photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

The Ballard Center, 708 Elm Street, is pictured on Friday, Oct. 31, 2025.

The Ballard Center has received a $1 million gift to go toward a permanent endowment to help bolster living wages for educators and its new tuition model.

The gift was made by a Lawrence resident who wishes to remain anonymous, a press release from the Ballard Center said. The fund is to honor the memory of his late wife, who believed in the power of children and learning.

The donor said in the release that as his wife struggled with terminal cancer, they talked about making a significant contribution aimed at children and their families. He said once he found that organization, he promised he would make that contribution.

“A good friend introduced me to the Ballard Center, and soon I was introduced to Kyle and given a tour of the facility,” the donor said in the release. “That tour was all it took. I learned the history of the Center, the trials and tribulations they have survived and was moved by the care and compassion shown by the staff to the children. It was an easy decision to make.”

The endowed fund is structured by giving the Ballard Center access to 10% of the fund balance annually while preserving a majority for long-term growth. The goal of the fund is to keep childcare affordable for families and provide sustainable wages for Ballard’s educators for generations to come.

As the Journal-World reported, Ballard’s new tuition model caps childcare costs at no more than 7% of a family’s household income to align more closely with federal affordability standards. Additionally, Ballard has been working to create opportunities to build a sustainable living wage pathway for its educators.

The release said the Ballard Center’s operating budget has 60% of funds coming from private donations. The organization does not receive guaranteed annual allocations from federal, state, county or city budgets.

Kyle Roggenkamp, CEO of the Ballard Center, said in the release that the investment reinforces two promises the organization makes to the community.

“This endowment protects commitments we’ve already made, that childcare should never cost more than 7% of a family’s income, and that the educators shaping our youngest children deserve a living wage,” Roggenkamp said. “It creates stability beneath those promises. But our daily work continues to depend on a community that believes in children and shows up for them.”

The donor is inviting the community to grow the fund, which is partnership with the Douglas County Community Foundation and the Ballard Center, and expand its long-term impact.

People interested in learning more or donating through the Douglas County Community Foundation can visit https://dccfoundation.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create/fund?funit_id=7504.