Saint Francis Ministries is one of 42 non-profit organizations to receive a 2023 Leadership Transformation Grant awarded by the Kansas Leadership Center. Partner organizations will use the grants to “create a culture that embraces change, tackles problems and seizes opportunities,” according to the KLC. At least 45 other Kansas organizations from community-minded business, education, faith, and government sectors were also selected.

“The Leadership Transformation Grants are our primary vehicle for sharing the gift of KLC’s core grant from the Kansas Health Foundation (KHF),” said Julia Fabris McBride, interim president and CEO of the Kansas Leadership Center. “KLC and KHF partner this way to build the leadership and civic engagement capacity of organizations across the state. We’re proud to see this program grow every year since we started offering these grants nine years ago.”

Organizations who receive Leadership Transformation Grants will establish a core team of three to six individuals to take on the responsibilities of the grant. Organizations chosen will have one year to participate in KLC’s dynamic program experiences and utilize KLC resources and consultation.

“The Leadership Transformation Grants provide access to programs on the KLC Path, a three-step sequence which teaches that leadership is an activity—not a position—and that anyone within an organization can exercise leadership effectively,” said Katy Weidner, KLC program manager.

“This philosophy of leadership is shared by Saint Francis Ministries,” said Cristian Garcia, SFM chief advancement officer. “We’re excited to partner with the Kansas Leadership Center because we believe in the value of developing leaders who can continue to shape and improve outcomes for the children and families we serve. We know that the success of our children and families depends upon us creating strong leaders who continue to innovate and to enhance the work we do on behalf of others.”