The Debruce Foundation
The DeBruce Foundation is a private foundation based in Kansas City, Missouri. Its mission is to expand pathways to economic growth and opportunity, with a current emphasis on career tools, workforce development, and partnerships that help people explore and pursue career pathways.
The Debruce Foundation at a glance
In short: The Debruce Foundation gave $225K across 22 grants in 2024 (avg $10K), mostly in Missouri. 14% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $225,000
- -20.7% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 22
- -31.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $10,227
- +15.3% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $13,984,910
- -10.2% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 14% first-time grantees (3 of 22, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Missouri (83% 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 The Debruce Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests. It states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 4520 Main Street Suite 1500, Kansas City, MO 64111
Phone: (816) 216-1272
Website: https://debruce.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Debruce Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Umkc ($100K). Together the top 10 received $188K.
Grant Size Distribution
164 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 148 grants of 164 (90%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 83% of grant dollars went to recipients in Missouri, 8% to Kansas, 6% to Florida, and 3% to California.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 22 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Debruce Foundation open to new grantees?
14%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 3 of 22 grantees (14%) were first-time recipients. With only 22 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $38K; repeat grants $6K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 68% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving fell 71% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out well above 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 $225K (2024) to $954K (2022). In 2024 it made 22 grants totaling $225K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Umkc Kansas City, MO | General Charitable Purposes | $100,000 |
| Kansas City Repertory Theatre Kansas City, MO | General Charitable Purposes | $20,000 |
| Friends of Boca Grande Boca Grande, FL | General Charitable Purposes | $10,000 |
| Jewish Community Relations Bureauajc Fairway, KS | General Charitable Purposes | $10,000 |
| Show-Me Institute Saint Louis, MO | General Charitable Purposes | $10,000 |
| Umkc Henry Bloch School of Management Kansas City, MO | General Charitable Purposes | $10,000 |
| Umkc Trustees Kansas City, MO | General Charitable Purposes | $10,000 |
| Ku Endowment Association Lawrence, KS | General Charitable Purposes | $7,500 |
| Jazzoo - Kansas City Zoo Kansas City, MO | General Charitable Purposes | $5,000 |
| Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey Kansas City, MO | General Charitable Purposes | $5,000 |
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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 | $13,984,910 | $4,774,245 | $6,201,811 | $225,000 | 22 | $6,099,610 | $3,808,220 | $548,070 |
| 2023 | $15,579,268 | $7,714,078 | $5,939,089 | $283,911 | 32 | $5,807,949 | $4,866,910 | $488,618 |
| 2022 | $15,363,982 | $9,665,922 | $5,899,612 | $953,670 | 44 | $5,863,858 | $3,920,450 | $442,312 |
| 2021 | $12,716,498 | $4,601,440 | $4,526,106 | $767,825 | 34 | $4,481,955 | $2,309,526 | $436,962 |
| 2020 | $11,088,278 | $4,635,331 | $5,619,546 | $342,743 | 32 | — | $1,831,544 | $419,408 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Debruce Foundation reported a distributable amount of $548K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s stated mission is to expand pathways to economic growth and opportunity. Its initiatives include career-literacy resources and training, youth input through the DeBruce Career Corps, career tools for graduates, and partnerships with K–12 and post-secondary schools, youth organizations, employers, and state agencies. The foundation describes its direct charitable activity as developing solutions to help youth and adults become more agile for work.
The foundation’s 2024 grants included support for varied charitable organizations. For example, Kansas City Repertory Theatre describes its mission as creating transformative theatre experiences; Show-Me Institute says it advances public policies to enhance economic growth and opportunity for Missouri residents; and UMKC Trustees says it promotes excellence in the university’s educational programs. Other 2024 recipients included organizations whose stated missions address dance access, career success for students, and education and research.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 22 grants totaling $225,000. Grants ranged from $500 to $100,000, with a median of $5,000. The largest grant was $100,000 to UMKC for general charitable purposes. Other notable grants included $20,000 to Kansas City Repertory Theatre and $10,000 each to Friends of Boca Grande, Jewish Community Relations Bureau/AJC, Show-Me Institute, UMKC Henry Bloch School of Management, and UMKC Trustees.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Paul E. DeBruce as president and CEO; Leo Morton as vice president; David Frantze as secretary and treasurer; Leigh Anne Taylor Knight as executive director and COO; and Linda Woodsmall-DeBruce and Lou Smith as board members.
The Debruce Foundation is led by Paul E. Debruce, President & CEO on every filing since 2020; 1 of 6 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Paul E. Debruce
President & CEO
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Leigh Anne Taylor Knight
Executive Director & COO
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
$269K (2024)
David Frantze
Secretary & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Leo Morton
Vice President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Linda Woodsmall-Debruce
Board Member
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lou Smith
Board Member
New on the 2024 filing
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 $269K, to Leigh Anne Taylor Knight (Executive Director & COO).
Frequently asked questions about The Debruce Foundation
How much does The Debruce Foundation give each year?
The Debruce Foundation gave $225K across 22 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $284K across 32 grants.
What is The Debruce Foundation's typical grant size?
The Debruce Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $5,000, and its average grant was $10,227, across 22 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Debruce Foundation that year got $38K on average.
Where does The Debruce Foundation give grants?
The Debruce Foundation gives mostly in Missouri: 83% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Kansas (8%) and Florida (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Kansas City, MO (15 grants) and Boca Grande, FL (2 grants).
Does The Debruce Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Debruce Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (22 of 22) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Debruce Foundation's largest grantees?
The Debruce Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Umkc ($100,000), Kansas City Repertory Theatre ($20,000) and Friends of Boca Grande ($10,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 58% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Debruce Foundation?
The Debruce Foundation reported $14.0M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $6.1M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $548K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Debruce Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated mission is to expand pathways to economic growth and opportunity. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Debruce Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Debruce Foundation's EIN?
The Debruce Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 43-1484142. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Debruce Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 14, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 11, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 12, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 14, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Debruce Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Debruce Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-debruce-foundation-morg_f8cf0d15f6684031af91f64c63257c4a
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_431484142_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Debruce Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-debruce-foundation-morg_f8cf0d15f6684031af91f64c63257c4a},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. 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 The Debruce Foundation'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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