Great Jobs KC leaps closer to its $100M goal with massive grant to support adult financial stability

A just-announced $60 million investment by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation marks a significant step in a Kansas City-based nonprofit’s plans to support 50,000 adults on their journeys toward financial stability, said Earl Martin Phalen.

The grant to Great Jobs KC serves three priorities outlined within the Kauffman Foundation’s new grantmaking strategy: college access and completion, workforce and career development, and entrepreneurship.

Earl Martin Phalen, Great Jobs KC; courtesy photo

“We are eternally grateful to our partners at the Kauffman Foundation for supporting our mission of making higher education and good-paying jobs with benefits accessible to our Kansas City community,” said Phalen, CEO of Great Jobs KC. “Our work aligns with the goals of the Kauffman Foundation to foster equitable economic mobility. Hopefully, our partnership will positively impact Kansas Citians for generations to come.” 

Great Jobs KC, which grew out of KC Scholars, provides access to college scholarships and tuition free job training, along with employment assistance for adults from low- and modest-income families in the metropolitan area, providing a pipeline of talent for a strong regional workforce.

Click here to learn more about Great Jobs KC, which is set to award a new round of scholarships in May and is enrolling new students in its job training programs daily.

Since Great Jobs KC’s first-year awarding college scholarships in 2017, nearly 10,000 Kansas Citians have been awarded more than $491 million in scholarships. Since the launch of its job training program in 2022, the organization has supported more than 1,500 residents in securing permanent jobs, offering household-sustaining wages and benefits. 

The organization set an aggressive $100 million fundraising goal to fully realize its mission of supporting 50,000 residents into great jobs.

With the Kauffman Foundation investment, Great Jobs KC will be able to support thousands of residents across the six counties they serve within the Kansas City metro area into household-sustaining jobs with benefits over the next five years, the organization said.

(The grant from the Kauffman Foundation is part of a long-term commitment by Kauffman to Great Jobs KC and KC Scholars that predates its new grant funding pathways, but still aligns with Kauffman’s strategy and priorities, the organization said.)

“While this funding is more than generous, we cannot stop fundraising because we have not met our ultimate goal,” said Natalie Lewis, COO for Great Jobs KC. “Meeting our $100 million goal is a stepping stone to ensure that no one is left behind and everyone is able to get a chance to improve their lives for the better.”