Great Jobs KC

What Great Jobs KC does

Great Jobs KC, Inc. (formerly KC Scholars) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in September 2016 and headquartered at 8080 Ward Parkway in Kansas City, Missouri, with 51-100 employees. The organization provides college scholarships, tuition-free skills training, and wraparound support services to low- and modest-income individuals across a six-county Kansas City metropolitan service area (Wyandotte and Johnson counties in Kansas; Cass, Clay, Jackson, and Platte counties in Missouri). Its core programs include an 11th-Grade College Scholarship (up to $50,000 per recipient, 250 awards annually), an Adult Learner Scholarship for adults 24+ (up to $25,000 per recipient, up to 150 awards annually), a Short-Term Training Program offering tuition-free skills training in high-demand fields for adults 17+, and Scholar Support Services delivered through assigned Scholar Advocates covering academic, financial, and emergency assistance. The KC Scholars College Network of 26 partner institutions in Kansas and Missouri accepts scholarship funds and often supplements them with additional institutional aid.

The organization's technology stack centers on a Salesforce-based online application portal and scholarship management system, with a separate Scholar Portal (myportal.kcscholars.org) for ongoing awardee engagement; no proprietary AI/ML, API, or SDK capabilities are disclosed. Applications are submitted through structured seasonal windows (January for 11th grade, November for adult learners, year-round for skills training), with supporting workshops, informational sessions, and College Advising Corps partnerships handling mid-funnel support.

Great Jobs KC operates a donation-dependent revenue model. Funding is diversified across individual donations (credit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Venmo, ACH, and mailed checks), corporate giving and the Employer Partner Program, planned giving vehicles (Donor-Advised Funds, IRA Charitable Rollovers, Gifts of Stock, Estate Gifts), and federal grants, including a $680,000 federal grant in 2026 to launch women into nontraditional careers. The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation is the founding/inspirational backer. All services to recipients are free of charge. The organization is governed by a board of trustees and led by an Associate Vice President of Development with dedicated directors for corporate/individual development and leadership annual giving, plus donor relations and grant management staff.

Name

Great Jobs KC

Legal name

Great Jobs KC, Inc.

Website

https://greatjobskc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Great Jobs KC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides college scholarships, tuition-free skills training, and wraparound support services to low- and modest-income students and adults across a six-county Kansas City metropolitan area.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Education and Workforce Development Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171), Educational Services (61), Technical and Trade Schools (6115)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

College & Career Counseling (Admissions, Scholarships, Pathways) (EDAJALAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Employment & Job Readiness Support Services (BPAGAEAJ)

Keywords

• College scholarship programs
• Workforce skills training
• Nonprofit education services
• Adult learner scholarships
• Career training programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Mound City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Great Jobs KC operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that relies on individual donations from the community. Donors can give online via credit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Venmo, or ACH, or through mail with checks.
2. Corporate Giving: Companies can support the organization through corporate giving programs, matching gifts, and the Employer Partner Program.
3. Planned Giving: Donors can contribute through Donor-Advised Funds, IRA Charitable Rollovers, Gifts of Stock, Estate Gifts, and other planned giving vehicles.
4. Federal Grants: The organization receives federal grant funding to support its programs, such as the $680K grant to launch women into nontraditional careers.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Great Jobs KC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides college scholarships and tuition-free skills training to low- and modest-income individuals in the Kansas City metropolitan area. Its core offerings include the 11th-Grade College Scholarship (up to $50,000), the Adult Learner Scholarship (up to $25,000), and a Short-Term Training Program covering high-demand career fields, all delivered through a network of 26 partner colleges and local training providers along with wrap-around Scholar Support Services.

Product overview

Great Jobs KC operates as a scholarship and workforce development organization offering a unified portfolio of programs designed to provide access to education and skills training leading to household-sustaining employment. The core offerings include the KC Scholars Scholarship Program with three distinct scholarship tracks: the 11th-Grade College Scholarship (up to $50,000 for high school juniors), the Adult Learner Scholarship (up to $25,000 for adults 24+), and the discontinued College Savings Match Program. These scholarships are usable exclusively at the KC Scholars College Network of 26 partner institutions. The Short-Term Training Program provides tuition-free skills training in high-demand careers. Scholar Support Services, delivered through assigned Scholar Advocates, provides wrap-around assistance including academic support, emergency funding, and career development. The KC Scholars Ambassador Program, launched in Fall 2024, provides leadership development opportunities for scholarship recipients. Together, these programs aim to remove financial and support barriers for low- to modest-income individuals in the Kansas City region seeking college degrees or workforce credentials.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 11th-Grade College Scholarship A scholarship program for current 11th-grade students in six Kansas City area counties offering up to $50,000 ($5,000 per semester) paid directly to the college, with eligibility based on income (Student Aid Index of 12,000 or less), GPA of 2.5+ or 16 ACT/800 SAT, and residency in Wyandotte or Johnson counties (Kansas) or Cass, Clay, Jackson, or Platte counties (Missouri). Recipients are paired with a Scholar Advocate for ongoing support.
• Adult Learner Scholarship A scholarship program for adults 24 years or older with a high school diploma or equivalent who have not earned a bachelor's degree, offering up to $25,000 ($12,500 per year) paid directly to the college, with eligibility based on income and residency in the six-county Kansas City area. Recipients enroll part-time or full-time with ongoing advocate support.
• Short-Term Training Program A tuition-free skills training program offering career paths in high-demand fields for adults 17+ in the Kansas City area, with opportunities dependent on county of residence. Includes job placement assistance for graduates.
• College Savings Match Program A program (now discontinued for new applicants) that previously provided awarded 9th graders with a 1:1 match of up to $1,000 and additional incentives up to $400 for college savings, requiring full-time college enrollment following high school graduation.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,000 Adult Learner Scholarships awarded since May 2017
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

28 partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Avila UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the KC Scholars College Network, Avila University accepts KC Scholars scholarships and provides additional funding for Traditional Scholars (covers tuition and up to $800 in campus fees per term).
• Baker UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the KC Scholars College Network. Baker University provides a $1,000 matching scholarship to KC Scholars Traditional Scholars.
• Donnelly CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the KC Scholars College Network, an accessible higher education institution serving the Kansas City community.
• Johnson County Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the KC Scholars College Network. Offers metro tuition rate for Missouri residents and special rates for DACA/undocumented students.
• Kansas City Art InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the KC Scholars College Network. Offers additional need-based grants on appeal for KC Scholars.
• Kansas City Kansas Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the KC Scholars College Network. Offers KC Metro tuition rate for residents of Jackson, Johnson, Platte, Clay, and Cass counties in Missouri.
• Kansas State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the KC Scholars College Network. Students may qualify for Wildcat Nonresident Award and Missouri Match Tuition Award.
• Lincoln UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the KC Scholars College Network, Missouri's historically black land-grant university.
• Metropolitan Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the KC Scholars College Network. Multiple campuses (Blue River, Business and Technology, Longview, Maple Woods, Penn Valley) participate.
• MidAmerica Nazarene UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the KC Scholars College Network.
• Missouri State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the KC Scholars College Network. Provides up to $10,000/year for Traditional and Adult Learner Scholars in addition to KC Scholars award.
• Northwest Missouri State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the KC Scholars College Network. Offers in-state rates for incoming freshmen with GPA of 2.75+.
• Ottawa UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the KC Scholars College Network with campuses in Ottawa and Overland Park (Kansas City area).
• Park UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the KC Scholars College Network with multiple campus locations including Downtown KC, Independence, Parkville, and Lenexa.
• Pittsburg State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the KC Scholars College Network.
• Rockhurst UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the KC Scholars College Network. Offers Rockhurst KC Scholars Commitment that covers all but $5,500 of standard direct costs for full-time enrolled scholars.
• Truman State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the KC Scholars College Network.
• University of Central MissouricoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the KC Scholars College Network. Provides UCM Last Dollar award that covers remaining costs for Traditional and Adult Learner Scholars with SAI at or below 12,000.
• University of KansascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the KC Scholars College Network with campuses in Lawrence, Edwards (Overland Park), and online. Offers tuition reciprocity for Missouri residents studying Architecture.
• University of Missouri - ColumbiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the KC Scholars College Network.
• University of Missouri - Kansas CitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the KC Scholars College Network. Offers in-state tuition for Kansas residents.
• University of Saint MarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the KC Scholars College Network. Offers academic awards up to $17,500/year for freshmen and up to $15,000/year for transfer students.
• Western Governors UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the KC Scholars College Network.
• William Jewell CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the KC Scholars College Network. Offers William Jewell Tuition Promise award of $9,320 for Traditional Scholars in addition to KC Scholars award.
• William Woods UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the KC Scholars College Network. Offers up to $20,000/year for Traditional Scholars (replaces KC Scholars award) and 30% tuition discount for Adult Learners.
• College Advising CorpscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorks to increase the number of low-income, first-generation college students who enter and complete higher education by placing recent college graduates as college advisers in underserved schools.
• Kansas State University College Advising CorpscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSolution for Greater Kansas City's workforce development challenges, supported by a grant from the Kauffman Foundation.
• Missouri College Advising CorpscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHires recent graduates to work in partnering high schools across Missouri to empower local students to go to college and succeed.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Year Up: Workforce development nonprofit offering tuition-free training, stipend, and corporate placement for young adults — directly overlaps with Great Jobs KC's skills training program and employer partnership model, though more intensive and longer in duration.
• iMentor: Nonprofit pairing low-income high school students with mentors for college access and success — comparable wraparound support and target population, though delivered through mentoring rather than scholar advocates.

Direct peers

• College Possible: Nonprofit deploying AmeriCorps coaches to guide low-income students through college access and completion — comparable coaching-driven college success model and target demographic.
• Pittsburgh Promise: Place-based scholarship program offering tuition assistance to Pittsburgh Public Schools graduates who meet residency and achievement criteria — closely mirrors Great Jobs KC's geographic-eligibility, partnership-driven college funding approach.
• Say Yes to Education: National nonprofit providing last-dollar college scholarships and wraparound supports in partner cities — directly comparable in combining scholarships, advising, and postsecondary success services for low-income scholars.
• Denver Scholarship Foundation: Regional nonprofit providing scholarships and wraparound support to low-income Colorado students — directly comparable model, scale, and mission of scholarships plus advising services for a single metro area.
• Bottom Line: Nonprofit delivering one-on-one college access and success advising to low-income, first-generation students — directly comparable scholar-advocate model and target population.

Regional players

• The Cincinnati Scholarship Foundation: Regional Cincinnati-based scholarship nonprofit supporting local students with multiple scholarship funds — comparable mission and place-based model, but no formal wraparound advising or college network.

Others

• Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation: Anchor funder and strategic ecosystem partner; not a peer in program delivery but a directly related enabling organization whose Kansas City workforce development strategy and grantmaking underwrite Great Jobs KC.

Broad incumbents

• KIPP Foundation: National charter school network with explicit "College Completion" focus for low-income students — adjacent in mission and target population, but operates K-12 schools rather than scholarships.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@greatjobskc
• Facebookfacebook.com/greatjobskc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/greatjobskc
• Instagraminstagram.com/greatjobskc
• TikToktiktok.com/@greatjobskc
• Xx.com/KCScholars

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Great Jobs KC