Help us kick off the planning phase for a permanent stage in South Park. Your gift supports design, approvals, and next steps toward a beautiful, lasting structure for Lawrence City Band and other community events.

For over 40 summers, the Lawrence City Band has brought free, family-friendly concerts to South Park on Wednesday evenings — a beloved tradition that draws hundreds of community members each week and spans generations of music lovers.

Currently, the band performs on the grass in front of the historic gazebo, placing our chairs and music stands on uneven ground with limited visibility and numerous equipment hazards. While the music is joyful, the setup is far from ideal — for either the musicians or the audience.

We are launching the planning phase for a permanent raised platform in South Park: a purpose-built stage that will dramatically improve safety, sound, and sightlines for our summer concerts — and create a lasting amenity for the entire community.

We will engage an architect with experience in historic structures and environs to develop a design that complements the character of South Park and its beautiful gazebo. This design work will support the formal review and approval process by the City of Lawrence's Parks, Recreation, and Culture Department as well as the Historic Resources Commission — important steps toward making this vision a reality.

The new structure will be designed in harmony with the historic character of South Park and the existing gazebo. We are engaging an architect experienced in working with historic structures and environs. The project will also go through a thoughtful approval process with the City of Lawrence's Parks, Recreation, and Culture Department and the Historic Resources Commission.

Thanks to a generous lead gift of $50,000 from Shelly Hornbaker, in memory of her late husband Tom Hornbaker — a longtime band member and past treasurer — this project is already off to a strong start. Additional donor-restricted funds are committed, and a broader fundraising effort is underway.
We are now seeking $10,000 to support the critical early-stage work: design, planning, and approvals.

Our goal is to complete the new stage in time for our 2026 summer season.

This stage will serve not only the Lawrence City Band but also future community events, weddings, and performances in South Park for years to come. Your support will:

• Launch a transformative public space improvement for South Park
• Provide safer, more functional, and enjoyable conditions for musicians and audiences alike
• Honor the legacy of a beloved member of our musical community
• Invest in a shared civic and cultural asset

For more information or to get involved, contact one of the following board members:

John Esau
jesau@kw.com | (785) 979-9832

Martin Bergee
mbergee@ku.edu | (785) 550-7117‬

Thank you for helping us lay the groundwork — literally and figuratively — for the next 40 years of music in South Park with the Lawrence City Band!

Help the Lawrence Community Orchestra's string quartet create memorable experiences by engaging audiences in dynamic performances.
The Lawrence Community Orchestra String Quartet Pop-up Concerts foster community development by bringing high-quality live classical music to underserved spaces such as nursing homes, libraries, and hospitals. These performances promote social connection, emotional well-being, and cultural enrichment, especially for individuals with limited access to the arts. By meeting people where they are, the quartet strengthens community bonds and enriches the shared cultural life of Lawrence. $6,000 will fully fund a full season of pop-up concerts. Learn more about the Lawrence Community Orchestra and its impact at https://lawrenceorchestra.org/.

Full STEAM Ahead for Early Childhood Learning! STEAM (Science, Technology Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) for Innovative Project Grants targeted for early childhood learning.
In BEF's 21 years of outreach in the Baldwin City community, the Innovative Project Grant program has been the organization's flagship funding initiative. This program puts extra dollars directly into the classroom and has allowed teachers to lean into their creativity and expertise in providing additional learning opportunities for students. As the educational data informs us, the hard-wirings of early childhood are extremely significant for establishing long-term educational success, and those neural pathways are nurtured through STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math) learning (Erol & Erol, 2023). Baldwin City USD 348's National Blue Ribbon Award-designated Parents as Teachers program, Pre-K programs and Baldwin Primary Center have each increased STEAM learning opportunities for our youngest students, and BEF would like to support these efforts with additional funding through the mechanism of our long-standing Innovative Project Grant program. (Article attached) M. & Erol, A. (2023). Reflections of STEAM education on children according to early childhood and primary school teachers. International Journal on Social and Education Sciences (IJonSES), 5(3), 493-506. https://doi.org/10

More than 50% of BGCLK families pay reduced rates to attend Club. Help offset the cost of keeping afterschool and summer programs affordable for all Lawrence families!
Nearly 1,300 Lawrence youth attend a BGCLK session every year. Gifts will work as scholarships to cover the reduced program fees offered to households that qualify for free and reduced lunch. You will ensure that each student has access to safe, high quality programming and that working families with the greatest need can access fundamental childcare services.

The Extension Council Giving Fund fuels youth programs, education, and community enrichment through trusted, resource-based initiatives—and more!
K-State Research and Extension Douglas County connects local, state, and federal partners to deliver education, youth programs, and community resources. The Giving Fund supports this vital work—helping us build a stronger, thriving Douglas County. Learn more at www.douglas.k-state.edu.

Help provide car seats to low-income families in Douglas County.
Correctly used child safety seats can reduce the risk of death by as much as 71%! Many families in Douglas County are struggling to make ends meet and car seats are expensive. LiveWell is the lead agency for Safe Kids Douglas County, which works with community partners and certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians to provide FREE car seats to low-income parents and caregivers. Help reduce the risk of childhood injuries or death in the event of a car accident by donating today!

Help secure a permanent location for the Lawrence Farmers Market!
We're just $12,000 away from fully funding the next step in securing a permanent home for the Lawrence Farmers Market! We secured the majority of the funding for this feasibility study and community engagement with major support from the City and County. We must close the funding gap to keep these commitments and complete our feasibility study during the 2025 season—before World Cup 2026. Help us grow access to local food and support a thriving downtown by donating today. Be part of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

Sunrise Project requests support to compensate guest chefs to lead four of our free community meals.
Sunrise Project wants to work with guest chefs who would like to share their food traditions with the community! We strive to make our programs inclusive and relevant to people of all ages and backgrounds. Food is an integral part of culture and serves as a way to connect with one another and feel "at home." We would like to offer 4 community meals led by guest chefs that feature different culinary traditions. Each chef will be given a stipend for their time and energy and Sunrise Project will provide all food.

Upgrade of the sound system in the Community Room at the Watkins Museum of History.
The Watkins Museum seeks to improve the quality of the sound system in the Community Room by updating existing speakers and installing additional speakers. These upgrades will provide better sound quality and expand the range of coverage so museum program participants have a better experience.

Empower families to remain stable in housing and kids to succeed in school with back-to-school clothes and supplies, funds for extra-curriculars and summer camp scholarships for kids, plus Life Skills classes and moving assistance for parents.
In our mission to empower families in a housing crisis to achieve stabilization through community connections, FPL supports the whole family, including the children, with the Supplies for Stability program. Through a variety of events and assistance that go beyond the standard supports of shelter, rent assistance and case management, children receive back-to-school supplies, personal care products and gift cards for clothes, shoes, and athletic equipment. Summer camp scholarships are available to families to support children's emotional and physical health and to provide childcare so parents can continue to work even when kids are out of school. Parents can attend Life Skills classes to expand their budgeting and tenancy knowledge. And in the event a family needs to move to a different house, financial assistance is available to hire movers so the family can take all their belongings to the new house and not have to leave behind important furniture or mementos. Your support of this program empowers families as they build stability at home and at school.

Help ReFresh the Lawrence Habitat ReStore with a repaired ceiling and updated flooring to create a better environment, and ultimately, a better shopping experience.
The Lawrence Habitat ReStore moved into a new, better location nearly three years ago, and now it's time to make some much-needed enhancements and improvements to the store. The purpose of a Habitat ReStore is two-fold. First, it provides a donation opportunity for items no longer wanted or needed. Every single item donated to the ReStore equals less usable material being thrown in a landfill, and that's a benefit to our community. Secondly, accepted donations are resold to the public at a fraction of the retail price. Sales of donated items help Lawrence Habitat for Humanity partner with local families to build and repair safe, affordable homes in our community. With this funding, Lawrence Habitat for Humanity will hire a local company(ies) to make a few much-needed enhancements to the ReStore facility. The biggest repairs/updates include repairing a few worn areas in the ceiling, along with a professional high-ceiling dusting, and removing and replacing outdated, worn carpet and tile on the sales floor.

Help us build more Tiny Houses with Peaslee Tech.
This program allows us to add affordable small unit supply for those who need it most and teach young adults job skills that will help us build housing for the future. Be a tiny home sponsor for $5,000 and we will name the house after you or a loved one. This house will serve as a safe space for those who need housing.

Please support Wheels for All - our new program designed to provide or restore equipment such as baby strollers, wheelchairs, bicycles, tires and essential auto repairs - to those in need.
Mobility is more than just movement; it's access, opportunity, and independence. Every day, we encounter community members facing barriers due to a lack of reliable or appropriate wheeled equipment, whether it be a parent needing a stroller to safely transport their child, a disabled person who requires a functional wheelchair, someone relying on a bicycle to get to work or school, or a family needing their car for daily responsibilities. The Wheels for All program will identify and assist them through our current local resource agencies' referral process. Our goal is to be able to bridge gaps by providing funding assistance to help with costs, based on assessed need, that these agencies are simply unable to cover. This initiative prioritizes low-income households and underserved populations. 100 Good Women has an almost 30 year history and a long-standing commitment to working with our local partners and service providers. With your support, this program can create lasting, tangible change, and will definitely help our community members stay mobile, connected, and empowered.

Help us put needed workforce housing supply on the west side of Lawrence!
We have received the majority of the funding for a large rental and ownership project, but we need a little more to get to the finish line. If you need a tax deduction and want to help create affordable housing in Lawrence, this is a great opportunity—as your donation will leverage another $7 for each dollar you donate—to allow us to use allocated subsidy and tax credit funding. The gap is $1,000,000 and any gift can help.