Capacity Building grants
Forecasted
Capacity Building grants support organizations’ internal improvements to strengthen effectiveness, sustainability, and lasting impact in Kansas City through education, workforce development, and entrepreneurship.
Funder: Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation
Due Dates (Anticipated): August 2027 (Application deadline)
Funding Amounts: One-time grants of $100,000–$250,000 (average award: $215,000)
Summary: Supports organizational capacity improvements that strengthen effectiveness, sustainability, and long-term impact in the Kansas City region.
Key Information: Applicants must have had at least $300,000 in operating expenses last year and demonstrate potential Kansas City impact.
Description
The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation’s Capacity Building grants support organizations’ internal effectiveness, long-term sustainability, and ability to advance their missions. These one-time investments strengthen the people, systems, strategies, and infrastructure needed for lasting impact. Proposals should identify a specific organizational need and explain how addressing it supports the Foundation’s priorities: college access and completion, workforce and career development, or entrepreneurship.
Supported work includes leadership and board development, staff professional development, workplace culture, fundraising and business-model planning, technology and AI innovation, administrative systems, data and evaluation, and strategic planning. Grants may also support time-bound pilots, public-facing program enhancements, communications, partnerships, public education, and non-lobbying policy engagement. There is no preferred type of capacity investment; organizations should identify the need with the greatest potential to improve their long-term effectiveness.
