KC G.I.F.T. exists to create sustainable Black employers in Black communities. Founded in 2020, G.I.F.T. provides business grants, business education, and professional services that help business owners grow and thrive.

Grant recipients receive one full year of business support resources to accelerate their business growth, while KC G.I.F.T. Business Center clients gain access to FREE one-on-one coaching, education, and professional services.

Together, we are creating jobs, building generational wealth, and advancing Black businesses—one G.I.F.T. at a time.

OUR VISION

Our vision is to help build 10 sustainable Black-owned employers on Kansas City’s East Side- businesses that, five years after receiving a grant, are still thriving, employ at least 25 people, and provide a living wage of at least $40,000 per year.

THE CHALLENGE

Due to the discriminatory practices of Redlining in the 1920’s and 1930’s in Kansas City, Troost Ave. has long been seen as the dividing line between Black and white people of Kansas City, and the dividing line between high- and low-income communities.

Investing in Black-owned businesses in low-income communities is a proven method of increasing the economic prosperity of the community. However, banks often hinder that prosperity by discriminating against Black and other entrepreneurs of color seeking small business loans. A 2017 study by the National Community Reinvestment Coalition found that banks were twice as likely to provide business loans to white applicants than Black applicants, and three times as likely to have follow-up meetings with white applicants than more qualified Black applicants.

OUR APPROACH

Kansas City G.I.F.T. creates pathways to economic prosperity in the Black community by

investing directly in Black-owned businesses.

ANNUAL REPORTS

3 people, a man, woman and child posing for a photo

OUR FOUNDERS

Kansas City G.I.F.T. began with a simple idea: when a community invests in its entrepreneurs, everyone benefits. The spark came from a Facebook post highlighting a reality many Black entrepreneurs face—having the vision and talent to succeed, but not the funding and resources needed to grow. What started as a conversation quickly turned into a movement.

Today, Kansas City G.I.F.T. brings people together to invest in Black-owned businesses, create jobs, and expand economic opportunity in Kansas City neighborhoods. Our existence proves that when we invest in Black entrepreneurs, communities are strengthened and a more equitable future for our city is created.