A MORE CONNECTED COMMUNITY

Driving toward digital equity in the KC region

We are taking steps to re-launch the KC Digital Inclusion Fund in January 2024 in an effort to:

• advance a more systemic strategy toward addressing the digital divide
• fill specific programmatic gaps 
• signal strong ongoing community commitment to this work 
• attract new local money to this cause beyond existing funders
• strengthen KC’s competitiveness for state and federal dollars 

The fund is housed at the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation, administered by KC Digital Drive, and led by an Advisory Council that includes Dred Scott, President, Civic Council of Greater Kansas City; CiCi Rojas, President, Tico Productions; and Adriana Pecina, Impact Strategist, Health Forward Foundation. 

History of the Fund:

The Digital Inclusion Fund was created in 2013 to support organizations that provide digital training to the elderly and underserved and increase technology access to populations across the divide. It is housed at the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation and made possible by Google Fiber, the Sprint Foundation, The Illig Family Foundation, Polsinelli, Global Prairie and JE Dunn.

GKCCF received 50 applications requesting more than $1.8 million in funds. The projects to receive first-round funds were:

• Connecting for Good – Digital Inclusion Support Program, $40,000
• Kansas City Public Library District – Mobile Digital Media Lab for Youth, $98,400
• Trinity Community Church – Digital Access KCK, $60,500
• Hispanic Economic Development Council – Digital Life Skills Training for Low-Income Latinos, $77,770
• ArtsTech – Digital Connectors Intergenerational Project, $35,000

The second round of funding closed on September 26, 2014. The Fund plans to award $1 million in grants over three years.

To learn more about the fund, visit the GKCCF website.