What Black Community Fund does

Black Community Fund (BCF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1983 and headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, that supports Black-led and Black-serving nonprofits, African-American students, and broader African-American communities in the Greater Kansas City area. The organization's mission is to provide support and leadership that enhances socio-economic aspects of African-American communities, operationalized through a portfolio of programs: a Grant Making Program awarding $2,000 to $10,000 grants, a Scholarship Fund for students pursuing college degrees or accredited certificates, the Vision Workshop capacity-building program for grassroots nonprofits, BCF Media (a multimedia content hub), an annual Vision Gala fundraising event, and a Policy Resource Guide. BCF does not position itself as the sole or primary funder of any project, instead serving as a complementary capital source.

BCF operates with a small staff of 1-10 employees and runs a lean technology stack built on third-party nonprofit infrastructure: SmartSimple manages the grant application and reporting workflow, while Network for Good processes online donations. The organization shares back-office services (grantmaking software, email services) with the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation through the growyourgiving.org domain, an administrative partnership rather than an ownership relationship. BCF is an independent entity governed by a Board of Directors, with no parent company or subsidiaries, and no venture, private equity, or public ownership.

Revenue is generated through individual donations, corporate sponsorships, charitable contributions via the online donation portal, and annual fundraising galas. Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed. Programmatic scale signals include $80,000 awarded to four nonprofits at the 40th Annual Vision Gala (2023), $56,000 distributed to 14 organizations through Vision Workshop 2.0 (2024), and the engagement of 37 grassroots nonprofits in the inaugural Vision Workshop in 2022. Customer segments are vertical-defined: Black-led and Black-serving nonprofits (primary), African-American students (primary), and the broader African-American community in Greater Kansas City (secondary).

Name

Black Community Fund

Legal name

Black Community Fund

Website

https://blackcommunityfund.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Black Community Fund is a Kansas City-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1983 that supports Black-led nonprofits through grants, scholarships, the Vision Workshop capacity-building program, and an annual gala in the Greater Kansas City area.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Philanthropy and Grant-making Foundation

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB), College Access, Scholarships & Student Success Nonprofits (BPAGADAE)

Keywords

• Community philanthropy
• Grant making foundation
• Scholarship fund
• Nonprofit capacity building
• Community convening

Headquarters

HQ city

North Kansas City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: BCF raises funds through individual donations, corporate sponsorships, and charitable contributions. Donations are accepted through their website via Network for Good.
2. Gala Events and Fundraising: Annual gala events such as the Vision Gala serve as major fundraising vehicles, combining celebration of Black excellence with grant awards to nonprofits.
3. Grant-making to Beneficiaries: BCF distributes grants typically ranging from $2,000 to $10,000 to eligible Black-serving organizations. The organization does not serve as sole or primary funder of proposed projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Black Community Fund provides grants ranging from $2,000 to $10,000 to Black-led and Black-serving nonprofits in the Greater Kansas City area, scholarships to local African-American students pursuing higher education, and the Vision Workshop capacity-building program for grassroots nonprofits. The organization supports its mission through individual donations, corporate sponsorships, and its annual Vision Gala fundraising event.

Product overview

Black Community Fund (BCF) is a nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of programs including grant making, scholarships, and capacity-building initiatives. The core offerings consist of a Grant Making Program providing $2,000-$10,000 grants to Black-serving organizations, a Scholarship Fund for Greater Kansas City students, the Vision Workshop program for nonprofit capacity building, BCF Media for community content, an annual Gala event, and a Policy Resource Guide. These programs work together to empower African-American communities in the Greater Kansas City area.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• BCF Grant Making Program Core grant-making program providing grants typically ranging from $2,000 to $10,000 to Black-serving organizations in the Greater Kansas City area. No organization may hold more than one active grant at a time, and BCF does not serve as sole or primary funder. Applications are managed through the SmartSimple grant application portal.
• Black Community Scholarship Fund Scholarship fund established by the BCF Board of Directors to provide scholarship support to African-American students from the Greater Kansas City area seeking educational advancement through college, university degrees, or accredited certificate programs.
• Vision Workshop A 2-3 day capacity-building program for grassroots Black-led and Black-serving nonprofits in the Greater Kansas City area, providing workshops on administrative development, community connections, technical skills, and engagement with funders. Participating organizations receive $500 grants and participate in pitch competitions with grant opportunities. Vision Workshop 2.0 (2024) distributed $56,000 to 14 selected organizations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 37 grassroots organizations received capacity-building support and $500 grants in 2022 Vision Workshop 1.0
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• SmartSimplecoreTechnology or IntegrationBCF uses SmartSimple as its grant application software for managing grant applications and reporting. Organizations interested in completing grant applications must create a SmartSimple account. Technical assistance available through Grantmaking Services team.
• Network for GoodcoreTechnology or IntegrationBCF uses Network for Good as its online donation processing platform for accepting charitable contributions.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation: Major KC-based foundation focused on entrepreneurship and education; operates in the same regional philanthropic market as BCF and could overlap on education-related grantmaking.
• REACH Healthcare Foundation: KC-area health-focused foundation serving vulnerable populations including Black communities; comparable regional grantmaker footprint and grantee profile.

Others

• Candid: Nonprofit data and research organization (formerly Guidestar + Foundation Center); adjacent ecosystem player that supports grantmakers and nonprofits like BCF with transparency and capacity tools.
• Network for Good: Online donation platform provider; already used by BCF for fundraising and serves as a technology enabler for small and mid-sized nonprofits in the same segment.

Direct peers

• United Negro College Fund: National scholarship and capacity-building organization for Black students and HBCUs; directly comparable to BCF's scholarship fund and educational advancement mission.
• Black United Fund of Illinois: Black community-focused grantmaking organization that directs resources to Black-led nonprofits; near-identical operating model to BCF in a different metropolitan market.
• Greater Kansas City Community Foundation: KC-area community foundation that shares administrative infrastructure (grantmaking software, email) with BCF; the closest operational peer and primary partner in the same local market.

Broad incumbents

• National Urban League: Large, established civil rights and African-American community advancement organization with a broader national footprint; overlaps with BCF on socio-economic empowerment for Black communities.
• NAACP: National civil rights organization that also supports Black community advancement through grants, scholarships, and advocacy; broader scope but shared mission alignment with BCF.
• Hispanic Federation: Large ethnic community-focused grantmaking and advocacy organization; structurally analogous to BCF as a community-specific foundation serving an underserved population.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/BlackCommunityFund
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/75474930

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Black Community Fund