Kauffman unveils ‘Visionary Award’ to honor legacy builders on KC nonprofit scene

A new award from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation is set to recognize and elevate Kansas City nonprofit executives — and the organizations they lead — who have brought their visions to life by creating lasting, measurable change that others can learn from, replicate, and build on.

The top visionary honored with the inaugural Uncommon Leader Visionary Award will receive $75,000, and their organization will receive an additional $150,000 to advance mission impact and extend what’s working.

“Uncommon leadership is how real progress happens. It develops over time through service, collaboration, and change that endures,” said Dr. DeAngela Burns-Wallace, president and CEO of the Kauffman Foundation. “When we shine a spotlight on this kind of leadership, we do more than celebrate it. We create the opportunity to learn from it, and for others to carry it forward.”

The deadline for Visionary Award nominations is June 1. Click here to learn more details.

Up to five Visionary Award honorees will be recognized at the Uncommon Leader Award celebration this fall. Finalists will be awarded $10,000 individually in addition to $15,000 for their organization.

The award criteria are based on the core values of the Kauffman Foundation’s namesake: community impact, innovation, equity, collaboration, economic mobility, and enduring executive leadership in service of the Kansas City region.

“Uncommon leaders make more possible,” the foundation said in a release. “Like our founder, Ewing Marion Kauffman, they stand out because they build organizations and cultivate movements that shift systems. They open doors that remain open to expand access and equity. They develop enduring organizational and community value that continues to generate impact long after they step away.”

Brandon Yangmi, program director, Rebel Song Academy, Art as Mentorship; Kimberly Weaver, program director, Community Health Council of Wyandotte; outreach clinic director for Swope Health Services; Dr. DeAngela Burns-Wallace, president and CEO of the Kauffman Foundation; Anna Munguia, director of community outreach, Big Brothers Big Sisters Kansas City; and Joel Barrett, senior business development consultant, Missouri SBDC at UMKC; pictured at the Uncommon Leader Award ceremony; courtesy photo

Designed to honor an executive leader from a 501(c)(3) public charity in the Kansas City Region building an inspiring and impactful legacy, the Visionary Award is the second of two Kauffman Uncommon Leader honors. It builds on the Impact Award, which debuted in 2025 and spotlighted non-C-suite leaders in nonprofit organizations across Kansas City.

ICYMI: Kauffman’s first ‘Uncommon Leader’ seeks dignity, empathy and humanity in care for KC’s most vulnerable

“Visionaries often lead without fanfare and from behind the scenes, which is why we’re counting on the community for nominations to celebrate the outstanding impact of these leaders,” said Allison Greenwood Bajracharya, chief impact and strategy officer for the Kauffman Foundation. “If you know a leader who has created lasting change, please nominate them.”