William T Kemper Foundation
The William T Kemper Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation established in 1989 in Missouri with tax-exempt 501(c)(3) status. Based in Kansas City, Missouri, the foundation was created from the estate of William T. Kemper, the former president, director and chairman of First National Bank of Independence in Missouri. Kemper was a University of Missouri graduate and well-known civic leader in Kansas City who held top banking positions in Missouri and Kansas. Commerce Bank serves as the current foundation trustee.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
—
Annual Giving
$15.5M
-5.0% YoY
Grant Count
142
+6.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$109K
-10.3% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's mission is to provide philanthropic support for charitable causes and organizations. The foundation gives primarily for:
- Education
- Health
- Human services
- Civic improvements
- The arts
- Community development
Grantmaking
The foundation made 145 grants in recent years. Recent notable grants include:
How to Apply
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Giving is primarily in the Midwest with emphasis on Missouri and surrounding areas. The foundation serves Missouri, Illinois, and Kansas, with particular focus on Kansas City and the local region.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of 2024:
- Total Assets: $288,473,816
- Total Revenues: $34,338,078
- Total Expenses: $18,291,961
As of 2023:
- Total Assets: $272,000,000
- Total Revenues: $14,700,000
- Total Expenses: $17,700,000
- Total Liabilities: $10,700,000
Historical:
- Total Assets (2021): $283,279,632
- Total Giving (2021): $13,678,604
Staffing: The foundation operates with 3 employees.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | — | — | — |
| Revenue | — | — | — |
| Expenses | — | — | — |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | — | — | — |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
250 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Governing Body:
- Commerce Bank, NA - Investment Management Corp (Trustee)
- Commerce Bank, NA - Charitable Management Corp (Trustee)
Donor:
- William T. Kemper Revocable Trust
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| COMMERCE BANKNA-INVMGMT | CORP TRUSTEE | 40 | $698,301 |
| COMMERCE BANKNA-CHAR MGMT | CORP TRUSTEE | 10 | $77,589 |
| COMMERCE BANKNA-CHAR MGMT | CORP TRUSTEE | 40 | $392,852 |
Contact Information
Address: 118 W. 47th St. Kansas City, MO 64112-1692
Telephone: (816) 234-2568
Mailing Address: PO Box 419248 Kansas City, MO 64141-6248
EIN: 43-6345116
Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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