Maze Community Foundation outlines plans, asks city for help with startup costs and food pantry support

Chad Sears, introduced in the meeting packet as president of the Maze Community Foundation, presented the foundation's mission and progress at the June 1 council meeting. The foundation described itself as a community-focused grantmaker that intends to fund local nonprofits, support families, and fund community projects; presenters said funds will be used to enhance quality of life for roughly 17,000 residents.

The foundation recounted a first project: a $5,000 grant presented to a local teacher's family, and said it has applied for a Kansas Department of Commerce tax-credit award (decision expected July 1) and received a $5,000 matching grant from the Downing Foundation for food-bank equipment. Foundation leaders said they are pursuing a founders-fund outreach to industrial partners in September to seed ongoing grantmaking and asked the council to consider: participating in the founders-fund effort, allowing use of the lower level of the community building as a food pantry, and consideration to relieve the foundation of startup debt tied to the part-time executive director's salary (the group said the city had temporarily supported that salary).

Council members thanked the foundation volunteers and encouraged continued coordination; staff did not commit to specific funding at the meeting. The foundation said it will follow up with invitations to council and partners for the September founders-fund discussions and will notify the city when formal grant or facility requests are ready for council consideration.