The Douglas County Community Foundation announced Monday the recipients of $124,000 in grants.

Thirty-one nonprofit organizations received money for health, human service and educational projects. Grants ranged from $10,080 to $1,364.

The Foundation gave away $24,000 more than last year, or 24 percent, but the number of applications was up 20 percent.

The top five awards went to:

• Douglas County Visiting Nurses, Rehabilitation, and Hospice Care for treating and monitoring people with chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart disease, $10,080.

• Just Food of ECKAN to help meet a 50 percent increase in demand for emergency food assistance through its food bank, $8,000.

• Lawrence Memorial Hospital Endowment Association to help purchase a secure digital forensic imaging system to document and collect evidence in sexual assault and physical abuse cases, $7,750.

• Heartland Medical Clinic for treating and monitoring people with chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart disease, $7,500.

• Ecumenical Christian Ministries for renovations to the building, $7,300.

“There’s so much good work going on around the community through our nonprofit organizations and educational organizations that it’s really a difficult decision process for our board to go through because every application certainly has merits.”

— Chip Blaser, executive director of the Foundation.

The Douglas County Community Foundation was created in 2000 with a major gift from the late Hortense Oldfather of Lawrence. It attracts donations and awards grants that support a variety of local causes. The awards announced Monday are in addition to numerous grants made every month.

The foundation has awarded more than $4.5 million in grants since its inception.

A complete list of Monday’s recipients can be found on the Douglas County Community Foundation’s Web site at www.dccfoundation.net.