The Foundation makes grants that strive for excellence, improve service for clients, strengthen organizations, and assist underserved, low-income individuals within the Kansas City community.

Areas of Focus

In recognition of Marion and Henry Bloch’s lifelong commitment to their community, the Foundation focuses its support on organizations that serve Greater Kansas City (Jackson, Clay, and Platte counties in Missouri, and Wyandotte and Johnson counties in Kansas).Education for Poor, Disadvantaged, and Underserved Youth The Foundation promotes access to quality pre-K, K to 12, and post-secondary education, focusing on closing achievement gaps and building human capital in the urban core.Healthcare The Foundation supports centers of excellence, education, and access to quality healthcare.Jewish Community Organizations The Foundation supports organizations that advance social and economic justice issues in the Jewish community.Post-Secondary Business and Entrepreneurship EducationThe Foundation supports select post-secondary business and entrepreneurship education programs that are centers of excellence.Social Services The Foundation expands access and opportunities for vulnerable, disadvantaged and low-income individuals and families by meeting basic human needs and supporting the creation of pathways out of poverty.Visual and Performing ArtsThe Foundation supports excellence in and access to the arts, emphasizing programs that enhance quality, strengthen management, and increase audience participation. Education for Poor, Disadvantaged and Underserved Youth The Foundation promotes access to quality birth-to-12th grade and post-secondary education, focusing on closing achievement gaps and building human capital in the urban core. Legacy OrganizationsIn recognition of Marion and Henry’s lifetime commitments to the Henry W. Bloch School of Management at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, and St. Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City, the Foundation places a priority on programs and operations of these organizations.The Foundation does not have a minimum or maximum award limit, though most grants fall in the range of $50,000 to $250,000.

Community Involvement Program Guidelines

We believe that the well-being of our communities has a direct bearing on the success of Hallmark and our employees.

The mission of our Community Involvement Program is simple. We want to help create communities where:

• All children have the chance to grow up as healthy, productive and caring persons;
• Vibrant arts and cultural experiences enrich the lives of all citizens;
• There is a strong infrastructure of basic institutions and services, especially for persons in need; and
• All citizens feel a responsibility to serve their community.

Organizations that serve the communities where we operate facilities and that share this same mission may apply for the following types of support from Hallmark:

• Cash contributions for specific programs, capital improvements and, in some cases, operating support.
• Volunteer assistance. Organizations may request assistance in recruiting Hallmark employees for board membership, program services and other meaningful volunteer experiences. We cannot guarantee that Hallmark employees will agree to volunteer; volunteering is an individual, personal decision made by each employee.
• Product donations.
• Fundraising event sponsorship for organizations based in Kansas City only.

Cash contributions are provided by both Hallmark Cards, Inc., and the Hallmark Corporate Foundation, an endowed foundation funded solely by Hallmark. Although there are some legal restrictions on how funds from the Hallmark Corporate Foundation may be used, the Foundation supports the same mission and employs the same online application process.

What we fund and the impact we seek

We focus our grantmaking in a way that honors our founders’ intent and operates in alignment with our mission, vision, and values – to center our work on ensuring all people experience what is possible.

We understand that improving life for all requires an interconnected approach. Therefore, through our grantmaking we seek to increase economic opportunities of all, with an intentional focus on communities of color, those not earning a livable wage, and families experiencing poverty. Kansas City’s community needs will guide us as we work together to create stronger partnerships with communities, nonprofit partners, and foundation colleagues, in order to increase opportunities for all to succeed.

We believe that as we expand our reach and increase our impact through new, strengthened, and reimagined partnerships within our three impact areas, we will help build a community where an improved quality of life is equitable and enjoyable by all.

To achieve our vision of enabling all people in our community to experience what is possible; to achieve their greatest potential, and to create a bigger impact, our grantmaking will focus on three interconnected impact areas: KC Spirit, Prospering Communities, and Growing Minds.

KC Spirit: Elevating Kansas City

• To ensure that greater Kansas City’s regional assets, cultural organizations, and sense of community make it a thriving and inclusive place to live.
• Make Kansas City stronger by embracing all in our stories & vision for the city through investments in regional assets, arts & culture, and community wide initiatives.

Prospering Communities: Increasing equity for all

• To support families through organizations and initiatives that take a holistic approach to reducing poverty and increasing equity and well-being.
• Communities prosper when there are equitable opportunities to access education, housing, employment, and health care. We prioritize investments that take systemic and comprehensive approaches to increasing opportunities for all to thrive in their neighborhoods of choice.
• Grantmaking focuses on economic inclusion – livable neighborhoods – healthcare – emergency and safety net services.

Growing Minds: Creating strong educational foundation for life

• We prioritize investments that improve outcomes and access to quality programming for children and their families in education.
• Grantmaking focuses on Pre-K, K-12, post-secondary, and wrap-around support services, in addition to out-of-classroom initiatives that address barriers to education and provide additional academic support.

NOTE: The U.S. Bank Foundation utilizes an electronic Letter of Interest to identify organizations with unique and innovative programs that fit within our pillars of Work, Home and Play. U.S. Bank Foundation accepts applications by invitation only.

U.S. Bank Foundation

The U.S. Bank Foundation is committed to making Community Possible through Work, Home and Play. We advance this work through collaborative grant making to bring equitable and lasting change through our focus on sustainable, high-impact funding with 501c3 nonprofit partners. Established partners are annually invited to apply for a grant via an invitation from a Community Affairs Manager. New and emerging organizations bring balance to our grant making through our Letter of Interest (LOI) application, and we ensure funding is set aside each year to explore new opportunities.

Our Community Affairs and Foundation Team works closely with U.S. Bank regional leadership, Business Resource Groups and our National Community Advisory Committee to ensure that the prevailing needs of our communities are met in all communities we serve. Nonprofit organizations new to U.S. Bank Foundation are encouraged to submit a LOI at any time during the year.

Mission & Commitment to Our Communities

We believe all people deserve the opportunity to dream, believe and achieve.

The building blocks of vibrant communities – a stable job, a home to call your own and a community connected through culture, recreation and play – continue to be atthe heart of possibility for all of us. Through U.S. Bank’s Community Possible Platform, we are dedicated to supporting our communities through responsive and humbled actions focused on addressing racial and economic inequities and creating positive and transformative change in our communities.

Community Possible is designed to embrace thediversity in our communities. We consider grant requests without regard to race, ethnicity, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, sexualorientation, gender identity and/or expression, disability, marital status, genetic information, veteran status or other factors that are protected by law.While the U.S. Bank Foundation generously funds many nonprofit organizations in our communities, it's impossible to fund every request. To make the most meaningful impact in ourlocal communities, we focus our grant giving to fund economic development tied to Work, Home and Play.

Community Possible Grant Program

We support organizations and programs that advance the following funding priorities, focusing on organizations that have an intentional approach to addressing immediate needs and systemic economic and racial barriers to success. As part of our commitment to a sustainable future, environmental stewardship is a consideration in each of our three focus areas:

Grant Categories

• Play: Arts, culture and places to play.
  • Access to artistic and cultural programming and arts education:
    • Our investments ensure economic vitality and accessibility to the arts in local communities, as well as support for arts education. Examples of grant support include:
      • Programs that provide access to cultural activities, visual and performing arts, zoos and aquariums and botanic gardens for individuals and families living in underserved communities
      • Funding for local arts organizations that enhance the economic vitality of the community
      • Programs that provide funding for arts-focused nonprofit organizations that bring visual and performing arts programming to low- and moderate-income K-12 schools and youth centers
  • Supporting learning through play:
    • Many young people across the country do not have the resources or access to enjoy the benefits of active play. Supporting active play-based programs and projects for K-12 students located in or serving low- and moderate-income communities fosters innovation, creativity, and collaboration and impacts the overall vitality of the communities we serve. Funding support includes:
      •  Support for organizations that build or expand access to active play spaces and places that help K-12 students learn through play and improves the health, safety and unification of neighborhoods in low- and moderate-income communities
      • Programs that focus on using active play to help young people develop cognitive, social and emotional learning skills to become vibrant and productive citizens in low- and moderate-income communities
  • Outdoor places to play:
    • Environmental stewardship enhances and improves the livability of our communities. Supporting efforts to preserve, protect and enhance outdoor spaces is now part of our Play pillar of giving. Funding support includes:
      • Cleanup efforts in community spaces, including (but not limited to) beaches, rivers, and streams
      • Protecting green spaces within the community, including planting trees, mangroves and seagrass
      • Programs that support community, native and/or pollinator gardens, including community composting
• Work: Workforce education and economic prosperity.
  • Investing in the workforce:
    • We fund organizations that provide training for small business development, as well as programs that support individuals across all skill and experience levels, to ensure they have the capability to gain employment that supports individuals and their families. Examples of grant support include:
      • Small business technical assistance programs
      • Job skills, career readiness training programs with comprehensive placement services for low- and moderate-income individuals entering or reentering the labor force
  • Providing pathways for educational success:
    • To address the growing requirements for post-secondary education in securing competitive jobs in the workplace, we support:
      • Organizations and programs that help low- and moderate-income and at-risk middle and high school students prepare for post-secondary education at a community college, university, trade or technical school and career readiness
      • Programs and initiatives at post-secondary institutions that support access to career and educational opportunities for low- and moderate-income and diverse students
  • Teaching financial well-being for work and life:
    • Financial well-being is not only critical for financial stability, it’s crucial in helping individuals be successful in the workplace. Examples of grant support include programs that positively impact:
      • K-12 and college student financial literacy
      • Adult and workforce financial literacy
      • Senior financial fraud prevention
      • Military service member and veteran financial literacy
• Home: Neighborhood stability and revitalization.
  • Access to safe, affordable energy-efficient housing:
    • We provide financial support to assist people in developing stability in their lives through access to safe, sustainable and accessible homes. Examples of grant support include:
      • Organizations that preserve, rehabilitate, renovate or construct affordable housing developments for low- and moderate-income families, individuals, seniors, veterans, and special-needs populations
      • Organizations that provide transitional housing as a direct stepping stone to permanent housing
      • Organizations that focus on veterans housing and homeownership
      • Construction of green homes for low- and moderate-income communities
      • Clean energy retrofit programs for low- and moderate-income housing developments
      • Organizations that provide access to renewable energy
      • Improving waste management systems to include recycling and composting programs
  • Homeownership education:
    • Owning and maintaining a home requires significant financial knowledge, tools and resources. We support programs that assist low- and moderate-income homebuyers and existing homeowners. Examples of grant support include:
      • Homebuyer education
      • Pre- and post-purchase counseling and coaching
      • Homeownership-retention programs designed to provide foreclosure counseling

Types of Funding Requests

• Operating grants: An operating grant is given to cover an organization’s day-to-day, ongoing expenses, such as salaries, utilities, office supplies and more. We consider operating support requests from organizations where the entire mission of the organization fits a Community Possible grant focus area.
• Program or project grants: A program or project grant is given to support a specific, connected set of activities, with a beginning and an end, explicit objectives and a predetermined cost. We consider highly effective and innovative programs that meet our Community Possible grant focus areas.
• Capital grants: A capital grant is given to finance fixed assets. The U.S. Bank Foundation considers a small number of requests for capital support from organizations that meet all other funding criteria, whose entire mission statement fits a Community Possible grant focus area, and with which the Foundation has a funding history. All organizations requesting capital funding must also have a U.S. Bank employee on the board of directors. U.S. Bank does not fund more than 1% of the non-endowment total capital campaign fundraising goal. All capital grant requests are reviewed and approved by the national U.S. Bank Foundation Board or by the U.S. Bank Foundation President.

Factors of Consideration

Because the Foundation receives funding requests in excess to the annual grant program budget, we must decline support to worthy organizations and programs. We may decline support to organizations we have previously supported to expand community engagements. Support should not be expected to continue in perpetuity and declination does not reflect a negative appraisal of the organization or the value of its programs and service.

The following factors are among those the foundation will consider:

• Innovation and/or differentiation in our focus areas of Work, Home and Play
• Programming and services that advance positive community engagement efforts
• Demonstrated outcomes and impact
• Service delivery to low-and moderate-income, women and people of color
• Diversity in the management and governing board of the organization
• The financial health of the organization

The Helen S Boylan Foundation

The mission of the Helen S. Boylan Foundation is to enhance the quality of life in our communities of Carthage, Missouri, the Greater Kansas City Area, and Lindale, Texas. We actively distribute quarterly grants to local non-profit organizations serving arts & education, women & children, health & wellness and the beautification of our communities.

Grant Guidelines

The Helen S. Boylan Foundation is a private family foundation established in 1982 to continue the family tradition of commitment to enhancing the quality of life of the community through grants to qualified charitable organizations. In carrying out its mission, the Foundation considers a wide range of proposals within the following areas: arts, education, health, human services, environment, and public interest.

NOTE:  Round 1 applications are due March 3, 2023. Select applicants will be invited to join the second- and third round RFPs.

Background

The national housing shortage continues to make headlines. Estimates on the number of homes needed to close the gap run in the millions. But one thing is clear: without a stable, affordable place to call home, it’s impossible to thrive.

In an effort to scale needed housing solutions, Enterprise and the Wells Fargo Foundation have teamed up to launch a new $20 million competition. The Housing Affordability Breakthrough Challenge will identify and propel implementation-ready innovations that transform current practices and reimagine access to affordable homes.

Eligible applicants will compete for individual grants of $1 million, $2 million and $3 million to scale ideas that lay the groundwork for system-wide change. Winners also will receive two years of technical assistance to turn their ideas into real-world programs.

Focus Areas

The Housing Affordability Breakthrough Challenge aims to meet the nation’s affordable housing challenges across Native, rural, suburban, Tribal and urban communities.

Proposals must encompass one or more of three focus areas:

Construction

• Construction innovations must introduce transformative practices, processes or new materials that will create construction efficiency, streamline supply chains, bolster climate resiliency, or reduce building costs.
• Construction approaches can include but are not limited to:
  • Creation and use of innovative, environmentally sustainable materials 
  • Streamlining the construction supply chain (e.g., materials production, purchasing, delivery, assembly) 
  • Innovative development in the affordable housing construction workforce to accelerate production 
  • New economies of scale through efficiencies in building design
• Construction technologies can include but are not limited to deployment of enhanced building practices and new building technologies.

Financing

• Financing innovations must introduce new tools or strategies to transform or offer alternatives to current practices, broadening access to capital, unlocking or leveraging financial resources, and creating a more equitable housing market for renters and homebuyers.
• Financing approaches can include but are not limited to:
  • New investment strategies
  • New funding sources to support acquisition, development, or building operations
  • New financing mechanisms for acquisition, construction, or permanent financing
  • Improved efficiencies in financing and underwriting
  • Risk mitigation through new investment approaches
  • New credit enhancement strategies
  • Unique ownership structures
  • New approaches that reduce the cost of capital
• Financing technologies can include but are not limited to deployment of technology that accelerates the financing process, development of tools that reduce timelines for approval, and development of tools that facilitate efficient, equitable access to capital.

Access and Resident Support

• Access and Resident Support innovations must introduce new processes or models that improve the housing experience for residents, such as housing access, choice, and stability, advancing fair housing, promoting personal agency and creating pathways for upward mobility.
• Access and Resident Support approaches can include but are not limited to:
  • New models that increase housing choice for renters and homebuyers, such as:
    • Improved housing search process
    • Expanding acceptance of renter subsidies
    • Ensuring equitable access to capital to support homeownership
    • Identifying and addressing discrimination or differential treatment against protected classes
  • Services that connect residents with resources to support upward mobility
• Access and Resident Support technologies can include but are not limited to development and deployment of technology to improve access to housing options, resident experience and resident housing stability.

Innovations across all three focus areas must demonstrate how they center racial equity and, where applicable, integrate environmental sustainability.

NOTE: Requests will be considered quarterly.

Ash Grove Charitable Foundation Grant

As one of the largest cement companies in the United States and one of the oldest still in operation, Ash Grove plays an important part in the foundation and infrastructure of our country. And with plants from coast to coast, being a good neighbor in the communities in which we live and serve is a priority and part of our DNA.

Ash Grove territory is a lot of ground to cover. We believe in active participation to improve the existing and future quality of life in the communities we serve. This participation includes financial support to charitable activities. We aren’t just focused on building highways and buildings – we are also helping to build better communities.

We're honored to be part of the communities in which our employees live and work. 

Funding

The Foundation’s goal is to provide significant support to organizations each year. In general, the following grant types are funded within these ranges:

• Capital grants and special projects – up to $25,000
• Program grants – up to $10,000
• Only monetary grants are funded through the Foundation

NOTE: Letters of inquiry are accepted and reviewed on an ongoing basis between January and the annual deadline. You will be notified by email within a few weeks whether you are invited to submit a full application.

The Gould Charitable Foundation  is a philanthropic trust created as a memorial to the late Robert L. Gould.

About Us

Our mission is to assist organizations in improving the communities where Mr. Gould lived and worked--the greater metropolitan areas of Boston and Kansas City--by making grants to fund projects at 501(c)(3) charitable organizations whose vision and goals are aligned with our areas of interest.

Gould Charitable Foundation Grant

We are currently most interested in funding programs in the following areas (in alphabetic order):

• Elder Services
• Environmental Stewardship
• Health Care
• Preservation of Personal Rights
• Training for the Disadvantaged
• Welfare and Education of Children
• Women's Issues

You are encouraged to visit our FAQ page for information about the characteristics of projects we are more likely to fund and for suggestions for submitting a well-received application.

We have particular interest in funding innovative projects rather than ongoing maintenance or capital campaigns, with priority given to moderately-sized projects for which the foundation's contribution can comprise a significant portion of the project's budget. We also give priority to projects that have high leveraging potential in terms of expansion and/or replication, and projects that will provide ongoing value past the grant year.

Mission

Royals Charities strives to support children, education, youth baseball and softball field renovations, and military families in and around the Kansas City area. The foundation accomplishes this mission through financial grants of life-changing projects and programs. To date, Royals Charities has put over $18 million back into our community.

Children

Royals Charities continues to serve the needs of children across a variety of organizations and services in the Greater Kansas City area. Through the various organizations that Royals Charities works with, a particular emphasis is placed on inclusion of children with special needs and emergency services.

Education

In a standing commitment to the betterment of local education, Royals Charities is proud to fund a mix of scholarships and educational programming. Every year, five Royals Charities scholars receive funding to support their post-secondary education to any college in Kansas or Missouri.

Youth Baseball/Softball

Passionate about sharing the love of the game with the next generation, Royals Charities supports the efforts of local baseball and softball organizations. In addition to funding programming, Royals Charities created the Royalty Fields Grant Program in partnership with Price Chopper to empower nonprofits and government entities across Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, Oklahoma, and Arkansas to renovate baseball and softball fields to spread America's Pastime.

Military

Royals Charities proudly supports America's service members and their families throughout the year. 2020 featured the third consecutive year dedicating the fundraising efforts of Royals Charities marquee fundraiser Diamond of Dreams presented by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City to bringing a Fisher House to Kansas City. This "home away from home" provides free lodging to families of veterans receiving treatment at the Kansas City VA Center.