, which also works with McPherson County Community Foundation and Western Kansas Community Foundation on similar initiatives, designed the survey and will collect the data and analyze the results. Data from years one and two of the initiative can be found at RenoSurvey.com.
Last year 1,144 residents responded to the survey, up 122 from the first year, and the foundation would like even more people to participate this year.
“We want to hear from everybody, but we really want to reach more 16- to 20-year-olds, people of color, renters, and communities outside of Hutchinson” said Jan Steen, senior program officer at the community foundation. “The more responses from the broadest range of people, the better the data and action that follows it.”
In the past two years of surveys, residents have said they most want to attract new businesses, remove/renovate blight, improve public infrastructure, increase access to affordable/quality housing, and expand local business.
The collected data will inform this year’s community-level reports that will be available in the winter for Buhler, the Fairfield school area (including Arlington, Turon, Langdon, Partridge, Abbyville, Sylvia and Plevna), the Haven and Yoder area, Hutchinson (including Castleton, The Highlands and Willowbrook), Nickerson, the Pretty Prairie area, South Hutchinson, and Reno County as a whole.
Residents as young as 16 are urged to take the approximately 10-minute survey at RenoSurvey.com or download a paper copy to complete and return to Hutchinson Community Foundation by Sept. 30. Those copies should be returned to the foundation office, 1 N. Main St., Ste. 501, Hutchinson, KS 67501. Surveys are available in English and Spanish.
Organizations and groups may then submit proposals for Fund for Reno County grants in February 2027.
Residents, clubs, groups, employers and organizations are encouraged to help administer the survey to their constituents. Hutch CF staff are also available for short presentations to standing meetings.
For more information about the initiative, to take or download the survey, access resources, or to request a representative for a presentation at a meeting or gathering, visit RenoSurvey.com.
For questions, contact Steen at [email protected] or 620-663-5293.
Hutchinson Community Foundation’s mission is to inspire philanthropy, leadership and collaboration to strengthen Reno County. Since 1989, the foundation has granted more than $114 million to organizations.
