Menorah Heritage Foundation
/OVERVIEW: The Menorah Heritage Foundation supports health, Jewish life, community needs and older adults in the Kansas City region.
FUNDING AREAS: Health, Jewish life, community needs, older adults
IP TAKE: This health legacy funder has strong Jewish leanings but still funds a variety of community programs at the local level.
PROFILE: Established in 2016, the Menorah Heritage Foundation (MHF) is a health legacy foundation based in Overland Park, Kansas. It formed upon the merger of the Jewish Heritage Foundation and the Menorah Legacy Foundation. The proceeds of Menorah Medical Center joining Health Midwest created the predecessor Jewish Heritage Foundation in 1994, and the purchase of Health Midwest by HCA created the predecessor Menorah Legacy Foundation in 2003. Today, MHF "strategically supports organizations and meaningful programs that significantly improve the health and well-being of the greater Kansas City community.” It funds local efforts for health, Jewish life, community needs and older adults.
The Menorah Heritage Foundation awards grants that perpetuate the Jewish community, address critical needs and support meaningful programs in the local community. It is also interested in investing in transformational change and anticipating changing needs. It has four distinct grant cycles that are centered on MHF’s core areas of interest. MHF provides program/project and general operating support; however, it does not typically fund capital campaigns, individual scholarship support or multi-year commitments. It also works with donor families to incubate projects with the AKS Family Fund, Auerbach Hirsch Fund, Dr. Sherri L. Brown Bund, Johl Family Fund and Strauss Family Fund.
Grants range between about $5,000 and $300,000. Learn more about this funder’s local giving on the grant awards page of the funder’s website. Grantmaking focuses on the Kansas City area of Kansas. Past local grantees include Cultivate Kansas City, Sheffield Place and Miles of Smiles.
This foundation accepts unsolicited letters of intent from nonprofits. Typical deadlines for the health cycle are in December, for the Jewish community grant cycle in February, for the general community grant cycle in April and for the older adult grant cycle in August. MHF uses an online grant application system. Direct general questions to the staff at mhfgrants@jcfkc.org or 913-981-8866.
PEOPLE:
Search for staff contact info and bios in PeopleFinder (paid subscribers only).
LINKS:
