Currents Announcing the 2026 Project and Research grantees to advance economic mobility in Kansas City March 26, 2026 Share: Facebook LinkedIn Twitter The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation announced its latest cohorts of Project and Research grantees, investing in innovative ideas, data-driven insights, and community-centered solutions designed to expand economic mobility. These grants support organizations and researchers working to better understand and address the systemic barriers that limit access to opportunity while advancing practical strategies that help individuals learn, work, and build wealth. Together, these efforts align with the Foundation’s strategic focus on college access and completion, workforce and career development, and entrepreneurship as key pathways to equitable economic mobility. Economic mobility doesn’t happen by chance. It is built through intentional investment in people, systems, and ideas. These cohorts of research and project grantees bring critical insight and innovation to the work. By supporting both evidence generation and on-the-ground solutions, we are strengthening the conditions that allow individuals, families, and communities to thrive.— Dr. DeAngela Burns-Wallace, President and CEO The Project grantees will implement and test community-based solutions that expand access to opportunity, strengthen systems, and create pathways to long-term economic success, translating investment into real-world impact. The Research grantees will generate new knowledge and actionable insights to inform policy, practice, and investment decisions. Their work contributes to a growing body of evidence focused on closing wealth gaps and improving economic outcomes, ensuring that decisions are guided by data, lived experience, and measurable impact. Selected examples of funded work, aligned to key pathways for economic mobility, include: College Access and Completion Research examining how postsecondary access, completion, and credential attainment translate into long-term economic outcomes, helping identify strategies that improve completion and career alignment. Additional efforts pilot new supports for students navigating the transition from high school to college and into the workforce, with a focus on closing gaps in access and persistence. Entrepreneurship Research is exploring barriers to small business formation and growth, particularly for entrepreneurs from historically under-resourced communities, while projects test new models of support for early-stage entrepreneurs to help individuals start and grow businesses as a pathway to wealth creation. Research, Learning, and Systems Change Research is analyzing how opportunity varies across neighborhoods, providing insights to guide more targeted and effective investments. Additional cross-sector efforts are improving how data are shared and used across institutions, strengthening systems that enable economic mobility. Workforce and Career Development Community-based initiatives are connecting young people to paid work experiences and career pathways, strengthening early exposure to in-demand industries. Other pilots align workforce training with regional employer needs, helping residents of all ages access quality jobs that offer stability and upward mobility. Together, this portfolio of grants reflects a comprehensive approach – pairing research and learning with action and implementation to accelerate progress toward the Foundation’s 2035 vision: making Kansas City a national model for equitable economic mobility. These grants reflect a shared understanding that meaningful change requires collaboration. Investments in organizations across sectors are helping build a stronger, more connected ecosystem equipped to drive lasting, inclusive economic growth. Project Grantee Organizations & Descriptions Amethyst Place Support for a workforce and career development project applying a 2Gen framework to provide parallel adult and youth tracks and integrated family services, strengthening workforce skills and pathways to generational economic mobility. Association of Women’s Business Centers Support to pilot a new way to provide entrepreneurs with microloans in KC. AWBC proposed utilizing its fiscally sponsored project, GoodBread Innovations, Inc., to advance this grant’s purpose. Black Gravity, Inc. Support for an entrepreneurship project to expand Franchise Nova to Kansas City, creating franchise ownership pathways and wealth-building opportunities for entrepreneurs. City Year Support for a college access and completion project to strengthen students’ college and career readiness while building the professional and leadership skills of AmeriCorps Student Support Coaches. Core Skills Institute Support for a workforce and career development project to expand bioscience micro credentialing in Kansas City by increasing student certification, training evaluators, engaging employers, and strengthening workforce readiness. EDC Loan Corporation Support for an entrepreneurship proposal to implement a two-year Savings Match program in Kansas City, providing personalized technical assistance to strengthen business sustainability and scalability. Enterprise Center in Johnson County (WBC) Support for an entrepreneurship project to expand a loan readiness initiative that strengthens the capacity of ESOs and lenders to better serve underrepresented entrepreneurs and expand economic mobility. Frontier Schools, Inc. Support for a college access and completion project to strengthen postsecondary retention and graduation outcomes for low-income, first-generation students through a college mentoring initiative. Impact Charitable Support to expand benefits access and strengthen workforce participation across KS and MO. IC proposed utilizing its fiscally sponsored project, MyFriendBen, to advance this grant’s purpose. Independent Sector Support for the comprehensive revision of Independent Sector’s Principles for Good Governance and Ethical Practice to strengthen nonprofit governance and leadership and advance collective action. Junior Achievement of Greater Kansas City Support for a college access and completion project to expand an evidence-based model that advances academic achievement, strengthens postsecondary pathways, and enhances career readiness. Justine Peterson Housing and Reinvestment Corporation Support for an entrepreneurship project to match Missouri SSBCI funds and provide small business loans with education and technical assistance to low- to moderate-income entrepreneurs in Kansas City. Kansas Leadership Center, Inc. Support for a workforce and career development project to scale leadership programs in Kansas City, strengthening community organizations’ capacity and expanding workforce skills to advance economic mobility. Kansas Manufacturing Solutions, Inc. Support for a workforce and career development project to position manufacturers in the Kansas City region as Employers of Choice, improving retention and expanding the talent pipeline to create equitable career opportunities. Kids Win Missouri Support for a workforce and career development project to expand a cost-sharing model that increases access to affordable, quality child care in the Kansas City region, supporting workforce participation and economic mobility. Minerva University Support for a college access and completion project to build local partnerships, remove financial barriers, and launch the Kansas City Cohort Pathway Program for high-impact education and careers. Missouri College and Career Attainment Network Support for a college access and completion project to advance the KCCAN College Completion Project, boosting persistence and degree attainment for KCPS graduates at regional colleges through high-impact practices. Missouri Works Initiative Support for a workforce and career development project to expand a pre-apprenticeship program in Kansas City, strengthening the advanced manufacturing talent pipeline and connecting underrepresented individuals to high-quality careers. National Bankers Association Foundation Support for an entrepreneurship project to establish the Economic Mobility Bond framework in Kansas City, linking mission-driven lenders and MDIs to capital markets to expand access to capital for underrepresented entrepreneurs. Pawsperity, Inc. Support for a workforce and career development project to expand the grooming program, increasing annual graduates and strengthening workforce readiness. Pipeline, Inc. Support for an entrepreneurship project to strengthen financial capability and capital readiness for Kansas City founders through education, mentorship, and technology. Plug in South Los Angeles Support for an entrepreneurship project to launch a Kansas City Pre-Seed Accelerator offering cohort-based programming, mentorship, and investor connections for underrepresented founders to advance equitable economic mobility. Prospect Business Association Support for an entrepreneurship project to enhance capital readiness programs, expanding equitable access to capital and procurement opportunities and advancing inclusive economic growth and wealth creation. Rising Tide Capital Inc Support for an entrepreneurship project to expand equitable opportunities in Kansas City’s East Side, strengthening financial confidence and access to inclusive lending to drive economic mobility. Support Kansas City, Inc. Support to strengthen nonprofit talent recruitment through a regional initiative. Support KC proposed utilizing its fiscally sponsored project, Purpose Works KC, to advance this grant’s purpose. The Aspen Institute, Inc. Support for an entrepreneurship project to pilot a City Lab leveraging the 2026 FIFA World Cup to host workshops, convenings, and exchanges that expand inclusive economic opportunity in Kansas City. The Century Foundation Inc. Support for a workforce and career development project to scale an initiative in KC, St. Louis, and Wichita, engaging regional colleges to strengthen pathways to advanced manufacturing careers for underrepresented communities. The Family Conservancy Support for a workforce and career development project to connect Kansas Citians to sustainable early childhood careers, providing training, credentials, and pathways for long-term advancement and economic mobility. UMKC Foundation Support for a college access and completion project to expand the UMKC Math Academy, providing dual-credit instruction to close math proficiency gaps, strengthen STEM readiness, and advance equitable access to high-quality instruction. UMKC Foundation Support for a college access and completion project to expand existing programs serving first-generation and underrepresented students, leveraging shared staff and infrastructure to strengthen academic and career outcomes. University of Kansas Center for Research, Inc. Support for a college access and completion project to expand evidence-based programs that advance postsecondary pathways and attainment for justice-involved youth. WestEd Support for a college access and completion project to launch the Math Teacher Workforce Pathway and a Regional Collaborative partnership, preparing, certifying, and placing new math teachers in high-need Kansas City schools. Research Grantee Organizations & Descriptions American Institute for Boys and Men Support for research exploring how to support college access and completion for men. Babson College Support for research exploring Main Street entrepreneurship. Brookings Institute Support for identifying policies for reskilling and workforce development to maximize the benefits of AI. George Mason University Support for research exploring the role that HBCUs play in advancing economic mobility for entrepreneurs. Johns Hopkins University Support for research exploring alternative credentials and economic mobility. Land Use Atlas, Inc. Support for research exploring the impact of zoning conditions in jurisdictions across Missouri and Kansas. Regents Univ of California Support for continuation of the Kauffman Early-Stage Entrepreneurship Indicators project for 2026 and 2027. Rutgers the State University Support for research exploring how ESOP firms in the Kansas City area affect worker outcomes and economic mobility. Tennessee Technology Development Corporation Support for research examining the potential of consortiums to advance tech transfer at smaller universities. The Regents of the University of California, Davis Support for research exploring the relationship between Hispanic serving institution activities and equitable economic mobility. The Urban Institute Support for research examining how AI is currently being used in workforce development programs to help people find jobs. University of Kansas Center for Research, Inc. Support for research examining how community college enrollment, remedial coursework, and bachelor’s degree attainment affect students’ wages and educational outcomes in Kansas. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Support for research that examines how the Early College High School Model removes socio-cultural, academic, and financial barriers for students to enter post-secondary education. University of Washington Support for research exploring a series of questions around income inadequacy, basic needs, and equitable economic mobility. Media inquiries may be directed to Amy Unruh via our media contact form, or by calling 816-932-1139. 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