The Civic Council Of Greater Kansas City

What The Civic Council Of Greater Kansas City does

The Civic Council of Greater Kansas City is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization founded in 1964, composed of the CEOs and senior executives of the largest private employers in the Kansas City metropolitan area. Its mission is to accelerate regional prosperity and quality of life by strategically deploying the personal and corporate resources, influence, and expertise of the region's business and civic leaders on long-term, complex challenges such as economic competitiveness, downtown revitalization, workforce development, housing affordability, and inclusive prosperity. The organization is funded primarily through the annual dues of its members and is supported by a lean staff of approximately five full-time personnel led by President Floyd O. May III, with Board Chair Lisa Krigsten (Managing Partner at Dentons US LLP).

Its core offerings are four civic programs and initiatives rather than commercial products: KC Rising (a regional prosperity initiative launched in 2015 in response to the Brookings Institution 'Prosperity at a Crossroads' report), Kansas City Tomorrow (a leadership development program operating since 1978), Heartland Civic Collaborative (a four-metro Midwest coalition formed in 2012 with Des Moines, Omaha, and St. Louis), and PREP-KC (a youth-workforce connection nonprofit created in 2006). The Council also originated several enduring regional institutions — the Kansas City Area Development Council (KCADC, 1971), the Full Employment Council (1984), and BioNexus KC (1999) — and co-established the Urban Neighborhood Initiative (2016). Distribution is community-led and invitation-based: access flows through direct engagement with member executives, exclusive events, and partnerships with civic bodies such as United Way of Greater Kansas City and the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce. There is no proprietary technology stack; the Council's 'product' is convening, advocacy, and program incubation grounded in research and data-driven analysis.

Name

The Civic Council Of Greater Kansas City

Legal name

The Civic Council of Greater Kansas City

Website

https://kcciviccouncil.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Civic Council of Greater Kansas City is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit, founded in 1964, that convenes CEOs from the region's largest private employers to drive long-term civic and economic initiatives through programs like KC Rising and Kansas City Tomorrow.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civic and Regional Economic Development

NAICS

Business Associations (81391), Civic and Social Organizations (81341), Social Advocacy Organizations (81331)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Civil Society Strengthening & Civic Space (BPADAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Economic Development & Business Licensing (Local) (BPAIACAN)

Keywords

• Regional economic development
• Civic leadership coalition
• Workforce development programs
• Membership-based nonprofit
• Public-private partnerships

Headquarters

HQ city

Kansas City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Annual Member Dues: The organization is funded primarily through the annual dues of its members, who are the leadership of the largest private employers in the Kansas City region. This provides a stable recurring revenue base for operations and initiatives.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Civic Council of Greater Kansas City is a membership-based 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization composed of the leadership of the largest private employers in the Kansas City region. It convenes and mobilizes senior business executives through annual member dues to advance regional economic prosperity, inclusive growth, civic leadership development, and community initiatives such as KC Rising, Kansas City Tomorrow, Heartland Civic Collaborative, and PREP-KC.

Product overview

The Civic Council Of Greater Kansas City operates as a coalition of business leadership rather than a traditional product company. Its offerings consist of four distinct civic programs and initiatives: KC Rising (a regional prosperity initiative launched in 2015), Kansas City Tomorrow (a leadership development program), Heartland Civic Collaborative (a four-metro Midwest partnership), and PREP-KC (a youth workforce connection program). These programs work together to advance regional economic competitiveness, cultivate civic leadership, and prepare future talent for the Kansas City region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Kansas City Tomorrow (KCT): A business leadership program that prepares senior-level business and community leaders for civic engagement in the Kansas City region.
• KC Rising
• Heartland Civic Collaborative
• PREP-KC

Products and services

• KC Rising Regional prosperity initiative founded by the Civic Council in 2015, focused on accelerating economic growth and improving quality of life in the Kansas City metropolitan area through collaborative business leadership and strategic community investments.
• Kansas City Tomorrow (KCT) Civic leadership development program designed to cultivate the next generation of business and community leaders in the Kansas City region through structured learning, mentorship, and networking opportunities.
• Heartland Civic Collaborative Multi-metro economic competitiveness initiative that unites four Midwest metropolitan regions (Des Moines, Kansas City, Omaha, and St. Louis) to address shared challenges, leverage regional strengths, and enhance the Heartland's position in the national economy.
• PREP-KC Program that connects high school students with business professionals to provide real-world career exposure, mentorship, and experiential learning opportunities, preparing youth for future workforce participation in the Kansas City region.

Quantifiable outcome

• Founded in 1964, the Council has spearheaded numerous vital community initiatives over six decades
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and flagship.

• Greater Kansas City Chamber of CommercemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Following months of research, the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce and the Civic Council released three recommendations related to policing practices from the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department, demonstrating collaborative policy advocacy.
• Urban Neighborhood Initiative (UNI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016In conjunction with United Way of Greater Kansas City, The Urban Neighborhood Initiative (UNI) was established as a Community Development Corporation (CDC) in 2016 to build healthy neighborhoods that enable all children and families to thrive.
• KC RisingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015KC Rising was founded by the Civic Council in 2015. Galvanized by the Brookings Institution 'Prosperity at a Crossroads' report showing Kansas City being surpassed by peer regions, the Civic Council became a founding partner and funder. KC Rising provides a Shared Vision connecting strategy of various groups together, focused on long-term regional competitiveness.
• Heartland Civic CollaborativecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012The Heartland Civic Collaborative unites four Midwest metros - Des Moines, Kansas City, Omaha and St. Louis - to collectively strengthen the Heartland's competitiveness in the global economy. The Civic Council serves as a founding partner and key participant.
• PREP-KCcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006The Civic Council created PREP-KC, a nonprofit that connects high school students to engagement opportunities with business professionals and higher education faculty. This addresses workforce pipeline and youth development priorities in the region.
• BioNexus KC (formerly Kansas City Area Life Sciences Institute)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1999The Civic Council funded the creation of the Kansas City Area Life Sciences Institute, now known as BioNexus KC. This initiative established Kansas City's life sciences research and development sector, contributing to regional economic growth and diversification.
• Full Employment CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1984The Civic Council commissioned a study recommending the creation of the Full Employment Council, which now administers federally-funded employment and training programs in the Kansas City region.
• Kansas City Area Development Council (KCADC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1971The Civic Council's work with regional leaders led to the creation of the Kansas City Area Development Council (KCADC), which evolved from the 'Prime Time' initiative to sell Kansas City. KCADC continues to serve as the primary economic development organization for the region.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Greater Cleveland Partnership: Cleveland's CEO-led regional chamber and economic development organization, uniting large employers around inclusive growth, talent, and place-based initiatives. Highly comparable governance and program structure to the Civic Council.
• Greater Houston Partnership: CEO-led regional business and civic organization for the Houston metro, funded by dues from the region's largest employers and focused on economic development, workforce, and quality-of-life initiatives. Closest functional peer to the Civic Council's model of convening top employers around regional competitiveness.
• Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce: Local Kansas City chamber and active Civic Council partner (joint 2021 policing policy work). Comparable regional business leadership organization operating in the same geography with overlapping membership.
• Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce: Membership-based regional chamber representing major Boston-area employers on policy, talent, and regional competitiveness. Similar member-driven convening and policy advocacy model in a comparable urban metro context.
• Kansas City Area Development Council (KCADC): Regional economic development organization founded through the Civic Council's 1971 'Prime Time' initiative. Direct spinoff serving the same KC geography with a narrower economic development/recruitment mandate.
• Pittsburgh Regional Alliance: Regional economic development and civic partnership serving the Pittsburgh metro, mobilizing employer leadership around growth and talent. Comparable member-led model for legacy industrial metros reinventing themselves.
• Detroit Regional Partnership: Public-private regional economic development partnership for Southeast Michigan, uniting business and civic leaders around talent attraction and inclusive growth. Comparable mission and member-driven structure.
• Committee of 100 (New York): Invitation-only membership organization of senior business and civic leaders in the New York City region focused on economic competitiveness and quality of life. Closest large-metro analogue to the Civic Council's exclusive CEO convener model.

Regional players

• Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce: Omaha-area chamber and fellow Heartland Civic Collaborative founding partner. Comparable regional business leadership organization with peer-level convening role.
• Greater Minneapolis Regional Chamber of Commerce: Regional chamber for the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metro, focused on economic development and workforce. Peer of comparable scale and structure serving an adjacent Midwest geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/civic-council-of-greater-kansas-city

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about The Civic Council Of Greater Kansas City