The list of Kansas City-area foundations, corporations, and organizations partnering to establish the Kansas City Regional COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund is long and mighty—and growing by the hour.
The initial goal? To raise $10 million for the fund to assist with health and human service needs in response to the pandemic. Many of the groups involved in the fundraising are philanthropic titans in the community—including the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation, United Way of Greater Kansas City, LISC Greater Kansas City, and Mid-America Regional Council.
Both the Kansas City Chiefs and Kansas City Royals have also come on board alongside UMB Banks and JE Dunn, just to name a few. The Hall Family Foundation and Sunderland Foundation have partnered together to match donations to the fund up to $5 million. “We all are fortunate to live in a community that has consistently proven its generosity to those in need,” says Brent Stewart, president and CEO of the United Way of Greater Kansas City. “We call this ‘Kansas City taking care of its own.’”
Nine area counties are currently eligible for the grants which are available to public charities and organizations. They include Cass, Clay, Jackson, Platte and Ray counties in Missouri and Johnson, Wyandotte, Leavenworth and Miami counties in Kansas. The fund is available for donors of all levels to contribute to in order to help serve the community during the pandemic.
According to a press release, a 15-member advisory board will oversee the fund and distribute grants. Donations to the fund can be made online. Institutional donors can contact stomer@growyourgiving.org to make a donation. Nonprofits in need of a grant can fill out a form online. Meanwhile, individuals in need can call 211.