On August 5th, it was announced that a $1.59 million grant was awarded to the upcoming Clay Center Multi-Generational Life Center. This is in addition to more than $1.5 million in donations and in-kind donations, and the deciding $3.64 million grant from the Children’s Cabinet Accelerator, which initially put MGLC into action.
The grant comes from the Patterson Family Foundation, which is based out of Kansas City, MO., and was founded by Neal and Jeanne Patterson in 2007.
Annually, the organization provides more than $50 million in charitable funding for rural-based projects.
The Patterson Family Foundation has also given grants the last three years to support Gather for Good or “Match Day,” hosted by the Clay Center Community Improvement Foundation, and just this year provided a grant to hire an executive director for CCCIF.
They also provided a $175,000 grant for childcare furniture, equipment, and operations, which will be used on the MGLC childcare portion, and $15,000 for workforce development.
Additional funding for the MGLC has come from private and community donations: ($718,000); BCBS Pathways ($125,000); the Goldstein Foundation ($500,000); Kansas CSP Tax Credits ($200,000); plus additional grants and in-kind items, like the eight-acre location from the Oetinger Family, dirt work from the Cott Family, and five years of broadband service from Twin Valley Telephone.
Namesakes: Neal and Jeanne Patterson of Cerner Corporation
Neal grew up in a small, ag-based community in southern Kansas and graduated with his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Oklahoma State. Neal made his fortune by co-founding Cerner, a medical software company, in 1979. He served as CEO for more than 30 years, when he was recognized by USA Today, Forbes, the Wall Street Journal, and Modern Healthcare multiple times over as one of the top-performing CEOs in the world. Neal grew Cerner to an S&P 500 company before it was purchased by Oracle in 2022 for more than $28 billion.
Neal was also the principal investor for Sporting Kansas City, rebranding the team from the Wizards/The Wiz to its current name after purchasing from the Hunt Family in 2006.
Meanwhile, Jeanne was from Kansas City, MO and met Neal after she was hired as Cerner’s seventh employee, earning her the nickname 007. In fact, it was she who came up with the name Cerner Corporation. In adulthood, Jeanne saw disadvantages to healthcare options in smaller communities. She was known as “the soul” of Cerner and worked at the company for more than 36 years.
At the time of his death, Neal’s estimated net worth was $1.5 billion, according to Forbes.
Neal and Jeanne passed away in 2017 and the pair left behind a plan for the Patterson Family Foundation with a plan of rural giving to be led by their children and grandchildren for decades to come.
What the Patterson Family Foundation Does
The Patterson Foundation offers grants in four sectors: economic opportunity, healthcare, education, and community engagement. Grants are eligible strictly for rural areas, including counties with less than 50,000 residents. This includes most of Kansas (excluding Shawnee, Riley, Saline, Wichita, and Kansas City-area counties) and 24 counties in western Missouri.
In 2023, their giving surpassed $51 million in charitable donations. They also fund multiple “match day” events for qualifying counties, offering several thousand dollars in matching funds. The program is partnered with the Kansas Association of Community Foundations and is open to nonprofit organizations in their catchment area of Kansas or northwestern Missouri.
In 2025, the Foundation includes 15 employees, including an economic data scientist, a research analyst, and a chief legacy officer. Performing research and following family and town legacy, the organization puts funds where it’s needed and can provide the most impact to rural residents.
More information on donations and naming rights to the upcoming Clay Center Multi-Generational Life Center can be found on the Grow Clay County website or on KCLYradio.com.
