
ABOUT US
The Civic Council of Greater Kansas City is a 501(c)4 nonprofit organization composed of the leadership of the largest, private employers in the Kansas City region. The organization is funded primarily through the annual dues of its members.
OUR STORY
Founded in 1964 by a group of business CEOs, the Civic Council brings together the personal and corporate resources of its members to address difficult, complex community challenges. Throughout its history, the Civic Council has given birth to significant initiatives that have contributed to the community’s economic growth and quality of life. Examples include creation of a plan for redeveloping Kansas City’s downtown and growing the life sciences research and development in the region. A hallmark of the Civic Council is its focus on long-term issues that are strategic and informed by research.
OUR IMPACT
- 1964 Formed in the mid-1960s at the height of the civil rights era, the Civic Council spent much of their early years helping the city navigate these issues.
- 1971 Collaborated with regional leaders to develop the “Prime Time” initiative to sell KC, which evolved into the creation of the Kansas City Area Development Council (KCADC).
- 1978 Launched the Kansas City Tomorrow (KCT) business leadership program to develop the next generation of civic leaders.
- 1984 Commissioned a study recommending the creation of the Full Employment Council, which now administers federally-funded employment & training programs in KC.
- 1987 Hiring of the organization’s first full-time staff person to accelerate and expand Civic Council initiatives.
- 1999 Funded the creation of the Kansas City Area Life Sciences Institute, now BioNexus KC.
- 2001 Initiated the Sasaki Plan, a study that led to the revitalization of downtown KC and commissioned a second Sasaki plan in 2005 to examine the creation of downtown neighborhoods.
- 2006 Created PREP-KC, a nonprofit that connects high school students to engagement opportunities with business professionals and higher education faculty.
- 2015 Galvanized by the Prosperity at a Crossroads report by Brookings Institution and Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) showing Kansas City was being surpassed by several peer regions, the Civic Council was a founding partner and funder of the KC Rising initiative.
Learn more. Visit: https://kcciviccouncil.org/kc-rising/