Foundation Facts
The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, based in Kansas City, Missouri, is known throughout the U.S. philanthropic community for its dual interests in funding entrepreneurship and education. The Foundation's mission is "To help individuals attain economic independence by advancing educational achievement and entrepreneurial success, consistent with the aspirations of our founder, Ewing Marion Kauffman."
With an endowment of over $1.75 billion in 2009, the Foundation is currently ranked 36th among The Foundation Center's list of top foundation funders, based on asset size.
Foundation Grants
The Kauffman Foundation's current funding guidelines are available on its web site. The vast majority of education grants are awarded to organizations within the Kansas City area, while entrepreneurship grants are made nationwide, with a focus on Kansas City.
The Foundation's current program areas related to entrepreneurship include youth, minority, and global entrepreneurship; higher education; capital, markets, and economics; and knowledge, training, and networks. Grants in "advancing innovation" include support of university innovation and commercialization; life science entrepreneurship; clean technologies and "green" entrepreneurs; university-industry collaboration initiatives; and "proof of concept" centers at universities to provide seed funding and expert help to pre-market, early stage entrepreneurs. Education programs include youth entrepreneurship teaching initiatives such as the "All Terrain Brain" multimedia project; a focus on creating a pipeline of talent through science, technology, engineering, and math education; new teaching and school models including out-of-school programs; higher education initiatives related to entrepreneurship training, such as the Kauffman Campuses initiative; and education policy research, such as SuccessLink's study of Kansas City's middle and high school science lab facilities.
Recently Funded Projects
In 2011, projects funded by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation included projects in the field of angel investing; a Columbia University research project on "entrepreneurship and innovation in capitalist systems," as well as a variety of other academic research projects related to entrepreneurship; general operating grants made to the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts and the Harry S. Truman Library Institute; and support of the Brooklyn-based The New Teacher Project, Inc., for a "Talent Management Accountability Program" in the Kansas City, Missouri, school district, among many other grants. Grant sizes ranged widely, from under $2,000 to over $2 million.
In 2010, the Foundation established the affiliate Kauffman Support Services in order to centralize operations and support for key Kauffman programs, such as: the Ewing Marion Kauffman School, a new, public charter school opening in 2011; Kauffman Labs for Enterprise Creation; and the Kauffman Scholars and FastTrac programs.
How to Apply
The Foundation does not have a formal application process, but encourages a thorough understanding of its funding priorities. The Foundation promises to respond to all letters of inquiry of less than three pages (including the specific details listed at its funding guidelines page) and discourages sending any additional materials like annual reports or letters of support. Selected organizations will be invited to submit more detailed proposals in consultation with the Foundation.
In addition to the Foundation's website, an excellent resource for applicants wishing to familiarize themselves with the Kauffman Foundation's interests, values, and programs is the Kauffman Thoughtbook 2011. In this year's Thoughtbook, President and CEO Carl J. Schramm and others have penned in-depth essays discussing current Foundation programs, concepts, initiatives, as well as new directions in public policy on such topics as charter schools. For instance, an interview with Schramm and other Foundation leaders briefly explains expeditionary economics, which emphasizes rebuilding post-conflict economies in countries such as Iraq and Afghanistan.
As noted in the Foundation's funding guidelines, a geographic focus on Kansas City organizations is preferred or required for many grant programs, though both the Foundation's grantmaking and the impact of its work remain nationwide.
Sources
- The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. www.kauffman.org. "About the Foundation: Vision, Mission, and Approach." 2011. Web. Accessed August 7, 2011.
- The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. www.kauffman.org. "Funding Guidelines." 2011. Web. Accessed August 7, 2011.
- The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. Kauffman Thoughtbook 2011.
- The Foundation Center. Top Funders: "Top 100 U.S. Foundations by Asset Size"2011. Web. Acessed August 7, 2011.
Kathy Jenkins Hart - My writing background includes experience writing grant proposals and other materials for nonprofit organizations. Most recently, as part ...
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