Collective Impact Grant

The Collective Impact grant is offered by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, a private philanthropic organization based in Kansas City, Missouri, dedicated to advancing equitable economic mobility. The Foundation’s mission is rooted in the vision of its founder, Ewing Marion Kauffman, who sought to create opportunities for all people to thrive through education, entrepreneurship, and community engagement. Its strategic priorities include college access and completion, workforce and career development, and entrepreneurship, with a strong focus on addressing systemic barriers to opportunity. The Collective Impact grant is designed for coalitions of high-capacity organizations committed to creating systems-change strategies to close economic mobility gaps in the Kansas City region. It is intended to support collaborative, multi-sector efforts that go beyond individual projects to address underlying structural challenges. The grant aims to align the efforts of multiple stakeholders—such as nonprofits, educational institutions, businesses, and government entities—to achieve measurable, lasting impact on economic outcomes for residents. Funding is available in two phases: planning and implementation. Planning grants provide up to $500,000 to support coalition development, strategy formulation, and readiness activities. Implementation grants range from $5 million to $20 million over multiple years and are available only to coalitions that have completed the planning phase through this program. This phased approach ensures that implementation funding is directed toward strategies that are well-designed, feasible, and supported by strong partnerships. Funding must be used to advance the systems-change strategy, and while the Foundation does not detail specific spending restrictions in the provided materials, funds are expected to be applied toward activities directly contributing to the grant’s stated goals. Eligibility is limited to coalitions of high-capacity organizations operating within the Kansas City region. The materials specify that implementation funding is restricted to recipients of the planning grants, thereby creating a structured pathway from initial planning to large-scale execution. While exact legal eligibility categories are not explicitly enumerated in the provided information, applicants must have the operational capacity, collaborative structure, and alignment with the Foundation’s focus areas to qualify. The next application window for the Collective Impact grant is anticipated to open in late 2025. Specific closing dates and award disbursement timelines have not been announced. The opportunity is offered once annually, and the planning and implementation phases are part of a recurring cycle. Potential applicants should prepare for a competitive process that likely involves demonstrating community engagement, evidence-based strategy design, and alignment with the Foundation’s mission. Although no detailed submission requirements, evaluation criteria, or application questions are provided in the source material, applicants can expect to engage in a thorough review process, particularly for the large-scale implementation awards. Interested organizations are encouraged to monitor the Foundation’s funding page for updates on the exact application opening and closing dates, as well as any informational webinars or guidance documents that may be offered prior to the late 2025 opening. Contact information for the grant is not specified in the source material, so outreach to the Foundation’s general channels would be necessary for direct inquiries.