For years, Kansas City G.I.F.T. (Generating Income for Tomorrow) has fostered economic empowerment and inclusive prosperity for Black-owned businesses. Now, the group is embarking on a new milestone.
“You've got to have resource providers, and we consider ourselves an integral part of how this works," said Kansas City G.I.F.T. Chief Operating Officer Karis Harrington.
Historically, the nonprofit has provided grants ranging from $10,000 to $50,000. This year, the organization is making its boldest move yet by introducing a $100,000 grant.
“This is the largest grant that Kansas City G.I.F.T. will have ever deployed,” Harrington said.
The nonprofit’s grant program has rapidly grown since its launch in 2020. According to its website, the program awarded over $1 million in grants to 63 businesses by the end of its third fiscal year.
“I grew up understanding the struggles of entrepreneurs, but I also grew up understanding the beauty and the freedom and entrepreneurism," Harrington said.
On Prospect Avenue, where Harrington grew up, the realities of racial and economic injustice in the Black community were not abstract — they were daily life.
“The need goes back to what we know about our history and what we understand about systemic racism,” she said. “When you have a hyper-segregated city, you find that the people that live in the urban core, the most disenfranchised, also have the hardest road to get to.”
Harrington believes struggle is the seed to success, and that’s why Kansas City G.I.F.T. is pushing this new opportunity.
“We're looking for businesses that have a growth plan, and we want to support that growth initiative to help them become significant employers in Kansas City,” she said.
Kansas City G.I.F.T. also offers free grant application classes, business coaching and other resources to prepare business owners before applying.
“My perfect vision of a healthy, vibrant Kansas City includes those Black businesses being as stable as they can be. Because once that happens, the reduction of poverty-related crime is what we expect to see next,” Harrington said.
The grant recipient will earn a special place among the success stories proudly showcased along the walls of the facility.
“Generational wealth has to start someplace, and we think that if we can get a strong enough foothold here, we can actually move the needle and make a difference," Harrington said.
To qualify for the $100,000 grant, applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Ownership: At least 51% Black-owned.
- Location: Based in Kansas City, Missouri (preference for businesses east of Troost Avenue).
- Operational history: Minimum of one year in operation.
- Revenue: Annual revenue of at least $100,000.
- Employment: Employ a minimum of two full-time W-2 employees, excluding the owner.
- Financial documentation: Submission of a Statement of Financial Activity and relevant tax returns (2023 and 2024 for businesses operating over two years; 2024 for those operating for one year).
The application deadline for the $100,000 grant is July 8, 2025. Interested businesses can apply at kansascitygift.org.
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