William T Kemper Foundation

KANSAS CITY, MO EIN: 43-6345116 Website

The William T Kemper Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation established in 1989 in Missouri with tax-exempt 501(c)(3) status. Based in Kansas City, Missouri, the foundation was created from the estate of William T. Kemper, the former president, director and chairman of First National Bank of Independence in Missouri. Kemper was a University of Missouri graduate and well-known civic leader in Kansas City who held top banking positions in Missouri and Kansas. Commerce Bank serves as the current foundation trustee.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

—

Annual Giving

$15.5M

-5.0% YoY

Grant Count

142

+6.0% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$109K

-10.3% YoY

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation's mission is to provide philanthropic support for charitable causes and organizations. The foundation gives primarily for:

Education
Health
Human services
Civic improvements
The arts
Community development

Grantmaking

The foundation made 145 grants in recent years. Recent notable grants include:

How to Apply

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

Giving is primarily in the Midwest with emphasis on Missouri and surrounding areas. The foundation serves Missouri, Illinois, and Kansas, with particular focus on Kansas City and the local region.

Grant Distribution by State

Missouri $25.8M (97%)

Kansas $580K (2%)

New York $195K (1%)

Washington $36K (0%)

Massachusetts $35K (0%)

Tennessee $25K (0%)

District of Columbia $15K (0%)

Illinois $5K (0%)

+6 more states

States

California District of Columbia Georgia Illinois Kansas Massachusetts Missouri North Carolina Nebraska New Jersey New York Tennessee Utah Washington

Cities

ABILENEADRIANALTONATCHISONATLANTABRANSONBRIDGETONBROOKLINECAMBRIDGECHAPEL HILLCHICAGOCLAYTONCOLUMBIAINDEPENDENCEJOPLINKANSAS CITYLACYGNELAWRENCELEAWOODLEES SUMMIT

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of 2024:

Total Assets: $288,473,816
Total Revenues: $34,338,078
Total Expenses: $18,291,961

As of 2023:

Total Assets: $272,000,000
Total Revenues: $14,700,000
Total Expenses: $17,700,000
Total Liabilities: $10,700,000

Historical:

Total Assets (2021): $283,279,632
Total Giving (2021): $13,678,604

Staffing: The foundation operates with 3 employees.

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	—	—	—
Revenue	—	—	—
Expenses	—	—	—
Qualifying Distributions	—	—	—
Net Investment Income	—	—	—
Distributable Amount	—	—	—

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Grant Size Distribution

250 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Forest Park Forever Inc ($1,500,000), Children's Mercy Hospital ($1,000,000), Amethyst Place Inc ($750,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
AMERICANS FOR OXFORD INC NEW YORK, NY	WORCESTER LAKE RESTORATION STUDY	$25,000
AMERICANS FOR OXFORD INC NEW YORK, NY	USED AT THE DISCRETION OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OR TRUSTEES AS THEY SEE FIT FOR OPERATING THEIR ORGANIZATION	$25,000
AMETHYST PLACE INC KANSAS CITY, MO	EXPANSION AT 2770 TRACY	$750,000
AVENUE OF LIFE INC KANSAS CITY, KS	IMPACT MO SUSTAINING SUPPORT	$50,000
BOSTON DANIELS KANSAS CITY, KS	BOSTON DANIELS MONUMENT COMMISSIONING	$25,000
BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA - HEART OF AMERICA COUNCIL KANSAS CITY, MO	ANNUAL BEQUEST	$500
BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA - HEART OF AMERICA COUNCIL KANSAS CITY, MO	SCOUTREACH 2024	$24,000
BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF ALTON ALTON, IL	COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD	$5,000
BRIDGING THE GAP INC KANSAS CITY, MO	DATABASE UPDATE AND CONNECTIVITY	$13,800
CARDINAL RITTER COLLEGE PREP ST LOUIS, MO	TUITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM	$50,000

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Governing Body:

Commerce Bank, NA - Investment Management Corp (Trustee)
Commerce Bank, NA - Charitable Management Corp (Trustee)

Donor:

William T. Kemper Revocable Trust

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
COMMERCE BANKNA-INVMGMT	CORP TRUSTEE	40	$698,301
COMMERCE BANKNA-CHAR MGMT	CORP TRUSTEE	10	$77,589
COMMERCE BANKNA-CHAR MGMT	CORP TRUSTEE	40	$392,852

Contact Information

Address: 118 W. 47th St. Kansas City, MO 64112-1692

Telephone: (816) 234-2568

Mailing Address: PO Box 419248 Kansas City, MO 64141-6248

EIN: 43-6345116

Frequently Asked Questions

What does William T Kemper Foundation fund?

The foundation's mission is to provide philanthropic support for charitable causes and organizations. The foundation gives primarily for: • Education • Health • Human services • Civic improvements • The arts • Community development

How do I apply for a grant from William T Kemper Foundation?

**Grant Activity:** The foundation made 145 grants in recent years. Recent notable grants include: • Forest Park Forever: $1,500,000 (Campaign for the Glade Over 3 Years) • The Tower Grove Park Foundation: $900,000 (Campaign for Tower Grove Park - Complete Core Enhancements) • Amethyst Place: $750,000 (Expansion at 2770 Tracy) • Grace and Holy Trinity Cathedral of Kansas City, Missouri: $200,000 • Linwood Property of Kansas City, Missouri: $50,000 • Bethel Neighborhood Center of Kansas City, Ka…

Where does William T Kemper Foundation make grants?

Giving is primarily in the Midwest with emphasis on Missouri and surrounding areas. The foundation serves Missouri, Illinois, and Kansas, with particular focus on Kansas City and the local region.