INMAN � Depending on how you look at, it hardships and rural life seem to go hand-in-hand.



For some this is a simple fact of life, and�others might call it poetic, but the Kansas Sampler Foundation is hoping to ease the burden that�rural life sometimes incidentally creates for Kansans, through crowd funding.



Later this month the foundation plans to launch a website, called Kanstarter, to help communities raise funds, equipment and manpower to allow them to accomplish their goals.



�This is like a dream come true to help these rural communities,� said Marci Penner, the foundation�s director. �We wanted to do the site in a way that inspires people to help sustain rural life and Kansas communities.�



Penner, said the foundation recently received $200,000 in community service tax credits from the Kansas Department of Commerce to build the site.



The site itself, Penner said, is very similar to the popular crowd-funding site Kickstarter. However, not just anyone can post a project. In order for a group to create a project on the site, it must first demonstrate:



1. The project�is for the good of the community;



2. It will not cover salaries;



3. It will not promote religious or political views;



4. The project is supported by multiple generations.



�We want to force-feed these projects even with the submission process to make a difference in their communities,��Penner said. �We don�t want to do a site that is so easy to do that it�s just about getting money.�



The projects will be organized by category and geography, said�Penner. The site will also feature a spot for people to volunteer their time or skills for a project.



Kanstarter is currently in the early stages, and visiting the site will take you to a page with a video explaining the project's purpose.



Penner said the pilot program�that will launch later this month will help the organization work out the kinks and perfect the process.



Earlier this summer the Kansas Sampler Foundation and its partner organization, the WeKan Network, asked communities to submit projects to be selected as part of a pilot program for the website.



Twenty-four communities responded with varying degrees of projects, and Penner and the selection committee, made up of the WeKan Network�s three board members, narrowed the pilot program down to four projects across Kansas.



�We feel Kanstarter does fill a lot of needs, especially in rural Kansas,� said Luke Mahin, a WeKan Network board member. �This is a big learning process for all of us.�



The projects are: an update to the Burdett Mini Golf Course; purchasing land in Plains to build a grocery store; constructing an amphitheater to replace the Wilson Opera House, which burned down; and the construction of a recreation trail in Yates Center.



�Small towns, I think, get exhausted after a while,� said Katie Hammeke of Burdett. �After a while you just can�t fund everything. Being able to look beyond our community to help with this project will be really nice.�



Allison Ford of Wilson and Jeanne Roberts and Jennifer Miller of Plains agree Kanstarter will be a great way for their organizations to raise awareness about their cause.



All four groups met at the Sampler Foundation�s Inman headquarters last week to learn more about the backdoor side of the site and how to run a crowd-funding project. Penner said the pilot program will likely run its first phase for about 60 days, ending around December. After that, it will likely open the site for anyone to post a project so long as it meets the criteria.



Initially, only communities of 2,000 or fewer will be able to post projects, but as time goes on anyone in Kansas will be able to post a project,�said Penner.



Penner said donations will go to an account at the foundation, with 6 percent of those funds going to the foundation to continue its work, 3 percent going to credit-card companies�that make the transactions, and the remainder going to the projects.



Penner said the site has been�something the foundation has been building to since 2009. The foundation had been working on community development projects. One of the first projects was a 2009 remodel of the Whiting Cafe in Whiting. Penner said the foundation raised $5,000 and hosted a work weekend where more than 90 people showed up to work. The foundation has since spearheaded other projects. Due to the success of these projects, said Penner, a crowd-sourcing site seemed like the next logical step.