A MESSAGE FROM THE FOUNDATION REGARDING COVID-19:
The Marion and Henry Bloch Family Foundation and The H & R Block Foundation recognize that the rapidly evolving COVID-19 pandemic has and will continue to impact greater Kansas City nonprofit organizations and their abilities to provide critical services to their clients.
In response to the local challenges and needs caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Foundations have adopted a strategy that is highly focused on supporting: 1) the public health infrastructure to serve the mass population; and 2) the coordination of essential services for vulnerable individuals.
Inquiries to the Foundations related to projects that fall outside of the above criteria established in response to this pandemic will not be considered at this time. The Foundations’ online grant application site will be temporarily deactivated to allow Foundation staff to focus on the most critical work at hand. All applications-in-progress will be saved and will be accessible once the site has reopened. Users with applications-in-progress will be notified at that time.
In one effort to respond to the urgent needs of greater Kansas Citians, the Foundations have joined a collective of foundations, corporations, organizations, and individuals to support the Kansas City Regional COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund. This Fund will support charitable organizations providing relief efforts and serving those impacted by COVID-19 by addressing needs critical to survival including access to healthcare, food insecurity, and housing supports like rent and utility assistance. We encourage nonprofits that fit these criteria to find more information and seek financial support through this Fund using the following links.
More information on the Kansas City Regional COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund:
https://www.growyourgiving.org/covid
Nonprofits in Need:
https://gkccf.kimbia.com/covid
We regret that Foundation staff may not be able to respond to all inquiries while we must prioritize our work during this pandemic. Your patience is appreciated, as is your leadership and unwavering effort to keep our Kansas City community safe and healthy through these unprecedented and extraordinary challenges. At this time, please send any inquiries to Foundation staff to: info@blochfamilyfoundation.org.
AREAS OF FOCUS
In recognition of Marion and Henry Bloch’s lifelong commitment to their community, the Foundation focuses its support on organizations that serve Greater Kansas City (Jackson, Clay, and Platte counties in Missouri, and Wyandotte and Johnson counties in Kansas). The Foundation’s seven focus areas include:
Post-Secondary Business and Entrepreneurship Education
The Foundation supports select post-secondary business and entrepreneurship education programs that are centers of excellence.
Visual and Performing Arts
The Foundation supports excellence in and access to the arts, emphasizing programs that enhance quality, strengthen management, and increase audience participation.
Education for Poor, Disadvantaged and Underserved Youth
The Foundation promotes access to quality birth-to-12th grade and post-secondary education, focusing on closing achievement gaps and building human capital in the urban core.
Healthcare
The Foundation supports centers of excellence, education, and access to quality healthcare.
Social Services
The Foundation expands access and opportunities for vulnerable, disadvantaged and low-income individuals and families by meeting basic human needs and supporting the creation of pathways out of poverty.
Jewish Community Organizations
The Foundation supports organizations that advance social and economic justice issues in the Jewish community.
Legacy Organizations
In recognition of Marion and Henry’s lifetime commitments to the Henry W. Bloch School of Management at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, and Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City, the Foundation places a priority on programs and operations of these organizations.
