In 2022, when the Francis Family Foundation transitioned from a community board to a family board, each of the three Francis family members were free to pursue investments in areas uniquely suited to their individual visions for enhancing the quality of life for individuals in the Kansas City metropolitan area and beyond. In addition, the Francis family support grass roots arts organizations and non-arts organizations with arts programming through the Small Arts Grants Fund. In 2023, 41 organizations received funds totaling $250,000. These grants support the rich creative environment of the Kansas City arts community by providing resources for both arts programming and individual artists to flourish.
Ms. Ann F. Barhoum, an immigration lawyer living in the San Francisco Bay area, passionately supports programs which benefit underserved communities within the city. In 2023, she invested nearly $400,000 in organizations fighting to build safe neighborhoods, provide resources to help end hunger and poverty, and organize around equity in education, healthcare and criminal justice.
This approach to focused, proactive grantmaking helped fund the AdHoc Group Against Crime, which provides support to families who are victims of murder or other crimes, dealing with missing family members, or facing the emotional stress of living in high crime areas.
Another organization funded by Ms. Barhoum and the Foundation, is the Olathe Leadership Lowrider Bike Club, has been so successful they now have five chapters, three in Olathe and two nationally in Albuquerque and Espanola, New Mexico.
Established in 2017, in partnership with Olathe Public Schools, their mission is to provide mentorship and support to students in need by teaching them how to build custom bikes. At-risk students find a sense of belonging and support both socially and academically through the Lowrider Bike Club, and collectively they achieved a 100 percent graduation rate since the inception of the program.
In addition, Ms. Barhoum and the Francis family support grass roots arts organizations and non-arts organizations with arts programming through the Small Arts Grants Fund. In 2023, 41 organizations received funds totaling $250,000. These grants support the rich creative environment of the Kansas City arts community by providing resources for both arts programming and individual artists to flourish.
As a Missouri native, Ms. Barhoum remains dedicated to Kansas City community-based initiatives and collaborations that support unmet community needs in all aspects of urban life – arts, education, and lifelong learning.
Mr. David V. Francis, a commercial pilot, is a tireless supporter of lifelong learning in the Kansas City metropolitan area. In 2023, he invested more than $500,000 in lifelong learning organizations promoting access for individuals and families to participate fully in educational, cultural and social activities.
This effort to embrace and promote a strong sense of community has strengthened the efforts of notable institutions advocating for the importance of education and engagement throughout the region. Many of the city’s keystone organizations, such as the National WWI Museum and Memorial, a nationally recognized monument dedicated to remembering and understanding the Great War, have benefited from the investment of Mr. Francis and the Francis Family Foundation.
Kansas City PBS is another valuable provider of immeasurable resources and opportunities to lifelong learners of all ages. Through funding from Mr. Francis and other sponsors, they host a wide variety of seminars around professional development, technology and early childhood education, which helps providers and families discover school readiness resources and activities. As a prominent voice of the Kansas City community on television and radio, Kansas City PBS, 90.0 The Bridge and Flatland also serve our diverse community as an essential source for independent journalism, multimedia storytelling, and music discovery.
A Kansas resident, Mr. Francis seeks funding opportunities with great potential for strengthening community life in all aspects of urban life – arts, culture, education, and social services. He and his family also support local institutions committed to creating a safer community and ending the cycle of hunger, such as Harvesters – The Community Food Network, Operation Breakthrough and Rose Brooks Center.
Mr. J. Scott Francis, a well-known artist and highly regarded philanthropist, passionately advocates for the development of the Kansas City metropolitan area as a creative regional hub for excellence in arts and culture. In 2023, he invested more than $450,000 in arts organizations promoting the creative process among people of all ages and backgrounds.
This approach to excellence and innovation in grantmaking has invigorated so many organizations within the arts community, ranging from the iconic Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and Kansas City Ballet to the community-centric Englewood Arts Center. The EAC specializes in visual, performing, and culinary arts classes that recently expanded their efforts to create an affordable housing program, boosting both artists and the community.
In 2018, Mr. Francis collaborated with the Kansas City Office of Culture and Creative Services to launch a private arts initiative called Open Spaces 2018. From August 25 through October 28, 2018, Kansas City’s contemporary visual and performing artists joined their national and international counterparts in transforming the city into an ever-evolving arts experience.
A Missouri resident, Mr. Francis seeks funding opportunities with great potential for strengthening community life in all aspects of urban life – arts, culture, education, and lifelong learning. He also lives in Aspen, Colorado, and Santa Barbara, California, for part of each year where he supports the Anderson Ranch Foundation, an artist residency program offering summer workshops, and the exquisite Ganna Walska Lotusland, an extraordinary botanical garden named one of the 10-best in the world.