This fund is a subsidiary of GROW Decatur County Foundation and managed by the Greater Northwest Kansas Community Foundation. The fund is currently non-endowed in order to have availability to the funds in a crisis until it is at a level that can sustain a crisis and continue to grow. At that point, we plan to make it quasi-endowed, making your donations more inaccessible -- and eventually fully-endowed.

This fund was created as an investment vehicle to be later utilized to either help - or entirely - offset the public funding currently in place for the Gateway Civic Center through the City of Oberlin. We should all consider it the "retirement account" for the facility.

Unlike retirement, we want to see this account able to sustain the building's operational loss forever- not for just 10 or 30 years - so we must reach a goal in which 5% of it's balance can offset one year's operational loss with the considerations of conservative interest earnings each year combated with higher than normal inflation rates.

As of 2/5/2025, our current trajectory projections for this is on course for 2036-2048. With a $500,000 contribution accelerating our goal to 2035-2040.

The broad time range of this forecast is due to taking into consideration varying annual interest earning and inflation rates, as well as varying operational losses. We wanted to account for the possibility of including the cost of an additional full-time employee for our ongoing desire to have expanded hours of access while reducing volunteer burnout through consistent employee functions such as bookkeeping and event planning. Other areas of potentially desired employee functions include recreational director type functions to not only increase use of the facility through the activities planned, but create healthier options in Decatur County for all ages in and outside of the Gateway as well as increased entertainment options, perhaps through co-planning with our local arts councils and interested citizens.

It is very possible we would be able to depend on this fund and continue to see growth that allow us to include broader plans into future years as the whole idea of these funds is to utilize lesser funds than the interest earnings it generates.

To Donate one time or on a recurring basis: https://gnwkcf.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/list

If you have any questions contact GNWKCF at 785-734-2406 or by email at accounting@gnwkcf.org 

Payment may also be mailed to 103 W 4th Street, PO Box 593, Bird City, KS 67731, but please contact them at 785-734-2406 to verify who to write the check to and what to include in the memo for it to be properly routed to the Gateway Friends Foundation Fund

Much like our annual banquet and other fundraisers, people can make contributions directly to us through our 501c3 charitable organization.

This helps us tackle particular projects of interest and match grant dollars for those projects. Most of these projects are things people - who utilize the facility on a regular basis - have expressed concern or interest in. They are projects that may increase use, improve our efficiencies of event setups and teardowns, or simply replace equipment that is wearing out.

Some of these may include, but are certainly not limited to:

1. putting up new arena curtains

2. installing a long-term floor solution for the arena that allows for safer recreational use and better aesthetics for rental events

3. installing a retractable projector screen on the theater stage like we now have in the arena

4. installing permanent volleyball standard floor anchors in the arena

5. replacing basketball goals or their components

6. Installing camera and security systems that can be monitored by law enforcement at a distance, potentially increasing the likelihood of facility access without volunteer employees present

7. Determining and paying a long-term storage solution for tables, chairs, staging, etc. whether it be a small addition, separate nearby building, or another innovative way of utilizing the space we have in order to free our current storage room for more recreational type purposes or office space.

To make a contribution directly to the Gateway Friends Foundation, simply participate in the annual banquet or mail payment to: Gateway Friends Foundation, 1 Morgan Drive, Oberlin, KS 67749. If a receipt is needed for contributions less than $250 total in a calendar year, please leave a note with your donation to receive that back. If you have concerns of verifying we have received your donation, please email us at gatewayfriends83@gmail.com or call/text the Gateway Coordinator at 785-470-1180 to inform us you have sent a donation.

We will attach annual banquet sponsor forms at this location each year moving forward.

As you'll see at most of the events taking place in the Berkheimer Arena, many businesses, individuals, clubs, and churches have banners hanging in the arena. A vast majority of these are from our table sponsors at the most recent banquet or years past, but we do have the option to get a banner hung in the arena any time of the year. We prorate the cost of this banner depending on the time from when we anticipate the banner to arrive and be hung to the next annual banquet at the beginning of each February. The annual cost to renew is $250, but most banner sponsors can find vast savings when purchasing a table at our annual event or supplementing our auction items with something of value to utilize something other than cashflow to contribute. For questions, reach out to Derek Chambers at 785-470-7074, text or voicemail preferred.

Perhaps you would like to see your contribution go directly to offset operational losses in the current calendar year. While we believe the most ideal investment is the long-term strategy, this is a possible avenue. Contributions directly to the Gateway City Board or the City of Oberlin with specification that is must be used for the Gateway Civic Center can be made at any time. You can mail these payments to: Gateway City Board, 1 Morgan Drive, Oberlin, KS 67749. Again, if a receipt is needed for contributions less than $250 total in a calendar year, please leave a note with your donation to receive that back. If you have concerns of verifying we have received your donation or whether your donation is tax deductible, please contact City Treasurer Steve Zodrow with the City of Oberlin at 785-475-2217.