Small nonprofit could get nearly a quarter-million bucks: What’s your pick? | Opinion
When I came to Kansas City in 1998, I’m sure a lot was going on behind the scenes that I was not aware of to help grow the city. But it seems that in the last 10 to 15 years, this town has just boomed, and at least once a week I’m hearing about another Kansas Citian doing great work to make living here better for everyone.
That’s why I was so pleased to hear that the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation has created a new recognition celebrating what they are calling “uncommon leadership.”
The inaugural Kauffman Uncommon Leader Visionary Award is designed to honor an executive leader from a public noncharity in the Kansas City Region who is building a generous, “inspiring and impactful legacy,” in their community, a press release issued this week says. Nominations for the award opened on Wednesday and will continue until June 1.
This award is not an empty one. Nearly a quarter of a million dollars is up for grabs for the winning leader. The person chosen will receive $75,000 in addition to $150,000 for their organization. Up to four finalists will be awarded $10,000, plus an additional $15,000 for their organization.
“Uncommon leadership is how real progress happens. It develops over time through service, collaboration and change that endures,” said Dr. DeAngela Burns-Wallace, president and CEO of the Kauffman Foundation. “When we shine a spotlight on this kind of leadership, we do more than celebrate it. We create the opportunity to learn from it, and for others to carry it forward.”
I totally agree. That’s exactly why The Kansas City Star, since 2021, has made a particular point to engage more deeply with the communities that make up Kansas City and, in doing so, writers — myself included — have met and spotlighted several people doing just the kind of work that Burns-Wallace describes as uncommon leaders, who otherwise might go unseen.
Music, education, reentry
People like Royce Handy, who spent his youth wanting to be a rapper and using his music to fight inequity. Today, he teaches students how to find their voice through hip-hop. In 2017, Handy and a friend created a hip-hop education program called We Are Rap, which teaches students to write, perform, record and produce music. The objective is to help them find their full expression. The nonprofit operates at local YMCAs, churches, after-school programs and clubs. It can be a game-changer for youth trying to navigate a world that too often pulls our young folks in the wrong direction.
Cornell Ellis founded BLOC (Brothers Liberating Our Communities), a nonprofit that encourages more Black men to become teachers. BLOC works to support male teachers through mentoring and group sessions that help keep them in the education field.
As a former education writer, I know Ellis’ work is important because the research says that having at least one Black teacher in third through fifth grades reduces dropout rates for Black male students by 39% and increases their college aspirations by 19% to 29%. Male teachers are sorely needed in public schools across the country and here in Kansas City.
Darryl Burton is a changemaker with an incredible story of redemption. A decade after spending 20 years in prison for a crime he did not commit, in 2017, Burton, who was 63 at the time, found The Miracle of Innocence, a nonprofit aimed at helping the wrongly accused and wrongly imprisoned gain their freedom and successfully reenter society.
And that reminds me of another nonprofit — Lyrik’s Institution, founded by Kyle Hollins. Hollins, who in his youth dealt with homelessness, gang involvement, crime and incarceration, knows that living the hard street life too often leads young people into a prison cell or an early grave. He told me he started Lyrik’s Institution to “reduce crime and violence by targeting destructive thinking errors and reworking them into productive behaviors.” He offers youth who are at risk of slipping into the pitfalls he was able to climb out of paid internships, guidance, counseling and educational opportunities.
Career prep for youth with disabilities
Kansas City native Kim Riley is another person out there changing lives in her city. After running into barriers in her effort to help her son who was diagnosed with intellectual developmental disabilities, Riley started the nonprofit Transition Academy. It focuses on college and career preparation, helping youth with disabilities transition from high school to higher education, employment and independent living.
Because Kauffman Foundation officials know that visionaries often lead without fanfare and under the radar, they are counting on members of the community to nominate outstanding leaders for this impactful award. “If you know a leader who has created lasting change, please nominate them,” says Allison Greenwood Bajracharya, chief impact and strategy officer for the foundation
I’m not nominating anyone for the Kauffman honor, but I know there are so many worthy, selfless efforts happening throughout this city. I’ve only mentioned a few.
But if I were nominating, I would root for Brandon Calloway and his crew at Generating Income For Tomorrow, better known as G.I.F.T. It started with six online acquaintances contributing $10 a month with the objective of supporting the growth of Black businesses in Kansas City. More broadly, it aims to accomplish something the city had proposed and failed to do in over 40 years: Close the racial wealth gap here.
In nearly six years, Kansas City G.I.F.T., a nonprofit that lends financial and business consulting support to Black entrepreneurs, has made a significant dent in the presence of Black-owned businesses in Kansas City. As of April, Kansas City G.I.F.T. had awarded over $2 million in grants to 86 Black-owned businesses. These investments have helped create 151 new jobs and fueled an average revenue growth of more than 200% for supported businesses.
Yes, let’s celebrate that. The potential for citywide impact is tremendous. When the historically oppressed members of a community do better, the entire city is lifted.
So that’s my pick, what about you? Who would you nominate? Go here to name your choice.
