Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation

CONVENING:THE FOUNDATION'S 40,000-SQUARE-FOOT CONFERENCE CENTER SERVES AS A COMMUNITY RESOURCE, PROVIDING MEETING FACILITIES, STATE-OF THE-ART TECHNOLOGY AND AMENITIES FOR A WIDE RANGE OF LOCAL, REGIONAL AND NATIONAL GATHERINGS. WE PROVIDE THE SPACE AT NO CHARGE FOR NONPROFITS TO USE FOR THEIR CHARITABLE PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES. BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, THE FOUNDATION HISTORICALLY SERVED MORE THAN 66,000 GUESTS INTO THE CONFERENCE CENTER MEETING SPACES. ALTHOUGH THE CONFERENCE CENTER WAS CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC THROUGHOUT 2021, IN AUGUST OF 2020, THE FOUNDATION ESTABLISHED THE COMMUNITY FOOD SERVICE PROGRAM TO BENEFIT FAMILIES AND CHILDREN IN OUR REGION. THE PROGRAM PROVIDED MORE THAN 40,000 MEALS TO THOSE IN NEED, AND ALLOWED OUR FOOD SERVICES STAFF, CONTRACTED THROUGH BON APPETIT MANAGEMENT COMPANY, TO CONTINUE WORKING WHILE SERVING THE COMMUNITY. IN ADDITION, THE FOUNDATION USES THE SPACE TO FURTHER ITS OWN CONVENING PURPOSES AS WELL.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP ECOSYSTEMS:PART OF THE FOUNDATION'S ENTREPRENEURSHIP INITIATIVE TO HELP INDIVIDUALS ACHIEVE ENTREPRENEURIAL SUCCESS IS THE IDEA OF ENTREPRENUERIAL ECOSYSTEMS. THESE ECOSYSTEMS HELP POLICY MAKERS, GRASS ROOTS ORGANIZERS, AND LOCAL PARTICIPANTS UNDERSTAND WAYS IN WHICH COMMUNITY CAN FOSTER CONDITIONS FOR ENTREPRENEURIAL EXPERIENCES. WITH THE GOAL TO STRENGTHEN COMMUNITIES TO HAVE MORE SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENTS (INCLUDING POLICIES, PRACTICES AND PROGRAMS) FOR ENTREPRENEURS. ECOSYSTEMS SUPPORTING ENTREPRENEURIAL GROWTH ARE UNDERSTOOD AND MEASURED, LEADING TO PROVEN TOOLS THAT IMPROVE ENTREPRENEURIAL STARTS/SUCCESSES. THE FOUNDATION SUPPORTS THIS EFFORT THROUGH RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES, AS WELL AS PROGRAMS SUCH AS 1 MILLION CUPS.

EVALUATION:AT THE KAUFFMAN FOUNDATION, WE BELIEVE MEASUREMENT AND EVALUATION ARE VITALLY IMPORTANT TO ACHIEVING OUR MISSION TO HELP PEOPLE BECOME ECONOMICALLY INDEPENDENT BY ADVANCING EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT AND ENTREPRENEURIAL SUCCESS. EVALUTION PROVIDES FOUNDATION LEADERSHIP AND STAFF WITH RIGOUROUS EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT STRATEGIC LEARNING AND INFORM DECISION-MAKING ABOUT GRANTS AND THE PROGRAMS WE OPERATE DIRECTLY. OUR EVALUATION WORK IS DRIVEN BY THREE GOALS: 1) UNDERSTAND OUR PROGRESS IN ACHIEVING STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES; 2) CREATE AND SHARE LESSONS LEARNED ALONG THE WAY; AND 3) USE EVALUATION RESULTS TO IMPROVE AND INCREASE OUR IMPACT. THE FOUNDATION'S EVALUATION FRAMEWORK SPANS ALL THREE LEVELS AT WHICH THE FOUNDATION OPERATES: GRANTS, INTERNALLY OPERATED PROGRAMS, AND PROGRAM-AREA STRATEGIES. WHILE WE USE DIFFERENT MEASUREMENT APPROACHES FOR EACH OF THESE LEVELS, THERE IS A CONSISTENT FOCUS ON ESTABLISHING AND TRACKING PROGRESS TOWARD KEY OUTCOMES.

PUBLIC AFFAIRS:IN ORDER TO ATTAIN PROGRAMMATIC GOALS, THE KAUFFMAN FOUNDATION MUST COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY, PROVIDE ASSOCIATES WITH THE TOOLS TO ENGAGE EFFECTIVELY WITH OUR KEY CONSTITUENTS, AND EDUCATE POLICYMAKERS WITH RESEARCH-BASED APPROACHES TO SUPPORT NECESSARY CHANGES. THROUGH THE CREATION OF HIGH-QUALITY, TARGETED COMMUNICATIONS THE DEPARTMENT CONTRIBUTES TO THE SUCCESS OF THE PROGRAM AREAS AND MAINTAINS OR IMPROVES THE REPUTATION OF THE FOUNDATION AS KEY ADUIENCES: EXHIBIT MORE AWARENESS, EXHIBIT MORE ENGAGEMENT, AND TRUST THE INFORMATION PROVIDED BY THE FOUNDATION TO TAKE POSITIVE ACTIONS THAT SUPPORT A PREPARED WORKFORCE AND ENTREPRENUER-FOCUSED ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.