Impact Investing

 

Norton County Impact Funds provide investors options for both immediate and sustainable community impact investing in Norton County with two distinct approaches:

1. Community Investment Funds meet short-term needs for supporting Economic & Entrepreneurial Initiatives. These funds can be used for existing needs and can be distributed through grants and/ or loans to businesses, organizations or civic entities whose project objective benefits the overall economic health of Norton County.

2. Endowment Funds provide long-term availability of resources for supporting Economic & Entrepreneurial Initiatives. The Endowment Fund is perpetual in nature and ensures the community and economic development project needs are always met. Future generations will be assured financial resources to meet tomorrow’s needs.
    

This group of Norton County Impact Funds was created as a result of multiple community foundation, community development and economic development agencies working together to align community investment strategies to better enable community growth, viability and sustainability.

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To date, impact investment projects completed by NCCF total more than $5 million.

 

These projects include: 

• The Heaton Building is a Social Purpose Real Estate project envisioned and motivated by Gloria Nelson. The project began with the gifts of the middle building from Warren Heaton in 2007 and the north and south buildings from Norman and Gloria Nelson in 2008. The building underwent renovations and was re-dedicated in 2016. Today, the building is home to 13 businesses (including the Norton County Community Foundation) and nearly 30 employees. The building also offers event gathering space and The Gloria A. Nelson Cultural Arts Center, which is commissioned to the Norton County Arts Council for use and display rights. 

 

• The Dr. E.A. Lyons House was gifted to NCCF by the Moffet family in 2009. Restoration of the house began in 2012 and was completed in 2014. This was one of the first brick houses built in Norton around 1893 and is currently on the National Register of Historic Places. As a result of the renovation, NCCF received a 2015 Honor Award for Excellence from the Kansas Preservation Alliance. This rental property currently houses Melissa M. Schoen’s Law Office and RMA Engineering.

 

• The Loan Program was created upon the receipt of assets from the Norton Development Corporation in 2019. This loan portfolio is focused on supporting entrepreneurial development in Norton County and has the capacity to support new businesses, business expansion, project financing, and more. 

 

• The Secure Sebelius Lake Fund is part of a 10.5 year contract (beginning in July 2017) that NCCF holds with the Almena Irrigation District and the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism to ensure consistently high lake levels at the Keith Sebelius Reservoir. The total economic impact of the Sebelius Reservoir on Norton County is estimated to be $4.8 million annually. 

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