, ,

Catalyst Fund tops $2M invested in nonprofits boosting people of color; meet the latest grantees

July 10, 2024  |  Startland News Staff

A JC Harmon High School student joins in a Virtual Reality in Healthcare Project led by Urban TEC

The latest batch of Catalyst Fund grants — a combined $500,000 across nearly two dozen organizations — seeks to elevate the work of small nonprofits that are led by or primarily serve Black, Latino, and other people of color across the region, said Dr. DeAngela Burns-Wallace.

“Looking across the list of organizations in this third round of funding, we see front-line operators with everyday commitments to serving individuals, breaking through persistent barriers, and reshaping the landscape of Kansas City,” said Burns-Wallace, president and CEO of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, which coordinates the fund with the United Way of Greater Kansas City.

ICYMI: How Kauffman Foundation’s reset aligns Mr. K’s intent with KC’s needs of the moment

Established in February 2023, the fund now has boosted 88 organizations, which received grants ranging from $5,000 to $50,000 each, totaling $2.1 million. Recipients are 501(c)(3) public charities in the local United Way’s six-county service area that support education, human services, entrepreneurship, workforce skill building, economic mobility and community development.

Click here to read about one new Catalyst Fund grantee who recently was featured on “The Kelly Clarkson Show.”

“The investments made possible through the Nonprofit Catalyst Fund are truly life-changing and provide a major impact to these organizations,” said Essence Yancey, director of community impact for the United Way of Greater Kansas City. “A connection to United Way is a powerful megaphone to amplify their work, and these additional financial resources allow them to add staff, create new and sustain existing programming, and to build resiliency that makes a tangible difference in the lives of our fellow Kansas Citians.”

Nonprofit organizations — particularly smaller organizations with strong ties to the communities they serve — are significant contributors to an equitable and inclusive economic development system, not only as employers and community conveners, but also in the delivery of critical programs and services that promote inclusive prosperity, the leader said.

Newly announced Catalyst Fund grantees include:

Click here to read about the first round of Catalyst Fund winners and here for the second round.

startland-tip-jar

TIP JAR

Did you enjoy this post? Show your support by becoming a member or buying us a coffee.

Tagged , , ,
Featured Business
    Featured Founder

      Startland News Staff

      2024 Startups to Watch

        stats here

        Related Posts on Startland News

        SpraySeeMo 2019

        SpraySeeMo returns to Crossroads, painting a shared space for graffiti artists, businesses (Photos)

        By Tommy Felts | September 14, 2019

        An annual transformation of the Crossroads Arts District, SpraySeeMO paints more than graffiti-like murals, explained Lexi Walz. It creates energetic and collaborative opportunities for area businesses and talented artists.  “Essentially, we’re a group of architects and designers all consumed with creating experiences and emotions through design,” said Walz, marketing and content manager at Generator Studio…

        Hyperloop One on display at the American Royal in Kansas City

        Hyperloop One on display in KC: Imagine being first-ever passenger to ride its 600 mph pod (Photos)

        By Tommy Felts | September 14, 2019

        While not a single passenger has yet stepped foot aboard Virgin’s Hyperloop One, that doesn’t mean the technology isn’t more realistic than ever before, explained Jay Walder.  “People can’t really imagine what it would feel like to go 600 miles an hour,” said Walder, CEO of Virgin Hyperloop One — which pulled onto the track…

        Ian Merzwinski, Hy-Vee commercial with Patrick Mahomes

        Social Side Effect: Ex-KC influencer lands commercial with Patrick Mahomes (but building an Instagram brand isn’t magic) 

        By Tommy Felts | September 13, 2019

        Editor’s note: Social Side Effect is an ongoing profile series that identifies the intersection between social influencing and entrepreneurship   People follow Ian Merzwinski on Instagram because they like him, the social influencer said as he explained the importance of personal brand building.  “The best thing that you can do is just be consistent,” Merzwinski, founder…

        Nick Bowden, Replica

        Replica’s $11M round: Alphabet-owned urban planning tool hits the streets as KC-based spinout

        By Tommy Felts | September 13, 2019

        Kansas City is suddenly home to a new, heavy-hitter-backed startup with a built-in $11 million in Series A funding, Nick Bowden announced Thursday. Replica — a next-generation urban planning tool by Sidewalk Labs (itself a smart city firm owned by Alphabet, the parent company of Google) — has been spun out into its own standalone…