The Douglas County Community Foundation has been selected to participate in an initiative to raise funds for local health.

The Kansas Health Foundation picked 12 community foundations for the second chapter of the Giving Resources to Our World Healthy Kansas Initiative, also known as GROW II. The communities will be challenged to raise endowment dollars, which will be matched by the state foundation.

Douglas County is eligible to receive $600,000 in a matching grant. Two other communities earned the same amount, and only one was higher at $800,000.

In addition to the matching grant, Douglas County Community Foundation will receive training, one-on-one consulting and support and, if it meets certain benchmarks, an operating grant of 3.5 percent of the matching grant awarded by the foundation on an annual basis for six years.

Chip Blaser, executive director of Douglas County Community Foundation, is glad the community was picked.

“It brings in funds from outside of our community that will have a direct impact on services provided right here in Douglas County over the long term,” he said.