Kauffman Fund Awards $25,000 Grant to Upstart Nonprofit in Kansas City

Written by Doug Riley

Tuesday, 30 March 2004

Kansas City, MO (March 30, 2004) – The Ewing M. Kauffman Fund for Greater Kansas City awarded a $25,000 capacity grant to the new nonprofit organization, Kansas City Anti-Violence Project (KCAVP), in February. KCAVP, a member of the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP) is Kansas City’s first nonprofit solely dedicated to providing emergency and ongoing services to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and bias crimes in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community.

“KCAVP’s mission is unique compared to other organizations in the area,” says Juan M. Rangel, Jr., Kauffman Fund Advisory Board member and Executive Director of NCCJ. “We need to make sure that everyone in our community is safe not just some us. The Kauffman Fund is dedicated to supporting organizations that serve the whole community and, in reviewing KCAVP’s application; it became clear that victims of violence within the LGBT were underserved.” Rangel adds, “We were particularly impressed with what KCAVP was able to accomplish in a short period of time with very limited resources. And we hope this grant helps the project gain momentum and other financial support from the community.”

KCAVP received government approval as a nonprofit organization in October 2003, and has been actively serving victims and providing community outreach and education since it applied for tax-exempt status in June 2003. Since then, KCAVP has received numerous calls for assistance and information, and KCAVP has participated in area presentations and workshops for other service providers, community groups and public forums.

“The Kauffman grant is as much a financial milestone as it is a validation of KCAVP’s mission,” says Doug Riley, Executive Director of KCAVP. “Many people in Kansas City – even those who are close to the LGBT community – aren’t fully aware that domestic violence and sexual assault crimes are perpetrated against gay, bisexual and transgender people with regularity. Until KCAVP, these victims often got lost in the system or, like so many, stayed silent. Now they have somewhere to go, and someone to talk with.”

The $25,000 Kauffman grant provides six months of operating costs for KCAVP. This includes salary for the executive director, rent, office supplies, phone, advertising, and staff training.

KCAVP is a Missouri nonprofit corporation committed to providing services, advocacy and education for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and bias crimes within the five counties that encompass the metropolitan Kansas City area.

The Ewing M. Kauffman Fund for Greater Kansas City has a mission to build a safe and healthy community by supporting non-profit organizations that strengthen children, youth, families and others in need. Funded at $2.5 million per year, the FUND was purposefully established with few restrictions, allowing it to remain responsive to the immediate needs of the community, which is what makes the FUND so unique. Apart from financing, the FUND operates independently of the Kauffman Foundation. For more information about the FUMD, visit http://www.kauffmanfund.org/.

NCCJ is The National Conference for Community and Justice. Founded in 1927 as The National Conference of Christians and Jews, NCCJ is a human relations organization dedicated to fighting bias, bigotry and racism in America. NCCJ promotes understanding and respect among all races, religions and cultures through advocacy, conflict resolution and education. For more information about NCAVP, visit http://www.nccj.org/.

NCAVP is a coalition of over 20 lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender victim advocacy and documentation programs located throughout the United States. In cooperation with its member organizations, NCAVP is committed to addressing the pervasive problem of violence committed against and within the nation’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and HIV-positive (LGBTH) communities. For more information about NCAVP, visit http://www.ncavp.org/.