Our Story
Kansas City Action Fund was founded in 2020 and launched in 2022 with the belief that access to a high-quality public education can change the trajectory of student lives and transform a community. Action Fund’s vision is: one city, coming together so that ALL kids in ALL schools are on grade level. Kansas City Action Fund is a 501(c)(4) organization, which means that we can lobby, support candidates and, ultimately, hold leaders accountable.
The Challenge
Success is the outlier rather than the norm.
We love Kansas City. We love its people. We love its vibrant culture. We of course love our sports. Most importantly, we love our commitment to being a world-class city for all.
As part of this commitment, we believe we need to (re)commit to our young people – and to our educational systems. Unfortunately, as we start to understand the impact of COVID and assess how effectively we are serving our children, we can quickly see that, in total, our systems are not meeting students’ needs.
Yes, we have many bright spots of educational wins in a few individual district and charter schools, but, on average, success is the outlier rather than the norm. Our systems continue to prove that education in Kansas City isn’t working for our students. Our children — the cultural and economic future of our city — are as capable as any children in the country, but we’re not meeting their needs.
What We Do
Advocating for
Kansas City students
Kansas City Action Fund has two long-term goals that are inextricably linked:
We achieve these goals by changing policy at the district and state level and encouraging Kansas City’s stakeholders to put students over systems, be more solutions oriented, collaborative, and data-driven.
United around KCAF’s values, we are building a powerful movement to lead this change through:
Policy Advocacy
We are working hard to center specific and actionable changes that will improve student outcomes. We will advocate — in policy and in elections — for adoption of these strategies.
Civic Engagement
Democracy works best when we all participate. KCAF is working to ensure that parents, students, and teachers are active participants in critical conversations about PK-12 education.
Proactive Collaboration
For too long we have operated in silos. KCAF is working to proactively support enhanced collaboration across district and charter schools.
Electoral Capacity Building
Our kids deserve leaders who believe in their success. KCAF endorses and supports candidates who will deliver outcomes for students. We are holding elected officials accountable for their decisions.
Data
We make PK-12 education easily accessible to educational leaders, advocates, and community members in order to galvanize meaningful action on behalf of students.
Our Values
Our drive for decisions
that outline success
As an advocacy organization, we lead with our values, which are deeply rooted in the hearts and minds of our staff and board.
Hope
We believe in the future of our students.
Family Wisdom
It is important that families can choose a school that best meets their child’s needs.
Students over Systems
We are here to advocate for every public-school student, whether they are in traditional or charter systems to ensure that student outcomes are always the priority.
Data Informed
Action Fund will rely on data and research to provide objective guidance for our work.
Proactive Engagement
We will challenge ourselves and education systems to actively pursue parent engagement and create multiple opportunities for participation.
Big Tent Collaboration
It is important that families can choose a school that best meets their child’s needs.
Let’s Take Action
KCAF is engaging and elevating diverse voices to improve the quality of education for Kansas City students. Data becomes policy. Policy becomes advocacy. Advocacy becomes action.