Beneficient Heartland Foundation

How We Will Help

The Foundation helps fund growth and development projects that foster:

Job & Income Growth
Main Street Revitalization
Improvement to Educational/Healthcare/Senior Facilities
Construction & Development
Post-Secondary Institutions

Meet our Founders of the Beneficient Heartland Foundation in The Ben Connection section

BHF submits audited financial statements yearly to the Hesston City Council, the TEFFI Oversight Joint Committee of the House and Senate of the State of Kansas, the Department of Commerce, the Office of the State Banking Commission of Kansas.

Recent Milestones

August 27, 2024
BHF Director Brad Heppner presented an update on the Grocery Store project to the Hesston community in the Prairie Pavilion of Dyck Arboretum. See the video.

August 5, 2024
Engineers and architects are engaged to produce the construction plans for the new build on Lancaster and Knott for the Golden Plains Credit Union as part of the relocations to provide land for the Grocery Store.

June 30, 2024
The Garden Church Offices and Youth Center opened in a newly renovated location in Old Town Center, providing new and more usable square footage, as part of the relocations to provide land for the Grocery Store.

MORE MILESTONES

A Grocery Store in Hesston's Main Street

What’s Next in Store?
A Grocery Store!

The Foundation’s initial focus will be to bring a much-needed Grocery Store to Hesston’s Main Street.

Map of Hesston's Central Retail District

A Great Grocery Store

We are creating a full-service Grocery Store, with features including:

18,000-square-feet of space
Potential for 2,500 customers per week
Potential for 50 employees
Delicatessen
German food specialties
Deli-style restaurant
Potential for 2 additional 3rd party retailers
Senior-friendly amenities including special shopping times, bright lighting, easy accessibility

Timeline: Getting Our Grocery Store

2018-2021

Hesston’s last Grocery Store closes in 2018.

City of Hesston task force examines challenges of attracting a new store, meeting independent grocers and conducting a public survey.

Hesston Chamber of Commerce commissions an Associated Wholesale Grocers’ Market Analysis.

2022-Today

Beneficient Heartland Foundation (BHF) commits to bringing a Grocery Store to Hesston and forms Grocery Store Task Force.
BHF meets with independent grocery consultants and completes site visits to other rural Grocery Stores.
BHF consults multiple studies to optimize site selection and rural economic development opportunities.
BHF targets optimal downtown east side of Main Street.
BHF commissions interior and exterior artists concepts and renderings of exterior and interior Grocery Store conceptual plans.
BHF prepares preliminary financial objectives, budget analysis and funding requirement schedules.
BHF purchases 7 of 8 targeted properties (with 8th under contract, pending completion of business relocation).
BHF successfully relocates 3 of 4 former Main Street businesses to improved locations (with 4th relocation in progress).
BHF signs Memorandum of Understanding with White’s Food Liner to be the Grocery Store operator.
BHF engages architectural and engineering firm for Golden Plaines Credit Union Relocation.

Milestones of Beneficient Heartland Foundation since 2022

January 20, 2022
Beneficient Heartland Foundation organized with an inaugural contribution of approximately $6.5 million facilitated by Aurelia and Brad Heppner and an initial mission to bring a new full-service Grocery Store to Hesston.

April 2022
Foundation Grocery Store Task Force formed to initiate efforts to bring a new full-service Grocery Store to Hesston. Initiated evaluation of previous business studies, site selection options, and potential operators. West side of Main Street had been pre-selected as potential site for new Grocery Store.

May 2022
Site Selected: Grocery Store Task Force pivots to select east side of Main Street as future home to new Grocery Store.

July 7, 2022
1st Property Acquired: Old Hesston Food Market acquired to be used for possible site of future Grocery Store.

November 15, 2022
2nd Property Secured: Commitment of Owners of The Nest to sell their Main Street location of future Grocery Store upon relocation to renovated old Hesston Food Market.

November 30, 2022
3rd Property Secured: Commitment of Beneficient to gift its business conference center located on the east side of Main Street as the first property for location of future Grocery Store.

December 12, 2022
Operator Commitment Secured: Memorandum of Understanding reached with White’s Kingco and the City of Hesston to bring the White family to Hesston as operators of a new full-service Grocery Store.

February 28, 2023
4th Property Secured: Memorandum of Understanding reached with Golden Plains Credit Union and City of Hesston for the Foundation to acquire its building and two lots on the east side of Main Street after relocation of its branch credit union.

March 29, 2023
5th Property Acquired: Acquisition of suite at Old Town Center to be used for the future relocation of the Garden Church offices.

March 29, 2023
6th Property Acquired: Acquisition of Garden Church Offices for new Grocery Store location.

July 22, 2023
The Nest opened for business in the newly renovated previous old Hesston Food Market providing a new, larger retail space.

July 31, 2023
The Nest Property Acquisition: Acquisition of The Nest retail store on east side of Main Street for new Grocery Store location.

September 1, 2023
Updated concept drawings and artists renderings of the interior and exterior of the proposed future Grocery Store to be located on the east side of Main Street presented for Foundation feedback.

May 29, 2024
7th Property Acquired: Acquisition land from the King family (Lancaster & Knott) to be used for the future relocation of Golden Plains Credit Union.

May 29, 2024
8th Property Acquired: Acquisition from the City of Hesston (Lancaster & Knott) to be used for the future relocation of Golden Plains Credit Union.

June 30, 2024
The Garden Church Offices and Youth Center opens in its newly renovated location in Old Town Center providing new and more usable square footage.

August 5, 2024
Engineers and Architects engaged to produce the construction plans for the new build on Lancaster and Knott for Golden Plains Credit Union.

August 27, 2024
BHF Director Brad Heppner presented an update on the Grocery Store project to the Hesston community in the Prairie Pavilion of Dyck Arboretum.

Feast to Famine: Getting Groceries in Hesston

We’ve Got Parking Covered

Ensuring ease of parking has been a priority throughout the project. Parking features include:

Climate-controlled, weather-friendly garage that keeps shoppers out of the elements
3X the area’s current parking capacity
Comparable parking capacity to North Dillons in Newton
Bright lighting and easy store access
Parking for golf carts
Free golf cart/EV charging
Easy-in, easy-out up/down ramp access
Wide parking spaces

Location, Location, Location

To facilitate the selection of the most advantageous site and to ensure best practices for rural small-town economic development were being utilized, BHF consulted multiple reports and studies from sources including:

United States Department of Agriculture
United States Environmental Protection Agency
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
University of Wisconsin

Key insights from these reports include:

Locating the new Grocery Store within a half mile of as many residences as possible to improve access for those residents with no to low access to a vehicle (the only 1 of 6 USDA food access categories which Hesston does not meet)
Promoting improved foot traffic and retail economics between multiple centrally located individual retailers during a shopper's single visit to the Central Retail District while providing ample and safe parking
Revitalizing and restoring our community’s Central Retail District to be easily accessible for pedestrians, bikers, golf carts and cars to enjoy

Selection of Best-in-Class Grocery Operator - White's Foodliner

In business through three generations since 1953
Average rural store SKU count (number of items) 8,000 to 10,000 – WHITES FOODLINER average SKU count per store 22,000 (wide selection)
360 employees and growing every year
Offer a robust mobile app, loyalty rewards program along with online shopping and coming soon- shipping options
Pride themselves as "Students of the business" and constantly adapt to changes of the business
Expansive corporate team to help in all departments and all communities to help relive stress on local employees and managers
Future succession plan in place to ensure security for the team

Wish List for a New Grocery Store in Hesston

Expansive deli and bakery
Fresh cut meat everyday with butcher on site
Fresh produce, buying local as much as possible, and expansive fresh cut prepack fruit and vegetable offering
Expansive selection of ethnic, import, and specialty items you will not be able to find anywhere else in the state
Pick up and delivery options for online shopping with shipping option coming soon
Bridge buy and truck load buys for all locations to drive pricing down while also committing to city zone Walmart pricing TPR (Temporary Price Reduction) programs

Checkout Our Progress!

View BHF Director Brad Heppner’s recent presentation on the Grocery Store project to the Hesston community.

Exterior of the former Hesston Food Market

Exterior of The Nest boutique in its new location

Creating New Spaces for Downtown Neighbors

To accommodate our new Grocery Store location, BHF has already successfully created new spaces for several downtown businesses.

To secure the desired space for the new Grocery Store, BHF has purchased multiple Main Street properties from multiple owners.

As part of the process, four former Main Street businesses are getting upgraded locations: a gift shop, a church office, a credit union and Beneficient’s conference center.

The moves have been successfully implemented for three of the businesses, and we are in the process of accommodating the credit union.

Spotlight 1: The Nest

The Nest boutique has moved into its beautiful new home at 115 W. Smith St., the former home of the vacant Grocery Store.

The remodeling of the building is a visible investment into the Central Retail District of Hesston and provides a portion of the needed land on Main Street for a new Grocery Store.

The building was brought back to life utilizing areawide skilled contractors and quality material suppliers…a positive impact within the local economy.

Customers at The Nest’s new location are enjoying the enhanced selection of curated goods, gifts, home furnishings and boutique clothing…all in a fresh and inviting atmosphere.

The former Hesston Food Market building renovated to The Nest.

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Interior of the former Hesston Food Market

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Interior of The Nest boutique in its new location

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Exterior of the former Garden Community Church building

Former building of The Nest.

Spotlight 2: Garden Community Church

Garden Community Church has moved into its beautiful new home in Old Town Center. The new location also includes a generously sized new youth fellowship team space.

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Exterior of the new Garden Community Church building

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Interior of the former Garden Community Church building

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Interior of the new Garden Community Church building

Spotlight 3: Golden Plains Credit Union

BHF has purchased a new property for the Golden Plains Credit Union and is in the process of planning the construction of their new location.

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Exterior of the former Golden Plains Credit Union building

To this.

Exterior of the new Golden Plains Credit Union building

Spotlight 4: Beneficient

Beneficient is in the process of looking for a new location to consolidate its current conference center into its existing Hesston operations in one building in the Central Retail District.

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To this.

A Vision of Revitalization

The new Grocery Store is just the beginning of an envisioned revitalization of Hesston

Tapping Into TEFFI

The Foundation utilizes funds for rural Kansas communities made available through the TEFFI Act.

The Ben Connection

The Foundation is funded by Kansas’ first TEFFI, Beneficient Fiduciary Financial, a subsidiary of Beneficient (Ben).

Members of the Beneficient Heartland Foundation Board of Directors

Our Board, Your Neighbors

Our Board of Directors is comprised of a diverse set of government and private sector leaders.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the history of the Foundation?

Beneficient Heartland Foundation, Inc (BHF) is a non-profit corporation formed on January 20, 2022, in Kansas. BHF is organized to administer assets received as donations because of the TEFFI Act, a Kansas law passed in 2021 which created a new class of trust companies called technology-enabled fiduciary financial institutions (TEFFI). A charitable donation is made by TEFFI customers in the amount of 2.5% of TEFFI financing transactions. No part of the net earnings of BHF shall inure to the benefit of any member, director, or officer of BHF.

Does the state of Kansas receive any funds from the 2.5% of TEFFI financing transactions?

Yes, the state of Kansas’s Department of Commerce does receive a partial share of the 2.5% TEFFI donations and has created a separate grants program called SEED. Strategic Economic Expansion and Development (“SEED”) grants funded by the TEFFI Act and administered by the Kansas Department of Commerce have been developed to support the revitalization of Kansas communities with populations under 5,000 through investments in quality-of-life initiatives. Local governments, economic development organizations, chambers of commerce, and other organizations are eligible to apply for SEED grants. The Kansas Department of Commerce has identified various program guidelines for the TEFFI SEED grant program, including eligible projects to be funded. One of these projects is food retail.

What is the relationship with Beneficient Fiduciary Financial, LLC?

Beneficient Fiduciary Financial, LLC (BFF) is a TEFFI with a Kansas charter issued in 2021. BFF is the sole member of BHF. The BHF Board of Directors is the governing body and is elected in the manner described in the BHF Bylaws.

Where is the Foundation located?

The Foundation is in the offices of Beneficient Fiduciary Financial (BFF) in Hesston, Kansas. BFF is a Kansas affiliate of The Beneficient Company (Ben), a Nasdaq listed for-profit corporation.

Why does the Foundation focus its work on Hesston, Kansas?

The TEFFI Act provides that BHF may choose a community within Harvey County to be the first economic growth zone. An economic growth zone means an incorporated community with a population of not more than 5,000 people located within listed counties, which includes Harvey County. Hesston has a population of 3,900 people and is in Harvey County. BHF selected Hesston to be the focus of its charity work.

Who may apply for grants from the Foundation?

Grant applications are not being accepted currently. BHF is in the process of developing a five-year plan for making grants to charities and other non-profits in Kansas. BHF will develop a grant application and proposal form for candidates to fill out. BHF will engage in a comprehensive review process with respect to each grant candidate.

The Community Reinvestment and Grants Committee of BHF meets quarterly to decide the areas of pressing need in Kansas following extensive consultation with and valued input from Kansas nonprofit, civic and organizational leadership. It is the starting point to make a needs assessment.

What type of Foundation is BHF?

BHF was organized as a private foundation and is in the process of obtaining an exemption from federal income taxes under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. It is subject to a federal excise tax on its net investment income.

A private foundation is an organization with a fund, or endowment, that gives money to other non-profit organizations for charitable purposes and may invest its cash flow in program related investments (PRI). PRI are mission driven investments that are not subject to the normal prudent investment standards for a foundation board of directors.

BHF is making real estate investments in Hesston to promote economic growth and to encourage young families to live there. BHF plans to acquire real property and lease such real property for the purpose of helping the City of Hesston bring a Grocery Store to the City’s downtown area.

How are private foundations different from other tax-exempt nonprofits or organizations?

A private foundation is usually funded by a single source, such as an individual, family or corporation. It does not solicit funds from the public. Nonprofits and public charities generally fundraise and receive grants to carry out their work and are classified as tax exempt 501(c)(3) organizations. Although some public charities engage in grantmaking activities, most conduct direct service or other tax-exempt activities.

CONTACT US

Whether you’ve got a great idea for revitalizing Hesston or want to learn about our latest initiatives, here’s how to get in touch.

Reinvesting in rural Kansas communities

The Beneficient Heartland Foundation (BHF) is here to focus on economic development in rural Kansas communities like Hesston and to support colleges and universities based in Kansas.

How We Will Help