Kansas Leadership Center awarded grant from Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation to advance economic mobility in Kansas City
Wichita, Kan. – The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation has named the Kansas Leadership Center (KLC) among its latest cohort of 2026 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.
As a Project grantee, KLC will scale its proven leadership development programs in the Kansas City area to equip and inspire organizations focused on economic mobility to make more progress toward their purpose.
“In the 11 years since the inception of our Leadership Transformation Grant program, we have partnered with more than 60 organizations in KC. This support from the Kauffman Foundation could more than double the number of these partnerships over the next 18 months – transforming the culture of 35 organizations and equipping thousands of individuals with essential leadership skills.”
This fall, KLC will launch Mobilize KC, an initiative that will work with local community service organizations, shifting organizational cultures while simultaneously expanding their workforce’s skills and capacity. KLC will offer a slate of programs and networking opportunities, targeting individuals and organizations in KC that are engaged in economic mobility work and from historically underrepresented communities.
“Mobilize KC was created in response to economic pressures facing Kansas City residents—rising housing costs, stagnant wages and widening opportunity gaps. Local partners have voiced a need for leadership development that equips individuals to navigate economic challenges and build cross-sector collaboration. The Mobilize KC initiative will do just that, catalyzing grassroots and organizational change that supports economic mobility,” said Brittany Engle, director of programs at the Kansas Leadership Center.
KLC’s goal for Mobilize KC is for organizations working on economic mobility in the KC area to gain vital competencies and skills, resulting in transformative cultures where individuals have greater agency, increased leadership capacity and shared language so that they can make more progress on the complex challenges they face every day.
“We’re excited to see how KLC’s proven curriculum, path of programs and community of practice model will scale leadership development in Kansas City, deepening the impact of organizations focused on issues of economic mobility and advancing cross-sector collaboration in our metro area,” said Allison Greenwood Bajracharya, chief impact and strategy officer at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.
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About the Kansas Leadership Center
The Kansas Leadership Center (KLC) is a first-of-its-kind nonprofit educational organization with a civic mission, national reputation and global reach. Founded in 2007 with core funding from the Kansas Health Foundation, KLC’s mission is to inspire and equip people, together, to do difficult things for the common good. KLC partners with other nonprofits, government agencies, educational institutions, businesses, philanthropies, and communities to build cultures that are mobilized to make progress on their toughest challenges and thrive. Its publications include leadership books available from Bard Press, Third Floor Research, an applied research center with the Staley School of Leadership at Kansas State University, and The Journal, a nationally recognized, award-winning civic issues magazine.
Over the past 18 years, KLC has built a strong and respected institution in Kansas designed to deliver leadership development and culture change at unparalleled scale. Now, organizations across the country and around the world look to us to provide resources and consultation to support their own aspirations for mission-driven leadership education. Learn more at www.kansasleadershipcenter.org.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Carrie Lindeman
316-393-1076
carrie@lindemancollective.com
