William T Kemper Foundation Commerce Bank Trustee
William T Kemper Foundation Commerce Bank Trustee is a private foundation based in Kansas City, Missouri. It supports proposals in education, health and human services, civic improvements, and the arts.
William T Kemper Foundation Commerce Bank Trustee at a glance
In short: William T Kemper Foundation Commerce Bank Trustee gave $15.5M across 142 grants in 2024 (avg $109K), mostly in Missouri. 31% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $15,488,378
- -5.0% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 142
- +6.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $109,073
- -10.3% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $38,162
- Total assets
- $288,473,816
- +6.1% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 31% first-time grantees (34 of 109, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Missouri (88% 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 William T Kemper Foundation Commerce Bank Trustee
- Contact
Application contact: Executive Director William T Kemper
Mailing address: Commerce Bank Trustee 1000 Walnut, Suite 1560, Kansas City, MO 64106
Phone: (816) 234-1768
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who William T Kemper Foundation Commerce Bank Trustee funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Forest Park Forever Inc ($1.5M across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $8.3M.
Organizations only. It also paid 4 grants to individuals ($175,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
718 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 398 grants of 718 (55%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 filing reports that grant dollars went primarily to Missouri recipients (88%) and Kansas recipients (10%), with 1% each reported for Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York. The listed grants include projects in Kansas City and St. Louis.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 142 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is William T Kemper Foundation Commerce Bank Trustee open to new grantees?
31%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 34 of 109 grantees (31%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $152K; repeat grants $138K. How we count
Medians: $45K first-time, $50K repeat.
- 50% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+5%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 96% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. 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 $14.4M (2020) to $16.7M (2022). In 2024 it made 142 grants totaling $15.5M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Forest Park Forever Inc St. Louis, MO | Campaign for the Glade Over 3 Years | $1,500,000 |
| Children's Mercy Hospital Kansas City, MO | Capacity building for path clinic as part of illuminate campaign | $1,000,000 |
| Kansas University Endowment Assoc (University of Kansas Cancer Center) Kansas City, KS | Building a destination cancer center facility over 3 years | $1,000,000 |
| The Tower Grove Park Foundation Saint Louis, MO | Campaign for tower grove park - complete core enhancements | $900,000 |
| Amethyst Place Inc Kansas City, MO | Expansion at 2770 Tracy | $750,000 |
| Samuel U Rodgers Health Center Inc Kansas City, MO | Pediatric Wing Capital Campaign | $750,000 |
| Nine Network of Public Media DBA Nine PBS St. Louis, MO | Engage, Connect, Strengthen Campaign Over 3 Years | $700,000 |
| Greater St Louis Inc Foundation St. Louis, MO | Tower Grove Connector Infrastructure Project Over 2 Years | $600,000 |
| Metropolitan Organization to Counter Sexual Assault DBA Mocsa Kansas City, MO | A place for us: survivor-focused rape crisis center renovation | $500,000 |
| The Opportunity Trust St. Louis, MO | Expanding quality seats in st. Louis over 3 years | $500,000 |
Ready to take the next step with William T Kemper Foundation Commerce Bank Trustee?
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 | $288,473,816 | $34,338,078 | $18,291,961 | $15,488,378 | 142 | $15,966,103 | $29,896,623 | $16,663,043 |
| 2023 | $271,997,857 | $14,651,347 | $17,656,773 | $16,297,117 | 134 | $16,772,700 | $13,478,558 | $15,918,360 |
| 2022 | $275,292,023 | $14,051,501 | $21,671,052 | $16,739,442 | 152 | $17,217,953 | $13,036,452 | $16,819,348 |
| 2021 | $279,723,609 | $35,092,303 | $8,116,278 | $14,721,376 | 145 | — | $23,536,210 | $17,421,154 |
| 2020 | $260,896,271 | $12,568,876 | $10,150,280 | $14,404,492 | 145 | — | $7,876,952 | $15,441,351 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, William T Kemper Foundation Commerce Bank Trustee reported a distributable amount of $16.7M 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
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2023 filing identifies education, health and human services, civic improvements, and the arts as proposal categories.
Its grants include organizations whose stated missions span several fields. Forest Park Forever says it works with the City of St. Louis to restore, maintain, and sustain Forest Park as a public park. Children’s Mercy describes its work as children’s healthcare, research, innovation, and caregiver education. Samuel U. Rodgers Health Center says its mission is to provide high-quality, compassionate, affordable healthcare. The Opportunity Trust says it invests in educators and school systems seeking to build capacity for measurable change.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 142 grants totaling $15,488,378. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $1,500,000, with a median of $38,162.
Among the largest 2024 grants were $1,500,000 to Forest Park Forever for the Campaign for the Glade over three years; $1,000,000 to Children’s Mercy Hospital for capacity building for its PATH Clinic as part of the Illuminate campaign; and $1,000,000 to the Kansas University Endowment Association for a destination cancer center facility over three years. Other large grants included $900,000 to the Tower Grove Park Foundation for park enhancements, $750,000 to Amethyst Place for an expansion, and $750,000 to Samuel U. Rodgers Health Center for a pediatric wing capital campaign.
The 2023 filing lists the Executive Director as William T. Kemper and says deadlines are set by staff. Applicants are asked to provide an organization description, project summary, goals and implementation plan, other sources of support, project budget and future funding plans, a timetable with measurable objectives, evaluation method, recent audited financial statement, current-year budget, board list identifying the president or chair, and IRS determination letter. Grant recipients must submit an annual narrative report and accounting of grant disbursements. Multiyear grants are conditional on further review and evaluation.
The filing identifies as grounds for rejection the inability to provide a 501(c)(3) determination letter; recipient status as a private foundation under section 509(a); operation outside the foundation’s geographic area of interest; aid to an individual; partisan political purposes; event tickets; advertisements; deficit or post-event funding; research unrelated to current projects or priorities; and endowment funds. Grant funds must be used for the purposes stated in the request unless the foundation explicitly approves a written change.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Commerce Bank NA Investment Management and Commerce Bank NA Charitable Management as corporate trustees. Commerce Bank NA Charitable Management appears twice in the filing.
William T Kemper Foundation Commerce Bank Trustee's 2024 filing lists 2 officers; all 2 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Commerce Bankna-Char Mgmt
Corp Trustee
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$377K (2020) → $393K (2024)
Commerce Bankna-Invmgmt
Corp Trustee
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$577K (2020) → $698K (2024)
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 $698K, to Commerce Bankna-Invmgmt (Corp Trustee). 3 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about William T Kemper Foundation Commerce Bank Trustee
How much does William T Kemper Foundation Commerce Bank Trustee give each year?
William T Kemper Foundation Commerce Bank Trustee gave $15.5M across 142 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $16.3M across 134 grants.
What is William T Kemper Foundation Commerce Bank Trustee's typical grant size?
William T Kemper Foundation Commerce Bank Trustee's median grant in 2024 was $38,162, and its average grant was $109,073, across 142 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from William T Kemper Foundation Commerce Bank Trustee that year got $152K on average.
Where does William T Kemper Foundation Commerce Bank Trustee give grants?
William T Kemper Foundation Commerce Bank Trustee gives mostly in Missouri: 88% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Kansas (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Kansas City, MO (71 grants), St. Louis, MO (31 grants), Kansas City, KS (4 grants) and New York, NY (4 grants).
Does William T Kemper Foundation Commerce Bank Trustee give general operating support?
Occasionally: 1% of William T Kemper Foundation Commerce Bank Trustee's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (2 of 142) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Annual Bequest" (7 grants), "Hvac Upgrade" (4 grants) and "2023/2024 Season Support" (3 grants).
Who are William T Kemper Foundation Commerce Bank Trustee's largest grantees?
William T Kemper Foundation Commerce Bank Trustee's largest 2024 grantees include Forest Park Forever Inc ($1,517,000 across 2 grants), Children's Mercy Hospital ($1,000,000) and Kansas University Endowment Assoc (University of Kansas Cancer Center) ($1,000,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 4 grants to individuals ($175,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 23% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is William T Kemper Foundation Commerce Bank Trustee?
William T Kemper Foundation Commerce Bank Trustee reported $288.5M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $16.0M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $16.7M (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does William T Kemper Foundation Commerce Bank Trustee fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2023 filing identifies education, health and human services, civic improvements, and the arts as proposal categories. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from William T Kemper Foundation Commerce Bank Trustee?
William T Kemper Foundation Commerce Bank Trustee has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check thekemperfoundation.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is William T Kemper Foundation Commerce Bank Trustee's EIN?
William T Kemper Foundation Commerce Bank Trustee's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 43-6345116. 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
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS September 10, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS August 12, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS September 11, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS September 9, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS September 9, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). William T Kemper Foundation Commerce Bank Trustee funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 23, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/william-t-kemper-foundation-commerce-bank-trustee-morg_455c446db2db41c7a67a62f9e2920f1a
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_436345116_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{William T Kemper Foundation Commerce Bank Trustee funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/william-t-kemper-foundation-commerce-bank-trustee-morg_455c446db2db41c7a67a62f9e2920f1a},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-23. 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 William T Kemper Foundation Commerce Bank Trustee'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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