About  Us

Kansas City G.I.F.T is a movement dedicated to cementing a better future for all. Founded in 2020, we have fought for impactful change for families, our communities and our city. We strive to be an actionable step after all the protests have ended, and to educate and empower others to take action. We work to ensure that we close the racial wealth gap, reduce poverty related crime and reverse the effects of systemic racism in our city.

Due to the discriminatory practices of Redlining in the 1920’s and 1930’s in Kansas City, Troost Ave. has long been seen as the dividing line between Black and white people of Kansas City, and the dividing line between high and low income communities. Zip codes: 64109, 64110, 64127, 64128, 64130, and 64132, located east of Troost Ave. have the highest populated low income communities in Kansas City. Collectively they have a population of 107,398 residents and a poverty rate of 36%. Of those 107,398 residents, 75.18% of them are Black. Zip codes: 64113, 64114, 64118, 64119, 64151, and 64152, located west of Troost or in Northern Kansas City, have the highest populated high income communities in Kansas City. Collectively they have a population of 145,554 residents and a poverty rate of 5.03%. Of those 145,554 residents, 91.82% of them are white. Investing in Black owned businesses in low income communities is a proven method of increasing the economic prosperity of the community. However, banks often hinder that prosperity by discriminating against African American and other entrepreneurs of color seeking small business loans. A 2017 study by the National Community Reinvestment Coalition found that banks were twice as likely to provide business loans to white applicants than Black ones, and three times as likely to have follow-up meetings with white applicants than more qualified Black ones.

Generating Income For Tomorrow’s goal is to create a clear path to economic prosperity and wealth for the African American community in Kansas City. We are doing this by providing grants to Black owned businesses in Kansas City, with a specific interest in businesses that operate in low income areas. We know that this creates more jobs and potentially converts an economically disadvantaged area into an area of economic opportunity. Investing in Black-owned small businesses has been shown to be good for the local economy as a whole. 48% of small business purchases are recirculated locally compared to only 14% of purchases circulated by chain stores. Supporting Black-owned businesses supports families, employees, and other business owners, as well as attracts community investors who provide banking services, loans, and promote financial literacy--all things that build economic strength. Black-owned small businesses are also likely to hire from the local community, supporting them has been shown to foster the job opportunities people need to achieve financial stability. ​ After many hours of conversations, we feel strongly that we can have the greatest impact on the community by providing grants rather than loans to the business that we fund. Success will be determined by business growth, job creation, and positive impact on the community. By doing this, we are reducing the transportation barrier, that prevents those who live in a community of high concentrated poverty from being able to get to good paying jobs, we can increase the wealth of the residents that already live in the community, thus having the potential to transform an entire area.