Kauffman Foundation: Collective Impact Grant - Planning

Kauffman Foundation: Collective Impact Grant - Planning

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation
Amount: Up to US $500,000
Last Updated: December 06, 2025

Summary

The Kauffman Foundation's Collective Impact Grant - Planning supports coalitions of high-capacity organizations aiming for systems-level change in the Kansas City area. Grants of up to $500,000 are available to facilitate nine months of planning for collaborative initiatives. Eligible applicants include both established and emerging coalitions, focusing on education, employer connections, and equitable access. This initiative aligns with the foundation's strategic priorities to enhance economic mobility for Kansas Citians.

Overview

NOTE: Intermediaries who receive a planning grant may be considered for a three-year or longer implementation grant. Planning grant recipients will be invited to apply for implementation grants if they submit a comprehensive systems-change plan. An invitation to apply will not be an indication of funding. Grantmaking Our grantmaking is aligned to our strategic priorities, driving toward our goal of equitable economic mobility for Kansas Citians. Collective Impact Grant Collective Impact Grants are designed for a coalition of high-capacity organizations to drive systems-level impact and change in the Kansas City region in alignment with Kauffman’s priorities. The coalition must be led by a single organization that is a trusted convener and experienced intermediary. The coalition can be existing or emerging. We are especially interested in proposals related to two key focus areas – education and employer connection and equitable access – across our three strategic priority areas. Planning Grant (Step 1) Planning Grants are accessible through our application portal and are designed to fund nine months of planning for the Collective Impact implementation proposal. The Planning Grants application should show how these organizations will collaborate to implement a systems-change strategy. The application should demonstrate significant potential to narrow the economic mobility gap in the greater Kansas City area over multiple years. Planning grant requests can be up to $500,000. The grant funding is intended to be managed by an intermediary that is leading the Collective Impact effort. We anticipate that the intermediary will submit a budget that reflects the time and resources needed for key coalition members involved in the planning process. Implementation Grant (Step 2) Intermediaries who receive a planning grant may be considered for a three-year or longer implementation grant. Planning grant recipients will be invited to apply for implementation grants if they submit a comprehensive systems-change plan. An invitation to apply will not be an indication of funding. Funding Up to $500,000

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. This grant requires an existing or emerging coalition working collaboratively to develop a systems-level change and impact strategy.We make grants to organizations that are not 501(c)(3) public charities, including to social welfare organizations [501(c)(4)], trade associations and chambers of commerce [501(c)(6)], and for-profit enterprises, among others.While we are foregrounding our work in the Kansas City region to achieve our vision, we are not immediately excluding organizations located elsewhere. However, organizations need to demonstrate impact to Kansas City through past work anchored in the region, along with alignment to our strategic priorities and focus areas designed to drive impact in Kansas City.Kansas City Region:It’s generally the six-county region of the metro area including Cass, Clay, Jackson, Johnson, Platte, and Wyandotte counties.

Ineligibility

Funding requests will not be used to start a business or to fund patent expenses.The Kauffman Foundation is unable to provide funding for the following:bricks and mortar, including buildings or housing endowments institutions that discriminate loans, expenses, or seed capital for a private business lobbying or political activities medical (physical or mental health) political, social, or fraternal organizations religious activities requests to fund individuals, including direct scholarships