Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation Capacity Building Grant

The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation offers Capacity Building grants to support 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations seeking to strengthen or scale their impact in the Foundation’s focus areas of education, entrepreneurship, and workforce development. This funding type is designed to help organizations improve their internal capabilities, infrastructure, and long-term sustainability so they can serve communities more effectively. The Foundation’s mission is rooted in the belief that everyone should have the opportunity to learn, to take risks, and to succeed, with a particular commitment to advancing equitable economic mobility in Kansas City. Funding for the Capacity Building grant ranges from $100,000 to $250,000. Awarded funds are intended to address organizational needs such as enhancing operational systems, expanding staff skills, improving governance, building evaluation capacity, or scaling successful programs. Applicants must be recognized as 501(c)(3) organizations and must demonstrate a clear plan for how capacity improvements will lead to greater impact in alignment with the Foundation’s strategic priorities. The Foundation emphasizes that proposed activities should be tied directly to increasing organizational effectiveness and enabling measurable community benefit. The grant is offered on a regular, twice-annual cycle. The next application window will open on August 12, 2025, and close on September 12, 2025. Disbursement for this cycle is scheduled for November 2025. While the funding is not offered on a rolling basis, it is recurring, with opportunities expected twice each year. The Foundation provides key dates in advance so prospective applicants can plan for upcoming cycles and prepare complete applications. Applications are accepted from organizations operating within the Kansas City region. The Foundation does not indicate nationwide availability for this grant type, reflecting its targeted commitment to local and regional impact. There is no indication of matching fund requirements for Capacity Building grants, and specific eligibility beyond nonprofit status and alignment with focus areas is outlined during the application process. No pre-application deadline, such as a letter of intent, is required for this grant. While detailed evaluation criteria are not included in the available information, applicants can expect the Foundation to assess proposals based on alignment with mission, potential for measurable outcomes, and the likelihood that capacity improvements will result in sustained positive change. Successful proposals are those that clearly connect the funding request to enhanced organizational performance and community impact. Interested applicants should prepare to submit their proposals within the designated window and may refer to the Foundation’s online resources, including its funding overview and grantmaking priorities, for guidance. The Kauffman Foundation’s physical address is 4801 Rockhill Road, Kansas City, MO 64110, though no direct contact name, email, or phone number is provided in the source material.