The blue carpet was rolled out to welcome more than 250 community members into the Foundation for the second-annual open house Thursday, Sept. 19. President and CEO Dr. DeAngela Burns-Wallace, and other members of Foundation leadership, greeted guests for a night to “spark” connection and engagement. “‘Spark’ was really our inspiration as we thought about […]

Crystal Everett is a real world learning officer – educator programming and engagement in Operating Programs for the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. She leads the efforts related to our MVA Educator Network to ensure that teachers have professional development and peer support when implementing Market Value Assets in the classroom. Everett serves as our subject matter expert […]

Explore our updated funding approach, register for a webinar, and take our eligibility quiz, because the grant portal is now open.

Taylor Werner, CFA, is an analyst in Investments for the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, where she helps manage the Foundation’s $3 billion investment portfolio. Prior to joining the Kauffman Foundation, Werner was a portfolio manager with Commerce Bank. Werner earned her Bachelor of Science in business administration – finance from Kansas State University and is a […]

Solissa Franco-McKay is executive director for ProX, an operating program of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. Reporting to the chief of staff, Franco-McKay provides leadership and implement policies and programs to ensure the Real World Initiative affiliate programs create learning opportunities for students through connections with local businesses, in alignment with the Foundation’s vision and […]

Uncommon Leader Visionary Award The Uncommon Leader Visionary Award is designed to honor an executive leader from a 501(c)(3) public charity in the Kansas City region who is building an inspiring and impactful legacy within their community, particularly aligned with the Foundation’s mission to advance economic mobility, and who demonstrates significant contributions to the Kansas City […]

Grant opportunities We offer Capacity Building, Collective Impact, Project, and Research grants on a regular grant cycle. Key dates & funding amounts Our grant pathways follow a regular cadence. Funding for approved applications is typically disbursed within 4-6 months after the application period closes. STATUS* OPEN DATE GRANT PATHWAY AMOUNT CLOSE DATE ● Fall 2026Previous […]

Watch a grantmaking webinar Our webinar series provides a space for the community to hear directly from Kauffman Foundation leadership about our grant pathways. Watch our Grantmaking playlist on YouTube Ask an Impact Officer Ask an Impact Officer (AAIO) sessions are not one-on-one conversations but aim to be a relaxed gathering conducive to group conversation. […]

Sponsorship guidelines Selection process Ready to start the process? We encourage all applicants to review our strategic priorities, sponsorship guidelines, selection process, and FAQs to learn more before applying. Answer a few questions to help determine if your organization or request meets the requirements for a sponsorship. If you need assistance completing the sponsorship application, please contact us. […]

Our grantmaking approach Over the next 10 years, we are committed to closing economic mobility gaps in Kansas City. Our funding priorities & focus areas Strategic priorities Together with our community, we believe we can shift the landscape in three strategies — college access and completion, workforce and career development, and entrepreneurship — prioritized because […]