donor list

Become A Donor

100% of Donations Support Additional College Scholarships and Tuition-Free Job Training Programs

Through the community’s ongoing support, Great Jobs KC has a significant impact on the region’s workforce and economy. We appreciate all its donors and thank them for providing the opportunity for thousands to secure great jobs through college or job training in the Kansas City region.
 
For more information on becoming a donor, CLICK HERE

 

Inaugural Donors

Inaugural Donors donated between the program launch and June 30, 2018. Great Jobs KC recognizes this group of inaugural donors to our foundation program, KC Scholars, in perpetuity. Because of their generosity and belief in the program, KC Scholars, upon launch, exceeded its early fundraising goals.

  • Ashley Anderson
  • Avila University
  • Backstrom Family Foundation
  • Sue McCord-Belzer & Irv Belzer
  • Blue Cross Blue Shield of KC
  • Kathleen Boyle Dalen
  • Ben Bradley
  • Amy Brown
  • Robert Buckley
  • John Cadwalader
  • Darleva Chambers
  • Maria & Jean-Paul Chaurand
  • Johanna Chavez
  • Christine & Sandy Kemper Family Foundation
  • Colliers International
  • Karen Collins
  • Community Services League
  • Community America Foundation
  • Condon Family Foundation
  • Mary McLean & Rita Cortes
  • David Dillon
  • Dunn Family Foundation
  • Terrence & Peggy Dunn
  • Durwood Foundation
  • Tammy & James Edwards
  • Enterprise Bank & Trust
  • Enterprise Holdings Foundation
  • Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation
  • Gery Flattery
  • Sophia Garcia
  • Gautreaux Family Foundation
  • Global Prairie
  • Lacey Graverson
  • Susan Gray
  • Wendy & Dean Guillies
  • Tonya Guinn
  • Helen S. Boylan Foundation
  • Hickman Mills Educational Foundation
  • Hockaday Family Fund
  • Karrin Huhmann
  • Husch Blackwell
  • Steve & Joan Israelite
  • Anthony Ivory
  • Larry Jacob, Jr.
  • JE Dunn Construction Co.
  • Amy Jordan
  • KCP&L/Evergy
  • John & Nancy Kimak
  • Jan & Tom Kreamer
  • Leawood Elementary 5th Grade Class
  • Benny & Edith Lee
  • Allen Lefko
  • Samantha Love
  • Keith Mays
  • Cheryl McConnell
  • McCown Family Foundation
  • Missouri Scholarship & Loan Foundation
  • Tyler & Leigh Nottberg
  • Garold & Evelyn Oliver
  • Marta Padula
  • Carl Pelofsky
  • Lisa Pelofsky
  • Chris Perkins
  • Zach Pierce
  • Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH)
  • R & C Charitable Foundation
  • Mike & Cathy Schultz
  • Sue Seidler Nerman
  • Shirish & Rashmi Shah
  • Sherman Family Foundation
  • Shirley & Barnett Helzberg Foundation
  • Ronald & Suzanne Slepitza
  • Sosland Foundation
  • Morton & Estelle Sosland
  • Spire
  • Sprint Foundation
  • M. Jeannine Strandjord
  • Beth Tankersley-Bankhead
  • Mark Pelofsky & Kari Tannenbaum
  • The George K. Baum Family Foundation
  • The Harley-Davidson Foundation
  • The Ronald D. Deffenbaugh Foundation
  • Liza & Guy Townsend
  • Candice Uhlig
  • Kenna Valentine
  • Victor & Helen Regnier Fund
  • David & Julie Warm
  • Shari Wassergord
  • Carloyn Watley
  • WdS Educational Foundation
  • India Wells-Carter
  • Jean-Paul Wong

Named Scholarship and Unlocking Scholarship Donors

  • Andrea & Kent Price Family Foundation
  • Backstrom Family Foundation
  • Beem Snapp Family Fund
  • Kathryn & Gary Bussing
  • CBIZ, Inc.
  • Joan K. Cohen
  • Catherine Bartlett & William Crain
  • Deloitte LLP
  • Tammy & James Edwards
  • J’Nan & Nick Erker
  • Fort Osage Education Foundation
  • Terry Garberg
  • Global Prairie
  • Grain Valley Education Foundation
  • Sharon & Jim Hannah
  • Jim & Kathleen Harvey Betterman Family Fund
  • Hickman Mills Educational Foundation
  • Elizabeth & John Hjalmarson
  • Hunt Family Foundation
  • Bob & Diane Johnson
  • Deidra & Chuck Kandra
  • Kansas City Royals Foundation
  • KC Global Design
  • John & Nancy Kimak
  • Leawood Rotary Club
  • McCownGordon Construction
  • Debbie & Steve Mitchener
  • New Frontier Educational Foundation
  • Marta Padula
  • Peculiar Charitable Foundation
  • Rachel Price
  • R & C Charitable Foundation
  • Jess & Josh Rhodes
  • RiseKC
  • Michael Roane
  • Rotary Club of Raytown
  • SCHEELS
  • Sue Seidler Nerman
  • Skillbuilders Fund
  • Brad & Mary Kay Speaks
  • The Bicknell Family Foundation II Fund
  • The Ronald D. Deffenbaugh Foundation
  • Allan & Karen Thompson
  • Van Horn Class of ’64
  • Van Horn High School Alumni Association
  • WdS Educational Foundation
  • Sandra Weaver
  • Jonn Wullschleger

If you’d like to learn more about our Named Scholarship and Unlocking Scholarship opportunities, please contact kristen.crites@greatjobskc.org.

A group of graduates in caps and gowns celebrating outdoors. Text on the image reads "Over $12 million in scholarships being awarded." These scholarships are paving the way for promising careers.
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Stephanie underwood - Chief financial Officer

Stephanie Underwood serves as Chief Financial Officer at Great Jobs KC, where she leads the organization’s financial strategy in support of its mission to create economic mobility through education and workforce opportunities. With more than 17 years of experience in nonprofit finance, Stephanie brings deep expertise in financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, and compliance. She is passionate about using her career as a platform to serve and support mission-driven organizations, helping them maximize impact through strong financial stewardship.

Prior to joining Great Jobs KC, Stephanie served as Chief Financial Officer for Griffith Centers, a behavioral and mental health organization, where she oversaw financial operations for a multi-million-dollar organization spanning residential, educational, and community-based programs. She also spent nearly a decade as Vice President of Accounting Services at NFP Partners, providing CFO-level leadership to nonprofit organizations across the country, with a focus on strategic growth, audit readiness, and governance.

Outside of her professional role, Stephanie volunteers her time at her church and serves on the board of a local nonprofit. She is known for her collaborative leadership style and her commitment to aligning financial strategy with mission impact. She holds a Master of Science in Accounting and is proud to be a first-generation college graduate.

 

 

 

Adult Learner College Scholarship

Program offers:

  • Up to $25,000 paid directly to the college over the course of up to six years.
  • Once awarded, the Scholar can enroll full or part-time the fall semester following awarding.
  • Scholarship can be used at any of our college partners. See our current list of partners HERE.
  • Scholarship can be used towards an associate’s degree, bachelor’s degree, or a credit-bearing credential. 

Eligibility Requirements: 

  • Be a high school graduate or GED holder (24 years or older).
  • Live in one of the six eligible counties. (Kansas: Wyandotte, Johnson; Missouri: Cass, Clay, Jackson, Platte)
  • Be income eligible. (FASFA Student Aid Index of 12,000 or less)
  • Have not previously earned a bachelor’s degree.
  • Have not previously been awarded a KC Scholars Scholarship (Traditional or Adult Learner).
  • Is not currently enrolled in a Great Jobs KC Skills Training Program.
  • US Citizenship/Residency is not required to apply.

If you need more information on program details, please find our FAQs HERE

Jimmy Swift - Chief Operating Officer

As the Chief Operating Officer, Jimmy Swift is responsible for overseeing our core programs, our adult workforce development program, Great Jobs KC tuition-free job training, and our KC Scholars Scholarship Program, which includes 11th Grade Traditional Scholarships and Adult Learner Scholarships. 

Jimmy has a career in education that spans more than 25 years and is built around supporting and improving the performance of career training programs and leading the operations of degree-granting institutions. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in management and has served as Campus President, Vice President of Career Services, and Executive Director of various career schools.  

Most recently, Jimmy served as the Vice President of PLA University at Phalen Leadership Academies, bringing access to job skill training to the parents and families of the Scholars served by Phalen Leadership schools across the country.  Beyond his higher education experience, Jimmy serves as the Executive Board Chairman for Project Safety Net NY, a nonprofit community-based agency delivering a broad range of health, education, and prevention services to the New York Community. As the Chief Operating Officer for Great Jobs KC, he and his team are poised to make a substantial impact on the economic stability and future of Kansas City.

Great Jobs KC
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