Love Where You Live initiative seeks Reno County residents’ input on their communities  

26 Jun Love Where You Live initiative seeks Reno County residents’ input on their communities  

Residents are encouraged to give their feedback as part of a new project aimed at accelerating progress in Reno County.  

Hutchinson Community Foundation announces the Love Where You Live Community Empowerment Initiative centered on hearing Reno County residents’ perceptions of the communities they live in, generating civic dialogue and inspiring collaborative action. The foundation seeks participation from all corners of the county, demographics and walks of life. 

The aim of the three-year effort is to provide Reno County communities solid benchmarking data and a process that will empower residents to make positive change and boost community pride. The results will also inform future initiatives and investments of foundation grants and outside resources and to catalyze action. 

The foundation has contracted 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, will collect the data and analyze the results.  

“We have experienced the power of resident engagement and empowerment several times over the last decade, leading to collaborative action and targeted investment of resources,” said the foundation’s director of strategic initiatives, Kari Mailloux. “We believe this process will help residents feel heard, identify shared priorities, and have some agency and resources to make progress year after year. Hopefully it creates a stronger sense of ownership and hope across the county.”  

In addition to the data collected from the effort, Hutch CF sees opportunities to bring residents together to do the following:   

• Build relationships within and across communities 
• Identify common priorities and coordinate efforts within each community and across the county to create bigger and better solutions by working together 
• Launch projects to address community priorities  

The data will inform community-level reports that will be available in the fall 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. 

Phase one of this year’s process began June 21 with the launch of a community perception survey at RenoSurvey.com. Residents, including youth, are urged to take the approximately 10-minute survey online or download a paper copy to complete and return to Hutchinson Community Foundation by Aug. 4, when the survey closes. 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.  

The next phase will be a series of community gatherings in September and October throughout Reno County for residents to discuss the survey results, prioritize needs and brainstorm project ideas. 

Then from October through December, residents and organizations can collaborate to create projects that address community priorities and spark community pride. Organizations and groups may then submit grant proposals for Fund for Reno County funding through late January 2025. Grants are expected to range from $5,000 to $25,000. 

The process repeats in 2025 and 2026. 

Residents, clubs, groups, employers and organizations are encouraged to help administer the survey to their constituents. Hutchinson Community Foundation 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 the community foundation at 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 $104 million to organizations.