Kauffman Foundation commits $2.8M to COVID-19 community response efforts in KC
March 31, 2020 | Startland News Staff
Editor’s note: The following is part of Startland News’ ongoing coverage of the impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) on Kansas City’s entrepreneur community, as well as how innovation is helping to drive a new normal in the ecosystem. Click here to follow related stories as they develop. The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation is a financial supporter of Startland News.
Kansas City’s hometown ecosystem-building trendsetter announced Tuesday a series of financial commitments in response to the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Just over a week into a regional shutdown in Kansas City, the Kauffman Foundation affirmed its support for grantees, small businesses, entrepreneurs, and educational institutions, tallying $2.8 million in already committed dollars to community response efforts across the metro.
Click here to read more about Kauffman’s involvement with the KC COVID-19 Small Business Relief Fund.
The Foundation will also honor all existing sponsorships, recognizing that events may get postponed, and continuing grantmaking with minimal disruption, the organization said. More than $75 million in grants were already awarded in 2020.
“Now more than ever, we need a concerted effort on the national, state, and local level for effective response and recovery,” said Wendy Guillies, president and CEO of the Kauffman Foundation. “We take our ability to be a steady hand in these times seriously and look to fill gaps for the short- and long-term.”
“The Kauffman Foundation will continue focusing our efforts on relief and support in the Kansas City region, and we will work with our colleagues in other philanthropies to evaluate the government response to the disaster and see where our organizations can add value in supporting our communities across the nation,” she added.
Among the already established COVID-19 response efforts:
- $500,000 in general community support through the joint Kansas City Regional COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund.
- $500,000 to the KC COVID-19 Small Business Relief Fund to support entrepreneurs and small business owners in Kansas City.
- Up to $1.2 million to support district and charter schools and nonprofit education support organizations.
- Up to $600,000 for current KC Civic grantees who need additional COVID-19 related support.
- 6 to 1 match for donations up to $500 per associate to support 501(c)(3) public charities assisting with COVID-19 relief efforts.
“We believe our long-term strategy is a pathway to a stronger and more inclusive community-based economy,” Guillies said in recent edition of Kauffman’s Currents, noting the importance of the nonprofit sector to proactively stay involved and provide services to the public during the COVID-19 global pandemic. “Even in these turbulent times, we must and will continue that work.”
Click here to read more specifics on Kauffman’s COVID-19 response strategy.
The Kauffman Foundation also published a guide to SBA lending and will continue its work to develop actionable research and promote policies highlighted in America’s New Business Plan to strengthen entrepreneurship.
Featured Business
2020 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Silicon Valley vet Jason Anderson makes a game out of data collection
As a 4-year-old, Jason Anderson was captivated by the Atari classic Pong. He gawked at the game for hours after his dad brought one home in 1978. Four years later, he was so inspired by Pong that he decided to create his own game — a text adventure on the family’s Timex Sinclair 1000. Anderson…
Compute Midwest named top national tech conference
Consistently attracting futurists and tech leaders from around the U.S., Compute Midwest recently was named a national tech conference that shouldn’t be overlooked. Inc. Magazine included the annual, Kansas City-based conference on its “Top Tech Conferences You Can’t Miss This Fall” list, noting the event’s traditionally strong lineup of speakers. Presented by the Disruption institute,…
Dozens of skyrocketing KC firms break into the Inc. 5000
Kansas City held its own on Inc. Magazine’s annual ranking of the nation’s fastest-growing, private companies. The Wednesday unveiling of the Inc. 5000 featured 44 metro firms — including several area tech firms, like k12itc and Rhythm Engineering. K12itc, which in January made Startland’s 2016 top 10 startups to watch, delivers cloud-based IT services to…
Backstitch wants to fix a billion-dollar communication dilemma
With the cost of poor business communication climbing as high as $37 billion a year, Backstitch founders Jordan and Stefanie Warzecha saw an opportunity to clear the air. The married couple — who say communication has never been a problem for them — founded their corporate communications platform in 2012. Backstitch aims to mitigate the…