Hearst Foundations' Mission

The Hearst Foundations identify and fund outstanding nonprofits to ensure that people of all backgrounds in the United States have the opportunity to build healthy, productive and inspiring lives.

Hearst Foundations' Goals

The Foundations seek to achieve their mission by funding approaches that result in:

• Improved health and quality of life
• Access to high quality educational options to promote increased academic achievement
• Arts and sciences serving as a cornerstone of society
• Sustainable employment and productive career paths for adults
• Stabilizing and supporting families

Funding Priorities

The Hearst Foundations support well-established nonprofit organizations that address significant issues within their major areas of interests – culture, education, health and social service – and that primarily serve large demographic and/or geographic constituencies. In each area of funding, the Foundations seek to identify those organizations achieving truly differentiated results relative to other organizations making similar efforts for similar populations. The Foundations also look for evidence of sustainability beyond their support.

Culture

The Hearst Foundations fund cultural institutions that offer meaningful programs in the arts and sciences, prioritizing those which enable engagement by young people and create a lasting and measurable impact. The Foundations also fund select programs nurturing and developing artistic talent.

Types of Support: Program, capital and, on a limited basis, general and endowment support

Education

The Hearst Foundations fund educational institutions demonstrating uncommon success in preparing students to thrive in a global society. The Foundations’ focus is largely on higher education, but they also fund innovative models of early childhood and K-12 education, as well as professional development.

Types of Support: Program, scholarship, capital and, on a limited basis, general and endowment support

Health

The Hearst Foundations assist leading regional hospitals, medical centers and specialized medical institutions providing access to high-quality healthcare for low-income populations. In response to the shortage of healthcare professionals necessary to meet the country’s evolving needs, the Foundations also fund programs designed to enhance skills and increase the number of practitioners and educators across roles in healthcare. Because the Foundations seek to use their funds to create a broad and enduring impact on the nation’s health, support for medical research and the development of young investigators is also considered.

Types of Support: Program, capital and, on a limited basis, endowment support

Social Service

The Hearst Foundations fund direct-service organizations that tackle the roots of chronic poverty by applying effective solutions to the most challenging social and economic problems. The Foundations prioritize supporting programs that have proven successful in facilitating economic independence and in strengthening families. Preference is also given to programs with the potential to scale productive practices in order to reach more people in need.

Types of Support: Program, capital and general support

Walmart’s more than 2 million associates are residents, neighbors, friends and family in thousands of communities around the globe. Walmart works to strengthen these communities through both retail business and community giving, and we support and invest in communities through local giving. The following programs have open application processes with specific deadlines for eligibility and consideration.

Local Community Grants

Each year, our U.S. stores and clubs award local cash grants ranging from $250 to $5,000. These local grants are designed to address the unique needs of the communities where we operate. They include a variety of organizations, such as animal shelters, elder services and community clean-up projects.

Areas of Funding

• There are eight (8) areas of funding for which an organization can apply. Please review the areas listed below to ensure your organization’s goals fall within one of these areas.
• Community and Economic Development: Improving local communities for the benefit of low-income individuals and families in the local service area
• Diversity and Inclusion: Fostering the building of relationships and understanding among diverse groups in the local service area
• Education: Providing afterschool enrichment, tutoring or vocational training for low-income individuals and families in the local service area
• Environmental Sustainability: Preventing waste, increasing recycling, or supporting other programs that work to improve the environment in the local service area
• Health and Human Service: Providing medical screening, treatment, social services, or shelters for low-income individuals and families in the local service area
• Hunger Relief and Healthy Eating: Providing Federal or charitable meals/snacks for low-income individuals and families in the local service area
• Public Safety: Supporting public safety programs through training programs or equipment in the local service area
• Quality of Life: Improving access to recreation, arts or cultural experiences for low-income individuals and families in the local service area

The Menorah Heritage Foundation is guided by the following principles in awarding grants:

• Perpetuate the Jewish Community
• Anticipate and adapt to changing needs
• Invest in transformational change
• Address critical/severe needs
• Support meaningful programs that benefit the Greater Kansas City Community

The Menorah Heritage Foundation seeks to support organizations who:

• Maintain a history of compassion and excellence
• Address the needs and represent the interests and viewpoints of their clients
• Possess the leadership, management, efficiencies and resources necessary to achieve the organizational objectives
• Collaborate with other providers whenever feasible and appropriate
• Establish financial stability and present a sense of awareness regarding the details of operations

The Menorah Heritage Foundation seeks to support organizations who:

• Maintain a history of compassion and excellence
• Address the needs and represent the interests and viewpoints of their clients
• Possess the leadership, management, efficiencies and resources necessary to achieve the organizational objectives
• Collaborate with other providers whenever feasible and appropriate
• Establish financial stability and present a sense of awareness regarding the details of operations

Unrestricted Operating Support Cycle

Our Unrestricted Operating Support Cycle provides mission-based operating support through unrestricted grants to organizations providing emergency assistance, shelter, safety-net health care, child welfare and youth services and other critical human services. This unrestricted funding may be used for organizational expenses which are part of a board-approved annual budget, including administrative salaries, employee benefits, utilities, office supplies and equipment, technology, rent and professional development. Eligible organizations must be based in and provide the majority of their services in the metro Kansas City area.  

Examples of General Community Core funding might include the following:

• Audit expenses
• Rent
• Utilities
• Office Equipment
• Technology Upgrades and Training
• Benefits and Insurance

Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation Grant

The Foundation will consider requests to support museums, cultural and performing arts programs; schools and hospitals; educational, skills-training and other programs for youth, seniors, and persons with disabilities; environmental and wildlife protection activities; and other community-based organizations and programs.

NOTE: The Foundation will not accept applications for new Social Justice or Education grants in 2023.

About Us

The Foundation exists to promote Social Justice, Environmental Justice, and Education. It was started in 2003 by Dianne Shumaker and the late Paul Shumaker, one of the founding engineers at Garmin International.

We take an active interest in the work of all our grantees. We also try to serve as a resource for our grantee organizations and their staffs by introducing them to other grantees with related projects and/or others in the community with the same or similar goals. All of our grantees are invited to utilize us in this way.

We like to support solutions that are upstream and can have longterm impact, systemically or through a cultural shift. Our goal is to make the biggest impact we can with the limited funds we have available to grant each year.

Social Justice

We emphasize domestic violence and child abuse prevention and treatment, as well as leadership development programs for Black, Latino, and women leaders. We prefer to invest in efforts that lead to an equitable distribution of wealth, privilege, and opportunities.

Education 

We favor projects that strengthen STEM, arts, and early childhood programs, and those that strengthen the education process, such as teacher leadership. We focus on children who might not otherwise receive exposure to such programs and on those grassroots organizations whose leadership reflects those communities they serve.

Grant Awards

We prefer innovative projects that have potential for long term systemic or cultural impact. We also fund organizational strengthening, including capacity-building or operating funds, when we are satisfied that the organization has prepared itself to attain the next level of effectiveness. 

Generally, our grants range in size from $10,000 to $40,000. An appropriate request depends on the size of your organization, the project or program for which you want support, and how well we know you. 

We fund Social Justice and Education projects in the Greater Kansas City Region, where site visits can be made in a day.

NOTE: If you are interested in applying for the BPEP initiative, please fill out the Form of Interest. Completion and submission of this form represents the first step in this grant process.

Building Power and Equity Partnerships Initiative

This year KHF is continuing its commitment to the Building Power and Equity Partnership (BPEP) initiative. Organizations selected as BPEP partners will receive funding and resources to help them address the root causes of health disparities. These grants are designed to support long-term solutions for community-identified issues and expanded networks for greater impact.

The purpose of the Building Power and Equity Partnership initiative expansion is to advance racial and health equity across Kansas, by building and/or increasing the power and influence of organizations serving communities with the greatest racial and health disparities. We believe keeping equity at the heart of our work will eliminate racial and health inequities for communities that have the highest levels of health disparities. This initiative will be the most significant commitment to racial equity in KHF history.

Rather than just a funding opportunity we see BPEP as a vehicle for transformative change. This investment is part of a 10-year vision to build long-term partnerships with small grassroots organizations. They will be go-to-partners to create lasting change as part of a larger network. By offering core support we anticipate organizations will be able to experiment with new approaches to complex problems.

Partner Opportunity

KHF will fund 30 organizations who are currently working in communities to advance racial and health equity in Kansas and whose work aligns with the Foundation’s support of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice. Selected partner organizations will be awarded in the amount of up to $100,000 each year for the initial three-year grant period. This opportunity includes:

• Multi-year funding for core support
• Collaboration with KHF’s network partners
• Access to additional services to support the infrastructure of the organization such as, website development, organizational assessments, budgeting, grant writing, board development, marketing, etc.
• Building a powerful cohort of organizations across the state, networked together and working effectively to advance racial equity

What Organizations Are We Looking For?

Has your organization been operating with too few resources to meet community needs? Do you have a solid base of volunteers supporting your organization, but need to staff up for more impact? Do you have a 10X growth mindset with a vision for ways in which your community could be more vibrant and thriving? KHF wants to help smaller grassroots organizations facing challenges like these tackle interconnected issues. If you want to change larger systems and structures impacting health inequities, we want to work with you to accomplish that goal. Imagine your organization 10 years from now with, power, influence and a network capable of addressing some of the most daunting challenges in your community and across the state.

NOTE: Older Adult Special Initiative Grants are limited to invited, collaborative proposals that convene Kansas City metro area stakeholders addressing important issues facing older adults who wish to age in community. These issues include, but are not limited to, access to community-based services (healthcare, housing, care management, transportation, etc.) and social/civic engagement. A meeting with Menorah Heritage Foundation is required.

Background

Aging in community is a concept that promotes interconnected relationships and supports for older adults to safely remain living in their chosen home and community to avoid prematurely entering institutional care due to the need for modest additional resources.

Our Aging in Community Cycle provides three types of grants to organizations and programs that support older adults aging in community. First, we award unrestricted operating grants to organizations which exclusively or primarily support older adults aging in community by providing social and civic engagement, home adaptations/repairs, access to healthy food, physical activity and/or learning opportunities. This unrestricted funding may be used for organizational expenses which are part of a board-approved annual budget, including administrative salaries, employee benefits, utilities, office supplies and equipment, technology, and professional development.

Second, we award grants to programs which exclusively serve older adults aging in community, even though the sponsoring organization is not primarily senior focused. This funding must be used only for the specific program supporting aging in community.

Third, from time to time and by invitation only, we award special project grants to provide seed money to early-stage and/or innovative strategies which address specific challenges of aging in community in the KC metro area. Organizations who are interested in applying for a special project grant should contact our Program Officer, Kim Lewis, to schedule a preliminary conversation.

The Menorah Heritage Foundation is guided by the following principles in awarding grants:

• Perpetuate the Jewish Community
• Anticipate and adapt to changing needs
• Invest in transformational change
• Address critical/severe needs
• Support meaningful programs that benefit the Greater Kansas City Community

The Menorah Heritage Foundation seeks to support organizations who:

• Maintain a history of compassion and excellence
• Address the needs and represent the interests and viewpoints of their clients
• Possess the leadership, management, efficiencies and resources necessary to achieve the organizational objectives
• Collaborate with other providers whenever feasible and appropriate
• Establish financial stability and present a sense of awareness regarding the details of operations

Older Adult Cycle

Our Older Adult Grants include special initiatives and core operating support.

Special Initiatives are invited proposals only that seek to convene regional stakeholders addressing the important issues facing older adults who wish to age in community. These issues include housing, care giving, transportation, and social/civic enjoyment.

Our Older Adult core operating grants support core operating expenses for organizations that provide programs and services promoting social and civic engagement of older adults. Core operating support is defined as expenses incurred for day-to-day operations such as: Utilities, accounting services, audit, technology, facility maintenance, professional development.

Older Adult Special Initiative Grants are limited to invited, collaborative proposals that convene Kansas City metro area stakeholders addressing important issues facing older adults who wish to age in community. These issues include, but are not limited to, access to community based services (healthcare, housing, care management, transportation, etc.) and social/civic engagement.

Supporting Our Future

We believe every person is capable of achieving extraordinary things. The Koch Family Foundation (formerly the Fred and Mary Koch Foundation) is committed to supporting individuals as they discover, develop, and apply their innate gifts, enabling them to transform the lives of themselves and those in their communities. Since its founding, the Koch Family Foundation has contributed more than $60 million in support of arts and education-based initiatives, including thousands of scholarships. 

A Legacy of Learning

This foundation was created with a singular mission: to foster arts and education in Kansas. And like many cherished family traditions, that commitment to lifelong learning has passed on from generation to generation.

It all began with Fred and Mary Koch, who made Wichita their home in 1932. They not only valued the importance of education, they made a point of supporting the fine arts as well. Mary’s creativity and generous contributions to the arts, in particular, are still making a difference in our creative community. The Koch Family Foundation continues its tradition of providing generous resources to inspire individuals to grow and share their talents with Kansas and the rest of the world.

Today, Fred and Mary’s legacy empowers new generations to make their own lasting contributions to society. Their son, Charles, has long devoted his philanthropic work to breaking down barriers to opportunity, while his wife, Liz, has unleashed potential throughout the state of Kansas – and beyond – through her support of arts and education. 

Charles and Liz have two children, Chase and Elizabeth, who are already at work continuing this important legacy for people around the world.

Our Grants

Each of us has our own unique gifts and talents we bring to the world. Our goal is to unleash them. We support programs that create the opportunity for all people to develop their abilities, reach their full potential and make lasting contributions to society. Our grants build on a Koch family passion for creating a vibrant and inclusive community within their home state of Kansas.

Fund Description

The purpose of the Kansas City, Missouri Branch of the American Association of University Women shall be to unite graduates of regionally accredited educational institutions in order to promote equity, education, intellectual growth, individual worth and development of opportunities for women and girls. The mission of the Nettie Irene Van Der Veer Wagy Fund will be to further the mission of AAUW and to honor Irene Wagy. A six-member committee of AAUW oversees the Wagy Fund and makes all funding recommendations.

Overview:

The Kansas City, Missouri Branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) is part of a national organization whose members hold an associate’s or equivalent (e.g., RN), bachelor’s, or higher degree from a regionally accredited college or university. There are no barriers to full participation in this organization on the basis of gender, race, creed, age, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, or class. This branch was established in 1893 and has been involved in promoting education and scholarships for women throughout its history. The branch encourages continuing education for members through programs on local, national and international issues. AAUW is a major force in Kansas City, focusing attention on the women and girls of our community.

"From the beginning the American people as a whole have believed that investment in people is the soundest, most long-reaching investment that we can make." - Eleanor Roosevelt

Irene Wagy made a lifelong commitment and numerous significant personal and professional contributions to the Kansas City, Missouri Branch of the American Association of University Women. She took these responsibilities seriously and valued the opportunities AAUW afforded for service and friendship. A dietitian by profession, she was an avid reader with a keen interest in gardening.

She was a private person with independent views and had a special interest in national and international topics. Her business acumen and skills in real estate transactions not only allowed Irene to lead a financially independent life but also resulted in her generous bequest to the Kansas City, Missouri branch of AAUW. Pre-deceased by her spouse, Irene lived an active life. She died at her home at the age of 93.

Mission Statement

"If women are healthy and educated, their families will flourish. If women are free from violence, their families will flourish. If women have a chance to work and earn as full and equal partners in society, their families will flourish. And when families flourish, communities and nations will flourish." - Hillary Rodham Clinton

Areas of Interest

The AAUW/Wagy Fund Committee is seeking proposals that will allow it to join in partnerships with organizations that promote societal change through programs benefiting women and girls. The Committee believes that the entire community benefits from effective programs which provide women and girls:

• Economic opportunity and security
• Enhanced self-image in measurable ways
• Lifelong education
• Healthcare throughout their lifecycles
• Personal Safety
• Legal and human rights
• Reproductive rights
• Respect and opportunities for girls so that they are equally valued in their families and in society
• Equal access with men to the political, economic and cultural life of their communities