Skillbuilders Fund
The SkillBuilders Fund is a private foundation based in Leawood, Kansas, created in 1983 by Marjorie Powell Allen. It supports programs in the Greater Kansas City area that serve women and girls, with a focus on education, employment, life skills, self-sufficiency, and leadership.
Skillbuilders Fund at a glance
In short: Skillbuilders Fund gave $568K across 21 grants in 2024 (avg $27K), mostly in Kansas. 24% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $567,974
- +33.2% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 21
- +16.7% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $27,046
- +14.1% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $15,000
- Total assets
- $3,179,193
- -9.0% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 24% first-time grantees (5 of 21, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Kansas (58% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Skillbuilders Fund
- Contact
Application contact: Skillbuilders Fd
Mailing address: 4707 College Blvd Suite 201, Leawood, KS 66211-1685
Phone: (913) 608-7545
Email: ballen@skillbuildersfund.org
Website: https://skillbuildersfund.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Skillbuilders Fund
Who Skillbuilders Fund funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Wildwood Outdoor Education Center ($266K). Together the top 10 received $471K.
Grant Size Distribution
79 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 75 grants of 79 (95%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Fund’s stated geographic focus is the Greater Kansas City area. In 2024, 58% of its grant dollars went to recipients in Kansas and 42% to recipients in Missouri.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 21 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Skillbuilders Fund open to new grantees?
24%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 5 of 21 grantees (24%) were first-time recipients. With only 21 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $15K; repeat grants $31K. How we count
Medians: $20K first-time, $15K repeat.
- 76% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 264% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 268% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $123K (2020) to $568K (2024). In 2024 it made 21 grants totaling $568K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Wildwood Outdoor Education Center La Cygne, KS | Fincl Support of Public Charity | $266,474 |
| Amethyst Place Kansas City, MO | Fincl Support of Public Charity | $30,000 |
| Pawsperity Kansas City, MO | Fincl Support of Public Charity | $30,000 |
| Rightfully Sewn Kansas City, MO | Fincl Support of Public Charity | $25,000 |
| Pharmacy of Grace Kansas City, KS | Fincl Support of Public Charity | $25,000 |
| Habitat for Humanity KC Kansas City, MO | Fincl Support of Public Charity | $20,000 |
| Women's Employment Network Kansas City, MO | Fincl Support of Public Charity | $20,000 |
| Great Jobs KC Kansas City, MO | Fincl Support of Public Charity | $20,000 |
| Mattie Rhodes Art Center Kansas City, MO | Fincl Support of Public Charity | $20,000 |
| KC Community Gardens Kansas City, MO | Fincl Support of Public Charity | $15,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $3,179,193 | $347,836 | $664,099 | $567,974 | 21 | $628,060 | $319,840 | $233,927 |
| 2023 | $3,495,236 | $412,289 | $508,597 | $426,500 | 18 | $482,600 | $386,379 | $200,915 |
| 2022 | $3,799,801 | $46,059 | $480,628 | $367,451 | 15 | $440,680 | $65,247 | $217,784 |
| 2021 | $4,237,912 | $871,990 | $272,196 | $156,000 | 11 | $240,869 | $840,945 | $233,988 |
| 2020 | $3,647,496 | $-4,321 | $251,542 | $123,000 | 14 | — | $77,808 | $207,789 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Skillbuilders Fund reported a distributable amount of $234K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Fund’s stated purpose is to help women and girls realize their full potential. It favors innovative programs that provide educational opportunities, build entrepreneurial skills, and cultivate leadership, and is especially interested in helping women and girls gain self-sufficiency, build capacity to function in society, and become responsible citizens.
Its primary areas of interest are employment, education, and life skills. Employment priorities include job skills training, career transitions, and assistance for women seeking work. Education priorities include science, technology, engineering, math, sports and fitness, and preparation for post-secondary education. Life skills priorities include financial literacy, mentoring, self-esteem, self-sufficiency, and leadership. The Fund says it considers proposals from new and traditional organizations.
Examples of 2024 grantees illustrate the range of organizations supported. Women’s Employment Network describes its work as helping women achieve economic independence through sustained employment. Rightfully Sewn says it provides seamstress training. Great Jobs KC describes its work as providing access to college scholarships, tuition-free job training, and job placement assistance. These are the grantees’ descriptions of their own missions.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the Fund reported 21 grants totaling $567,974. The grant amounts ranged from $2,000 to $266,474, with a median of $15,000. The website says grants typically range from $20,000 to $50,000 and may rarely exceed $50,000. Grants are for use within 12 months, and multi-year grants are not considered.
The largest 2024 grant listed was $266,474 to Wildwood Outdoor Education Center. Other large grants included $30,000 each to Amethyst Place and Pawsperity; $25,000 each to Rightfully Sewn and Pharmacy of Grace; and $20,000 each to Habitat for Humanity KC, Women’s Employment Network, Great Jobs KC, and Mattie Rhodes Art Center. Pawsperity describes its work as helping parents become self-sustaining through parenting support, life skills, and job training.
The Fund’s website describes a Letter of Intent process, followed by invitations to submit a full application for proposals that best match its priorities. Its stated 2026–2027 LOI deadline was June 29, 2026, and the full application deadline was September 4, 2026; both dates have passed. The 2024 filing instead states that applications should be submitted in a simple letter of no more than three pages, including the need and purpose of the grant, the applicant organization’s board list, other contributions, and a project budget. The filing lists no deadlines. The website says the Fund does not award grants for annual giving campaigns, capital campaigns, debt reduction, endowments, fundraising events or sponsorships, political activities, or religious purposes or programs requiring religious participation.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Barbara P. Allen as president, secretary, and director, and Jessica Peryam as vice chair and director.
Skillbuilders Fund is led by Barbara P. Allen, President, Secretary & Director on every filing since 2020; 1 of 2 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Barbara P. Allen
President, Secretary & Director
On filings since 2020
15 hrs/week
$30K (2020) → $30K (2024)
Jessica Peryam
Vice Chair & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $30K, to Barbara P Allen (Pres/Sec/DIR).
Frequently asked questions about Skillbuilders Fund
How much does Skillbuilders Fund give each year?
Skillbuilders Fund gave $568K across 21 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $427K across 18 grants.
What is Skillbuilders Fund's typical grant size?
Skillbuilders Fund's median grant in 2024 was $15,000, and its average grant was $27,046, across 21 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Skillbuilders Fund that year got $15K on average.
Where does Skillbuilders Fund give grants?
Skillbuilders Fund gives mostly in Kansas: 58% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Missouri (42%). The most frequent recipient cities were Kansas City, MO (16 grants) and Kansas City, KS (2 grants).
Does Skillbuilders Fund give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 21 grants with a stated purpose on Skillbuilders Fund's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Fincl Support of Public Charity" (21 grants).
Who are Skillbuilders Fund's largest grantees?
Skillbuilders Fund's largest 2024 grantees include Wildwood Outdoor Education Center ($266,474), Amethyst Place ($30,000) and Pawsperity ($30,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 57% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Skillbuilders Fund?
Skillbuilders Fund reported $3.2M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $628K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $234K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Skillbuilders Fund fund?
The Fund’s stated purpose is to help women and girls realize their full potential. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Skillbuilders Fund?
Skillbuilders Fund has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check skillbuildersfund.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Skillbuilders Fund's EIN?
Skillbuilders Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 48-0984713. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Skillbuilders Fund's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Skillbuilders Fund funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/skillbuilders-fund-morg_0f1254dc88d8445aaceeaf49565eda1e
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_480984713_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Skillbuilders Fund funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/skillbuilders-fund-morg_0f1254dc88d8445aaceeaf49565eda1e},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Skillbuilders Fund's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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