Lander Community Foundation Competitive Grant Program awards nine local nonprofits

The Lander Community Foundation (LCF) has announced the 2026 recipients of the Competitive Grant Program.

The Lander Community Foundation’s Competitive Grant Program supports nonprofit organizations working to strengthen the quality of life in Lander and the surrounding Fremont County area. Through this annual grant opportunity, LCF invests in programs and projects that respond to community needs, foster collaboration, and create meaningful local impact.

This year they are: 

• Lander Art Center – In 2025, Lander Art Center’s Art After School program delivered 830 student sessions but still maintained waitlists, prompting the addition of new sections—even shifting from self-supporting to donation-supported—to ensure no child was turned away. Serving a community where 30% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch and after-school options are limited, the program remains intentionally affordable ($12–$20) with scholarships available in every class. Growth is now constrained by staffing, with operations managed by a volunteer board and minimal staff capacity. This project funds a Part-Time Education Coordinator—LAC’s top strategic priority—who will oversee programming, expand access, and ensure the program meets rising demand. With grant support, the role can launch fully resourced in 2026, increasing enrollment, strengthening school partnerships, and serving more students across Fremont County.
• Community Entry Services, Inc. – Community Entry Services is addressing critical infrastructure needs within its day habilitation program at the Gary Hudson Center. Essential equipment—including hydraulic chair lifts, wheelchairs, and wheelchair-accessible vehicle ramps—requires ongoing repair and replacement to ensure safe, reliable care and transportation for participants. This support will sustain daily operations and maintain access for individuals who rely on these specialized services.
• Wyoming Pathways – Wyoming Pathways is improving safety, access, and wayfinding at Johnny Behind the Rocks by installing new trail signage, slickrock markers, and four livestock gates. In partnership with the Bureau of Land Management and local volunteers, the project will support new and existing trails—including Moses Returns, Egyptian Time Machine, and Dad Jokes—while adding directional and safety signage across the trail system and a “go/no-go” conditions sign at the trailhead. These upgrades will reduce congestion, support grazing management, and enhance a safe, high-quality recreation experience for Lander residents and visitors.
• Lander Pipe Band – Annually, the band performs at the State Fire Fighter Memorial in Riverton (since 2017), Quilts of Valor ceremonies, 9/11 anniversary memorials, Lander’s Veterans Day ceremony, National Guard deployment ceremonies, July 4th parade, the Fly-In, LightUp Lander Parade, and approximately 40 other memorials/events honoring veterans, military, and 1st responders. Due to the increasing interest in band members, they need more drums and bagpipes. 
• The Trenches Collective, Lander – We envision a community where individuals impacted by addiction, incarceration, trauma, family instability, and spiritual hardship are not isolated but supported through intentional pathways of growth. We will operate through structured small-group environments, mentorship pathways, workshops/life skills education, community events, and partnership-based programming. We are not designed to replace any specific resource or program, but rather to come alongside them to provide deeper relational support and practical life-skill development.
• First Friday Fun Night – First Friday Fun Night provides teens with a free, consistent, substance-free space to connect, held monthly (except July) from 7–10 PM. Open to all middle and high school students, the program fosters real-world interaction where teens engage with peers and adult mentors rather than screens. The result is a stronger sense of community, benefiting both youth and the adults who support them.
   
• Lander Valley Farmers Market – The Lander Valley Farmers Market marks its 19th season in 2026, operating Saturdays from May 30 through October 10 at its downtown location. Hosting dozens of local producers, the market connects more than 14,000 shoppers each year with fresh, locally grown food. This project enables the market to launch SNAP acceptance, expanding access for over 3,600 Fremont County residents while increasing sales opportunities for local vendors. By introducing SNAP, the market strengthens food access for many citizens, supports small producers, and advances its mission to make local food available to all.
• Slow Food Wind River at Meadowlark Market – Aligning with another locally supplied food market, Slow Food Wind River will expand food access also by enabling SNAP benefits acceptance at Meadowlark Market, which currently cannot serve the roughly 3,600 Fremont County residents who rely on nutrition assistance. This project funds the equipment, software, and training needed to secure USDA Food and Nutrition Service retailer authorization and install an EBT-capable system. Once implemented, SNAP users will be able to purchase local staples, including meat, dairy, produce, and bread, creating lasting access to fresh, locally produced food.
• Houlihan Narrative – Lander is a distinct community filled with individuals of diverse life experiences and few opportunities to share hard-earned wisdom, creating common ground, empathy, and increasing connection. Since the first live storytelling, we have presented 28 events and launched the Houlihan Narratives Podcast. We have grown from a scrappy group of talented volunteers into an organization with staying power. This project will professionalize the sound system infrastructure and stage visual materials.

This is the LCF’s 13th year offering the opportunity to apply for a Competitive Grant. To date, the LCF has issued 143 grants totaling over $173,700. This year, there were 29 applicants.