Ktisis Capital is a Michigan-based left-of-center and critical race theory-aligned donor advisory firm founded and led by Jason Franklin. ¹

Background

Ktisis Capital is a for-profit left-of-center strategic advisory firm founded in 2015 by real estate executive, philanthropy professional, and activist Jason Franklin in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The firm’s clients are ideologically aligned individual donors, family foundations, and philanthropic collaboratives. Generally, the firm advises clients on how to best advance left-of-center aims, particularly those having to do with critical race theory, social and economic policy, and environmentalism. ^{2 3 4}

According to Ktisis Capital’s website, the firm works with clients in the United States, South America, Europe, and Australia. ²

The firm is named after Ktisis, a Byzantine personification associated with generosity. ²

Clients

Clients of Ktisis Capital have included the Australian Environmental Grantmakers Network, Committee on States, Conflict Transformation Fund, Democracy Fund Voice, Donors of Color Network, Fidelity Charitable, Forward Global (formerly the Philanthropy Workshop), Global Greengrants Fund, Hidden Leaf Foundation, Impact Driven Philanthropy Collaborative, Justice Associates, Kindle Project, Mannifera Collective, Max and Anna Levinson Foundation, Movement Voter Project, One for Democracy, Ottinger Foundation, Panta Rhea Foundation, Peterffy Foundation, Private Wealth Network, Progressive Political Power Fund, Progressive Women’s Alliance, Proteus Fund, Raikes Foundation, Reichstein Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Ross Trust, Thousand Currents, Voices for Progress, and WK Kellogg Foundation. ⁵

Leadership

Jason Franklin is the founder and principal of Ktisis Capital as well as the general partner of both the Michigan Independent Media Group and Lares Holdings, a family real estate investment company; board chair of the Michigan Alliance; co-facilitator of the Threshold Foundation’s Reproductive Justice and Democracy grant collaboratives; member of the Foundation Conservation Carpathia USA’s board; member of the Philanthropy Initiative Working Group at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History; and co-founder of the Solidaire Donor Network. Additionally, he is a member of the Democracy Alliance, Generation Pledge, and Franklin Weinberg Fund. ¹

Previously, Franklin was the W.K. Kellogg community philanthropy chair at the Johnson Center for Philanthropy, adjunct professor at New York University’s Wagner School of Public Service, executive director of Bolder Giving, and an employee of organizations including the 21st Century School Fund, Rockefeller Foundation’s Next Generation Leadership Network, the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, and White House Office of National AIDS Policy. ¹

Ricardo Benavidez is the associate director of Ktisis Capital working as a strategic and organizational advisor, researcher, and project manager. Additionally, Benavidez is a faculty member at Grand Valley State University (GSVU) in the Integrated, Religious, and Intercultural Studies Department; president of the board of directors for the Grandville Avenue Arts and Humanities; vice chair of the City of Grand Rapids Community Relations Commission; and co-chair of the Grand Rapids Community Foundation’s LGBTQ Fund. Previously, he was a project specialist for community enrichment in GSVU’s Office of the President. ¹

Estevan Muñoz-Howard is the senior director of Ktisis Capitol as well as the interim co-director of the Piper Fund. Previously, he was the director of program strategy at the Marguerite Casey Foundation, treasurer for the Funders’ Committee for Civic Participation, co-chair of the Democracy NW Funders Table, chair of the Washington Progress Alliance, founding co-chair of First Mile, development director for Arts Corps, development director for Social Justice Fund Northwest, and executive director of the Youth Media Institute. ¹

Michael Pratt is an associate director with Ktisis Capital working as a strategic philanthropic advisor, research lead, and project manager. Additionally, Pratt is a member of the advisory board of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Grand Valley State University. Previously, he was a project coordinator and project manager at the Johnson Center for Philanthropy, as well as a member of the board of the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network of Grand Rapids. ¹

Alison Upton Lopez is the senior director of Ktisis Capital as well as a member of the board of Forefront and the National Advisory Board of the Haas Center for Public Service at Stanford University. Previously, she was the founding executive director of the Julian Grace Foundation, in a leadership position with the Chicago Community Trust, executive director of Building Futures Now, executive director of I Have a Dream: East Palo Alto, as well as the development and communications director of NewRoot. ¹

1. “Our Team.” Ktisis Capital. Accessed January 6, 2025. https://ktisiscapital.com/our-team
2. “Our Story.” Ktisis Capital. Accessed January 6, 2025. https://ktisiscapital.com/our-story
3. “Values.” Ktisis Capital. Accessed January 6, 2025. https://ktisiscapital.com/values
4. “Ktisis Capital.” Idealist. Accessed January 6, 2025. https://www.idealist.org/en/consultant/b6d9d843f4bd4ecbb370be2debcaebe0-ktisis-capital-grand-rapids
5. “Clients.” Ktisis Capital. Accessed January 6, 2025. https://ktisiscapital.com/clients