Kauffman Legacy Park

The Kauffman Foundation Headquarters is situated on the campus of Legacy Park, an urban green space in the heart of Kansas City. Created by the Kauffman Foundation, Legacy Park offers a lake, the Anita B. Gorman Conservation Discovery Center, and scenic nature trails that connect to the Kauffman Memorial Garden and intersect with the Brush Creek Trail. Kansas City philanthropists Ewing and Muriel Kauffman created their charitable foundations as a commitment to enhance and educate the community. The Foundation continues to carry out Mr. and Mrs. Kauffman's vision and legacy by supporting various Kansas City organizations and offering various programs and educational opportunities, in addition to this serene park, which is open to the public for everyone to enjoy.

The Kauffman Foundation first announced this 37-acre location for their permanent headquarters in 1995. The groundbreaking ceremony was held on March 6, 1997 and the campus's design became part of a redevelopment initiative for Brush Creek. The Legacy Park campus includes the Foundation's business offices, a conference center, the Anita B. Gorman Conservation Discovery Center, a community garden, the Kauffman Memorial Garden, and Legacy Lake which serves as a stopping point for the annual migration of Canadian Geese.

The office building was built by local company JE Dunn Construction and opened on January 4, 1999. It features a copper roof, Maple wood doors and walls, and floor-to-ceiling windows. The conference center is adjacent to the office building and serves as a place where local and national leaders can share innovative ideas and engage in dialog related to entrepreneurship and education. 

EWING MARION KAUFFMAN FOUNDATION

Kansas City philanthropist and humanitarian Ewing Marion Kauffman established his charitable foundation in 1966 as a way to give back to the community as his pharmaceutical company Marion Laboratories was proving exponentially successful. Through an array of life experiences and a positive example set by his mother, Ewing developed a passion for people that created a drive to enrich the community and challenge others to be better. The Kauffman Foundation believes that everyone has a fundamental right to turn a big idea into reality through opportunities in education and entrepreneurship. Ewing’s unconventional path led him to bestow remarkable contributions to the Kansas City community and beyond, creating an enduring legacy. 

Ewing was always looking for ways to give back to the community. One of his first humanitarian efforts occurred when Marion Laboratories was asked to participate in a program during the winter of 1979, to help low-income residents stay warm. When he was asked again the following winter, he declined and instead began exploring ways to fund a charitable foundation that would benefit the community at the root of the problem: youth education and economic stimulation. Soon after, Ewing partnered with the Red Cross and American Heart Association, and opened Royals stadium to the public for CPR classes. More than 125,000 people attended which led to the Kauffman's receiving the national Red Cross Man and Woman of the Year Award. This combination of events inspired the Kauffman Foundations philanthropic approach going forward.

Over the years, the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation created several programs to provide disadvantaged youth quality education and resources for development. In 1984, a drug prevention program called Project STAR (Students Taught Awareness and Resistance) was launched and within ten years, more than 100,000 students participated. A series of three youth development programs were added in 1989, which were Project Early, an early childhood education program; Project Choice, a dropout prevention program; and Project Essential, a program to build self-esteem in young men and women. This same year, President George H. W. Bush appointed Ewing to the Presidential Commission on Drug Prevention and on December 13, he became the 16th person to be honored by Bush’s Thousand Points of Light, a tribute which recognized 1,000 Americans who make a positive difference. Then in 1991, Ewing received President Truman’s Good Neighbor Award for exemplary service to his community and nation. 

In the early 1990s, the Kauffman Foundation began to focus on advancing entrepreneurship. Programs for new entrepreneurs created the opportunity to discover their full potential and enable success through unconventional methods in passing on principles, techniques, and leadership skills. The Kauffman Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership was established in March 1992 and focused on entrepreneurial success across all age levels. In January 1993, the FastTrac program was launched to provide business skills, insights, tools, resources, and peer networks necessary for aspiring entrepreneurs to start and grow successful businesses. Suffering from health issues, the public launching event for FastTrac was one of Mr. Kauffman’s last public appearances. He passed away on August 1, 1993. 

Since Mr. Kauffman’s passing, the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation has continued to carry on his commitment to the community. In 2011, the Ewing Marion Kauffman School opened as a free public charter school available to all students living within the Kansas City public school district. The school focuses on academic achievement and building strong character so all students have the opportunity to become college graduates. 1 Million Cups was introduced in April 2012 with a mission to educate, engage, inspire, and connect entrepreneurs. Based on the notion that great ideas are discussed over coffee, the program gives new entrepreneurs the opportunity to present a business idea to community members during a weekly online event. It has grown to reach communities in more than 40 states.

MURIEL McBRIEN KAUFFMAN FAMILY FOUNDATION

Muriel Irene McBrien met Ewing Kauffman in the early 1960s in Miami, Florida while she was vacationing and Ewing was on a business trip. They married in February 1962 and quickly became a power couple for the community. Through the years, Muriel played a pivotal role in encouraging and supporting Ewing’s endeavors. In 1987, she ventured out to establish the Muriel McBrien Kauffman Foundation which focused on her passion for the performing and visual arts. The Foundations mission is to support organizations and programs that enhance the quality and accessibility of the arts in the greater Kansas City community.

In 1994 Mrs. Kauffman appropriated $1 million endowments for the Kansas City Symphony, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Kansas City Ballet, and Harriman-Jewell Series. This same year, Muriel proposed her vision for a center for performing arts, but passed away on March 17, 1995 before the project was ever started. Her vision was not lost however, as her daughter Julia continued forward with planning and opened the Kauffman Center for Performing Arts in September 2011. The Kauffman Center is now a world class venue, home to several local organizations and offers a variety of performances and educational programs.  

The Muriel McBrien Kauffman Family Foundation supports the following organizations:

The Coterie Theatre; Youth Symphony; Owen/Cox Dance Group; Kansas City Chorale; Charlotte Street Foundation; Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art; UMKC Conservatory of Music; KC Repertory Theatre; ArtsKC – Regional Arts Council; Kansas City Art Institute; Harriman-Jewell Series; Kansas City Symphony; Lyric Opera of Kansas City; and the Kansas City Ballet.

Together, the Kauffman Foundations maintain the Ewing and Muriel Kauffman Memorial Garden. The botanical garden was built in 2000 as a wish of Muriel to provide a tranquil display in the center of the city where everyone is welcome, and is the final resting place of Mr. and Mrs. K. 

Muriel McBrien Kauffman Family Foundation. Accessed May 20th 2022. https://www.mmkff.org.

Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. Accessed May 20th 2022. https://www.kauffman.org.

Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents. Volume 25. Issues 40-52. Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Service, General Services Administration, 1989.

Our Culture, 1 Million Cups. Accessed May 20th 2022. https://www.1millioncups.com/about.

About Us, Kauffman FastTrac. Accessed May 20th 2022. https://www.fasttrac.org/about-us/.

Our Purpose, Kauffman School. Accessed May 20th 2022. https://www.kauffmanschool.org/apps/pages/index.jsp.

Our History, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. Accessed May 20th 2022. https://www.kauffmancenter.org/about/history/.