Muriel McBrien Kauffman Family Foundation

Private foundation · EIN 43-1460787 · since 1988mmkff.org·Clay County, Jackson County, Johnson County, Kansas City, Platte County, Wyandotte County·Updated 13 October 2026

At a glance

$12.1M

Annual giving, 2024 tax year

From the Form 990-PF filing

$1,500 to $145k

Grant range

From grants in the 990-PF filings

$10,000

Typical grant (median)

189 grants in the latest filing

Open to applications

A mix of rolling and fixed deadlines · unsolicited applications welcome

Key takeaways

This foundation funds 501(c)(3) organisations whose core mission includes the arts, focusing on the performing and visual arts and on enhancing the quality and accessibility of the arts, with priority given to the Greater Kansas City community, covering Jackson, Clay, Platte and 2 more counties, including Kansas City.
Funding outside this area is minimal, so applicants should be based in or working within that community.
Typical grants range from $1,500 to $145,000, with a median of $10,000, so a modest request is realistic, though the largest grant made was about $3,350,000.
Ninety-seven per cent of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in the prior two filings, so this looks like a relationship-led funder where previously supported groups receive the bulk of funding; new applicants should be aware of this when weighing their chances.
Apply through its online grant portal by creating an account, and submit general operating grant requests within the first six months of your fiscal year once year-end financials are available; organisations seeking funding for religious activities, deficit funding, or grants to individuals should not apply, as the foundation does not fund these.

Overview

Muriel McBrien Kauffman Family Foundation is a US private foundation based in Kansas City, MO.

What they fund

Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.

Priority Areas

The Foundation supports tax-exempt organisations classified under section 501(c)(3) whose core mission includes the arts and whose work enhances the quality and accessibility of the arts in the greater Kansas City community. It focuses on the performing and visual arts. Grants can support general operations, programme support, specific productions, fundraising events and capital campaigns. Most awards go to organisations in Kansas City; funding outside the greater Kansas City area is minimal. Proposals are considered in light of the investment size and how closely they align with the Foundation’s mission.

Themes

Performing arts
Visual arts
Arts accessibility

Geographic Focus

Priority: Greater Kansas City community: Jackson, Clay, Platte and 2 more counties; Kansas City.

What They Don't Fund

Religious activities
Deficit funding
Grants to individuals

How to apply

Create an account through the grant portal; once the account is created, begin an application.

Deadlines: General operating grant requests should be submitted within the first six months of your fiscal year, once year-end financials are available.

Application success factors

Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 97% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 or TY2023 filing.
Grant size: Across its TY2022, TY2023 and TY2024 filings, half of its 530 grants to organisations were $10,000 or less.

What the foundation says:

The proposal’s route through the Foundation is affected by the size of the investment and how closely it aligns with the Foundation’s mission.
An eligible organisation should have the arts as part of its core mission.

Where grants go

From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.

Grant dollars by state

Missouri92%

New York3%

Kansas1%

Massachusetts<1%

California<1%

New Jersey<1%

6 other states: <1%

Outside the US or with no state on the filing: 3%

The largest single recipient received 21% of grant dollars to organisations.
In tax year 2024, 97% of grant dollars went to organisations Muriel McBrien Kauffman Family Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
3% of grant dollars went directly to organisations outside the US (Canada).
<1% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.

Grants

189 grants in the latest filing analysed · median $10,000

How much do they typically give?

Share of 189 grants in tax year 2024 by size

Under $1k6%

$1k–$2.5k6%

$2.5k–$5k10%

$5k–$10k20%

$10k–$25k23%

$25k–$50k12%

$50k–$100k8%

$100k–$250k11%

$250k–$500k2%

$500k–$1M2%

$1M and over1%

Median $10,000 (tax year 2024)

The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:

ST Luke's Mid America Heart Institutemuriel I Kauffman Women's Heart CTR · Institute for women's cardiovascular research
$3,333,3332024 tax year
Kansas City Ballet · Moving into the future endowment campaign additional support
$1,000,0002024 tax year
Kansas City Ballet · General operating support for 2024-2025 season
$750,0002024 tax year
Lyric Opera of Kansas City · General operating support
$550,0002024 tax year
Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts · General operating support for 2024-2025 season
$500,0002024 tax year
ArtsKC Regional Arts Council · General operation support for 2024-2025 fiscal year
$350,0002024 tax year
Kansas City Symphony · General operating support for the kansas city symphony 2024-2025 season
$300,0002024 tax year
Kansas City Repertory Theatre · Kcreps 2024-2025 season of operations
$255,0002024 tax year

Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.

Officers and directors

Sharon Blickensderfer — CFO / Treasurer
Peter W Brown — Director
Lauren MM Lapointe — Director
Julia Power Weld — Director
Julia Irene Kauffman — Chairman / CEO
George P Jandl — Director
David Lady — CIO / Director
Cara Z Newell — Director
Amy Clark — COO
Alexandra E Moore — Director

From the latest Form 990-PF filing

3 years of tax filings

Year	Total expenses	Grants paid	Assets	Filing document
2022 tax year	$12,956,144	$9,401,926	$324,730,031	Filing for 2022 tax year
2023 tax year	$13,441,644	$9,954,072	$345,582,878	Filing for 2023 tax year
2024 tax year	$15,823,971	$12,064,728	$362,894,220	Filing for 2024 tax year

Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.