The Greater Kansas City Community Foundation’s leadership work centers on racial equity, specifically focusing on addressing systemic and institutional racism through philanthropic investments. If you are interested in donating to organizations that are working to advance systemic change, here are some options you can consider.
Local Organizations
ACLU of Kansas Foundation
“We work in the state legislature, the courts, and local communities to ensure that those who threaten the civil liberties of Kansans are met with stark resistance.”
ACLU of Missouri Foundation
“The ACLU of Missouri defends civil liberties and the principles of equality and justice in Missouri through its litigation, legislative and public education programs.”
Black Privilege
“The mission of Black Privilege is to connect and educate the black community through economic gardening and sustainable technological platforms.”
Communities Creating Opportunity
“Our mission: organizing communities for racial justice and social change.”
Kansas City G.I.F.T. (Generating Income For Tomorrow)
“Our goal is to provide grants to Black-owned businesses in Kansas City, with a specific interest in businesses that operate in low income areas.”
KC Tenants (operating under Missouri Jobs with Justice)
“Kansas City tenants are organizing for safe, accessible, affordable housing. We know that poor people and communities of color will not be able to live in KC if we fail to imagine and win systemic change.”
More2: Metro Organization for Racial and Economic Equity
“Rather than providing services or programs, we work to change policies through grassroots movements, in ways that promote racial and economic equity in Kansas and Missouri.”
Urban League of Greater Kansas City
“Our mission is to enable African Americans and other disadvantaged populations to secure economic self-reliance, parity, power, and civil rights.”
National Organizations
Advancement Project
“Rooted in the great human rights struggles for equality and justice, we exist to fulfill America’s promise of a caring, inclusive and just democracy. We use innovative tools and strategies to strengthen social movements and achieve high impact policy change.”
Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation (operating under Thousand Currents)
“We are working for a world where Black lives are no longer systematically targeted for demise.”
Black Voters Matter (BVM) Capacity Building Institute
“Black voters matter not only on election day, but on the 364 days between election days as well. This means we must support individuals and organizations that are striving to obtain social justice throughout the year.”
Center for Policing Equity
“As a research and action think tank, Center for Policing Equity produces analyses identifying and reducing the causes of racial disparities in law enforcement. Using evidence-based approaches to social justice, we use data to create levers for social, cultural and policy change.”
Color of Change Education Fund
“We design campaigns powerful enough to end practices that unfairly hold Black people back, and champion solutions that move us all forward. Until justice is real.”
Democracy Collaborative Foundation
“The mission of The Democracy Collaborative is to help catalyze a moral and political transformation of the US political economy into a next system that is inclusive, just, and ecologically sustainable.”
Equal Justice Initiative
“The Equal Justice Initiative is committed to ending mass incarceration and excessive punishment in the United States, to challenging racial and economic injustice, and to protecting basic human rights for the most vulnerable people in American society.”
Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
“The principal mission of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law is to secure equal justice for all through the rule of law, targeting in particular the inequities confronting African Americans and other racial and ethnic minorities.”
Know Your Rights Camp (operating under the Entertainment Industry Foundation)
“Our mission is to advance the liberation and well-being of Black and Brown communities through education, self-empowerment, mass-mobilization and the creation of new systems that elevate the next generation of change leaders.”
Movement for Black Lives (M4BL) (operating under the Alliance for Global Justice)
“The Movement for Black Lives is an ecosystem of individuals and organizations creating a shared vision and policy agenda to win rights, recognition, and resources for Black people.”
NAACP Empowerment Programs
“The mission of the NAACP is to secure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights in order to eliminate race-based discrimination and ensure the health and well-being of all persons.”
National Black Justice Coalition
“The National Black Justice Coalition is a civil rights organization dedicated to empowering Black lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people.”
Race Forward
“Race Forward catalyzes movement building for racial justice. In partnership with communities, organizations, and sectors, we build strategies to advance racial justice in our policies, institutions, and culture.”
SURJ – Showing Up for Racial Justice Education Fund
“SURJ is a national network of groups and individuals working to undermine white supremacy and to work toward racial justice.”
Local Funds Held at the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation
Shirley’s Kitchen Cabinet Fund
“Shirley’s Kitchen Cabinet works to amplify the voices and power of black women through advocacy education and training so women can effectively advocate for themselves and the communities they serve.”
KC Community Bail Fund
“Our mission is to provide bail for people without the resources to post their own bail while awaiting trial – giving them a higher chance of a positive outcome in their case.“
Community Foundation donors can use their donor-advised funds to make grants to these two funds by logging in and suggesting grants to the “Greater Kansas City Community Foundation,” noting the name of the fund in the “purpose” field.
This is only a small sample of groups that are doing critically important work. And, focusing on systemic change is only one lane of the Black Lives Matter movement. If you’d like help researching organizations that provide direct support and services, let us know. Our philanthropic advisors can help you use your fund to make donations that are meaningful to you. Contact Donor Services at service@growyourgiving.org or 816.842.7444.