Greater Kansas City Community Foundation

What's hot?

Things are sizzling in Kansas City, and we don’t just mean the weather! Your team at the Community Foundation is gearing up for the fall release of an update to the “Time to Get It Right” report, and we’re hot on the trail of a handful of initiatives that are making a real difference. Consider, for example, the Institute for Pediatric Innovation, on the cutting edge of drug and device development for kids, right here in Kansas City. And the Institute for Urban Education at UMKC, whose graduates are paving the way for the future of our inner city children. The Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation continues to make progress at UMKC, and when it comes to collaboration, there are few better examples than Back in the Swing and the Center for Nutrition and Weight Management.

Want to learn more about these and other initiatives? Stay tuned . . . and stay cool!

Elephants in the room

Summer is here and the fun has begun in a big way! Last weekend, Ann and Clay camped out at the Kansas City Zoo, among the seals, elephants, and chimpanzees (well, sort of). While Ann and her pals dined on s'mores, your friends at the Community Foundation were enjoying plenty of food for thought at the DonorEdge 2.0 Conference in Columbus, Ohio, in the company of national experts like Lucy Bernholz, Doug Kridler, Brent Christopher, and Bob Ottenhoff. DonorEdge, an initiative invented right here in Kansas City, allows you and other donors to see the impact of your grants through the Nonprofit Search on the Community Foundation's Web site, www.gkccf.org. DonorEdge also brings you innovative tools to help you with your giving, like the Charitable Investment Review and the Charitable Investment Planner. Organizing your giving has never been more important, and the experts are noticing! Check out Sean Stannard-Stockton's recent post in Tactical Philanthropy: http://tacticalphilanthropy.com/2009/06/two-elephants-in-the-philanthropic-room.

Yes, it is true that giving away money is hard work. But when it comes to smart giving, your Community Foundation can help. It doesn't have to be a jungle out there.