Best Kansas City Grants for Nonprofits in Missouri

PLTW Launch

PLTW Launch's 43 interdisciplinary modules bring learning to life. The program empowers students to adopt a design-thinking mindset through compelling activities, projects, and problems that build upon each other and relate to the world around them. And as students engage in hands-on activities in computer science, engineering, and biomedical science, they become creative, collaborative problem solvers ready to take on any challenge.

Through this partnership, Ameren has committed funds to support PLTW grants to schools interested in starting or expanding PLTW Launch programs beginning in the next academic year.

PLTW Program Status

New Program

Grant Award and Distribution Schedule

• Total Award: $15,000
  • First Year: $10,000
  • Second Year: $5,000

PLTW Computer Science

Ameren has partnered with PLTW to inspire students and provide the hands-on STEM learning experiences necessary to thrive in life beyond the classroom. Ameren is a long-time supporter of K-12 STEM education in the region and is working with PLTW to provide grant support to high schools interested in implementing or expanding their PLTW Computer Science programs.

At a time when computer science affects how we work and live, PLTW Computer Science empowers students in grades 9-12 to become creators, instead of merely consumers, of the technology all around them. The program's interdisciplinary courses engage students in compelling, real-world challenges. As students work together to design solutions, they learn computational thinking – not just how to code – and become better thinkers and communicators. Students take from the courses in-demand knowledge and skills they will use in high school and for the rest of their lives, on any career path they take.

Through this partnership, Ameren has committed funds to support PLTW grants to schools interested in starting or expanding PLTW Computer Science programs beginning in the next academic year.

PLTW Program Status

Program Expansion

PLTW Computer Science

Ameren has partnered with PLTW to inspire students and provide the hands-on STEM learning experiences necessary to thrive in life beyond the classroom. Ameren is a long-time supporter of K-12 STEM education in the region and is working with PLTW to provide grant support to high schools interested in implementing or expanding their PLTW Computer Science programs.

At a time when computer science affects how we work and live, PLTW Computer Science empowers students in grades 9-12 to become creators, instead of merely consumers, of the technology all around them. The program's interdisciplinary courses engage students in compelling, real-world challenges. As students work together to design solutions, they learn computational thinking – not just how to code – and become better thinkers and communicators. Students take from the courses in-demand knowledge and skills they will use in high school and for the rest of their lives, on any career path they take.

Through this partnership, Ameren has committed funds to support PLTW grants to schools interested in starting or expanding PLTW Computer Science programs beginning in the next academic year.

PLTW Program Status

New Program

Jacob L. and Ella C. Loose Foundation Grant 

The Jacob L. and Ella C. Loose Foundation supports organizations working to strengthen the lives of children and families across Kansas City and Jackson County, Missouri.

Grant Focus:

In 2026, the Loose Foundation’s Board will be considering local nonprofits for the Empower Together event. This special gathering creates space for connection—bringing the Loose Foundation together with organizations to learn more about their work and to celebrate a shared commitment to helping children and families thrive in Kansas City.

Eligibility Requirements: Eligible applicants include organizations that focus on serving children and families within Kansas City, Missouri and/or Jackson County, Missouri.

Charlotte Street

What We Do

• Provide annual cash awards, project based grants, special commissions and specific travel opportunities to visual and generative performing artists
• Provide free studios and performance and exhibition spaces to theater, dance, music, film/video and visual artists for the creation and presentation of new work
• Facilitate venues and opportunities for public exposure to these exhibitions and performances, and facilitate artistic collaboration and exchange
• Plan and collaborate on behalf of Kansas City artists and the arts community with philanthropic, business and civic leaders
• Engage national philanthropic and cultural leaders with Kansas City artists and the arts community

Generative Performing Artist Awards

The Charlotte Street Generative Performing Artist Awards seek to recognize, encourage, and significantly support Kansas City-based artists creating original, exceptional new work in all genres of performance. Providing artists with financial support, critical recognition, and public exposure, these Awards aim to reward artistic accomplishment to date and to support the continued development of artists' work and careers. Artists must be generative artists—that is, the creators of original new work.

Awarded artists will be those who:

• Create new, contemporary work 
• Produce work that is innovative and/or experimental in terms of form, content, process, and/or presentation 
• Demonstrate sustained commitment to deepening/expanding their work and generative practices

Through recognizing and supporting exceptional artists living and working in Kansas City, Charlotte Street seeks to empower and propel individual artists, enhance the artistic culture of our region, and increase Kansas City’s desirability as a place for artists to live and work.

Two recipients of the Charlotte Street Generative Performing Artist Fellow will receive:

• An unrestricted cash grant of $10,000 
• Assistance in the production of a video recording of a performance over the course of the grant cycle 
• Recognition by Charlotte Street at the time of Award announcement and throughout the year, including through announcements to media, online promotion, special events, and more.

Criteria for selection:

• Strength of artistic work to date 
• Promise for future artistic achievement 
• Commitment to & demonstration of innovation/experimentation in terms of form, content, process, and/or presentation 
• Potential impact of Award on continued artistic development

Charlotte Street

What We Do

• Provide annual cash awards, project based grants, special commissions and specific travel opportunities to visual and generative performing artists
• Provide free studios and performance and exhibition spaces to theater, dance, music, film/video and visual artists for the creation and presentation of new work
• Facilitate venues and opportunities for public exposure to these exhibitions and performances, and facilitate artistic collaboration and exchange
• Plan and collaborate on behalf of Kansas City artists and the arts community with philanthropic, business and civic leaders
• Engage national philanthropic and cultural leaders with Kansas City artists and the arts community

Creative Confluence Fund: Strengthening Arts-Engaged Organizations

ArtsKC, Charlotte Street, and the Hall Family Foundation are requesting proposals for capacity-building support for art-focused, small organizations (annual budget at or below $500,000) located or serving key geographic areas that represent a broad swath of art forms, offering accessible programming to our community. 

Selected organizations will represent diverse artistic disciplines and forms of social engagement and must provide accessible programming for communities in the geographic areas of the Historic Northeast, Eastside Kansas City, and Northeast Wyandotte County.

• Fifteen arts-engaged organizations will receive $15,000 in unrestricted funding per year for two years.
• ArtsKC will provide capacity-building assessments, subject matter experts, and project implementation support (value of up to $10,000 per year per organization).
• Grantees will be expected to work with ArtsKC to carry out their capacity-building initiatives as well as share learnings with other awardees in a cohort model, which may include artist awardees as well.
• Documentation, evaluation, and/or presentations on projects will be required.

This project seeks to build organizations’ long-term viability, including growing community engagement, stabilizing finances and personnel, identifying and resolving organizational needs, strategic planning, developing evaluation metrics and competencies, or other identified priorities. 

Charlotte Street

What We Do

• Provide annual cash awards, project based grants, special commissions and specific travel opportunities to visual and generative performing artists
• Provide free studios and performance and exhibition spaces to theater, dance, music, film/video and visual artists for the creation and presentation of new work
• Facilitate venues and opportunities for public exposure to these exhibitions and performances, and facilitate artistic collaboration and exchange
• Plan and collaborate on behalf of Kansas City artists and the arts community with philanthropic, business and civic leaders
• Engage national philanthropic and cultural leaders with Kansas City artists and the arts community

Creative Confluence Fund: Individual Artists

ArtsKC, Charlotte Street, and the Hall Family Foundation are requesting proposals for individual artist-led projects, serving key geographic areas that represent a broad swath of art forms and engaging with a particular civic issue in the neighborhood.

Selected artists must provide accessible programming for communities in the geographic areas of the Historic Northeast, Eastside Kansas City, and Northeast Wyandotte County.

• 10 artists will receive grants of $50,000 over a 2-year project period.

The artist application will have a two-step process. First, artists will send an LOI (Letter of Interest), which will be uploaded as a one-page letter and up to 5 digital images. Secondly, the finalist pool will be invited to submit a full application and invited for a brief in-person interview with the selection committee. Following the selection committee interviews, the 10 artists will be selected.

Our Mission

The Community Foundation’s mission is to improve the quality of life in Greater Kansas City by increasing charitable giving, educating and connecting donors to community needs they care about, and leading on critical community issues.

Scholarships

We offer hundreds of different scholarships for students in and around Kansas City.

KCI Rotary Scholarship

This fund was established by the KCI Rotary Educational Foundation to provide academic scholarships to graduating seniors of high schools located in Platte County.

Scholarships will be awarded on an annual basis and disbursed in equal payments in August and January.

Minimum of $1,000 annually to be paid in the fall semester for up to four consecutive years (students must submit grades to GKCCF).

Our Mission

The Community Foundation’s mission is to improve the quality of life in Greater Kansas City by increasing charitable giving, educating and connecting donors to community needs they care about, and leading on critical community issues.

Scholarships

We offer hundreds of different scholarships for students in and around Kansas City.

Marvin Brooks Educational Fund

The Marvin Brooks Educational Fund continues Marvin Brooks’ dream of compassionate service to others through education. He devoted his life to education as a teacher, principal and leader in the Kansas City School District. The purpose of the Fund shall be to provide scholarships to graduating seniors from high schools in Jackson County, Missouri, who intend to further their education at a two-year or four-year college or university or technical school.

Scholarships will be supplemental for students who have already earned other scholarships.

The scholarship is renewable provided students reapply annually, continue to attend classes and demonstrate academic progress on their transcripts.

Our mission is to enhance quality of life, today and in the future, by:

• Enabling donors to fulfill their charitable desires
• Building a permanent endowment
• Facilitating prudent management and care of funds
• Meeting needs through grants, awards, and scholarships

Richard and Lou Ann Bergen Scholarship in the Creative Arts

Amount

Minimum $1,000

Geographic Limitations

Saline County high school seniors attending either Bethany College, Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas State University, Kansas Wesleyan University, University of Kansas or Wichita State University.

Renewals

Scholarship is renewable up to four years.